i'm not sure about this one but i would tend to lean towards no they don't. i think we are a giant step ahead from other animals, sure animals love their offspring etc., but humans seem to be much more than that.
Idc that Prince_spinoza already addressed this. He didn't add much.
I don't quite understand what you mean when you say we are a giant step "ahead." Evolution isn't a means to an end. Which means that no given species is "ahead" because there is no goal to be reached.
Loving offspring is what we do because it benefits us. What you think is so much more is human bias. Yes, I understand that its difficult to see things from other perspectives when human is all we can be but that is simply how it is. Nature is blind and Evolution too is blind.
we have the 'intelligence' to wonder if there is a God or not (why the heck should we even be able to do anything like this!),
Because we have the brains for it. Why do we have the brains for it? Because having those brains and the ability to use them in particular ways may have saved our asses.
we have the intelligence to figure out the deepest laws that govern our universe,
Yes, yes, we've established that humans have very superior intelligence but it is only useful and important to US. We have it and need therefore it is important to us. An organism that relies on photosynthesis would find our intelligence not as useful as its photosynthesis.
we care about what happens to people on the other side of the planet, we love people who are not related to us, we experience beautiful emotions
We also hurt our next door neighbours sometimes, we even kill our parents, and sometimes we experience horribly vile emotions.
So what?
, we have detailed moral codes on what's right and wrong.
again, so what? What has this got to do with possessing a soul? I am capable of good things so I have a soul?
In addition we (as in humanity) grow, we change, we learn, we become different - we get better. Other animals just tend to stay the same.
Really?...Really? I will pass this off as silly.
I can't prove any of this is because of a soul (or indeed whether the soul affects our intelligence in a positive manner), but i can't help but think there is something special within us humans that makes us stand out rather than a few genetic changes compared to apes.
oh...I see what you were doing there. Okay, so you can't prove its because we have a soul...but you Abu Yunus, you, cannot help but think there is something special within us that made us develop a soul? Does this mean Heaven and hell was also developed for this soul to visit?
Seems like this soul was just made up by the mind which was formed by evolution and this heaven and hell was made up for the soul to go to because we humans think we are "special."
Rightttt on.
Topic: religion helped men in creating and holding a peaceful society, or counter the