But an animal soul would be useless in a human body. It'd be no different than using a very old operating system on a very new computer: it won't run. Or it will run very badly. And how did you get the soul anyway? If there are souls, shouldn't that imply there is also a god, and doesn't that mean the "distribution" of souls would be carefully ordered? No all-powerful factor would make such a terrible mistake.
wow dude, easy there.. although ive known about the animal within for about 4 years, i found out about the therian community about a month or so ago, there's nothing magical about therians at all, see it as a kind of handicap (thats the first thing i can come up with if i shift in annoying places) either you're born with it, or you'll never be... i for one would rather be a average guy, which i view myself as, like most therians do... there isnt much difference between most therians and humans, therians absolutely DONT see themselves as special, and if you want more info:
this is how trueform explained it, way better and not as cheesy
What is Therianthropy?
Written by VampireKitten
A therian (or 'were') has an inner connection with an animal. This connection can come in many forms and types, the following are several good examples of (but are not limited to) the theory or belief that one is a therianthrope.
The person believes that their soul is that of the animal trapped in a human body.
The belief that only part of their soul is animal.
The belief they were of the animal in a past life (the idea of reincarnation).
The belief the spirit of the animal is part of them, but separate to their human souls (sort of like two complete entities sharing the same body).
Another, is the thought of genetics (such as vampirism) is passed down though several generations.
A therian's inner animal is, what used to be, known as their phenotype. Over time this word phenotype has changed to "theriotype" (yet it is still widely used in some communities). A theriotype can better be explained as the animal species or animal signature which resides within the human soul. The theriotype is what makes the therian, a therian.
While is seems the wolf is the most common theriotype so far, it is not limited to this. Other common theriotypes can include anything from, foxes, coyotes, panthers and tigers to whales, fish, ravens/crows, flamingos, spiders, bees etc. A theriotype can be any sort of animal, living or extinct. These theriotypes make up the therian as a whole and sometimes a therian can have more than one phenotype. This used to be a rare occurrence, but now adays more people are going though their "realization" of being werekin. Those souls with more than one theriotype are known as polyweres. Usually a polywere only has two theriotype, however I have seen 3-4 (though very rare). Over the past couple of years there has been a huge increase in theriotypes other than wolves as well as an increase in those who's phenotype are more 'astral' creatures - such as dragons, elves, phoenixes, etc. These are generally called, "Otherkin" and do have their own special classifications for their "species".
Like traditional (or movie) were-creatures they go through shifts. These shifts do not happen every full moon, however, an actual proper physical transformation has never been credibly recorded. Many claim to have physically shifted but all without solid proof. Most weres don't shift very often, and few shift regularly. It is not known what triggers them. Though usually it is triggered by strong emotions such as, Hate, Fear, and Love. It is also possible to induce shifts through meditation/ visualization. Many Native American tribes have learned to do this without being a therian which makes them natural shapeshifters. There are a number of different types of shifts and most weres find they will usually get one type or a couple of types. I do not know of any were's who've experienced every type. Shifting is further explained here.
Therianthropy is very different from Lycanthropy and the two should not be confused. Lycanthropy is a medical condition in which a man/ woman believes they are a wolf/ werewolf and nothing else but. Therianthropy has a more spiritual aspect to it than just believing one is a werecreature, however therians know they are human and those suffering from Lycanthropy usually do not.
Like Lycanthropy, the term "Furry" should not be mistaken as a term for Therian. Like Lycanthropy, furry is a completely different thing altogether. A Furry is a person who visits Anthromorphic Conventions and usually Dresses up as an Animal with ears, a tail, and often times a full fursuit. These people have a fascination with Anthromorphic art and often times act animalistic in real life, yiffing, purring, sniffing, usually the normal things their "animal" would do. They literally Role Play Real Life. However, many furries are Therians (but not all), some Therians like the "furry business" because it helps them be more in tune with their phenotype. As if a Real Vampire would dress in a dark Victorian manner, to feel more at home, a Therian would do this with fur suiting or ears and a tail.