Posted on 03/19/2010 7:41:00 PM PDT by beebuster2000
Thanks a heap. Just wanted to help.:)
“But *my* particular heavenly menagerie includes some critters that might freak some people out....LOL”
Sal, you Rebel, you...
Thanks.
I haven’t read that in awhile.
In the animal kingdom, only the Platypus and Spider Monkey can go to heaven. Whales can hang out in Purgatory, but are limited to that level of other worldlyness. Some other animals have a shot at reincarnation, but that really just depends on their karma. Cockroaches all go to hell. Also gnats, they go to hell too.
God would never, never, never condemn any creature to hell that didn’t, by its own actions, ask to be sent there.
“Well, just suppose a Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat is very well behaved and keeps his coat clean and well groomed and is basically a very honorably behaved Wombat. Would he have at least a small chance?”
The Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat? Sadly no. However, based on the details you have provided, said Wombat will do extremely well when Santa is repeatedly checking his list. Once, twice, even three times, this wombat has been nothing but good and will be able to look forward to tallying up an impressive total of Christmas gifts while he/she is still here on earth.
But after death? Yeah, I hate to break it to you, but its reincarnation at best. Though a Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat with this level of earthly good behavior has probably wracked up a truckload of good karma, so it my come back as an anteater or aardvark or something. Might sound kinda bad a first glance, but it’s far better than having to come back as a slug or a grub of some type.
I concur.
Animals have body and soul, but no spirit.
There is a tremendous amount of religious thinking outside of Christ which attempts to attribute animals with spirit, but until I discern the issue from Scripture, I can also see where such thinking may also be deception.
I’m not sure the Isaiah passages aren’t referencing the state of affairs during the Millennium in a newly formed environment.
THE LITTLE DOG ANGEL
High up in the courts of Heaven today
A little dog-angel waits
With the other dogs he will not play
But he sits alone at the Gates:
For I know my master will come, says he
And when he comes, he will call for me.
And his Master far down on the earth below,
As he sits in his easy chair
Forgets sometimes, and he whistles low
For the dog that is not there;
And the little dog-angel cocks his ears
And dreams that his Master’s call he hears.
And I know when at length his Master waits
Outside in the dark and cold
For the hand of Death to open the gates
That lead to the Courts of Gold,
The little dog-angel’s eager bark
Will comfort his soul while he’s still in the dark.
by Norah M. Holland, 1870
DOG
When God had made the earth and sky,
The flowers and the trees.
He then made all the animals,
The fish, the birds and bees.
And when at last He’d finished,
Not one was quite the same.
He said, “I’ll walk this world of mine,
And give each one a name.”
And so He traveled far and wide
And everywhere He went,
A little creature followed Him
Until its strength was spent.
When all were named upon the earth
And in the sky and sea,
The little creature said, “Dear Lord,
There’s not one left for me.”
Kindly the Father said to him,
“I’ve left you to the end.
I’ve turned my own name back to front
And called you dog, my friend.”
-Author Unknown-
A Faithful Dog
A faithful dog will play with you
And laugh with you — or cry.
He’ll gladly starve to stay with you
Nor ever reason why.
And when you’re feeling out of sorts
Somehow he’ll understand.
He’ll watch you with his shining eyes
And try to lick your hand.
His blind, implicit faith in you
Is matched by his great love—
The kind that all of us should have
In the Master, up above.
When everything is said and done,
I guess this isn’t odd...
For when you spell ‘Dog’ backwards,
You get the name of God.
—author unknown
“Dogs are our link to paradise.
They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent.
To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring—it was peace.”
Milan Kundera
The Bible does not speak to this issue. There is certainly evidence that man is far superior to animals in that he was created in the image and likeness of God. There is no indication that animals will be resurrected. With that said, I have lost pets that I loved dearly and the Bible does indicate God will give us the desires of our hearts. It’s certainly not beyond God’s power to resurrection an animal should He choose to do so. I have ask God to allow me to be reunited with my pets in eternity, and I hold on to that hope of one day seeing them again.
My dog just died and I am hoping and praying that she is in heaven.
Well, the one horse will be ol’ Rebel, my best-friend-buckskin-gelding.
Then there’s Gidget and Misty and a list of dogs too long to post.
It gets a little squirrely when you start adding the squirrels, rats, mice, salamanders, newts, goats, possums, ferrets, ground hogs, etc etc.
If we truly do get them all back, [I hope!] it’ll be like my childhood all over again...me walking along with a virtual parade of critters following behind.
That *would* be Paradise, to me.
:)
“You make the assumption that because they are cute and fluffy, they belong in heaven. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of Bunnies? I think you may be victim to the Bunny-centric take on Bunny-cuteness and virtue.”
Ah, see, during my research and studies, I’ve come to the conclusion that only the Platypus and Spider Monkey can actually go to heaven. Was just conceding that IF, and only IF, my research is wrong and fluffy bunnies do go to heaven, they may be highly disappointed to discover heaven holds only a stewpot as their reward - one they are presumably cooked alive in. Quite a bummer.
And yeah, the cute Bunny syndrome has caused many an otherwise solid theologian to really end up into heretic territory. Something about all the fluffyness and cuteness all wrapped up in one animal, well, it just blinds people I guess...
AFter the death of a beloved cat and the same question from my then 12 year old I spent some time in the scriptures pondering this thought.
Heavan is described as a place where there are no tears and we spend our time in joy that cannot be understood in our current form. This tells me that whether our pets are there or not, we will be in a state of unspeakable happiness, so their presence could not add to it any way and their absence could not subtract from it.
I don’t pretend to understand how God will accomplish this, so i have to trust his word and go with that.
“Well, the one horse will be ol’ Rebel, my best-friend-buckskin-gelding.”
You didn’t name your horse Traveler?
I know some might take issue with this, but here goes, when Jesus died it was for us, but all of creation benefited.
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. Colossians 1:16
“Something about all the fluffyness and cuteness all wrapped up in one animal, well, it just blinds people I guess...”
There is a whole pile of cuteness heaped on the little fellers...that’s what makes me suspicious.
Rev. 19. Horses are in heaven.
Cats? Not so much.
Any chance of becoming a three toed tree sloth?
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