Posted on 05/18/2011 2:31:49 PM PDT by Salvation
Pets in Heaven? A question that comes up frequently is whether people will see their pets in heaven. Now the Catechism of the Catholic Church does not directly address this question. But it does hold principles which lead us in the direction of an answer. One principle is that all living things have a soul. Here soul is defined as what makes an organic body live. Now when any living thing dies, its soul is separated from its body. In the case of plants and animals the soul goes out of existence. But in the case of man, the soul remains in existence because it is a spiritual or immaterial thing. Consequently, it differs from the souls of animals in two important respects. First, it is the seat of intelligence or reason. For this reason a man is held responsible for his actions in a way that animals are not. Secondly, the soul is immortal. A thing which has no physical parts cannot fall apart or be poisoned or be crushed or be put out of existence. For this reason the souls of the saved will always be aware of themselves as enjoying the vision of God for all eternity. This enjoyment will be the result of having chosen to act on earth in such a way that one did the will of God rather than one's own will. And the souls of the damned will be aware of themselves as never attaining this vision of God because they have shown by their lives on earth that they did not wish this vision but instead preferred their own will. In the light of this essential difference between human beings and animals, it would seem that we would not see the souls of our pets in heaven for the simple reason that they do not have immortal souls and are not responsible for their actions. They do not have the intelligence which allows them to choose either God's will or their own will. There is, then, an incomparable distance, say, between the soul of the sorriest human being who ever lived and the most noble brute animal that ever walked the earth. Now a child might be heartbroken at the thought that he will never see his pet again. He cannot yet understand this explanation about the difference between the human and the animal soul. I suppose that one could tell the child that when he hopefully gets to heaven, he could ask God to see his old pets if he still wished to. There would be no harm in that. For we know that when a person finally sees God, he will not be concerned with seeing old pets or favorite places but rather will be captured in the complete fulfillment of the joy of which old pets and favorite places are but little signs. We adults know that, even if the child does not. For more information on how the Church sees animals in the lives of human beings, check the Catechism of the Catholic Church 2415-2418. You will learn, for example, that the Church, while it condemns cruelty to animals as an offense against the dignity of man, allow experiments on animals if done in a reasonable way. Again, you will learn of the tremendous difference that the Church sees between the lowliest of human beings and the most noble of the animals. It will allow animals to be used for food or clothing, but will defend the right of an innocent human being to live against Kings and Nations. The Church will demand that animals be respected as part of creation while at the same time insisting that the dignity owed a human being should never be given to an animal.
Answered by Dr. Richard Geraghty, PhD
I refer to a dog as unclean in a Biblical sense. More accurately, it is an impure animal, not unclean. Dogs do not chew their cud nor do they have cloven hooves. That is the definition of an unclean mammal that I use. This natural law is found in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.
I was replying to orangehoof, of course. She bore false witness against you and another person in the linked post. I thought it was obvious by the link.
So don’t east ‘em.
Dogs are not unpure.
east=eat.
The term used was a much more pet like one than the normal reference to dogs in other places. In other words (as one pastor put it) “Doggy”.
“I’ve been thinking about this and I’m not going to try to pick up all the names on the thread, but WHY would we need pets in heaven.”
I don’t know if our animals are going to be in heaven or not, or to what extent they might be judged based on any self-determanism they might have, if any. And we certainly wouldn’t NEED our pets in heaven. But since when does God limit Himself by giving us only what we need? If it would please Him for us to behold, appreciate and enjoy the wonders of his more humble creations in the light of His direct presence, well I reckon it will happen. God can do things like add to perfection, if He wants.
One of the things he might want us to see are some of his other works with unfallen eyes, thoughts and emotions. Maybe he wants us all to see the animals like Adam did for a while.
Freegards
The mistake of this article comes from believing that everything on the EWTN website is also from the Vatican. Especially when the author says that there is nothing in the CCC about it.
It’s his opinion.
I’ll know it’s heaven by the presence of my long passed furry friends.
everybody has a bed. not everybody has a dog.
Therefore, I see no reason that heaven would not include pets as well as people. Pets provided unconditional love to us in life, why wouldn't heaven also include a time/place where we all bask in the glory of God. If you don't believe pets are in heaven, I get that, but I also think who's to say that in our personal heaven, our dearest pets (if in our mind) would be there.
Just a thought.
I don’t. But I would eat unclean/impure animals in a famine. I’m not patient enough to wait for manna.
Please point to anyone on this thread that said “Jesus died to save our pet.” There is nobody who said this but you.
Animals are not sinners, Jesus did not die for them because they don’t need a Savior the way mankind does.
They along with the rest of creation are waiting for the day God restores everything back to the way it was originally supposed to be.
Your whole argument is that only things that need saving get resurrected is not biblical.
Do you concede that just because it isn’t mentioned in the Bible, that doesn’t preclude the possibility?
How did you arrive at that conclusion?
Unclean? How? Do you mean spiritually? Are animals sinners? Or do you mean physically? Will there be no soap and water in Heaven?
>>Jesus said to him, Rise, take up your bed, and walk. <<
Jesus said TO HIM. It wasn’t the bed of Jesus.
I answer that in Post 161.
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