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
People go to heaven to be with the one whom created them. No matter how hard one tries, I would imagine anything experienced on earth will be incomparable.
“Your whole argument is that only things that need saving get resurrected is not biblical.”
I don’t think so, but whatever, I stated my opinion
Everybody’s got a waterbuffalo.
Yours is fast but mine is slow.......(larry the cucumber)
“Jesus came to Earth to solve the problem of sin. Show me where it is written that animals sin.”
They don’t sin.
They don’t have souls, they aren’t made in the image of God, they didn’t fall, they aren’t heaven bound and they are in no need of a savior.
They are like a tree, you know? Beautiful, good, affected by our fall, but not getting resurrected.
I don’t see how a living being - a creature that has life - does not have a soul. The soul is the source of life.
As far as rational understanding, trees don’t have any and animals don’t have very much. But neither do the profoundly retarded human beings, and they have souls. Or as CS Lewis puts it, a soul is having the body, not that bodies have souls.
Anyway, I do not want to argue, just though I’d dip my teeny toe in the water.
If animals don’t have souls, just who is looking at you through those eyes? Are they just put on for decoration, or is there someone looking through those eyes at you?
“Do you interpret the Bible literally?”
Yes, but people mean different things when they say that.
I recognize that parts of Scripture are historical narratives (like Genesis), some poetry (like Psalms), some prophetic (like Isaiah), some wisdom literature (like Proverbs) and some doctrinal instruction (like Romans).
I believe it is all true. That doesn’t mean that God never uses metaphors, similes, parables, etc. Obviously he does and that doesn’t make it any less true. It actually makes it more true.
I heard that your pets are the first to greet you at the pearly gates.....I'm counting on it ...
“There are no straw men in Heaven. Sorry that you’ll have to leave yours behind. :-)”
I don’t think I proposed any straw men.
>>If animals don’t have souls, just who is looking at you through those eyes?<<
Brilliant!
Because God loves us.
I love the battling message boards,,was this real or photoshop?
The story of Balaam’s donkey has always intrigued me (See Numbers 22:22). Note that God did not speak through the donkey; He gave the donkey the ability so speak. And when she did, she demonstrated an amazing capacity for reason and an innate sense of justice. Much more than most Libs I know, by the way....
“don’t see how a living being - a creature that has life - does not have a soul. The soul is the source of life.”
Then our question is, what is a soul?
The Bible defines it as something God gave mankind, not animal kind.
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7
All other references to souls in the Bible refer to mankind.
So to say animals have souls is a stretch, to say the least.
Never is ensoulment of an animal mentioned. Nor are animals referred to as souls.
“Anyway, I do not want to argue, just though I’d dip my teeny toe in the water.
If animals don’t have souls, just who is looking at you through those eyes? Are they just put on for decoration, or is there someone looking through those eyes at you?”
I don’t want to argue either, I am happy to have a discussion.
I don’t deny animals are alive, or think, or feel. I just deny they have a soul. Who’s looking at you through those puppy dog eyes? They are. They are what they are. You can describe them in many ways. But they aren’t souls.
All Creation did not sin; only man sinned. The rest of Creation was blameless, including animals. All Creation will be resurrected, restored to the Edenic existence for which all living creatures were created and from whence we were all banished due to the sin of the First Adam.
Mankind's fall has resulted in the need for us to redeem ourselves, to believe and to obey in faith. It's our resurrection that is conditional. The rest of Creation will be restored, along with those of us who belong to Him. Those who do not, will be destroyed along with death and Hell; cast into the lake of fire.
In the words of the Apostle Paul:
Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
- I Corinthians 15:36-44
There are many other Biblical cites that are more than just supportive of the belief that animals were not created for oblivion, that they too will be rewarded for their suffering. Romans 8:19 is a good starting point.
On these threads, I always conclude with a recommendation to read the great 18th century Sermon 60 of John Wesley, entitled The General Deliverance. He covers the matter quite memorably and thoroughly, leaving no room for vulgar prejudice against the lesser creatures, all of whom are beloved of God.
‘Shooped, alas. But it SHOULD be real!
Sorry my FRiends, to say that Jesus died to save the soul of your pet really, really cheapens the gospel.
That is a straw man argument. No body connects Jesus death with the ultimate fate of animals.
Very, very nice. You owe me about a sixteenth of a can of Pabst and compensation for severe nasal burning.
Freegards
“The story of Balaam’s donkey has always intrigued me (See Numbers 22:22). Note that God did not speak through the donkey; He gave the donkey the ability so speak. And when she did, she demonstrated an amazing capacity for reason and an innate sense of justice. Much more than most Libs I know, by the way....”
Numbers 22 says God opened the ass’ mouth. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the ass was speaking with her own thought and reasoning.
Use Scripture to interpret Scripture.
Does the Bible ever describe an animal as having a soul, or being given a soul, or as a “soul,” or does the word refer ONLY to mankind, repeatedly, throughout Scripture?
No. Balaam’s ass indeed spoke; God made her do it; but that doesn’t mean she has a soul.
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