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.
Again I would ask you to define "heaven." Do you believe that we will spend eternity floating around "heaven" as spirits, in which case I can understand the strangeness of seeing the disembodied soul of that turkey you ate last Thanksgiving; or do you understand that we will spend eternity on the new Earth, with physical bodies, interacting with our environment much like we do now?
When God reforms the new Earth, do you believe it will be so much unlike the current earth that there will be no animals?
I have heard preachers tell about the New Jerusalem described in Revelation. All sterile, gold, diamonds.
Sounds like hell to me.
Thank you.
Tell me this bird couldn’t talk!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjE0Kdfos4Y
The New Jerusalem is God’s city (the New Heaven, if you will), which will descend to the New Earth. God will dwell on the New Earth, which I believe will be a restored version of Eden, with His people, ruling from New Jerusalem.
IIRC, the New Jerusalem will have a river and the Tree of Life will be there. So it won’t be completely sterile :)
I’ve had the same thoughts for years and used the same scripture to support it.
Jesus isn’t the only one to arrive on a horse either.
To me, it would not be Heaven if I can’t have my pets. Maybe that’s the flesh talking and when we finally stand in the Lord’s presence, we will only want to do his will.
Amen!
>>Can an animal accept Jesus Christ as it’s Lord and Savior?<<
They don’t have to. God made them in a state of innocence. No animal thinks of the repercussions of it’s actions. Therefore, they have no soul and only a God given spirit.
Will Preborn babies who die in abortions not be in heaven?
You make some good points to ponder. Thank you. What about socio-paths? They do not think about the consequences of their actions.
Do they have souls? Do they go to heaven?
I was also taught that we won’t miss any of our loved ones on earth or who have preceded us in death. We will be so happy with being with our Lord that nothing else will matter.
Look we are going to have to agree to disagree.
I will point out that the sacrifice of animals was a foreshadowing of an innocent dying to cover a sinful person’s sins. It was a foreshadowing of what Christ would do for everyone.
Just because God allowed animals to be sacrificed, this use somehow disqualifies them from being made new again when God sets things right in this world?
The main reason we are not allowed to murder another person is because people are made in the image of God. We do not have dominion over other people as we do over animals. That fact does not logically mean animals that have died, will never live again.
None of what you argue proves animals that have died, will not be made new again. You base it on their current function. You base it on the fact we have dominion over them and have the ability to kill them for food. Just because we can do these things (with God’s permission), that does not mean they will never live again.
Also you are incorrect about your Adam and Eve reference. God did not allow the eating of animals for food until after the flood. Adam and Eve and their offspring sacrificed the animals to God, they did not eat them. They were not told by God those animals were food for them, they were to be burnt offerings to God and to be consumed by fire. He did say animals were to be food, to Noah, after the flood.
They had the capacity to being people. They are the ones that have seared their consciences, so that they do not work anymore.
Totally not the same thing as an animal, that never had that capacity to begin with.
PLease don’t try to compare apples and oranges - sinful man with animals that are innocent - who are just trying to survive in a fallen world that isn’t their fault. Most live lives that are very short, very hard, with terrifying endings.
It is not for nothing that they live. God will make things right and they will get to experience life the way it was supposed to be. It isn’t just “as good as it gets” for the animals that have to live in a fallen world, now.
There are in the Apocrypha. I'll bet Martin Luther was a cat-hater, and THAT's why he didn't like those books. Searching biblegateway on 'cat' brings up way too many references to cattle, but I did find this one:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/? search=Baruch+6:21&version=DRA
I don't know what provision God has made for my many beloved pets, but I'm sure He made some - they weren't supposed to die at all. I hope to see them again, but have no certainty.
There are too many basic premises in that that I do not agree with. Pets do go to heaven....instantly.
Animals are the biggest part of my life....I love them more than 99% of the people I know....so for me, God knows this and it would not be Heaven for me without them....so I know that “IF” I go to Heaven, my animals will be there too.
Mine too....I told my relatives where the ashes are....to mix them with mine and spread them altogether....taking no chances of being separated with them. :)
bttt
How do we know for sure animals don’t have souls.
And they never bonded with an animal...or probably loved one at all.
“Right now, it is hard for me to imagine that I would not sigh without my pets.”
I hear you, but how about our unsaved loved ones? I can’t imagine heaven without my own mom. But at this point she is not a believer. So it must be possible.
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