Do you believe that animals go to Heaven? When my beloved cat died years ago, I read a book "Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates" that reaffirmed my beliefs that animals do have an afterlife.
What are your opinons?
What are your opinons?
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Pets in Heaven
- Thread starter JesusSaved
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explodingboy
Guest
No offence but cats are evil and soulless creatures of the night. (and I say this because we have 2 and a half, and one of them has peed over the duvet last night)
and, then there is the entire lack of anything biblical to suggest that they could or might, honestly I still remember my Ex trying to explain her theory that Heaven would be just like earth, and people would have jobs and what not (due to the whole eternity anywhere is going to drive you pretty loopy at the end of the day)
Eitherway, not to be trying to pass judgement or anything of that sort, so do try to take this as intended, a jovial ruffle of the hair and such like, because I have no issue with such wishy washy beliefs, being a big fan of diverse and open outlooks on all aspects of life.
But consider this a heads up, that your probably going to run into someone who is abit more pedantic about being Right and Wrong, and chances are, your going to be rather lacking in scripture and relying on happy thoughts (which they never seem to find a convincing argument.)
and, then there is the entire lack of anything biblical to suggest that they could or might, honestly I still remember my Ex trying to explain her theory that Heaven would be just like earth, and people would have jobs and what not (due to the whole eternity anywhere is going to drive you pretty loopy at the end of the day)
Eitherway, not to be trying to pass judgement or anything of that sort, so do try to take this as intended, a jovial ruffle of the hair and such like, because I have no issue with such wishy washy beliefs, being a big fan of diverse and open outlooks on all aspects of life.
But consider this a heads up, that your probably going to run into someone who is abit more pedantic about being Right and Wrong, and chances are, your going to be rather lacking in scripture and relying on happy thoughts (which they never seem to find a convincing argument.)
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explodingboy
Guest
Quick update, because I'm happy to admit when I'm wrong or have encountered a previously unkown,
but Joseph Smith has your back, I've been told he met his dead horse in his vision of heaven. didn't think to ask if the horse was still dead.. but for the sake of happy thoughts, I'd assume it was not zombified, or looking like it did after the train hit it (how ever it may have died)
but Joseph Smith has your back, I've been told he met his dead horse in his vision of heaven. didn't think to ask if the horse was still dead.. but for the sake of happy thoughts, I'd assume it was not zombified, or looking like it did after the train hit it (how ever it may have died)
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There are numerous fairly serious books on the topic of animals' survival after death. "Animals and the Afterlife" by Kim Sheridan is one (one of my experiences with a dog is described in it). And there have been many, many reported paranormal experiences with deceased pets -- I've had several that I consider to be genuinely paranormal. So I do believe that animals share the same afterlife as humans, preferring the actual experiences of myself and others to worrying about whether there is "scriptural support" (yawn) for this.
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Everyone has the right to their opinions so I do no take offense at your disbelief of animal afterlives. However, I think you are taking it too far to call all cats evil, soulless creatures based upon your experiences.
There are some evil humans too but I wouln't call the entire human race evil and soulless.
I've had more than one cat, and each one has been loving and even shown compassion when someone in the family was sick or sad (remaining by our sides constantly, snuggling with us, ect) We have a pair that shows compassion to eachother, licking eachother (including when one was wounded after a vet visit) sleeping by eachother, playing, never fighting, ect.
What is the purpose of God creating such creatures if they were meant to just die and not go on?
"And every creature which is in Heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, blessing and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the lamb forever and ever." Revelation 5:13
Sounds like God cares about every creature. I also find it interesting that Jesus chose to take refuge in the wilderness with animals and away from humans during those 40 days. God not only saved Noah, but animals too.
I could also give you plenty of stories of animals saving human's lives, showing loyalty and heroism. Forgive me, I'm an anthromorphist, and will defend my views with plenty of factual back up. As I said, I respect your opinion, but please don't make blanket statements about any species.
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I am very interested in the book you mentioned, I'll have to see if my library has it. I too have experienced signs from my desceased pets. More thatn once I'd suddenly be thinking of my late cat when in the car and I'd change the radio station and "Tears in Heaven" would come on. This has happened about 4 times, so I dismiss any notions of it being a coincidence. I've had many other signs as well.
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NiobiumTragedy
Glorious Tragedy
Heaven will have to be pretty large to include every dinosaur to every fruit fly.
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explodingboy
Guest
relax I jest.
Sure, animals where made for mans entertainment, and to serve a purpose, A dog in Europe is mans best friend, in Asia it's lunch.
Animals aren't people. Is a fairly common train of thought, we may become emotionally attatached to an animal we've had for a long time, but that in itself is not enough justification, I mean is a grease monkey to be reunited with his wrecked 1970 chevy in heaven? (if 1970 isn't a good year for Chevy, I wouldn't know or particular care, it's the general gist not the specific that matters)
God saved very very few animals, he killed an awful lot more if your that way inclined, so either they were all sinful (though the abomination that is shellfish would have survived God's wrath without any effort) or Noah saved animals as useful tools while the rest got drowned.
Again as I say never take anything I say to seriously, life is too short to be getting offended, and I'm English, raised on a dairy farm, I have both a cruel and practical sense of humour.
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How large does a dream have to be to include 500 or 5000 people? I don't know that we can think of heaven in the same way as we do a geographic place.
There is also some evidence that pets who have strong bonds with humans "actualize" into individual consciousnesses, while those who don't may be part of a collective consciousness. In other words, there may be a single "fruit fly consciousness" as opposed to billions and billions of individual surviving fruit flies, while your pet cat Fluffy may actualize into an individual Fluffy-consciousness. All just speculative theory, of course, but I have an impossible time believing that human consciousness is unique (and the evidence suggests it isn't).
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Luther073082
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Scripture does not provide us an answer to this question.
It has been the traditional teaching of the church that animals do not posess souls.
However that does not mean that there will be no animals in heaven or after the ressurection. Some have argued that since animals please us so much that they would have to exist in heaven in order for it to be paradise.
As far as scripture, I don't think there is enough to say either way.
It has been the traditional teaching of the church that animals do not posess souls.
However that does not mean that there will be no animals in heaven or after the ressurection. Some have argued that since animals please us so much that they would have to exist in heaven in order for it to be paradise.
As far as scripture, I don't think there is enough to say either way.
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ponderingnwandering
Newbie
I agree, there really isn't any scripture to point either way. Personally, i could live without pets as much i could with pets. The only animal i really like are dogs anyway
I think there will be animals, but i don't think it'll necessarily be the ones that were previously here on earth. That's really just me guessing though.
I think there will be animals, but i don't think it'll necessarily be the ones that were previously here on earth. That's really just me guessing though.
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explodingboy
Guest
And I always thought English boys were polite gentlemen.. You just disillusioned me..
As I was saying to my good American friend who is currently trying to woo, a proper English private girls school educated, posh lass. I have the accent of an English gentlemen due to living to close to Eaton and Windsor, otherwise I'd have been somewhere between cockney or West country hick.
Under that logic you'd have to include all sorts of things though from Ipods to bicycles, and I was under the impression that the general gist is we're supposed to be far to happy with God to worry about such other things, pets I'd have thought fell under this bit since let's face it a cat in heaven would be for ones own amusment, rather than God honouring (and I suppose by we I mean you lot, since as an Atheist I figure my chances of getting in are slimmer than wearing sneakers to Spearmint Rhino.)
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Joshua Howard
Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit of Happiness
Dogs, cats, people... We all rejoin the force... err... God. It is within us, it binds us together, it has light and darkness in it... Yep; it makes pretty good sense, really. In probability, there is no classical God, there is no classical Satan, there is no classical afterlife. In probability, we are recycled, and nothing living ever dies, but rather changes form.
Just as water never truly dries up, but simply changes form, our souls appear to disappear, but in reality they simply rejoin the energy from which they came, are reborn, take new form, and continue the cycle of existence; this theory is validated by the general principles of the lifecycle, and essentially match the overall concepts allegorized in most or all religions.
There is so much that we don't know, all we can really do is make wild guesses about the real truth of the highest meaning of existence. After all, even if you say that the reason for us is God, or heaven, still unanswered remains the question, why them? Why God? Thus, in some manner, we all are constrained to the mystery of life by faith. We must find the confidence to believe that there is a greater good to which end we strive, and a better, more perfect construction to which end our existence serves.
If you believe that all animals go to heaven, you'll have to do a good deal of explaining to all of the ones which you have eaten, however. If you believe that only certain species go to heaven, then you're a species-ist, which is like a racist, only with animals. Do mosquitos go to heaven, or do they go to hell?
Just as water never truly dries up, but simply changes form, our souls appear to disappear, but in reality they simply rejoin the energy from which they came, are reborn, take new form, and continue the cycle of existence; this theory is validated by the general principles of the lifecycle, and essentially match the overall concepts allegorized in most or all religions.
There is so much that we don't know, all we can really do is make wild guesses about the real truth of the highest meaning of existence. After all, even if you say that the reason for us is God, or heaven, still unanswered remains the question, why them? Why God? Thus, in some manner, we all are constrained to the mystery of life by faith. We must find the confidence to believe that there is a greater good to which end we strive, and a better, more perfect construction to which end our existence serves.
If you believe that all animals go to heaven, you'll have to do a good deal of explaining to all of the ones which you have eaten, however. If you believe that only certain species go to heaven, then you're a species-ist, which is like a racist, only with animals. Do mosquitos go to heaven, or do they go to hell?
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NoelAsa
Senior Veteran
Read this book "The Divine Life of Animals" by Ptolemy Thompkins. It is a brand new book for this year. It is a very indepth book about the life of animals through out history. Looks at different cultures and religions. Makes references to the bible.
It is just not a cute book of someones pet dying. It is very well written with a lot of references to other material. In the end he does say that animals do have souls and go to heaven, but you can draw your own conclusion from what he presents in the book.
I think that we should respect everyones beliefs as long as they are not harmful. So those you think that they do not have souls and go to heaven, fine. I think that they do and do not understand why you have to make rude comments to people who think so.
It is just not a cute book of someones pet dying. It is very well written with a lot of references to other material. In the end he does say that animals do have souls and go to heaven, but you can draw your own conclusion from what he presents in the book.
I think that we should respect everyones beliefs as long as they are not harmful. So those you think that they do not have souls and go to heaven, fine. I think that they do and do not understand why you have to make rude comments to people who think so.
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Let's look to the Word, shall we?
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:11)
Look at that: eternal pleasures at His right hand. Certainly, He is one who is able to give us infinitely more than we could ever ask. Why should we doubt His power to satisfy us? If His promise in the Psalms is that He will give us the desires of our heart here on earth (Ps. 37:4), how much more will He, whom will be our infinite delight, be able to give us the desires of our heart in heaven?
Thus, assuming our desire for companionship with our pets will still be there in Heaven, I think it's no question whether or not God will allow them to be in Heaven.
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:11)
Look at that: eternal pleasures at His right hand. Certainly, He is one who is able to give us infinitely more than we could ever ask. Why should we doubt His power to satisfy us? If His promise in the Psalms is that He will give us the desires of our heart here on earth (Ps. 37:4), how much more will He, whom will be our infinite delight, be able to give us the desires of our heart in heaven?
Thus, assuming our desire for companionship with our pets will still be there in Heaven, I think it's no question whether or not God will allow them to be in Heaven.
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