Do All Dogs Go To Heaven? New Books Seem To Think So

[PJM]

=Apollos;6829896]A Franciscan. Go figure.

Anyway, I’m willing to bet the same author denies that anyone goes to hell, including animals.

If knowing God as he is in himself is what heaven is all about, then what rationale is there for animals to be there? Unless perhaps they would exist for our sake.

***TRUE all living things posses a solu OF SORTS! That is something within than annimates life.

BUT Only humanity* of the hundreds of THOUSANDS of living things on earth have not ONLY a much greater soul; but our souls are matched with a mind, intellect and freewill. It i these very God-like attributs that reserve HEAVEN for those human beings who make RIGHT USE of these Spiritual Gifts, that permit ONLY HUMANITY** to know God; freely choose to love and serve God and to THANK God for all that He is, and all that He does for us.

The choice of heaven or Hell is not God’s choice; NO IT IS BASED ON THE PERSONAL DECISIONS THAT WE EACH MAKE AS INDIVIDUALS. ONLY HUMANITY has that potential and without it heaven or hell, for that matter, are IMPOSSIBILITIES!

Love and prayes,
Pat

 

[FaithJoy]

You might like to read osv.com/tabid/7631/itemid/785/Do-Animals-Go-to-Heaven.aspx

I quote part of it:

That is actually beautiful.
I like the quote

St. Paul tells us that other creatures have suffered the consequences of human sin. But through Christ’s redemption of the human race, “creation itself” will be “set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God” (see Rom 8:20-22).

and

We can also assure children that God loves every creature He makes, that He loves their pets even more than they do, and that when their beloved pets die, we can entrust them to Him.

I actually believe God used my pet’s death as a “tool” for me to become more closer to Him. I know it worked. It helped me seek God. He knew it would happen and it did.

 

[Salvatore123]

FJ,

I apologize for responding when I said I would not. I could not help but do so after your last post.

Please don’t misunderstand my position. I never said that pets have NO uses and are NOT of value of any kind. That was the furthest thing from my mind.

I was simply wanted people to try to understand that although pets have “value” on Earth, they are NOT NEEDED IN HEAVEN.

Why?

As I said earlier: WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO TURN AWAY FROM LOOKING AT GOD IN THE FACE - THE PUREST LOVE EVER KNOW, AND RESERVED FOR US TO THAT DEGREE - TO GO CHECK ON OUR HAMSTER?

I am NOT trying to belittle pets - I am simply trying to point out how (I apologize ahead of time for the wording) “illogical” it is to WORRY about something when worry is an emotion we will NEVER experience in heaven. We will be “too busy” (not in a literal sense) enjoying the beatific vision that God has planned for us.

Pets, and trees, and mountains and sunsets, and the like, signal God’s beauty ON EARTH - NOT IN HEAVEN.

We don’t NEED pets in heaven to be happy - some of us need SOMETHING to make us happy or “replace” something that is missing in our lives. And many people choose pets for that reason. Although I don’t do so, I understand why someone would.

Just please keep in mind: we want for NOTHING in heaven. As we want for nothing, an occasion will NEVER arise where we have to ask for anything.

That is the beauty of heaven, and WAS the beauty of Earthy until Adam and Even destroyed their supernatural immortality. When Christ objectively redeemed mankind, he did NOT re-establish supernatural immortality on Earth, but he DID reopen the gates of heaven. Even though the awful sin of A&E destroyed immortality of the body, it did not destroy the immortality of the soul. And I suppose God “grew weary” (a human trait - I don’t mean it literally) of seeing his beloved mankind held hostage for so long.

Remember - Purgatory was one of the first places Christ “went to” after his death - to preach to the captive souls that heaven had once again opened for man.

It is in THIS life ON EARTH that we use our free will to participate in the subject salvation of man. It is available for all men, but not all men avail themselves of it. We always work out our salvation with fear and trembling. That is THE greatest verse in the bible that may be used to crush the heresy of predestination. If one is predestined to heaven or hell, why work on it, and if we have to work on it, why worry about? It would make no difference how we felt and what we did, if our souls were predestined for one place or the other.

And God simply cannot be so callous or capricious or arbitrary with admittance into heaven. He has very strict “rules” that we must follow, and it is Christ’s church on Earth that teaches us those rules and how to live by them.

 

[RSD]

FJ,

I was simply wanted people to try to understand that although pets have “value” on Earth, they are NOT NEEDED IN HEAVEN.

Why?

As I said earlier: WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO TURN AWAY FROM LOOKING AT GOD IN THE FACE - THE PUREST LOVE EVER KNOW, AND RESERVED FOR US TO THAT DEGREE - TO GO CHECK ON OUR HAMSTER?
(this is the end of that quote. I accidentally deleted the end of quote marks and don’t know how to get them back)

I have only recently found this thread, but I have tried to read and understand all of it. If I am misunderstanding please be patient with me. This subject is of great interest to me for several reasons, all of which are related to the great gift that God has given me of loving animals in this life.

I am definitely of the view that God will abundantly furnish Heaven not only with animals in general (the lion who lies down with the lamb for instance) but with particular animals whom we have known- for instance my pony who is better at teaching riding than I am. I watch how carefully and deliberately he carries my one year old grandson, while the dog is running around his feet, and he is being led by my 8 year old granddaughter and I have no doubt that this gift is directly from God and through the pony in a way that includes the pony himself.

I think that animals will be in Heaven, not because of some “need” that is exactly like our needs on earth, but because God delights in His creation, in the seemingly endless variety of creation, and in our delight in His creation. I do not imagine that I would turn away from the Beatific Vision to play fetch with my dog, or check on my hamster (or practice dressage with my horse) but that I will do all these things in supernatural joy of being in God’s presence.

I think that part of the problem in reaching an understanding of this subject has to do with the fact that very often we state something positive which implies something negative, but we would deny the negative. That sentence was confused but I can’t find a better way to say it. An example: why do I go to Adoration? Because God is present there. But does that mean that God is not present with me other times? No- it does not mean that. God is always present. Yet when we go to Adoration we know that something is different.

Definitely God has given man an immortal soul, free will, and the possibility of being united with Him in Heaven. Definitely the gifts that God gives to animals are different, and we usually state these difference negatively- animals don’t have an immortal soul, or free will, etc. I know that some people have more of a gift of receiving joy from God through animals than other people do. Those of you who do not have this gift I am sure have some other gift that I cannot fathom. For the sake of charity please be aware that your effort to deny the eternal goodness of our gift does not enlighten us- it just comes across as mean spirited.

If we are only certain that Heaven will have only those gifts which are absolutely stated positively, does that meant that in Heaven we will have no sense of hearing, because all we need for the Beatific Vision is vision? That we will never talk to each other, because we can’t hear?

What about food? Jesus ate with the disciple after Hid resurrection. Was He just trying to fool us, there will be no eating or drinking in Heaven? Who would turn away from the Beatific Vision to eat a fish?

 

[pnewton]

Prove it! I haven’t heard proof yet after several pages. Don’t just state something. Give a rational argument. As for me, you said nothing.

There is no proof, either way. This is not an area the Church has proclaimed any revealed truth. This is an exchange of opinions.

 

[twinc]

so lets clarify this a bit - there will only be a few dogs in heaven since there will only be a few dog lovers in heaven - all creation fell with Adam so when you fall your poor dog falls with you - just consider that surely what you can do surely God can do - so you dream you are playing with your dog and yet not once did you doubt that this was not real - when and if we make it to heaven then all that we love and are lovely in God’s eyes will be ours to enjoy imho - twinc

 

[distracted]

The way I understand it is that dogs have mortal souls, while humans have immortal souls. I believe that dogs will have a place in heaven.

where does it say that in the Bible or Church teaching?

 

[distracted]

Rose,

I was with you with everything you said until the last part: “I believe that dogs will have a place in heaven.”

Only immortal souls are in heaven. If a dog’s soul is mortal, it cannot survive the dog’s death.

That is THE primary argument against animals being in heaven.

Also, the point I was trying to make earlier is that we, as humans, tend to want our “pets” to go with us because we think of pets as innocent creatures who only love us.

?

and dogs have OFTEN NOT loved pepole… There are frequent stories in the news of dogs attacking and even killing people…

sometimes i walk down the street & little yipping (disgusting ) dogs follow right on my heals & when i show them I am picking up rocks, they run but once in awhile thye will just act more & more like they want to atack… yes, they are very loving creatures, aren’t they??

 

[distracted]

You guys still are using the wrong words to describe “a soul”. A soul is simply “a life” with a body and spirit ( an essence).Soul and spirit aren’t the same thing.

It seems we will disagree completely on this subject. But, let me ask this question to the believers that DON’T think animals can go to heaven. Question is : If animals don’t go automatically by His decision, would He place an animal in heaven by request of one’s owner? If not,tell us why? Considering we will have other objects in heaven, such as essences of food and landscape. Why would an animal be excluded from this beauty craved by humans?

this is putting God in a box… God is big enough to take away our “love” for our mere created creatures… His love is SO much bigger than the so called love of a dumb animal…

i think some people love their animals more than they love God…

i feel that some worship their *** pets… Geeze… if the object of your affection is no more complex than a dog… something’s not right… time to get close to Jesus or something…

 

[Salvatore123]

I said I would not respond, but geez - I just cannot get past some of these comments.

WE WILL NOT WANT TO TURN AWAY FROM GOD’S FACE - THE FACE OF PURE LOVE - TO GO BE WITH A DARNED HAMSTER OR A TARANTULA OR A POT BELLY PIG!!!

STOP TALKING ABOUT DOGS AND CATS AND LOOK AT WHAT YOU GUYS ARE REALLY SAYING!!!

YOU ARE REPLACING GOD IN HEAVEN WITH ANIMALS - ANIMALS!!!

THAT MAKES NO SENSE!!! NONE!!!

LAUGH ALL YOU WANT AT MY REFERENCES TO PIGS AND HAMSTERS, AND GUPPYS, AND SPIDERS, AND WHATEVER OTHER ANIMAL MAN CHOOSES TO TAME.

ONCE YOU OPEN THE DOOR FOR A DOG, YOU CANNOT CLOSE IT FOR ANY OTHER ANIMAL. BECAUSE IF YOU DO, YOU ARE THEN GOING TO START ARGUING WITH THEM THAT DOGS AND CATS SHOULD BE SEPARATE FROM PARAKEETS, COCKATOOS, AND MINOR BIRDS . . .

 

[FaithJoy]

I said I would not respond, but geez - I just cannot get past some of these comments.

WE WILL NOT WANT TO TURN AWAY FROM GOD’S FACE - THE FACE OF PURE LOVE - TO GO BE WITH A DARNED HAMSTER OR A TARANTULA OR A POT BELLY PIG!!!

STOP TALKING ABOUT DOGS AND CATS AND LOOK AT WHAT YOU GUYS ARE REALLY SAYING!!!

YOU ARE REPLACING GOD IN HEAVEN WITH ANIMALS - ANIMALS!!!

THAT MAKES NO SENSE!!! NONE!!!

LAUGH ALL YOU WANT AT MY REFERENCES TO PIGS AND HAMSTERS, AND GUPPYS, AND SPIDERS, AND WHATEVER OTHER ANIMAL MAN CHOOSES TO TAME.

ONCE YOU OPEN THE DOOR FOR A DOG, YOU CANNOT CLOSE IT FOR ANY OTHER ANIMAL. BECAUSE IF YOU DO, YOU ARE THEN GOING TO START ARGUING WITH THEM THAT DOGS AND CATS SHOULD BE SEPARATE FROM PARAKEETS, COCKATOOS, AND MINOR BIRDS . . .

But I did laugh.Seriously, you were funny and you meant to be. But,how you described Heaven as all of us staring at God for eternity just don’t seem like Heaven.

I think Heaven would be more like this: we live in Heaven with God in us and us in Him at every moment of the days AND enjoy His creation that He loves more than we love His creation. Remember, ALL creation came from Heaven to begin with,from His hands and His breath of life.

 

[RSD]

I said I would not respond, but geez - I just cannot get past some of these comments.

WE WILL NOT WANT TO TURN AWAY FROM GOD’S FACE - THE FACE OF PURE LOVE - TO GO BE WITH A DARNED HAMSTER OR A TARANTULA OR A POT BELLY PIG!!!

STOP TALKING ABOUT DOGS AND CATS AND LOOK AT WHAT YOU GUYS ARE REALLY SAYING!!!

YOU ARE REPLACING GOD IN HEAVEN WITH ANIMALS - ANIMALS!!!

THAT MAKES NO SENSE!!! NONE!!!

LAUGH ALL YOU WANT AT MY REFERENCES TO PIGS AND HAMSTERS, AND GUPPYS, AND SPIDERS, AND WHATEVER OTHER ANIMAL MAN CHOOSES TO TAME.

ONCE YOU OPEN THE DOOR FOR A DOG, YOU CANNOT CLOSE IT FOR ANY OTHER ANIMAL. BECAUSE IF YOU DO, YOU ARE THEN GOING TO START ARGUING WITH THEM THAT DOGS AND CATS SHOULD BE SEPARATE FROM PARAKEETS, COCKATOOS, AND MINOR BIRDS . . .

I agree, I laughed because the way you say it is funny, but seriously, I have no desire to distinguish between dogs, cats, parakeets, cockatoos, and I think you mean mynah birds, since the age of the birds (whether they are 18 years old) is really not relevant. I want them all in Heaven, and I think that Heaven will be big enough for all of them. Worse yet, I want the wild animals too, and the plants and the rain, and the sunsets and…

Please pay attention to this: I do not think for one instant that anything will take me away from God in Heaven, just as I do not want anything to come between God and me here on Earth. I will not willingly pursue any activity or interest that takes me farther from God. I do rejoice in the many wonderful gifts that God gives me on Earth, and I am totally convinced that He wants me to rejoice with him in the creation which He has given me, and has given me the capacity to love and appreciate. Do you think that Heaven consists of nothing but unmoving, un-hearing, unfeeling staring at God? Unchanging as if you were catatonic? Do you think that you will be unable/ unwilling to hear the cherubim and seraphim singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts…”? Do you think that Jesus meant to fool us when He ate food? If food and music, created things that are part of this Earth, can be taken up into Heaven, why not dogs, cats, horses, lions?

Is this making any sense at all to you?

 

[VampireQueen]

But I did laugh.Seriously, you were funny and you meant to be. But,how you described Heaven as all of us staring at God for eternity just don’t seem like Heaven.

I think Heaven would be more like this: we live in Heaven with God in us and us in Him at every moment of the days AND enjoy His creation that He loves more than we love His creation. Remember, ALL creation came from Heaven to begin with,from His hands and His breath of life.

I could not have said it better myself.

 

[RSD]

I agree, I laughed because the way you say it is funny, but seriously, I have no desire to distinguish between dogs, cats, parakeets, cockatoos, and I think you mean mynah birds, since the age of the birds (whether they are 18 years old) is really not relevant. I want them all in Heaven, and I think that Heaven will be big enough for all of them. Worse yet, I want the wild animals too, and the plants and the rain, and the sunsets and…

Please pay attention to this: I do not think for one instant that anything will take me away from God in Heaven, just as I do not want anything to come between God and me here on Earth. I will not willingly pursue any activity or interest that takes me farther from God. I do rejoice in the many wonderful gifts that God gives me on Earth, and I am totally convinced that He wants me to rejoice with him in the creation which He has given me, and has given me the capacity to love and appreciate. Do you think that Heaven consists of nothing but unmoving, un-hearing, unfeeling staring at God? Unchanging as if you were catatonic? Do you think that you will be unable/ unwilling to hear the cherubim and seraphim singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts…”? Do you think that Jesus meant to fool us when He ate food? If food and music, created things that are part of this Earth, can be taken up into Heaven, why not dogs, cats, horses, lions?

Is this making any sense at all to you?

P.S. And I want you in Heaven with me, too. You are also a creature of God, but I don’t think that I will have to “turn away” from God in order to say to you “Look, NOW do you see.” I think that God will join with me in laughing (in a loving way) at how different Heaven looks than what you expect. And I think that you will laugh with us.

Part of the point here is laughter and love.

 

[Salvatore123]

*AND I DID MEAN “MINOR” BIRDS, AS IN BIRDS BEING UNABLE TO DRINK OR DRIVE! WE HAVE NO BUSINESS ADMITTING BIRDS WHO HAVE NOT YET ATTAINED THE AGE OF REASON INTO HEAVEN. THEN WHAT? WE HAVE TO BABYSIT A BIRD LIKE THE BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ? FEED IT WITH EYEDROPPERS UNTIL HE RECOVERS FROM BIRD DISEASES? THEN WHAT - WHILE YOU ARE FEEDING THE MINOR BIRDS, IN COME THE MAJOR BIRDS ASKING FOR A DRINK. AND I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE THOSE MAJOR BIRDS STANDING ON A POT BELLY PIG AS THE PIG STROLLS INTO THE HEAVEN “BAR” AND THEY ALL ORDER DRINKS. BUT THEY WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED . . . OH NO. THIS IS ANIMAL HEAVEN AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ORDER ANY DRINK THEY LIKE.

Thank you . . . we now return you to our regulary scheduled broadcast . . . *

 

[RSD]

AND I DID MEAN “MINOR” BIRDS, AS IN BIRDS BEING UNABLE TO DRINK OR DRIVE! WE HAVE NO BUSINESS ADMITTING BIRDS WHO HAVE NOT YET ATTAINED THE AGE OF REASON INTO HEAVEN. THEN WHAT? WE HAVE TO BABYSIT A BIRD LIKE THE BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ? FEED IT WITH EYEDROPPERS UNTIL HE RECOVERS FROM BIRD DISEASES? THEN WHAT - WHILE YOU ARE FEEDING THE MINOR BIRDS, IN COME THE MAJOR BIRDS ASKING FOR A DRINK. AND I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE THOSE MAJOR BIRDS STANDING ON A POT BELLY PIG AS THE PIG STROLLS INTO THE HEAVEN “BAR” AND THEY ALL ORDER DRINKS. BUT THEY WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED . . . OH NO. THIS IS ANIMAL HEAVEN AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ORDER ANY DRINK THEY LIKE.

Thank you . . . we now return you to our regulary scheduled broadcast . . .

I definitely want you in Heaven with me.

 

[distracted]

I agree, I laughed because the way you say it is funny, but seriously, I have no desire to distinguish between dogs, cats, parakeets, cockatoos, and I think you mean mynah birds, since the age of the birds (whether they are 18 years old) is really not relevant. I want them all in Heaven, and I think that Heaven will be big enough for all of them. Worse yet, I want the wild animals too, and the plants and the rain, and the sunsets and…

Please pay attention to this: I do not think for one instant that anything will take me away from God in Heaven, just as I do not want anything to come between God and me here on Earth. I will not willingly pursue any activity or interest that takes me farther from God. I do rejoice in the many wonderful gifts that God gives me on Earth, and I am totally convinced that He wants me to rejoice with him in the creation which He has given me, and has given me the capacity to love and appreciate. Do you think that Heaven consists of nothing but unmoving, un-hearing, unfeeling staring at God? Unchanging as if you were catatonic? Do you think that you will be unable/ unwilling to hear the cherubim and seraphim singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts…”? Do you think that Jesus meant to fool us when He ate food? If food and music, created things that are part of this Earth, can be taken up into Heaven, why not dogs, cats, horses, lions?

Is this making any sense at all to you?

Jesus ate food cuz he had a human body & needed it to survive… I have no doubt he enjoyed the meals people fixed for him… and i know that God wants us to enjoy the things he created… If he didn’t want us to enjoy things, he woudn’t have made them enjoyable…

but when we pass from this physical life inot the spiritual, we will not need dogs or cats or even humans… The saints tell us to detach from ALL creatures… Humans in particular distract us from
God… even when they are “good” to us… but all human relationships have problems and glitches and … stumblingblocks… because we are all different… and we are all sinners, etc…

that’s probably why people focus on animals… less problematic to deal w/ t hem than w/ humans… but still… dogs don’t have any way of knowing our soul… our heart’s desires… our soul’s needs… They can provide “companionship” to some extent but they cannot take the place of God and shouldn’t… yet some people seem to worship their pets more than they do God… I know that a lot of the people i know who have dogs or cats or both do NOT go to Church…

i think people make far too much of animals… They have emotional needs and they project those needs onto their pets… instead of onto God (Jesus)…

 

[RSD]

Jesus ate food cuz he had a human body & needed it to survive…

They can provide “companionship” to some extent but they cannot take the place of God and shouldn’t… yet some people seem to worship their pets more than they do God… I know that a lot of the people i know who have dogs or cats or both do NOT go to Church…
.

Sorry, I did not say clearly what I meant. I was referring to the fact that Jesus ate food after He was resurrected, when He was in His Heavenly body. I think that is an indication that there will be eating, and food, in Heaven.

Certainly some people receive from God the gifts of animals, without being aware that the gift is actually from God. All gifts that God gives are abused by some people. That does not make the gift any the less from God. Even the Blessed Sacrament, the physical presence of Jesus, and be abused, but no one could then say that it is not a gift from God.

 

[pnewton]

but when we pass from this physical life inot the spiritual, we will not need dogs or cats or even humans…

Herein is the one reason I believe that we might have interaction with the wider creation, even animals.

We believe in the … resurrection of the body and life everlasting. We do not pass from the physical life. If God intended a spiritual union in the beatific vision to be a purely spiritual event, then why is there going to be a bodily resurrection. We will not be beings of Spirit only in the resurrection, but like now, both physical and spiritual. I do not know what heaven will be like, but the Catholic teaching precludes a kind of spirit only Borg-like assimilation.

We will have bodies.

 

[distracted]

Sorry, I did not say clearly what I meant. I was referring to the fact that Jesus ate food after He was resurrected, when He was in His Heavenly body. I think that is an indication that there will be eating, and food, in Heaven.

Certainly some people receive from God the gifts of animals, without being aware that the gift is actually from God. All gifts that God gives are abused by some people. That does not make the gift any the less from God. Even the Blessed Sacrament, the physical presence of Jesus, and be abused, but no one could then say that it is not a gift from God.

maybe there’s food in Heavne, maybe not… but Jesus eating food after Resurrection doesn’t necessarily prove anything…

i think things in heaven are so drastically different from on Earth that no one can begin to know what its like… although i believe some poeople claim they havebeen there…