Why can't God let animals be in heaven?

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Modern_Revert said:
Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.

Mark Twain
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Memaw said:
Are you saying God plays favorites??? God Bless, Memaw
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Twain was referring to the fact that it’s a “gift” (“favor”) to us, from God, and not something merited by us. And that if God rewarded us with heaven due to “merit”, then none of us would be there at all (and our dogs would have a better chance). 😉
 
pianistclare said:
This is a wonderful post.
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😊 Thanks PC.🙂
Memaw said:
Thank you for letting us know that this is NOT a teaching of the Catholic Church but nothing more than your own pious theory. Yes, Jesus said HE is the Resurrection and the Life" and HE also said "whoever BELIEVES in ME will have Eternal Life. Animals do NOT have the capacity to ‘believe’ in HIM. If God only takes the animals we love to heaven then what happens to all the mistreated, unloved critters. Good grief this gets silly. God Bless, Memaw
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I would suggest, and scripture also states that God is offended by abuse of His creation and animals in particular. If we are supposed to be stewards of it all then abused animals would certainly merit an accounting before God by their abusers.

Animals cannot NOT believe in God because they are material souls and as such cannot sin. Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ even points out that not a single bird falls that is not seen by God and that though birds and plants do nothing like humankind does they are provided for by Him even in their short lifespans.

I don’t think it’s silly, it’s simply a study in consolation and the greatness and mercy of God.
Modern_Revert said:
Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.

Mark Twain
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:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
Dorothy said:
Trust the Lord in all things. He knows what He is about.
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Yep.
Joe_5859 said:
Animals are not made in the image and likeness of God as we are. Their souls are not eternal.

That said, it seems perfectly reasonable to me that if there are plants and animals on Earth, there would be plants and animals in the new Heaven and new Earth. God is a creative God. Why let such good ideas pass away?
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👍 Which was my only point.
 
Isaiah 65 talks of a new heaven and a new earth where the wolf will lie down with the lamb and the lion will eat straw like the ox…and they shall neither harm or destroy on all my Holy mountain…I don’t consider the word of God “silly”.
 
Do animals go to heaven? I don’t know. I hope so. Many of them have served their owners and families very well for many years and have been incredibly loving and loyal. It would be wonderful for them to get an eternal reward for that.

Every time one of these threads come up I tend to see 4 different types of responses:
  1. People like myself who admit we don’t know, that we trust God and His plan and it will all work out for the best for all of His creation in the end, but at the same time hope that there are animals in Heaven.
  2. Those that admit they do not know, but think that there will not be animals in Heaven.
  3. Those that are convinced that there will be animals in Heaven.
  4. Those that are convinced that there will not be animals in Heaven and seem almost or overtly offended by the mere suggestion of it.
I make two observations from this:
  1. Most people, while hoping or believing one way or another, understand that we don’t know and simply can’t know until we get there.
  2. The only people that seem convinced animals don’t go to Heaven are the ones that seem offended by the thought. This offense is bothersome to me and seems very uncharitable. God created the animals, so obviously He finds them to have value and worth, or else they would not be here. Additionally, while humans were given dominion over the animals, we are supposed to care for them. Do people really believe that Heaven was made just for them? I don’t. I believe that Heaven was made for the same reason everything else was, for the Glory and Happiness of God, and I just hope to make it, I certainly don’t deserve it.
 
There has to be some retribution to the animals who is abused to the point of death, so I’m guessing they *must *be in heaven
 
Martin Luther believed that animals can go to heaven. He reportedly said to his dog:

“Be thou comforted, little dog, Thou too in Resurrection shall have a little golden tail.”
 
ellam25 said:
And how do you know this? My cat was hit by a car last year I loved her so much and I miss her everyday. I hold onto hope I might see her again one day. I know animals don’t make happiness but couldn’t they be included?
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When animals die, their souls die with them, so when they’re dead, they’re dead. They won’t enjoy the beatific vision because corporal eyes cannot see God (a spirit) and the saints don’t care whether their pets are with them since the beatific vision is just that good, so there is no point in God bringing animals into Heaven. He didn’t create them with a soul that lives forever nor with any capabilities of performing meritorious acts, if He wanted them to be in Heaven He would have.
 
Thorolfr said:
Martin Luther believed that animals can go to heaven. He reportedly said to his dog:

“Be thou comforted, little dog, Thou too in Resurrection shall have a little golden tail.”
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That wasn’t the only mistake Martin Luther made. God Bless, Memaw
 
I snipped this for space, CatholicGeek1. I agree with all you said, but I believe this point is well worth repeating. I find, especially on this forum, that far too many people are not open to the fact that with God, ALL things are possible, even seeing your beloved pet in heaven. Why would anyone be so obstinately opposed to the idea is beyond me.🤷
CatholicGeek1 said:
  1. The only people that seem convinced animals don’t go to Heaven are the ones that seem offended by the thought. This offense is bothersome to me and seems very uncharitable. God created the animals, so obviously He finds them to have value and worth, or else they would not be here. Additionally, while humans were given dominion over the animals, we are supposed to care for them. Do people really believe that Heaven was made just for them? I don’t. I believe that Heaven was made for the same reason everything else was, for the Glory and Happiness of God, and I just hope to make it, I certainly don’t deserve it.
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Oneofthewomen said:
I snipped this for space, CatholicGeek1. I agree with all you said, but I believe this point is well worth repeating. I find, especially on this forum, that far too many people are not open to the fact that with God, ALL things are possible, even seeing your beloved pet in heaven. Why would anyone be so obstinately opposed to the idea is beyond me.🤷
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God created EVERYTHING so is “everything” going to Heaven simply because God created it??" I think we get a bit carried away with what ‘we’ think God can do, (should do). When my boys were little and they had to part with a pet, (be it Guinna pig, hermit crab, rabbit, dog, duck, bird, yes even a horse, (and over the years we had plenty) I sorta tried to comfort them by telling them that they will always have the memory of their beloved pet with them and they could think about it and the fun they had, anytime they wanted. I emphasized the fact that they took good care of the pet, loved it and made its life good. We always had pictures to look at. We cherished the memories. They still like looking at pics. But I never told them that Fido went to Heaven. God Bless, Memaw
 
Joe_5859 said:
Animals are not made in the image and likeness of God as we are. Their souls are not eternal.

That said, it seems perfectly reasonable to me that if there are plants and animals on Earth, there would be plants and animals in the new Heaven and new Earth. God is a creative God. Why let such good ideas pass away?
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Yes I tend to agree; as I think others do here.
paduard
 
But if an animal is abused until it dies, how can retribution be done the the animal unless God let’s it live after it apparently dies?
 
thinkandmull said:
But if an animal is abused until it dies, how can retribution be done the the animal unless God let’s it live after it apparently dies?
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When someone abuses an animal, the animal does not receive retribution, but the person being cruel will receive justice for being cruel. God Bless, Memaw
 
Memaw said:
When someone abuses an animal, the animal does not receive retribution, but the person being cruel will receive justice for being cruel. God Bless, Memaw
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Then you don’t believe the animal has any dignity
 
thinkandmull said:
Then you don’t believe the animal has any dignity
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Dignity is entirely a human idea.

In the absence of human interference, many of the small animals we cherish (and some of the larger ones) if they lived at all, would get torn apart by predators, or die in agony from snakebite, etc. What dignity is there in that? Is there “retribution” for that?

There is no dignity in nature, just as there is none in human death.

ICXC NIKA
 
Babies have dignity, and those who suffer must suffer for a reason, for a reason that accords with the dignity lost through the pain. Animals as well would have their purpose in life to live with dignity as a creature of God thwarted if their abuse by a human did not result in a greater good for them. Being eaten by an animal is part of their nature as beings within the fallen animal world, but abuse by a human is a completely different question
 
Memaw said:
What kind of a question is that and what does that have to do with animals going to heaven??? God Bless, Memaw
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Read post 37. This is not about animals having immortal souls, but about having respect for their dignity
 
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