Will Animals Go To Heaven?

[IXpenguin21]

[quote name='hopeful1' date='Mar 3 2004, 11:31 PM'] on the other hand, it doesn't mean they're going to hell either [/quote]
true. they don't have eternal souls, as was stated.

[jmjtina]

God is a God of life, and yeah, animals don't have immortal souls, Christ didn't redeem animals on the cross, but God is Almighty and he can do anything He wants. I think there will be more life in heaven than here on earth.

Besides, in heaven I won't be allergic to animals.

[url="http://www.catholic.com/radio/calive.asp?date=12/1/2003"]Anthony DeSefano- Catholic Answers DEC 15 2003[/url]

caller asked the same question Paladin. It's about 28 minutes into the program. check it out. :pc:

[M.SIGGA]

[quote name='hopeful1' date='Mar 3 2004, 10:31 PM'] on the other hand, it doesn't mean they're going to hell either [/quote]
what about roaches? I hate roaches

[God Conquers]

Don't all dogs go to heaven?

[Adeodatus]

All animals have souls. That's why they're animals by definition, because each has an 'anima' (soul').

Non-rational animals do not have immaterial souls.

Rational animals, humans, do have immaterial souls and these souls subsist after our death. At the resurrection on the last day, we get our bodies back in glorified form, and so our souls 'inform' bodies once again.

The New Heavens and the New Earth at the end of time contain bodily human beings. If God makes "all things new" as Scripture says, then is it not possible that there will be plants and animals in the Kingdom of Heaven? After all, it isn't just a spiritual Kingdom but includes a new Earth with human beings in it. God does not regret making His creation, and the non-rational part of His creation (everything else apart from angels and humans) has NEVER ceased to glorify God by the very fact of their existence and being. God made them good, and He loves His creation, not as much as He loves us, but He still loves them. So I'd say it is possible that animals, vegetables and minerals may be part of the New Creation.

And on another note, we know that the life of Heaven involves perfect happiness for us. If the perfection of our happiness requires the presence of the animals we have loved on this Earth, then it follows that animals will be in Heaven. God will supply all the good things He made for our delight, so that they continue to delight us and evoke from us even greater praise of God.

Personally, I have doubted that animals go to Heaven. But to make a Thomistic distinction, while I can't see how animals "go" to heaven (because they haven't got immaterial souls that survive their death), I can't deny that animals won't "be" in heaven (God might just put them there, I don't know.)

At the heart of this is the fact that our God just loves matter. he's a pure spirit, but He loves matter, because He made this whole universe and us in it. And He doesn't let matter go, so even the Son takes up His body again after His death, and glorifies it. His own body is of course far more precious than a brute animal, but the latter is still loved by God into existence and held by God in existence.

What thinkest ye all?

[frozencell]

[quote name='hopeful1' date='Mar 3 2004, 10:28 PM'] well, i know animals don't have souls, so supposedly no. however i don't think it's outside the realm of impossibility, cuz hey it's God. Case in point (so you all won't label me a heretic! ) in heaven each of us will be happy but each of us at different levels ( i know that's not quite how i want to word that, please bear in mind i'm trying to pull this out of my head from sr. theology class back in high school, and it's been a few months!) but if what would make you truly happy is being with your favorite pet/s God might be able to make that happen. if not, well i try to look at it this way, maybe for those who really love their animals maybe it's God's way of showing them a taste of what heaven is like. just my .02 [/quote]
Interesting, but we must also think of this....

Whenw e die and go to heaven all the things we've been dying to know are going to be common knowledge and no big deal anymore. I think that this applies to other things, too. The things of this world will not be of so much concern for us and not mean as much to us (i.e. pets, cars, houses, possessions). We will be awed by the presence of God and Spot will not be our most wonderfulest wittle favoritest thing anymore.

Just my .02.

[Norseman82]

Well, in Genesis 9, the covenant God established with Noah included the animals, and He would demand an accounting from the animals, too. So, I will just say a "definite maybe".

Also, a day before one of my dogs died, the image of him nuzzling Jesus' hand popped into my head when I was praying after confession.

[cmotherofpirl]

I know all the arguments against it,
but honestly,
can you imagine St Francis without his wolf or the birds he preached to.

Read C.S Lewis's [i]Great Divorce[/i] about a Saint walking with all the childen and animals she loved. They were sanctified by her love which was the love she recieved from God. Sounds pretty reasonable to me.

[Adeodatus]

It just occured to me! There ARE animals in heaven!!! OTHER animals, i.e. other humans.

So if there can be other animals in heaven besides me, without distracting me from the beatific vision, then it remains theoretically possible that there can be non-rational animals (and vegetables and minerals) in heaven too.

Or think about it this way: if the saints, who enjoy the beatific vision already, can still take an interest in us on earth and intercede for us, then when we're all in heaven we can all enjoy the beatific vision and [b]still[/b] delight in each other. God will not be competing with our friends for our attention. He is the source of our bliss, but because He loves us and delights in us, He wills us to love and delight in each other.

And by extending this idea, we can speak about our loving and delighting in the other kinds of animals God made besides humans.

[p0lar_bear]

I don't remember where it was, but St. Thomas Aquinas supposedly once responded to a question on this. A woman asked him if her dog would be in heaven, and he responded "if you need him."

[Dave]

Animals don't have immortal souls, but there's no reason why God couldn't recreate our pets for us to be ready for us when we die. I mean, no one has ever gone to heaven and then come back and told us all about it. God is God, and He can do whatever He wants.

[Aloysius]

only humans are created in the image and likeness of God, only humans are self aware. the only reason an animal would be in heaven is for a human's sake. they do not have immortal souls, so when they die they normatively die. but if an immortal soul loves them they lift their state up and possibly carry that mortal soul into eternity with them.

[the_rev]

I remember reading an article where they said Animals will go to heaven, because of some biblical verse, "When we all die, we will be among the beasts in heaven." I can't seem to find the verse, But i'll keep looking!

[ironmonk]

[quote name='Aloysius' date='Mar 4 2004, 07:07 PM'] only humans are created in the image and likeness of God, only humans are self aware. the only reason an animal would be in heaven is for a human's sake. they do not have immortal souls, so when they die they normatively die. but if an immortal soul loves them they lift their state up and possibly carry that mortal soul into eternity with them. [/quote]
There is no infallible statement on this, and unless Mary or Jesus told a Saint, then this arguement is pointless.


[quote]only humans are self aware[/quote]
This is wrong. Many animals are self aware and have vocabularies of about 400 words... about the mentality of a three year old. Corilla's, Chimps, etc... They've been taught sign language and communicate very nicely.

There is nothing that the Church teaches dogmatically on the topic.

When they do, then I'll agree with it.... but no one can know unless there is a dogmatic statement or Mary or Christ told someone like Saint Pio, Saint Francis, etc...

God Bless,
ironmonk

[Aloysius]

i'm relying on the Bible..... the infallible word of God according to the Church

it says God created man in His image and likeness, and God created animals for the sake of man.

ok, i meant to say that only humans are aware and think of their own mortality. animals do not sit and ponder what happens after they die.

i never claimed there was an infallible statement so there was no need to refute such a claim. am i not allowed to believe my above statement? am i not allowed to proclaim it to others? there's no infallible statement either way, that doesn't mean we don't talk about it and assume IronMonk is correct.

the Bible says He created man in His image and likeness. He did not create animals in His image and likeness unless you have some infallible statement that says He did. animals were created for the sake of humans. that is why i believe animals will only be in heaven for the sake of humans.