Do Our Pets Have a Place in Heaven?

Eavesdropping on a discussion the other day, I listened as the parties argued “Do pets have a place in Heaven?”

There seemed to be four opinions. The first opinion declared that pets did not go to Heaven, so when they died, they just ceased to exist. The second opinion stated that a separate Heaven for all animals existed. The third opinion declared that only good animals went to Heaven, and the bad animals went to Hades.

The fourth (and my personal favorite) insisted that our pets and all animals for that matter went to the same Heaven as humans did.

Please allow me to make my case for number four. First of all, I should mention that I am an avid animal lover. I love all animals and support ASPA, our local humane shelter, and other animal organizations. I have enjoyed the company of many dogs and even a couple of cats over the years. LOL!

“Maggie”

Currently, my best friend is “Maggie” a precocious, active, devoted, loving, one-year-old beagle. Her photo certainly adorns above and greatly improves this article. I wanted her to have a biblical name, but I also wanted her to be named “Maggie”, so I got creative. Her name is officially, “Mary Magdalene.” Maggie for short.

Follow The Science?

Reading scientific articles on animal death is like reading scientific articles on human death. There is talk of decomposing and the chemicals released back into the soil etc. But science “generally” does not believe humans have souls, much less animals having souls.

Science says when you’re dead you’re dead. While that’s true about any physical body, most faiths believe that there is an afterlife. I am a Christian, a man of faith, so I rely on the bible when there is any issue in my life. My faith may be different from yours, but most faiths believe in some sort of afterlife.

Lifetime Here Is a Tiny Speck of Eternity

Some religions believe in reincarnation, that animals can be reincarnated as humans and vice-versa. Religious leaders and scholars sometimes even disagree within the same faith.

Some Popes like Pope Pious did not believe animals went to Heaven, but Pope Paul VI and other Popes did. My heart was lifted by the Rev. Billy Graham’s statement that animal lovers will be reunited with their beloved critters in heaven.

I also liked Rev. Graham’s response to a letter asking if their pet would be reunited with them in the afterlife. Rev. Graham responded, “God will provide us with everything we need to be happy in Heaven — and if our pets are necessary to make us completely happy there, you can be confident He will arrange for them to be with us.”

Important

We are told in the Bible that there will be a “New Heaven and a new Earth.” We will not be floating around on a cloud in the sky as sometimes depicted by Hollywood. Heaven is described much as the “Garden of Eden” with rivers, trees, animals, and good food.

I am looking forward to that (I don’t mean just the food). Ha Ha!

In Addition

The Bible supports my hope and belief on this subject in many ways. “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the falling together; And a little child shall lead them. Isiah 11:6 KJV Buddhists refer to the “thread of karma,” the chain of life, and a continuity of constant becoming.

It’s a belief that every life form has intelligence and worth whether it is a rock, a dog, a cat, an ant, a plant or a human. “We say that animals are living the same lives that humans live,” explains the Rev. Carol Mudd, a priest at the Zen Center of Orange County in Costa Mesa. “An animal’s spiritual life is the same as humans.”

In Hinduism, dogs are seen as loyal and protective animals, and it is believed that they will be rewarded in their next life for their devotion. In ancient Egyptian culture, dogs were often depicted in artwork and were believed to be protectors of the dead.

Whatever you believe about animals being at your side in Heaven or the afterlife, the most important decision in everyone’s life is for you to consider what your own afterlife will look like. Personally, I am absolutely confident that The Bible is the most accurate book we have of historical events, and it is the breathed word of God.

Therefore

If you would like to feel confident and at ease with your eternity, Romans 10:9 says that “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

We all are offered eternal life together with no more pain or strife (maybe even along with our pets).

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