Pets in heaven

[nobspeople]

For what purpose does heaven exist?
1) Is it for peace for humanity?
2) Is it to worship God forever?
3) Is it simply a reward?

1) Sounds nice but only nice.
2) I shudder of eternally kissing the feet of someone for eternity - which seems kind of arrogant on the being being worshiped I must say. In other words it doesn't sound enjoyable past the first '5 minutes'.
3) Sounds more realistic.


Are pets allowed in heaven? For many of us, they are our family. For some of us, they're literally the only family and or friends we have. Why shouldn't they be allowed in heaven?
Surely option 2 above, pets would be 'out' as that would likely interfere with God's need to be praised for eternity.
For the other options, it sounds perfectly fine; some may even say preferable to option 2.

So are our pets allowed in to heaven?
If not, should they be?

[bjs1]

[Replying to nobspeople in post #1]

The Bible teaches that there were animals in the Garden before the Fall, so it seems a reasonable deduction that animals will exist in heaven. If they will be the same individual animals that existed on earth is beyond what I can say.

The most consistent and significant thing the Bible teaches about heaven is that it will be different than earth. For the all importance of heaven in Christian theology, the NT says surprisingly little about what heaven will be like. For the most part it tells us what heaven will not be like.

There will not be death. There will not be sin. There will not be the law. There will not be suffering. There will not be hunger. Human relationships and interactions will not be like what they are here on earth.

Looking for pets to be in heaven suggests, I think, a somewhat small view of heaven. It is looking at heaven more like wish-fulfillment, or perhaps just a really long version of this life. The resounding chorus of the NT is, “We will be changed.” Trying to make heaven fit the model of this life probably won’t work, at least from a Christian perspective.

[1213]

...
So are our pets allowed in to heaven?
If not, should they be?

Would they want?

[brunumb]

There will not be death. There will not be sin. There will not be the law. There will not be suffering. There will not be hunger. Human relationships and interactions will not be like what they are here on earth.

Heaven is nothing more than a fantasy land where people imagine they can eventually escape from the turmoils of life. Wishful thinking at its best. Why not include pets to make it just that little bit better.

[bjs1]

There will not be death. There will not be sin. There will not be the law. There will not be suffering. There will not be hunger. Human relationships and interactions will not be like what they are here on earth.

Heaven is nothing more than a fantasy land where people imagine they can eventually escape from the turmoils of life. Wishful thinking at its best. Why not include pets to make it just that little bit better.

I suppose that is the common atheist view of heaven. Which, as I said in post 2, is not the Christian view of heaven. Of course you are free to believe whatever you want. However, applying a non-Christian viewpoint to Christianity would be the definition of a strawman.

[brunumb]

[Replying to bjs1 in post #5]

When you can demonstrate that the Christian view of heaven with all its trappings is reality then you might have a case. Until then it remains firmly ensconced in fantasy land.

[Miles]

For what purpose does heaven exist?
1) Is it for peace for humanity?
2) Is it to worship God forever?
3) Is it simply a reward?

In short, heaven exists as the other half of the catalyst (hell) to persuade people to drop their hard earned $$ into collection plates to fund those whose principle occupation is to persuade those people to do so.


As for:

Are pets allowed in heaven?

Why not? They're not sinners are they. So surely they don't belong in hell.

In a rather lengthy article, considering the subject matter (see here) a Mr. Mike DuBose affirms pets do go to heaven. Mister DuBose doesn't cite any bible verses to that effect, obviously because there are none, but he does use a few (Matthew 18:3; Romans 8:21; Luke 3:6; and Revelation 19:11 ) to strain to find confirmation that they do end up with Jesus. Unfortunately, his logic also allows for the admittance of lions, lichen, lice, and leprosy. But that's his heaven, which is fine with me because I'll be elsewhere.


.

[bjs1]

[Replying to bjs1 in post #5]

When you can demonstrate that the Christian view of heaven with all its trappings is reality then you might have a case. Until then it remains firmly ensconced in fantasy land.

You are obviously free to insist that you are right until somebody proves you wrong. Christians are free to do the same. I’m not sure where that gets us, but everyone has that right.

As for “demonstrating” the reality of an afterlife, there is only one logically possible way for that to happen. You have to die. Barring that, all talk of “demonstrating” either the Christian or Materialist view of post-death reality strikes me as empty rhetoric.

[brunumb]

[Replying to bjs1 in post #8]

All talk of heaven and the afterlife is empty rhetoric. If it gives you comfort, go for it.

[Tcg]

As for “demonstrating” the reality of an afterlife, there is only one logically possible way for that to happen. You have to die.

Uh, no. If the concept of the afterlife were true, one could demonstrate, or at least attempt to demonstrate, that those who have died in the past are still alive. Of course this usually results in claims regarding NDEs, OBEs, and the like. Even most of those that believe in a heaven reject these accounts as evidence of an afterlife.

In case you've forgotten, orthodox Christians also claim that Jesus' resurrection is evidence of an afterlife. You are of course wise not to take this track given that tales of a risen savior aren't evidence of such an occurrence. If Jesus were alive, certainly a God or a God-man or a son of God or whatever it was that Jesus was, could interact with the world today. Oddly, he doesn't.

So, what is the most logical conclusion? That those who have died but are still alive are totally inactive or that there is no afterlife? The answer is obvious.


Tcg