Dr David Bentley Hart is doing quite a bit of work (for the past few years) on this area specifically. It'd be awesome to have him on the podcast! He has short clips etc talking about it in TH-cam. Would be an awesome guest from the Orthodox side as well!
It's not even the fact that I would physically, visually want/need to see my dog in Heaven. I'd be content with just feeling his presence and the joy I feel when he's around. Almost like when you're at home, even if you can't see your dog, you can feel his presence in the home whether he's in the basement or outside or whatever. Just that feeling and knowing that he's around and that he's okay. Does anyone else relate? Or does that not make sense?
After my dog died, I was so upset. I wanted a consolation from God to show that he was ok but I told Him that I would trust Him regardless, despite my pain at losing him. Just then, in the other room, the TV came on..no one else was home. It was turned on a channel I don't watch and showed a series called "7th Heaven" the description was on the bottom of the screen...it was the episode, " All Dogs Go To Heaven" I started crying. Not sure if someone needs to hear that, but it is true. GOD is so perfect and merciful and caring and loving and tender. .. when we love Him and do our best for Him...He knows our frailty and He comforts us even if our concern is silly. I am confident that God cares for all His Creation and all creatures are well cares for in His Kingdom.
@@fanivermaak5593people like you are the ones that don’t go to heaven. You swear this creation and God’s creatures are for you. You’re deadly wrong!!! This is all about God and His Glory. You hate love, therefore you swear animals have no soul because you may be the one who lacks one 😉
How timely that this "revisit" should show up in my emails today, 5/28/24. My elderly dog is actively dying. We hope, at the very least, he will be reunited with his furry buds in whatever heaven is available to them. Good dog, Ikey.
I'm sorry. The death of a beloved pet is so heartbreaking. I've been through it many times. Absolutely 100% I believe you'll be reunited with Ikey in Heaven!! God bless you & your beloved Ikey 🙏
Thomas Aquinas also believed, that children in the womb receive their souls 40 or 80 days after conception, depending on gender. He was certainly a great mind but I wouldn't take his every single word as a gospel.
I agree. he is, after all, human. Catholic theologians and philosophers CAN disagree with each other. What we do with what we learn is how we shape our own views.
Many life after death episodes, especially among children, state that they see their pets. I have even read one case where a nun saw her pet cat and the first thing she thought was, "The church told me I wouldn't see my pet, yet here he is". If there are trees and flowers in heaven, which are living, surely there are animals... "As on earth as it is in Heaven". Ecclesiastes 3: 14-15- “I have learned that all the works which God hath made, continue forever: we cannot add anything, nor take away from those things which God hath made that he may be feared. That which hath been made, the same continueth: the things that shall be, have already been: and God restoreth that which is past.”
Animals are under the dominion of man, they became subject to death thanks to Adam, would it not be weird if somehow Adam’s fall outweighted Christ’s restoration? Christ is the new head of humanity, when the time for the resurrection of the flesh comes, it would make sense that our Lord also restored that which was indirectly harmed by original sin.
But animals were around before Adam and Eve existed though. They were around billions of years before. The same goes for any other organism such as bacteria, plants, protists and fungi. Death has always happened, even before the Fall. That's the circle of life.
@@_Dovar_ Since St. Thomas thought it hypothetically possible for new species to arise from inanimate matter. In comparison to that, the Darwinian theory of evolution seems rather tame.
That's exactly what I think. All creation fell with man by the grievous fault of the first man, Adam. All creation is restored with man by the happy fault of the God-man, Jesus. We know humans are more important to God because we're made in his own image, but Jesus said when a sparrow falls it doesn't escape the notice of His Father. Why would He notice if He doesn't want to do anything about it?
@@WolffurI think in that very topic children think right. God is fair, love and allmighty. He has defeated death itself. He cares for the humble. He asks to take good care of animals. He will give us back a body (we obviously don't need to be in Heaven). Knowing all that, what a child would conclude about God's plan towards animals, not only our dogs but all animals, specially the ones wich suffer ?
I lost my cat in January, he was nearly 19 years old. He had to be put to sleep as he had kidney failure. It makes me sad to think that something like a pet who was capable of giving so much love and comfort, just dies and is not going anywhere. It is not that I would need to see him again, but that I know that he has been saved and that his soul can live on forever, for him and not for me. It actually would break my heart to think that a soul like that gets just "deleted." No one knows, but there is some kind of hope that also their souls will be saved. Sending so much love to everyone.
Yes, you are correct. All we can do is assume because we know nearly nothing when it comes to the afterlife. We are like babies when it comes to this ❤🙏
Yeah, I think the “not for my happiness, but for my pet’s happiness” argument is key here, Jennifer, and is often overlooked. I think a good God who 1) wants His creatures to be selfless, as well as caring to all sentient creatures, and 2) who is literally aware, as the Gospels mention, of the passing of even the tiniest sparrow gets this full well. I reckon a kind God who is powerful enough to both rise from the dead and to bust out a universe ex nihilo is quite willing and able to reunite you with your awesome cat. Looking forward to you and your furry buddy cuddling again someday.
Your friend is just fine, Jennifer - he’s in good hands now. Don’t be troubled. And thank you for taking such good care of him round these parts - well noted.
I agree. I don't think God would kill/delete animal souls, any more than he would kill/delete ours. If God is love, and animals embody unconditional love, then how can love turn its back on love?
Then if the dogs dont go to heaven then I would like to ask about meaning in their suffering and purpose of feeling pain and negative emotions which plants dont have it.
We are not even sure about plants not feeling emotions. We know that when a tree is hill in a forest, its fellow trees are warned throughout mycelium and free some molecules in the air to help their fellow wick tree. The real question is not do animals go to Heaven, but do plant also go ?😉😇
They put the "dog" in "dogma." If we have souls, then why can't dogs? And don't say "Bible" because that thing's full of bad information. There are also pigs (smarter than dogs), dolphins, elephants... What could be wrong with you people??? *YOUR DOG WILL END UP IN HELL, YOU KNOW* doesn't sound very nice, does it?
@@marklar5334 The Bible is full of great information. Dolphins are smarter than dogs, sure. Elephants, maybe. Not pigs (dogs have personality). "You people", racist... My dogs will end up in heaven. Animals don't really go to hell
@@user-yr7jp1tn6y Only Man was created in God's image. Not that only Man has souls. Btw Catholic dogma affirms that animals have souls. See Saint Guenefort
I'd love to hear that story! My 2 cats brought me back to the Catholic Church. They both, within a few months of each other, got a type of cancer with a high recurrence rate. I'd been out of the Church for years but I returned because, besides giving my cats good care, all I could do was pray that the cancer wouldn't return. I'm happy to say it never did & they both lived an additional 11 years 🙏🙏 I believe both are in Heaven now ❤❤
@@marybennett2912 sorry that this is long. I love dogs. Dog was my first word (over 70 years ago.)I’ve had such good ones through my life. Some years back I had 2 wonderful golden retrievers. The oldest died suddenly at 12, and 2 years later the other one passed. My heart was broken. I rent and it’s nearly impossible to have dogs while renting. So for the next 2 years every time I would feel sad, I would thank God that I was blessed with such good girls. My new landlord got to know me and told me I could have a dog. I was elated and soon found the dog I’d been praying for. I took this adorable pup with me everywhere. People loved her and were sweet to her, but one day a strange seeming woman got down in her face and started whispering things to her. It seemed almost like a curse or something, not sweet like everyone else we saw. Anyway, that was at the end of last September. I couldn’t shake the feeling so I called my friend who is Catholic and asked her if there was some kind of blessing for animals. She said yes, call the church and find out when because it should be in October. Turns out it was the next week! I took her and the most kindly priest blessed her, sprinkled her (and even me) with holy water. The whole way home I could literally feel it, the blessing , the peace, this was real. I’m not a member yet but I’m going to mass 4 to 5 times a week and I truly love it. Leave it to God to use a dog to bring me in. P.S. I love that God gave you so much more time with your precious cats.
I don’t think God is going to create all these magnificent creatures for us to extinguish them and make them perish. There is MORE than enough room in heaven for all that is good.
Yes ! Yes.....! I am losing mine and i love him with all my heart. Its going to be a tough death .................. We have been going through a lot. You know what ? Its my fault i got close. The Lord told us not to get attached to much because this is all temporary.
@@bob-pr8yeYou will see ALL your beloved pets in Heaven, just like I will see all my beloved cats and dogs in Heaven. But the *MAIN* thing about Heaven is the Beatific Vision.
Resurrection is a solution. Some philosophers would argue it wouldn’t be the same pet, but that’s incredibly controversial in metaphysics; let's set that issue aside for now. To start, we can think of logically possible ways that God could preserve the identity of dogs and cats. And given that God is all-merciful and all-good, it would be foolish to say it’s implausible that God would resurrect animals.
Aquinas got this one wrong. He clearly never owned a dog. Dogs have intellect and will. The idea that dogs (or many other animals) are just dumb creatures motivated by instinct and reflex has long been dismantled, scientifically. Personally, I have experienced deep and profound love with both of my dogs, now passed, and their loss was much more painful than losing my parents. I was surprised to hear Matt say that if his dog died, it wouldn't bother him. I guess when you're married and have kids, all your emotional/attachment energy goes towards them, and the dog just becomes an accessory you don't think or feel much toward. A shame. The man-dog bond is legendary. They aren't called our best friends for nothing. I'm really not interested in a God who wouldn't preserve the tremendous love relationships that exist between people and animals. If he lets dogs die, he can let me die, too. If there is a heaven without dogs, it's not a heaven I want to be in.
My mother and I lost our dog over a year ago now and she still really struggles with the grief, so I don't think that being married with kids has anything to do with it. Perhaps we don't develop such deep bonds with every dog we own though. I have had multiple dogs in my life, but it was this particular fox terrier with whom we had an incredible bond. She was incredible. I think it speaks negatively on our own character that humans often have such little love for the dogs who would do anything for them and love them unconditionally.
@@kaylastarr3822 I agree. I was just speculating on why Matt would say that, and the married w/kids explanation came to mind. My brother (married w/kids) is like that, too -- dogs are part of his family, but just an afterthought to him. I'm single, and I have developed amazingly deep relationships with dogs. But you're right, that's not true of everyone. And I think it depends on the dog as well -- especially on the combination of the dog and the person.
Personally, I don't need anything besides evidence, experience, and reasoning to have faith in animal souls in the afterlife, but for those who want/need biblical support, you might check out Gary Kurz's book "Cold Noses at the Pearl Gates." He provides some bible-based support for the belief. smile.amazon.com/Cold-Noses-At-Pearly-Gates-ebook/dp/B00TE4BPVQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=OG9C5V0GGYB9&keywords=cold+noses+at+the+pearly+gates+by+gary+kurz&qid=1582324026&sprefix=cold+noses+%2Caps%2C399&sr=8-1 There are other, similar books as well. There is actually plenty of info and evidence out there, if you are diligent in your search. Good luck, fellow animal lovers. :)
That is very sad to hear. Your belief that dogs have a human soul is contrary to Catholic dogma and doctrine, and your attachment to created goods over the will of God is even more sad. I pray that you will reconsider such sentiments. Your disregard for Saint Thomas Aquinas, the most praised Saint in the history of the Church, because you have an emotional affection for your dogs; and, even worse, your preference of dogs to seeing and loving God in the beatific vision, is quite simply not a Catholic sentiment. God made man in His Image (Genesis 1:27). This is not said about any other of his creations. Dogs do not have an intellect or will. They have no language, no universal abstraction, etc. Please consider the following articles: edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2015/04/animal-souls-part-i.html edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2015/05/animal-souls-part-ii.html
@Spencer Rice And apparently you haven't studied animal cognitive or behavioral science. Animals can think, reason, problem solve, use symbolic language. They exhibit empathy, caring, and compassion, including across species lines, with zero evolutionary advantage. They have a full range of emotions. They even exhibit rudimentary moral codes. Please refrain from lecturing me, and instead spend some of that energy getting informed about the subject. Don't base your beliefs about animals on what a 13th century theologian said, for goodness sake. Investigate the subject. Learn, man. It's a moot point anyhow. We have good evidence that animals survive into the afterlife, so whether Thomas Acquinas thinks it happens or not, it does. They're there whether you like it or not. They will probably be in a different area from Christians who believe as you do, which is good. It's good for God, too, or rather for our understanding of God. Because, after all, a god who doesn't respect and value animal souls isn't a god worth believing in or following. Fortunately, that god turns out to be the invention of some Christians, rather than the real deal. He's a lot better -- a lot more loving -- than you lot make him out to be.
if pets don't go to heaven, it is meaningless and self punishing to fall in love with one only to have the pet die to never be seen again. Mght as well never have a pet and avoid the suffering at death,
My beautiful feral cats I've loved for 11yrs feeding them by a fence line of my apt parking lot at 3am...my living prayer. They are forever deeply embedded in my heart and gratitude to my Maker. My cats were gifts I placed in my heart. They cannot be dissected from. If my heart goes to heaven it is their train there too. If not I'd rather become the dirt they return to. Let it be a tree grows from that sainted ground. We know nothing of the mysteries of true love.❇🐱🕊🌹
Will Rogers once famously said, "If dogs don't go to heaven, then i want to go where the dogs go." It's no mistake that the word "dog" is God but backwards. I like to meditate upon the loyalty, compassion, and companionship that dogs exhibit. It is quite often that God shows me how those aforementioned qualities should characterize my relationship with Him.
Don’t forget St. Roch who is the patron saint of dogs. I think for those of us who loved our furry family members, God will surprise us in the next life. God bless!
Anyone who thinks God aka. the most loving being in the universe, feels indifference or lack of compassion towards animals than the average person, hasn't tried to understand God at all beyond scripture imo. From what we can prove and observe, God spent 99.9...% since the birth of this 13.7 billion year old universe creating all sorts of worlds, planets, and creatures... 100 billion galaxies in only part of the universe that's observable. This question extends far beyond dogs, there were mammoths, dinosaurs, isopods, and the high possibility of extraterrestrial life even if rudimentary, all of it has God's love and fingerprints on them. Was it all loveless creation? To try to answer this question imo, you need to temporarily detach from the constrains of dogma.
Be at peace : there is no dogma in this question. Only the opinion of a great theologian who, at the end of his life, disregarded his writings on this topic 😇
Well, I wonder if every organism has a soul or something similar. Like do other animals besides humans have them? Or even do plants, fungi and microbes possess them? I mainly just picture the soul in humans and animals, but what of the other life that was created? But pretty interesting discussion.
Why would God even create animals in the first place if He didn't want them around? I'd be positively flummoxed if dogs, or really anything that God created (and saw as good), weren't going to be restored by Christ to their pre-fallen state.
God loves us so much, He adjusted His plan for salvation because Mary needed alcohol to get people drunk at a party. You don't think God is willing to let His children have a dog?
There are animals in Eden before the fall so I think that there will be animals in heaven (the new Eden). But whether our specific pets will be there is up to God's grace. I have hope.
I think it's possible for pets to go to a special afterlife for them where they will be happy and we will have access to. But I believe the Beatific Vision is for humans alone as we were created in His image.
If answering to this question “yes they do go to Heaven “, would that MAKE YOU A MORE RIGHTEOUS PERSON? Because of course dogs are better then us in many ways, but we are who are in judgement not the animals!! If I were to murder a person and a dog, would God Judge me harder because I killed a person or a dog? James writes: James 3:7-8 “For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” God Bless!
You need to stop reading Aquinas and read the Bible. How many verses talk about animals in heaven? And lastly, the whole different soul thing shows how badly off Aquinas was. In reference to dogs, if a dog puts their life on the line for a police officer or family member to save them, that’s rational thinking. Aquinas was dead wrong in his summation. In fact, I will say he was grossly negligent.
To be fair towards the great St Thomas of Aquinas, he acknowledged being wrong about afterlife at the end of his life. Problem is not St Thomas. Problem is his followers who kind of almost believe in his infallibility 😉
Relationship with a dog is easy. Relationship with other people isn't always so easy. I'm not sure the Bible says anything about being a Christian is supposed to be easy. Personally I think people get lost in their animals and in some cases they become a distraction.
Slightly bizarre? Heaven theologically or classically is not the same thing as Paradise! Heaven as proposed by St John Paul 2 is a state not a place. Paradise as the Garden of Delights is a place. Heaven is understood to being akin like being in Love. St Padre Pio confirmed that it was useless to talk about it because humans do not understand joy upon joy upon joy forever and ever . . it does not have meaning in any human experience. Pope Francis confirmed that animals do in fact go to heaven, Benedict also confirmed that as the Creation they too are part of the Communion of Creation! Many saint, (not all but certainly the most popular) have agreed that animals go to heaven. We recall for example, Sts Francis, John Bosco, Martin de Porres, Rock and many others. Indeed we can take it logically to include Our Mother Mary and St Theresa etc with reference to flowers on their feet and sent from heaven we can state with some tradition that plants or even rocks also may continue. It should be pointed out of course that Science today understands that some higher animals like dogs, elephants, (many others) all have centured awareness of existence. They are subject to emotions every bit as powerful as humans. Also of course finally Physics confirms/notes that Matter. . cannot be destroyed. It can change into something else but basically what is. . cannot be un-is. many of the old ideas for example that something dies and rots into nothingness are simply wrong. Change may occur and to the imperfect senses of humans it may appear something has occurred but this is now known to be in error. It is not my intent or job to wave a stick over your heads and say. . for goodness sake. . think before you engage mouth. . . but simple questions have deep answers and should not be assumed as simple rhetoric. . from a theological thinking it looks. . mentally untidy!
If Descartes can say "upon reflection, the following became obvious," so can I. Human souls are more vulgar than our canine friends. Coyotes and cats and dogs and ravens are the Elect to which humans must humbly bend the knee, long after eating the apples of wisdom and discord. Dogs are angels sent to remind us of our better natures. Humans are cursed to live longer in the fallen mortal world than their canine guides.
My answer is - If you need your pet to be happy in heaven, your pet will be in heaven. But if you need your pet to be happy in heaven, that means the fullness of God himself is not enough to make you happy, and you are probably not ready for heaven.
True but Fr Scmitz answer very smartly avoid the big moral question behind "do animals go to Heaven?" : do God Love and mercy powers are limited or do they also apply to innocent beings that suffer and die like... the Lamb of God did?
It has nothing to do with heaven versus hell, it has to do with the fact that they have no soul (in the sense of intellect and will) and have zero capacity to enjoy heaven or receive the beatific vision. It's not possible for them to enjoy God in heaven.
There is no objective standards by which you can determine is dog good or bad. They don't have moral code and soul so every action that they do is morally neutral, neither good nor evil no matter how much we project our norms on them.
@@domo3699 actually u can not say they dont have intellect or a soul you are not God. who are you to judge. ive seen humans who seem to have no intellect or soul too so u stand on ground. are you sola scripture then i understand why both of you cant think outside of the box. what version do u read? lol
@@immortalwarrior4722 I can, not because I'm God but because I listen to God's Revelation and His Catholic Church. Animals have mortal soul. They "fall asleep" without knowing anything, so it is not cruel. To animals happen what atheists think happens to humans also - they cease to exist, just like every material thing. Only humans (and angels) have immortal soul that must eternally be in Heaven or Hell. Humans who "do not have soul" will be eternally punished in Hell. It is indeed better to animals who wouldn't know they're dead than to these humans.
Scripture concerns human salvation and the fate of other rational beings such as angels, other lower beings created by God don’t need that map. God created all things and all thing were affected by the fall, and scripture says all creation groans for salvation and all things will be renewed (paraphrasing here), God who is love created all things out of love…I wouldn’t be surprised seeing all kinds of things we are familiar with in heaven and in the new creation after resurrection. I would hope dogs would be there! My guess is they will be, but like Father said, we can’t say for sure one way or another.
I thought the answers were calloused and insensitive. Animals have a way of communicating with us that these two probably have never experienced. God would not have allowed or designed animals to do this if there was not supposed to be a bond that's so strong for those who are are not oblivious to it. and I find the readings in genesis, particularly about Noah where God is establishing a covenant "with you and hour descendants after you and with EVERY LIVING CREATURE that was with you" (where he names animals wild and tame). there is the rainbow in the sky as a sign that they will not be destroyed. Also there are multiple levels of heaven, why could it not be true that our pets may be at a lower level than humans but still included??
That's actually makes sense : the psalm 35 v7 (sometimes found with other references) says roughly: "You save, O lord, man and animals". In Hebrew the verb "save" have the same root as the "save" meaning in Jesus. And the word "animals" in Hebrew means farm animals. Hence animals that man has contact with.
Yes .. and .. No. The spirit, anima = soul, of the beasts (in so far as they have a spirit at all) do return whence they came = as a gift from the Creator. That is a kind of heaven, not unlike Limbo in a way, being a sort of absence, only much less so than the self-inflict prison of hell; it is a lower natural type of happiness. What it is not is the Beatific Vision, seeing God as He is, rationally, in knowing as we are now known, and participating in the divine nature - through Christ Jesus. So yes, they belong to the Creator, not the Accuser, yet no, they do not share in His Vision .. because that is not what they were created for, unlike us. Why did God make you? God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him in the next. This gracious beatitude btw is why the beasts do not and cannot share in the heavenly vision as we do, they are not Moral Agents, with the innate and potent capacity to choose right from wrong as a matter of reason: for we are created thus, and in the spiritual image of God. Moreover, this is why Baptism into Christ is still so vitally important for all humanity while in this mortal fleshly life - it is God's own gift of Himself, whether we live to cherish that favour or not. Hence - I must come to worship God by Faith, Hope and Charity; that is, in the exercise of my free will, I must believe in Him, I must trust in Him, and I must love Him with my whole heart (unbaptised infants, though not guilty of any personal wrongdoing, do not share in that re-born life of Christ, only in the one born of Adam - perhaps perfect as that was before his personal choice to sin, I leave that to Aquinas over his friar's pre-lenten pint). Yo! Mine's a Caffrey's, if you please. ;o)
Yeah yeah....and I know all that. ...I think pet owners just want to be assured that they are not forgotten after they pass. The Lord has a place for them . That they are somewhere "in the house" safe and cared for.
Interesting to keep in mind though.....people who have had near death experiences according to my research and reading have not only seen their relatives but also their pets.. .. that's enough for me!
That may be true, but their behavior is not the condition that excludes them from heaven. It is quite simply the fact that they do not have an intellect and will and simply do not have the potential or ability to experience the beatific vision.
@@user-yr7jp1tn6y NO WAY! They do too have an intellect, they have a will too. Anybody who owns a dog knows that! They even have intelligence and experience guilt and they grieve...seems like you don't know much about animals. I believe they can perceive holiness and purity. The nativity scene shows the animals praising God . I believe that is even in scripture.
Animals/plants are not in an immaterial state of Heaven because their souls cannot be separated from their bodies. Animals and plants are most certainly in the resurrected Heaven. I think the question people really care about is, will my specific pet be in the resurrected Heaven? I don't know how that works but I'm sure God's got it figured out.
If dogs have souls and spirits, if you were to meet them in heaven you would be unable to tell them from you or me. Only the goodest bois go to heaven.
You are 2 cold hearted jerks talking that way about dogs .Dogs are creatures full of Love of course they go to Heaven I prayed to God to put my pets in a place of Love Light and Happiness every time I lost a Beloved pet.😊💝😊🐢😊🐦🐺😊💝🐢💝
@@TacosnZorro I'm truly sorry for your lost those 2 Guys are just giving their opinions it doesn't mean their right the reality nobody knows for sure but many spirits human and animal have come out on camera and video so something is there and life goes on I hope it's in Heaven🌅🌅🌅😊🌅🌅🌅🌅
Dogs do have souls I saw an old black and white of 2 woman having tea outside near some tree next to the lady standing near her legs you see clearly an Irish setter some parts of his body are transparent other parts clear you can clearly see his head snout tail and legs it's a very old picture turn of the century.Its in a book I bought years ago called the unexplained .🐺
If you need your pets or even your family or friends in Heaven than you are not ready for Heaven. Nothing dies in Heaven, so there wont be any hunting. God Bless you all.
Why do you want Dogs in Heaven at first place? Isn't the beatific vision of God sufficient? What glory can they add to the Glory of God? Neither do they adore or worship God. So, it's not possible they could be or needed in Heaven at all. Period. Ave Maria.
Why everybody wants to know if their pets are in heaven? Can you not read yourself?.. take your bible...read! Animals do not go to heaven. The Holy Spirit do not dwell in them on earth. You can not eat an animal, and the next moment it is in heaven..
You understand, I know, that you pet's body hasn't "gone" anywhere. No body means no tail to wag, no vocal chords to purr, no ears to scratch, and no fur to stroke. Oh, and you won't have arms to hold it or hands to pet it because your body isn't going anywhere, either. So tell me again why you want your pet to go to heaven. (Or, for that matter, why YOU want to go to heaven.)
In the ancient world, dogs were not coddled like the west coddles them today. To be called a dog was an insult. In the west today we have a dog cult. The love that people are giving to dogs ought to be given to fellow human beings. And the way that dog lovers will defend their preference for canines over humans reveals some of the misanthropy of the postmodern world. Dogs cannot love like humans love. Dogs can be deferential to the alpha, they can beg for food and attention, and we confuse that with love. Don't forget that mother dogs often kill and eat the runts of the litter. Dogs will attack children and babies. They will eat anything, even human feces. It's tricky to love dogs because they came from one of God's creatures, which are all beautiful in their natural context, but they've been mutated by selective breeding by humans into pathetic creatures, most of which can't survive without humans.
The alpha concept has absolutely no scientific root. It's a very sad ethological error made in the 40's with wolves observed in a zoo, that lasted until the end of the 90's. Now it is fully debunked. Thank God for that.
Alright, Gang. Whadaya think? Is Fido in heaven? And explain why. Cheers!
Dr David Bentley Hart is doing quite a bit of work (for the past few years) on this area specifically. It'd be awesome to have him on the podcast!
He has short clips etc talking about it in TH-cam. Would be an awesome guest from the Orthodox side as well!
I think Noah's ark points to the fact that there will be animals after the 'purging' or purification in the new creation.
What is that intro song from Pints with Aquinas?
Something like, "I would give my whole life, to carry you"
"Smugness is the great Catholic sin" Sorry, but I'm outta here.
It's not even the fact that I would physically, visually want/need to see my dog in Heaven. I'd be content with just feeling his presence and the joy I feel when he's around. Almost like when you're at home, even if you can't see your dog, you can feel his presence in the home whether he's in the basement or outside or whatever. Just that feeling and knowing that he's around and that he's okay.
Does anyone else relate? Or does that not make sense?
After my dog died, I was so upset. I wanted a consolation from God to show that he was ok but I told Him that I would trust Him regardless, despite my pain at losing him. Just then, in the other room, the TV came on..no one else was home. It was turned on a channel I don't watch and showed a series called "7th Heaven" the description was on the bottom of the screen...it was the episode, " All Dogs Go To Heaven" I started crying. Not sure if someone needs to hear that, but it is true. GOD is so perfect and merciful and caring and loving and tender. .. when we love Him and do our best for Him...He knows our frailty and He comforts us even if our concern is silly. I am confident that God cares for all His Creation and all creatures are well cares for in His Kingdom.
Oh my goodness ! I had exactly the same! and the show name was "all dogs go the heaven". it's not a coincidence
I needed to see this .I had to have him put to sleep he was very sick.
I nursed him for two months.
Not JUST Dogs, but Cats, Rabbits and ALL kinds of Animals in Heaven. There's even a Patron Saint of Animals Saint Francis of Assisi.
You believe a human episode on tv? Sorry no pets go to heaven..read your bible.
@@fanivermaak5593people like you are the ones that don’t go to heaven. You swear this creation and God’s creatures are for you. You’re deadly wrong!!! This is all about God and His Glory. You hate love, therefore you swear animals have no soul because you may be the one who lacks one 😉
"Don't be overly swaggeringly certain about anything that happens after death." I love it!
How timely that this "revisit" should show up in my emails today, 5/28/24. My elderly dog is actively dying. We hope, at the very least, he will be reunited with his furry buds in whatever heaven is available to them. Good dog, Ikey.
I'm sorry. The death of a beloved pet is so heartbreaking. I've been through it many times. Absolutely 100% I believe you'll be reunited with Ikey in Heaven!! God bless you & your beloved Ikey 🙏
My dog just died today.
@@Wolffur I'm so sorry!! Sending prayers that God will comfort you & maybe even give you some kind of sign that your dog is in Heaven now.
@@marybennett2912 Thank you. You're very kind. May God bless you 🙏.
@@Wolffur Thank you & may God bless you as well!!
Thomas Aquinas also believed, that children in the womb receive their souls 40 or 80 days after conception, depending on gender. He was certainly a great mind but I wouldn't take his every single word as a gospel.
Where can I read about this soul 40 days after conception thing ?
I agree. he is, after all, human. Catholic theologians and philosophers CAN disagree with each other. What we do with what we learn is how we shape our own views.
Many life after death episodes, especially among children, state that they see their pets. I have even read one case where a nun saw her pet cat and the first thing she thought was, "The church told me I wouldn't see my pet, yet here he is". If there are trees and flowers in heaven, which are living, surely there are animals... "As on earth as it is in Heaven".
Ecclesiastes 3: 14-15- “I have learned that all the works which God hath made, continue forever: we cannot add anything, nor take away from those things which God hath made that he may be feared. That which hath been made, the same continueth: the things that shall be, have already been: and God restoreth that which is past.”
Could you please share more about that nun story ? Where did you read it ? I'd be very interesting into knowing that.
I BELIEVE that ALL my beloved pets are in Heaven. "Amen Amen I say to you my BELOVED child ALL your BELOVED pets are in Heaven."
Animals are under the dominion of man, they became subject to death thanks to Adam, would it not be weird if somehow Adam’s fall outweighted Christ’s restoration? Christ is the new head of humanity, when the time for the resurrection of the flesh comes, it would make sense that our Lord also restored that which was indirectly harmed by original sin.
But animals were around before Adam and Eve existed though. They were around billions of years before. The same goes for any other organism such as bacteria, plants, protists and fungi. Death has always happened, even before the Fall. That's the circle of life.
@@MrFossil367ab45gfyth
Darwinian macro-evolution is incompatible with thomistic theology.
And even only in itself its not true.
@@_Dovar_ Since St. Thomas thought it hypothetically possible for new species to arise from inanimate matter. In comparison to that, the Darwinian theory of evolution seems rather tame.
That's exactly what I think. All creation fell with man by the grievous fault of the first man, Adam. All creation is restored with man by the happy fault of the God-man, Jesus. We know humans are more important to God because we're made in his own image, but Jesus said when a sparrow falls it doesn't escape the notice of His Father. Why would He notice if He doesn't want to do anything about it?
@@delsydebothom3544NOT everything Saint Thomas Aquinas says is INFALLIBLE. I would trust the Lord Jesus Christ ✝️ than Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Lets worry less & Wait for God’s wonderful surprises!🧐
My 10 year old son just said he thinks dogs go to heaven, because the Dominicans do, and they are Gods dogs 😍
I hope that that's true too. And I'm a grown man.
@@WolffurI think in that very topic children think right. God is fair, love and allmighty. He has defeated death itself. He cares for the humble. He asks to take good care of animals. He will give us back a body (we obviously don't need to be in Heaven). Knowing all that, what a child would conclude about God's plan towards animals, not only our dogs but all animals, specially the ones wich suffer ?
@@hectthorno584 New Heavens and a New Earth. The promise written in the Book of Isaiah.
@@yvonnelawton5004 Domini canes - that smart boy gets it!
I lost my cat in January, he was nearly 19 years old. He had to be put to sleep as he had kidney failure. It makes me sad to think that something like a pet who was capable of giving so much love and comfort, just dies and is not going anywhere. It is not that I would need to see him again, but that I know that he has been saved and that his soul can live on forever, for him and not for me. It actually would break my heart to think that a soul like that gets just "deleted." No one knows, but there is some kind of hope that also their souls will be saved. Sending so much love to everyone.
Yes, you are correct. All we can do is assume because we know nearly nothing when it comes to the afterlife. We are like babies when it comes to this ❤🙏
Yeah, I think the “not for my happiness, but for my pet’s happiness” argument is key here, Jennifer, and is often overlooked. I think a good God who 1) wants His creatures to be selfless, as well as caring to all sentient creatures, and 2) who is literally aware, as the Gospels mention, of the passing of even the tiniest sparrow gets this full well. I reckon a kind God who is powerful enough to both rise from the dead and to bust out a universe ex nihilo is quite willing and able to reunite you with your awesome cat. Looking forward to you and your furry buddy cuddling again someday.
@@rgvonsanktpauli6250 what a sweet and caring reply. Thank you so much, RG.
Your friend is just fine, Jennifer - he’s in good hands now. Don’t be troubled. And thank you for taking such good care of him round these parts - well noted.
I agree. I don't think God would kill/delete animal souls, any more than he would kill/delete ours. If God is love, and animals embody unconditional love, then how can love turn its back on love?
Then if the dogs dont go to heaven then I would like to ask about meaning in their suffering and purpose of feeling pain and negative emotions which plants dont have it.
We are not even sure about plants not feeling emotions. We know that when a tree is hill in a forest, its fellow trees are warned throughout mycelium and free some molecules in the air to help their fellow wick tree.
The real question is not do animals go to Heaven, but do plant also go ?😉😇
OMGosh I feel the same way about my dogs! Thank goodness I'm not the only one.
As one who has a beagle, a king charles cavalier, and a poodle-cavalier, l can confidently say dogs have souls
?
No
They put the "dog" in "dogma." If we have souls, then why can't dogs? And don't say "Bible" because that thing's full of bad information. There are also pigs (smarter than dogs), dolphins, elephants... What could be wrong with you people??? *YOUR DOG WILL END UP IN HELL, YOU KNOW* doesn't sound very nice, does it?
@@marklar5334 The Bible is full of great information. Dolphins are smarter than dogs, sure. Elephants, maybe. Not pigs (dogs have personality).
"You people", racist...
My dogs will end up in heaven.
Animals don't really go to hell
@@user-yr7jp1tn6y Only Man was created in God's image. Not that only Man has souls. Btw Catholic dogma affirms that animals have souls. See Saint Guenefort
People take animals for granted but God gave them to us to look after and dogs are mans best friend.
Humans have degraded and perverted the dog through selective breeding.
Long story but my dog brought me to the Catholic Church. Pretty sure she’s going to heaven. ❤
I'd love to hear that story! My 2 cats brought me back to the Catholic Church. They both, within a few months of each other, got a type of cancer with a high recurrence rate. I'd been out of the Church for years but I returned because, besides giving my cats good care, all I could do was pray that the cancer wouldn't return. I'm happy to say it never did & they both lived an additional 11 years 🙏🙏 I believe both are in Heaven now ❤❤
@@marybennett2912 sorry that this is long.
I love dogs. Dog was my first word (over 70 years ago.)I’ve had such good ones through my life. Some years back I had 2 wonderful golden retrievers. The oldest died suddenly at 12, and 2 years later the other one passed. My heart was broken. I rent and it’s nearly impossible to have dogs while renting. So for the next 2 years every time I would feel sad, I would thank God that I was blessed with such good girls. My new landlord got to know me and told me I could have a dog. I was elated and soon found the dog I’d been praying for.
I took this adorable pup with me everywhere. People loved her and were sweet to her, but one day a strange seeming woman got down in her face and started whispering things to her. It seemed almost like a curse or something, not sweet like everyone else we saw. Anyway, that was at the end of last September. I couldn’t shake the feeling so I called my friend who is Catholic and asked her if there was some kind of blessing for animals. She said yes, call the church and find out when because it should be in October. Turns out it was the next week!
I took her and the most kindly priest blessed her, sprinkled her (and even me) with holy water. The whole way home I could literally feel it, the blessing , the peace, this was real. I’m not a member yet but I’m going to mass 4 to 5 times a week and I truly love it.
Leave it to God to use a dog to bring me in.
P.S. I love that God gave you so much more time with your precious cats.
🙏🙇♂🙏Only God answer that in time Godspeed us all these prophecied tiimes🙏🙇♂🙏
San Francis of Assis is the protector of the animals and he loved them so i think the animais are likely in heaven
I don’t think God is going to create all these magnificent creatures for us to extinguish them and make them perish. There is MORE than enough room in heaven for all that is good.
Exactly! 👍👍
Well, dogs are pure love. And God doesn’t waste love. Pups must abound in the Kingdom.
I pray dogs go or heaven. They are unconditional love.
They do go , these people got religious spirit
Yes ! Yes.....! I am losing mine and i love him with all my heart. Its going to be a tough death
..................
We have been going through a lot.
You know what ? Its my fault i got close. The Lord told us not to get attached to much because this is all temporary.
@@bob-pr8yeYou will see ALL your beloved pets in Heaven, just like I will see all my beloved cats and dogs in Heaven. But the *MAIN* thing about Heaven is the Beatific Vision.
This was a good video! You should do one on the the church’s stance on dinosaurs and evolution.
Resurrection is a solution. Some philosophers would argue it wouldn’t be the same pet, but that’s incredibly controversial in metaphysics; let's set that issue aside for now. To start, we can think of logically possible ways that God could preserve the identity of dogs and cats. And given that God is all-merciful and all-good, it would be foolish to say it’s implausible that God would resurrect animals.
Aquinas got this one wrong. He clearly never owned a dog. Dogs have intellect and will. The idea that dogs (or many other animals) are just dumb creatures motivated by instinct and reflex has long been dismantled, scientifically. Personally, I have experienced deep and profound love with both of my dogs, now passed, and their loss was much more painful than losing my parents. I was surprised to hear Matt say that if his dog died, it wouldn't bother him. I guess when you're married and have kids, all your emotional/attachment energy goes towards them, and the dog just becomes an accessory you don't think or feel much toward. A shame. The man-dog bond is legendary. They aren't called our best friends for nothing.
I'm really not interested in a God who wouldn't preserve the tremendous love relationships that exist between people and animals. If he lets dogs die, he can let me die, too. If there is a heaven without dogs, it's not a heaven I want to be in.
My mother and I lost our dog over a year ago now and she still really struggles with the grief, so I don't think that being married with kids has anything to do with it. Perhaps we don't develop such deep bonds with every dog we own though.
I have had multiple dogs in my life, but it was this particular fox terrier with whom we had an incredible bond. She was incredible.
I think it speaks negatively on our own character that humans often have such little love for the dogs who would do anything for them and love them unconditionally.
@@kaylastarr3822 I agree. I was just speculating on why Matt would say that, and the married w/kids explanation came to mind. My brother (married w/kids) is like that, too -- dogs are part of his family, but just an afterthought to him. I'm single, and I have developed amazingly deep relationships with dogs. But you're right, that's not true of everyone. And I think it depends on the dog as well -- especially on the combination of the dog and the person.
Personally, I don't need anything besides evidence, experience, and reasoning to have faith in animal souls in the afterlife, but for those who want/need biblical support, you might check out Gary Kurz's book "Cold Noses at the Pearl Gates." He provides some bible-based support for the belief.
smile.amazon.com/Cold-Noses-At-Pearly-Gates-ebook/dp/B00TE4BPVQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=OG9C5V0GGYB9&keywords=cold+noses+at+the+pearly+gates+by+gary+kurz&qid=1582324026&sprefix=cold+noses+%2Caps%2C399&sr=8-1
There are other, similar books as well. There is actually plenty of info and evidence out there, if you are diligent in your search. Good luck, fellow animal lovers. :)
That is very sad to hear. Your belief that dogs have a human soul is contrary to Catholic dogma and doctrine, and your attachment to created goods over the will of God is even more sad.
I pray that you will reconsider such sentiments. Your disregard for Saint Thomas Aquinas, the most praised Saint in the history of the Church, because you have an emotional affection for your dogs; and, even worse, your preference of dogs to seeing and loving God in the beatific vision, is quite simply not a Catholic sentiment.
God made man in His Image (Genesis 1:27). This is not said about any other of his creations. Dogs do not have an intellect or will. They have no language, no universal abstraction, etc.
Please consider the following articles:
edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2015/04/animal-souls-part-i.html
edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2015/05/animal-souls-part-ii.html
@Spencer Rice And apparently you haven't studied animal cognitive or behavioral science. Animals can think, reason, problem solve, use symbolic language. They exhibit empathy, caring, and compassion, including across species lines, with zero evolutionary advantage. They have a full range of emotions. They even exhibit rudimentary moral codes.
Please refrain from lecturing me, and instead spend some of that energy getting informed about the subject. Don't base your beliefs about animals on what a 13th century theologian said, for goodness sake. Investigate the subject. Learn, man.
It's a moot point anyhow. We have good evidence that animals survive into the afterlife, so whether Thomas Acquinas thinks it happens or not, it does. They're there whether you like it or not. They will probably be in a different area from Christians who believe as you do, which is good.
It's good for God, too, or rather for our understanding of God. Because, after all, a god who doesn't respect and value animal souls isn't a god worth believing in or following. Fortunately, that god turns out to be the invention of some Christians, rather than the real deal.
He's a lot better -- a lot more loving -- than you lot make him out to be.
if pets don't go to heaven, it is meaningless and self punishing to fall in love with one only to have the pet die to never be seen again. Mght as well never have a pet and avoid the suffering at death,
I believe Duke the best black cat in the world is waiting for me in heaven
Scripture clear that animals will be in heaven.
I love my dog. I really do.
But as Fr. Mike Schmitz says
"If you need anything other than God to be happy in heaven, you're not ready for heaven."
Wow, great quote that definitely applies to this video topic. Thanks for sharing that. :)
100%
Fr Scmitz's comment is nonsensical. It's not about a substitute.
How would you ever know when you are ready for heaven?
easton thayn you only think god loves his creation?? Nice to know that your not sure about this.
My beautiful feral cats I've loved for 11yrs feeding them by a fence line of my apt parking lot at 3am...my living prayer. They are forever deeply embedded in my heart and gratitude to my Maker.
My cats were gifts I placed in my heart. They cannot be dissected from. If my heart goes to heaven it is their train there too. If not I'd rather become the dirt they return to. Let it be a tree grows from that sainted ground.
We know nothing of the mysteries of true love.❇🐱🕊🌹
Sounds like you love cats more than God. Might want to reassess that...
@@FourKidsNoMoneyI WANT to go where my cats are. And if it's in the grave so be it.
Will Rogers once famously said, "If dogs don't go to heaven, then i want to go where the dogs go."
It's no mistake that the word "dog" is God but backwards. I like to meditate upon the loyalty, compassion, and companionship that dogs exhibit. It is quite often that God shows me how those aforementioned qualities should characterize my relationship with Him.
Don’t forget St. Roch who is the patron saint of dogs. I think for those of us who loved our furry family members, God will surprise us in the next life. God bless!
Anyone who thinks God aka. the most loving being in the universe, feels indifference or lack of compassion towards animals than the average person, hasn't tried to understand God at all beyond scripture imo. From what we can prove and observe, God spent 99.9...% since the birth of this 13.7 billion year old universe creating all sorts of worlds, planets, and creatures... 100 billion galaxies in only part of the universe that's observable. This question extends far beyond dogs, there were mammoths, dinosaurs, isopods, and the high possibility of extraterrestrial life even if rudimentary, all of it has God's love and fingerprints on them. Was it all loveless creation? To try to answer this question imo, you need to temporarily detach from the constrains of dogma.
Be at peace : there is no dogma in this question. Only the opinion of a great theologian who, at the end of his life, disregarded his writings on this topic 😇
Well, I wonder if every organism has a soul or something similar. Like do other animals besides humans have them? Or even do plants, fungi and microbes possess them? I mainly just picture the soul in humans and animals, but what of the other life that was created? But pretty interesting discussion.
What about pet euthanasia? Is it a sin? My dog has cancer and is in a lot of pain. Is it right to let him suffer?
Why would God even create animals in the first place if He didn't want them around? I'd be positively flummoxed if dogs, or really anything that God created (and saw as good), weren't going to be restored by Christ to their pre-fallen state.
God didnt create dogs. Humans force breed them, and pretend they are humans, which is blasphemous.
Dogs go heaven because God loves them..
The Thomist view of animals pretty well serves as a reductio of the whole program for me.
God loves us so much, He adjusted His plan for salvation because Mary needed alcohol to get people drunk at a party. You don't think God is willing to let His children have a dog?
There are animals in Eden before the fall so I think that there will be animals in heaven (the new Eden). But whether our specific pets will be there is up to God's grace. I have hope.
I think it's possible for pets to go to a special afterlife for them where they will be happy and we will have access to. But I believe the Beatific Vision is for humans alone as we were created in His image.
That is what I think.
If answering to this question “yes they do go to Heaven “, would that MAKE YOU A MORE RIGHTEOUS PERSON? Because of course dogs are better then us in many ways, but we are who are in judgement not the animals!! If I were to murder a person and a dog, would God Judge me harder because I killed a person or a dog?
James writes:
James 3:7-8
“For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”
God Bless!
You need to stop reading Aquinas and read the Bible. How many verses talk about animals in heaven? And lastly, the whole different soul thing shows how badly off Aquinas was. In reference to dogs, if a dog puts their life on the line for a police officer or family member to save them, that’s rational thinking. Aquinas was dead wrong in his summation. In fact, I will say he was grossly negligent.
To be fair towards the great St Thomas of Aquinas, he acknowledged being wrong about afterlife at the end of his life. Problem is not St Thomas. Problem is his followers who kind of almost believe in his infallibility 😉
What about the catholic perspective on pet euthanasia
Relationship with a dog is easy. Relationship with other people isn't always so easy. I'm not sure the Bible says anything about being a Christian is supposed to be easy. Personally I think people get lost in their animals and in some cases they become a distraction.
Slightly bizarre? Heaven theologically or classically is not the same thing as Paradise! Heaven as proposed by St John Paul 2 is a state not a place. Paradise as the Garden of Delights is a place. Heaven is understood to being akin like being in Love. St Padre Pio confirmed that it was useless to talk about it because humans do not understand joy upon joy upon joy forever and ever . . it does not have meaning in any human experience.
Pope Francis confirmed that animals do in fact go to heaven, Benedict also confirmed that as the Creation they too are part of the Communion of Creation! Many saint, (not all but certainly the most popular) have agreed that animals go to heaven. We recall for example, Sts Francis, John Bosco, Martin de Porres, Rock and many others. Indeed we can take it logically to include Our Mother Mary and St Theresa etc with reference to flowers on their feet and sent from heaven we can state with some tradition that plants or even rocks also may continue. It should be pointed out of course that Science today understands that some higher animals like dogs, elephants, (many others) all have centured awareness of existence. They are subject to emotions every bit as powerful as humans. Also of course finally Physics confirms/notes that Matter. . cannot be destroyed. It can change into something else but basically what is. . cannot be un-is. many of the old ideas for example that something dies and rots into nothingness are simply wrong. Change may occur and to the imperfect senses of humans it may appear something has occurred but this is now known to be in error.
It is not my intent or job to wave a stick over your heads and say. . for goodness sake. . think before you engage mouth. . . but simple questions have deep answers and should not be assumed as simple rhetoric. . from a theological thinking it looks. . mentally untidy!
I am sorry, but the Saints did not believe animals go to heaven...
edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2015/04/animal-souls-part-i.html
If Descartes can say "upon reflection, the following became obvious," so can I.
Human souls are more vulgar than our canine friends.
Coyotes and cats and dogs and ravens are the Elect to which humans must humbly bend the knee, long after eating the apples of wisdom and discord.
Dogs are angels sent to remind us of our better natures. Humans are cursed to live longer in the fallen mortal world than their canine guides.
Do mosquitos go to heaven?
Lol Peter Kreft recently said that mosquito heaven must be a place in hell for humans.
My answer is - If you need your pet to be happy in heaven, your pet will be in heaven. But if you need your pet to be happy in heaven, that means the fullness of God himself is not enough to make you happy, and you are probably not ready for heaven.
True but Fr Scmitz answer very smartly avoid the big moral question behind "do animals go to Heaven?" : do God Love and mercy powers are limited or do they also apply to innocent beings that suffer and die like... the Lamb of God did?
Dogs are less evil then humans so they shud be in heaven before any of us.
It has nothing to do with heaven versus hell, it has to do with the fact that they have no soul (in the sense of intellect and will) and have zero capacity to enjoy heaven or receive the beatific vision. It's not possible for them to enjoy God in heaven.
There is no objective standards by which you can determine is dog good or bad. They don't have moral code and soul so every action that they do is morally neutral, neither good nor evil no matter how much we project our norms on them.
@@domo3699 actually u can not say they dont have intellect or a soul you are not God. who are you to judge. ive seen humans who seem to have no intellect or soul too so u stand on ground. are you sola scripture then i understand why both of you cant think outside of the box. what version do u read? lol
@@user-yr7jp1tn6y Haha you seem to think Dogs cant enjoy the new earth why is that??
@@immortalwarrior4722 I can, not because I'm God but because I listen to God's Revelation and His Catholic Church. Animals have mortal soul. They "fall asleep" without knowing anything, so it is not cruel. To animals happen what atheists think happens to humans also - they cease to exist, just like every material thing. Only humans (and angels) have immortal soul that must eternally be in Heaven or Hell. Humans who "do not have soul" will be eternally punished in Hell. It is indeed better to animals who wouldn't know they're dead than to these humans.
I wonder if we can petition God to throw us a bone on this one.
Scripture concerns human salvation and the fate of other rational beings such as angels, other lower beings created by God don’t need that map. God created all things and all thing were affected by the fall, and scripture says all creation groans for salvation and all things will be renewed (paraphrasing here), God who is love created all things out of love…I wouldn’t be surprised seeing all kinds of things we are familiar with in heaven and in the new creation after resurrection. I would hope dogs would be there! My guess is they will be, but like Father said, we can’t say for sure one way or another.
Not even watching this. Short answer: YUP, THEY SURE DO.
❤️
❤❤❤
Why are my replies being removed? 3 times now!!
There are animals in heaven.
Sorry to disappoint you.
Most dogs i've met are saints
I thought the answers were calloused and insensitive. Animals have a way of communicating with us that these two probably have never experienced. God would not have allowed or designed animals to do this if there was not supposed to be a bond that's so strong for those who are are not oblivious to it. and I find the readings in genesis, particularly about Noah where God is establishing a covenant "with you and hour descendants after you and with EVERY LIVING CREATURE that was with you" (where he names animals wild and tame). there is the rainbow in the sky as a sign that they will not be destroyed. Also there are multiple levels of heaven, why could it not be true that our pets may be at a lower level than humans but still included??
That's actually makes sense : the psalm 35 v7 (sometimes found with other references) says roughly: "You save, O lord, man and animals".
In Hebrew the verb "save" have the same root as the "save" meaning in Jesus. And the word "animals" in Hebrew means farm animals. Hence animals that man has contact with.
It's none of our business
Yes .. and .. No. The spirit, anima = soul, of the beasts (in so far as they have a spirit at all) do return whence they came = as a gift from the Creator. That is a kind of heaven, not unlike Limbo in a way, being a sort of absence, only much less so than the self-inflict prison of hell; it is a lower natural type of happiness. What it is not is the Beatific Vision, seeing God as He is, rationally, in knowing as we are now known, and participating in the divine nature - through Christ Jesus. So yes, they belong to the Creator, not the Accuser, yet no, they do not share in His Vision .. because that is not what they were created for, unlike us.
Why did God make you?
God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him in the next.
This gracious beatitude btw is why the beasts do not and cannot share in the heavenly vision as we do, they are not Moral Agents, with the innate and potent capacity to choose right from wrong as a matter of reason: for we are created thus, and in the spiritual image of God. Moreover, this is why Baptism into Christ is still so vitally important for all humanity while in this mortal fleshly life - it is God's own gift of Himself, whether we live to cherish that favour or not. Hence - I must come to worship God by Faith, Hope and Charity; that is, in the exercise of my free will, I must believe in Him, I must trust in Him, and I must love Him with my whole heart (unbaptised infants, though not guilty of any personal wrongdoing, do not share in that re-born life of Christ, only in the one born of Adam - perhaps perfect as that was before his personal choice to sin, I leave that to Aquinas over his friar's pre-lenten pint).
Yo! Mine's a Caffrey's, if you please. ;o)
Yeah yeah....and I know all that. ...I think pet owners just want to be assured that they are not forgotten after they pass. The Lord has a place for them . That they are somewhere "in the house" safe and cared for.
Interesting to keep in mind though.....people who have had near death experiences according to my research and reading have not only seen their relatives but also their pets.. .. that's enough for me!
@@christineczyryca5820 As indeed He does .. ;o)
My dogs have been far far more intelligent and loving than 95% of the people I've encountered in my life.
That may be true, but their behavior is not the condition that excludes them from heaven. It is quite simply the fact that they do not have an intellect and will and simply do not have the potential or ability to experience the beatific vision.
@@user-yr7jp1tn6y NO WAY! They do too have an intellect, they have a will too. Anybody who owns a dog knows that! They even have intelligence and experience guilt and they grieve...seems like you don't know much about animals. I believe they can perceive holiness and purity. The nativity scene shows the animals praising God . I believe that is even in scripture.
How very sad for you. Every dog I've met has been more needy, pathetic, loud and annoying than 99% of the people I've encountered in my life.
@@user-yr7jp1tn6y wrong
@@christineczyryca5820 exactly
Dogs will surely be in heaven. I am not so sure of cats.
Animals/plants are not in an immaterial state of Heaven because their souls cannot be separated from their bodies. Animals and plants are most certainly in the resurrected Heaven. I think the question people really care about is, will my specific pet be in the resurrected Heaven? I don't know how that works but I'm sure God's got it figured out.
If dogs have souls and spirits, if you were to meet them in heaven you would be unable to tell them from you or me.
Only the goodest bois go to heaven.
Doggo
“Where is Heaven?”
Come on! The Gospels tell us the Kingdom of God is WITHIN you.
You are 2 cold hearted jerks talking that way about dogs .Dogs are creatures full of Love of course they go to Heaven I prayed to God to put my pets in a place of Love Light and Happiness every time I lost a Beloved pet.😊💝😊🐢😊🐦🐺😊💝🐢💝
I just lost my dog today but I agree with them.
@@TacosnZorro I'm truly sorry for your lost those 2 Guys are just giving their opinions it doesn't mean their right the reality nobody knows for sure but many spirits human and animal have come out on camera and video so something is there and life goes on I hope it's in Heaven🌅🌅🌅😊🌅🌅🌅🌅
Dogs do have souls I saw an old black and white of 2 woman having tea outside near some tree next to the lady standing near her legs you see clearly an Irish setter some parts of his body are transparent other parts clear you can clearly see his head snout tail and legs it's a very old picture turn of the century.Its in a book I bought years ago called the unexplained .🐺
He didn't day they don't have souls just that their form is different
@@TacosnZorro it's all open to interpretation most all living things have souls 😊
If you need your pets or even your family or friends in Heaven than you are not ready for Heaven. Nothing dies in Heaven, so there wont be any hunting. God Bless you all.
People worship animals more than God
Amen, a lot of these comments are really sad.
Why do you want Dogs in Heaven at first place? Isn't the beatific vision of God sufficient? What glory can they add to the Glory of God? Neither do they adore or worship God. So, it's not possible they could be or needed in Heaven at all. Period. Ave Maria.
Why do you believe that our body will be resurrected? Isn't the beatific vision sufficient?😉
Why everybody wants to know if their pets are in heaven? Can you not read yourself?.. take your bible...read! Animals do not go to heaven. The Holy Spirit do not dwell in them on earth. You can not eat an animal, and the next moment it is in heaven..
Dude, you're wearing a hooby jooby robe. Just say "All dogs go to Heaven" and be done with it. GTPWTW.
That guy is a thomistic monk.
Not just a guy with a robe.
@@tryhardf844 right on!
They are not spiritual beings, even though they are soulish, they cannot know God.
Don't tell St. Francis that!
Balaam's donkey?
Don't tell the horse that kneeled in front of the St Sacrament nor balaam donkey who saw the angel
You understand, I know, that you pet's body hasn't "gone" anywhere. No body means no tail to wag, no vocal chords to purr, no ears to scratch, and no fur to stroke. Oh, and you won't have arms to hold it or hands to pet it because your body isn't going anywhere, either. So tell me again why you want your pet to go to heaven. (Or, for that matter, why YOU want to go to heaven.)
In the ancient world, dogs were not coddled like the west coddles them today. To be called a dog was an insult. In the west today we have a dog cult. The love that people are giving to dogs ought to be given to fellow human beings. And the way that dog lovers will defend their preference for canines over humans reveals some of the misanthropy of the postmodern world. Dogs cannot love like humans love. Dogs can be deferential to the alpha, they can beg for food and attention, and we confuse that with love. Don't forget that mother dogs often kill and eat the runts of the litter. Dogs will attack children and babies. They will eat anything, even human feces. It's tricky to love dogs because they came from one of God's creatures, which are all beautiful in their natural context, but they've been mutated by selective breeding by humans into pathetic creatures, most of which can't survive without humans.
The alpha concept has absolutely no scientific root. It's a very sad ethological error made in the 40's with wolves observed in a zoo, that lasted until the end of the 90's. Now it is fully debunked. Thank God for that.
Catholic..? No, pets do not go to heaven..