I'm truly disturbed by some of these responses?

Question

There was a question asked about animals going to heaven. Some of the responses really disturbed me. I can't imagine that people who are so religious don't feel that the lives of my 3 beautiful dogs are so worthless. I watch tv with my dogs on the couch, feed them healthy meals from the table, play ball with them ,and basically treat them like they're one of the family. my dogs are like my children.

my dogs even saved my family from being burned in a fire on night. I know that I'm probably over the top with the love I show them, but no matter what animal you may adore or respect, hopefully all animals deserve to be treated with respect and kindness.

how could you claim to be religious or spiritual and find no value in animals ,except for your own pleasures to do what you want with them at will.

I am an atheist, but would surely expect the religious to respect all forms of life.



http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070113073038AAUTskM

Answer 1

Sadly there are people in this world that think that animals aren't as worthy or valuable as humans. To me a life is a life is a life. Having opposable thumbs hardly makes one life more valuable than another.

Answer 2

Animals are all loved by God...especially pets. I worked with a lady once and she was telling me that when she was a teenager, she had a hermit crab. One day when it died, she was boo-hooing, and talking to her mom, telling her mother that at least peanut (or some cutesy little name like that) was in heaven. Her mother had the audacity to tell her that it was an animal and could not accept Jesus Christ as its personal savior, and therefore could not possibly be in heaven! SHE ACTUALLY TOLD HER DAUGHTER THAT! Wicked mom! And not in the wicked-cool way. Silly little story, but I told her the same thing I will say now...I have seen animals (in particular pets and my own dog) that have more soul than a lot of people. I believe it is in the new testament, but I could be wrong, where it states something to the effect that if God takes care of the birds in the sky, then how much more he loves and will take care of us. As a Christian, my belief is that God created all things, and God is good. Therefore what He created is good too, and he's just got to love them.

Answer 3

If we are created from a Divine source, you can then say that all creatures have worth in the sight of the Divine, right?
( I have a Bible, and it says that "God" created all creatures)

So, that said, why wouldn't animals have a right to enter "heaven"?

I believe that animals have a place in the "ever after" where they can rest and stay or move on to a new life. But who knows?
I just can't believe that animals would be relegated to eternal darkness just because they're not human!

Answer 4

Animals are life created by God, and therefore have value. How can anything created by God *not* have value?

I don't have any book or verse to quote for reference, but I do believe animals, especially companion animals, also have an energy or spirit that does not die when their bodies die. It may not be the same as that of a human being, but I believe it exists.

Answer 5

Don't be disturbed, there are no dogs in Heaven.

Revelations 22

14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Answer 6

There are many, MANY differing responses to this question. I'm a member of an evangelical forum, and even those of the same denomination have different opinions. Some Christians believe that when the Bible says "all flesh will see the salvation of God," it's not just talking about human flesh.

So please don't pile us into a lump.... we all look at this differently. I hope the answers you got will not give you a bad view of Christians.

Thanks. :)

Answer 7

Animals don't have the same value that humans do. Humans were created special, different from animals. We were created to serve and be in relationship with God, animals are here for our pleasure. It's good that you enjoy having a dog, but that doesn't mean your dog has a soul or that God values its life as much as your own.

Answer 8

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.


There is not an animal that crawls in the earth, nor a bird that flies on its two wings, but they are communities like you. We have left out nothing in the Book. Then to their Lord shall they all be gathered together.

And Allah has created every animal from water. Of them are some that go upon their bellies, and of them are some that go upon two feet, and among them are some that go upon four. Allah creates what He pleases. Surely, Allah has the power to do all that He pleases.

And how many an animal there is that carries not its sustenance! Allah provides for it and for you. And He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

And We gave knowledge to David and Solomon and they said, 'All praise belongs to Allah, Who has exalted us above many of His believing servants.'

And Solomon was heir to David. And he said, 'O ye people, we have been taught the language of birds, and we have had all necessary things bestowed upon us. This indeed is God's manifest Grace.'

And there were gathered together unto Solomon his hosts of jinn and men and birds, and they were formed into separate divisions,

Until when they came to the valley of The Ants, an ant said, 'O ye Ants, enter your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you, while they know not.'

Thereupon he smiled wondering at her words and said, 'My Lord, grant me that I may be grateful to Thee, for Thy favour which Thou hast bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do such good works as would please Thee, and admit me, by Thy mercy, among Thy righteous servants.'


Holy Quran

Answer 9

Jesus was an animal lover too.

In Matthew 15:26 he affectionately referred to Samaritans as "dogs".

Why would an atheist expect his pets to be valued as highly as humans?

Because atheists don't believe in an afterlife?

Because atheists dont believe in anything?

Or because atheists will believe in virtuallly anything but God?

Answer 10

Right now I do not know that animals have a soul and will gain 'heaven or hell'. I do accept that God created them during creation (day 5), and thus they too are part of God's creation. I presently would not be surprised if often our 'pets' are often our 'guardian angels' also!