[X] My Assistant

[Reyo]

Animals would have every right to go to heaven for doing their job of acting by their instincts.

And that is one reason I don't believe in anything. It's perfectly OK for an animal to act on instinct for everything, but not for a human, and most of the time humans get punished because of it. Animals do as well sometimes, especially if they are just protecting themselves.

I already gave my opinion, but I will say that if there is a heaven, then yes, animals would go to it. (That includes humans, because we ARE animals, whether you want to believe it or not.)

It's because of the fact that humans have switched instinct for reasoning, which has slowly been diminishing anyway. Though I will say that if someone says that "instinct" told them to rape and murder 9 boys...yeah that's just bullshit. Besides, animals will only kill when hungry or threatened, which is ok (well...to PETA it isn't, but they're what we call...HURDUR! special) in our society anyway. Humans will go out and kill other humans for the sake of killing other humans.

This post has been edited by Reyo: Sep 24 2009, 01:04 AM

[tehriah]

I'm purely atheist, but hypothetically, I believe that life is life. Assuming that humans are the only ones "qualified" for certain "rewards" like heaven is pure arrogance, in my opinion, which is one of the flaws of most organized religions.

Quite frankly, I find the idea of some wonderful land where everyone lives forever in happiness and harmony to be just a little ridiculous, but if there really is some higher plane of existence, and if that is indeed where we go when we die, then I believe that all life should go there, right down to the rats and trees and insects. Not as themselves, of course, but as pieces of a whole. The idea that all life is just life, and you may be a more sentient piece of it, but you're just as connected to the rest as that beetle you stepped on earlier.

BASICALLY if there is some type of heaven in any way, shape, or form, I believe that every form of life has a place in it, and that there's no such thing as hell. Buuuuut in the more traditional sense of things, then yes, I would still believe that animals go to heaven just because they're identical to the way humans were before we discovered original sin, in that they can't consciously choose to commit "evil" acts, so. Why not?

[suzyk]

My grandmother, sweet woman that she was, worked at a zoo. She loved this young black bear named Junior, and when he grew up she loved him ever more. But Junior died of Lyme's disease, and my sweet grandmother was stricken. She had always told me how she loved that adorable cub, and how she knew that they would always be together. She told me one day as we were in the zoo that she knew she would see Junior in Heaven. A few weeks later, she died of a heart attack, but to this day I can feel her gazing at me when I look at the Ursa Minor in the heavens. I just wonder if Junior is gazing with her.

Cool story, bro.

Since I don't believe in God/gods, no.

From my mom's perspective, yes, all animals have souls and go on to complete the cycle of Samsara. The question is, though, is it possible for animals to sin, since they are being guided by instinct most of the time?

This post has been edited by suzyk: Sep 29 2009, 06:35 AM

[Drifty]

There are a lot of different opinions on this. All my life, I've been taught that animals don't have souls, and therefore didn't go to heaven. HOWEVER, the Bible tells a different story, and I hope you'll forgive me for quoting if you disagree.

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon says, "For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same: as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?" Ecclesiastes 3:19-21

So although the traditional belief (for Christians) is generally that animals don't have souls and don't go to heaven, but it's obvious by looking here that that isn't the case. Solomon says that animals do have souls, and there's no reason for them not to go to the same place we do. I'll trust the Bible rather than a tradition. So yeah. There's what I think. xD

[Iconox]

Hmmm, that is a profound question. Tecnically, animals don't have human souls, however they can't sin as well. So if you want to see a deceased pet that you loved, you should first sort out things with your Creator.

[Whoot Virus]

None...

and souls doesn't exist...

i think after the death is nothing
no dream, no mind, no light... nothing oô
a 'feeling' which we never had...

[mRtOp37]

im sure they all go to heaven. i mean, how are we different from animals? outward appearance, yes but we are ALL created by God so we are the same if you take that into consideration. and check your bibles people, it says everything that God made was GOOD. so in conclusion, animals surely will go to heaven.

[Dismal]

I think, animals can not sin, therefore not go to hell.
But I think animals have a separate heaven? I won't know until I die.

> I also don't think Humans are animals. When someone is called an animal it's an insult, why would being called what your are be an insult?
Animals and humans are not the same in my opinion. My opinion is tied to the evolutionary theory as well, we came from monkeys? It makes no sense to me, in my mind.< Save that for another day.

[Xal]

I think that humans are the only animals capable of sin. Anything which can't sin (and has a soul) must go to heaven.

Bwazzam, we are animals, that's not a matter of opinion. And evolutionary theory makes perfect sense and doesn't say we came from monkeys, but that has nothing to do with this.

[DireTylo]

Of course they do, because like everyone has said so far, they have souls, feelings, and everything that people have. Even if they take a human life, they will be judged in the end, but will still go to Heaven.

This post has been edited by HydroForce: Dec 12 2009, 11:37 AM

[Cyz]

I've never really thought about this. But now that I have, I believe all animals go to Heaven. They have emotions and souls.

[Ezio]

There's one story about a meeting of Rabbis, Catholic priests, Muslim priests,

Imams.

And No I do not believe they do, I mean I wish they did but my religion says they do not and I am a believer.

If you get to heaven ask for your pet back and you'll get it nice and easy, plain and simple...I will

[Reyo]

Assuming Heaven and Hell exist, Heaven. Humans are the only animals that can reason, so they're the only animals that can know that what theyre doing is wrong, and do it anyway. Any time an animals does something, it's out of instinct, and the only time an animals will actually attack you is if they're hungry, or feel threatened. Humans will attack because they feel like attacking you.

[Wilycat52]

I think that humans are the only animals capable of sin. Anything which can't sin (and has a soul) must go to heaven.

Bwazzam, we are animals, that's not a matter of opinion. And evolutionary theory makes perfect sense and doesn't say we came from monkeys, but that has nothing to do with this.

so true! =)

[BarkingChaos]

I went to one catholic school that said animals will just go poof. Another catholic school believed that your pet or animal needed to be blessed by a priest before they can go to heaven.

I believe that animals go to heaven no matter what. This whole instinct vs reasoning thing makes no sense to me as why an animal cant and a human can. Have you ever watched elephants? They reason and work together to solve problems. Thats more than I can say for people. But regardless, I believe animals have souls and they have every right to go to heaven as humans do. Now, the matter of is it the same heaven? well, I dont know. I would like to think it would be the same. I would love to see my cat Rusty again when I die.

[Thel Vadam]

im sure they all go to heaven. i mean, how are we different from animals? outward appearance, yes but we are ALL created by God so we are the same if you take that into consideration. and check your bibles people, it says everything that God made was GOOD. so in conclusion, animals surely will go to heaven.

I'm an atheist, so, no, I won't check my Bible. Anyway, everything can't be 'good', otherwise there wouldn't be 'sin'. I'm quoting sin because I don't believe in it, of course. And if there's even good or evil, then both are in everybody, or at least that would make sense in my eyes.

Assuming Heaven and Hell exist, Heaven. Humans are the only animals that can reason, so they're the only animals that can know that what theyre doing is wrong, and do it anyway. Any time an animals does something, it's out of instinct, and the only time an animals will actually attack you is if they're hungry, or feel threatened. Humans will attack because they feel like attacking you.

Seconded.

[FancyGranola]

I'm an atheist, so, no, I won't check my Bible. Anyway, everything can't be 'good', otherwise there wouldn't be 'sin'. I'm quoting sin because I don't believe in it, of course. And if there's even good or evil, then both are in everybody, or at least that would make sense in my eyes.

Check the bible, it is still good reference. You don't even accept the opposing side's argument. Even if you don't believe in it, it is still an argument.

Good and evil exists. So killing a baby because you want to for fun is not evil? So robbing an old lady isn't evil? Explain to be why there is no evil in those acts. It does make sense in your eyes that there are good and evil in all deeds.

[Thel Vadam]

I have a religion class at school, although I don't want to learn about something that I have absolutely no interest or faith in. Anyway, in a way I do check the Bible, the teacher reads bits and pieces to us. And yes I did accept the opposing side's argument, I understand that they believe in Heaven and Hell and all of that. But since that particular argument has stuff about God everywhere in it, I can't really say much about it.

Anyway. I don't think that things should be described as good or evil, as they could just be wrong (or right) decisions, but that all goes into a completely different matter. The person who 'robbed the old lady', or 'killed a baby', might have actually had valid reasons to do this, even thought these are still cruel things to do. So, (in my opinion anyway) therefore, there is either not really good or evil, or there is both of these things in everything. I think it's more of the second explanation, actually, but that's beside the point.

[jhunter]

Humans are animals. If you think humans have souls you probably think animals have souls, too.

[Dazmi]

Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? Ecclesiastes 3:19-21

To me, that doesn't really say that animals can go to heaven, but asks the question of whether or not they can go to heaven. It's like Solomon, Ecclesiastes, or whatever is trying to tell me that the Bible doesn't know if they can go to heaven or not.

Personally, I have no idea if they can go to heaven because I don't have my Bible memorized. Apparently heaven is supposed to be an awesome place, and I would assume awesome places have animals that exist.