Do animals go to heaven?

[sarahann1]

I don't believe in God/religion type stuff, so no I don't think they go to heaven as no such place exists in my world. However if all that God stuff gives someone comfort, fair dos to them.

Horses I've known live on in my memories of them and thats good enough for me.

 

[Amo]

I do not believe in heaven per say but if there is something after, then I only want to go if all creatures go, all the animals I have ever had are my family as well as the humans

 

[fatpiggy]

Given that according to the Bible, God made all the other animals first and man last (many would say he used up the spare bits that weren't much use for anything else!!) I'm quite sure that animals have first dibs on a place there if it exists.

 

[Superhot]

I'm not religious, but hope that I live a decent and kindly life. I love my animals, and having to make the kindest decision of all time for them, is utterly heartbreaking for me. I take comfort from feeling their presence, but is that my mind playing tricks?
The other thing no-one has mentioned is Animal Communicators. As with everything in life, there are some rogues around, but I have experience from one lady who left me in no doubt she had communicated with my friends dead dog. I am by nature a septic, but this particular episode left me stunned...

 

[fallenangel123]

If there are no horses in heaven I'm not going!

Of course I may not be going anyway

 

[indiat]

If there are no horses in heaven I'm not going!

Of course I may not be going anyway

Not with with a username like that!

Anita Diamant summed it up perfectly for me in The Rent Tent.

"In Egypt, I loved the perfume of the lotus. A flower would bloom in a pool at dawn, filling the entire garden with a blue musk so powerful that it seemed even the fish and ducks would swoon. By night, the flower might wither but the perfume lasted. Fainter and fainter, but never quite gone.....Months would pass and a bee would alight near the spot where the lotus blossomed, and its essence was released again, momentary but undeniable. Egypt loved the lotus because it never dies."

I believe love is a sweet, pure note that resonates long after the strings have been stilled. But I like the above explantion, becuase the scent returns again and again. All it takes is a word, sound, a smell and all that love comes flooding back, just like the scent of a lotus flower. Love never dies so nor does the creature who was truly loved, be that animal or human. My old girl resonated for a long time, I saw her always standing waiting for me, in the arena, in the field. I still dream of her and I can feel her slip beneath my outstretched hands as she walks towards sleep's dark and silent gate.

 

[Oriel]

I'm an atheist so I do not believe in the existence of deities.. I don't believe that we have an afterlife of any kind or that there is a heaven or hell, etc.

I believe that we all have one life and should live it to the full. I value people and animals that I have in my life... when they are gone I grieve and miss them but that 'is life'.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Anita Diamant summed it up perfectly for me in The Rent Tent.

"In Egypt, I loved the perfume of the lotus. A flower would bloom in a pool at dawn, filling the entire garden with a blue musk so powerful that it seemed even the fish and ducks would swoon. By night, the flower might wither but the perfume lasted. Fainter and fainter, but never quite gone.....Months would pass and a bee would alight near the spot where the lotus blossomed, and its essence was released again, momentary but undeniable. Egypt loved the lotus because it never dies."

I believe love is a sweet, pure note that resonates long after the strings have been stilled. It never dies so nor does the creature who was truly loved, be that animal or human. My old girl resonated for a long time, I saw her always standing waiting for me, in the arena, in the field. I still dream of her and I can feel her slip beneath my outstretched hands as she walks towards sleeps dark and silent gate.

That's a beautiful piece of writing and pretty much sums up my experience of animals that I miss still today.

 

[Shantara]

If all that was true, then yes, I think they would.
I would rather go to hell that go to a heaven without animals. Well, a heaven without animals would be hell!

Though, I'm an anti-theist Atheist, so I don't believe in any of that. However, I do use The Rainbow Bridge as comfort, I have had nightmares about my poor cat being thrown away (I stupidly didn't bring her home, I hate myself for it), so The Rainbow Bridge helps.

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

It's interesting that you think Sunny hasn't gone to heaven yet.

Maybe she enjoyed living in the garden too much... maybe she's still sneaking into the kitchen and gobbling the bread out of the bread bin. She was very much part of the family so she could just be looking after us all and she'll go in her own time.

 

[OWLIE185]

I would hope that when I pass through the pearly gates I will be greated by my sadly departed horses and horsey friends with whom I have shared so many happy and fun times with over the many years on planet eartyh.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Some interesting posts on here.

I guess I DO believe in the "horsey heaven" thing; I'd like to believe that my two old boy's are up in a lovely field somewhere waiting at some gate for me....... I suppose I believe basically in "energy", i.e. that when someone/an animal/horse is alive they're full of this vital energy, call it "spirit" or what-you-will, and then we we/they die the spirit or energy leaves the physical body and moves on to a different place and exists on a different plane where it isn't limited by physical things such as time, distance, or solid matter. Which is why "ghosts" exist - its just a life-force, an energy, which somehow hasn't reached the destination it should have and/or is stuck in a time-warp or whatever.

"Heaven" or paradise, doesn't really describe it fully enough for me TBH; I think the word "heaven" has all sorts of religious associations that maybe confuses the issue.

I think that there is a supernatural place where souls (animal and human) go after death; and that spirits from that world are able to communicate (sometimes, not often) with our world.

Sorry, I probably haven't made much sense!!!

 

[indie999]

As you cannot physically prove that there is a "place" called heaven then if you believe so and it helps you deal with the loss then why not.

I agree who knows, no one knows? Anyone who believes in religion probably believes they do.............I was always envious of religious people (as I am non commital, no proof) as they took great comfort in believing in heaven or as some religions you come back as something else(reincarnation) if you have lived a good life. Now thats another angle altogether?

If it helps why not, then I will believe in anything to give my old boy another life somewhere up in the blue yonder and hope he is very happy.

 

[Mearas]

I am a Christian and all I can tell you is that God promises us that we will be in 'heaven'. As I am 'in heaven' when I am with my horse particularly on a beautiful morning with the birds singing and my spaniel sniffing round my legs then I can only presume that heaven will be full of horses, dogs, birds, flowers and many other things to wonderful for me to even comprehend at the moment.

God also promises that we will 'know all things' just think how well I would be able to ride.

 

[Wagtail]

Ah yet but as there's (currently) not ACTUAL way to prove or disprove heaven, the afterlife or reincarnation then I think people are free to believe what they want.

Personally I don' believe in 'Heaven' per se but I do believe there is something else as there are too many things that we are no able to explain - one thing in particular the stuff that the innocent minds of children come out with, say in relation to them having lived before. I find that fascinating when i read of stories where young (say 3 yo) kids have stated they have lived in a specific house, area etc and it is proved that the details they provide are correct - sometimes they are refering to times many many years ago too.

I love it quite frankly!

I have also had a 'spooky' encounter myself in an old student house. I wish now i looked in to it in more details as it would have been interesting to find out if what i experienced could be connected to a specific person who had lived there before.

Interesting you say that, because as a child, before I had ever heard of reincarnation, I knew I had lived before. I lost that feeling completely around the age of 8. Now I just can't remember how it felt, but I am left with the knowledge that I knew for sure back then.

 

[EllenJay]

If you believe in heaven - then what sort of heaven is it without animals?

 

[burtie]

The Christian idea of heaven sounds like my idea of hell, so I certainly hope my horses and animals don't go there.

 

[horsebenny]

I hope so.

Hope its a place where theres no pain, and lots of grass

I hope so too - I lost my beloved Buster three weeks ago after 16 years together and the night before he died I had a dream that he was in a big sun dappled field standing under an oak tree. I've never, ever dreamt about him before and he had just had blood tests that all came back perfect so I wasn't expecting him to go. I am confident that he is now in that field...

 

[BlackVelvet]

Horsebenny- i lost my boy on Friday and after a long battle with lami, im hoping he is scoffing his face with grass. Sorry to hear of your loss

 

[1stclassalan]

The funny thing is - the first religious people didn't believe in a heaven - it was a much later invention to grab the attention of the guilible.

As we humans slowly developed from animals we became self aware and the first manifest proof of that is a ritual burial - I've often observed animals reacting to a dead colleague - some are frightened, some almost seem to be mourning but that is being too anthropomorphical - we don't know what they are thinking. In the animal world the first thought that goes through minds about a dead body is - I wonder what that tastes like! Haha.

Many early people cremated their dead and later constructed megalithic tombs often on astronomical alignments - incidentally, based on observations of the sky that would lose most modern folk!

Once we come to recorded history, there are hundreds of religions based roughly along the lines that life is difficult because there are Gods that need pleasing and this kind of thing found a resonance in many people. Those ideas were tweeked generation by generation until monotheism appeared - in this there is only one God who started off being just like all the others ( in that he always needed pleasing - sacrificing your first son or daughter seemed to go down well) but then turned all touchy-feely and began throwing in the odd freeby miracle to get Kings and Chiefs onside - the congregation grew. But there were still quite a lot of objectors that took to lopping the heads off Saints ( this was handy really as else they would be Saints ) burning them or any form of interesting murder.

Then Christianity was formed - cobbled together from bits of every old ritual you could think of - virgin birth ( yep, we like that - we don't want the Messiah sullied by sex!) messenger stars ( common in many myths) ancient prophesy and wise men backing it up ( yes we'll have three of those ) and then - master stroke - you don't have to any sacrificing as Jesus wil die for YOU! Absolute magic!

Still no Heaven and certainly no Hell. People were still concern about what happened to you after death and the idea that Jesus was going on ahead to prepare the way kind of took over from the Eygptian Pharoah - who would you believe thought he was going straight up to live in the constelation Orion ( have a look at the three stars in Orion's belt next starry night and compare them to the three Pyramids at Giza )

Heaven suddenly appears in the Dark Ages - no doubt as an antidote to the misery caused by the Romans declining. Hell comes about in the Medieval period to frighten anyone still not religious into joining.

A complete load to tosh but interesting nevertheless. We all die and return to the dust - the spirit if you want to call it that only lives on in other's minds as there is no power source for a dead person to draw on. But I still speak of my mare being in The Happy Paddock.

 

[Foxhunter49]

When my GSD became to old to take to work with me he would stay at my mothers and look after Gran.
I had to have him put to sleep and when I told Gran her words were "Well, I shall be joining him soon."

She died six weeks later.

A few months later my cousins girl told me that she has 'seed' Gran shopping. She went on to describe how Gran had a shopping bag with a flower on it and the dog was with her. She told me how Gran went into a shop (that the family had not used for many years) and a white haired lady tried to get the dog inside but he sat with his head in the door and wouldn't go.

That child had never seen Gran shopping, nor had Gran ever taken my dog out. What the child described was what the dog did with me when we did use the shop. The white haired lady was a previous owner who would try and persuade the dog to go in but he would never put a paw over the step.
When Gran did shop she always had a raffia shopping bag with a flower embroidered on the side.

Now, that sort of says to me that those that are dear do visit and follow us, including our pets.

 

[ladyt25]

When my GSD became to old to take to work with me he would stay at my mothers and look after Gran.
I had to have him put to sleep and when I told Gran her words were "Well, I shall be joining him soon."

She died six weeks later.

A few months later my cousins girl told me that she has 'seed' Gran shopping. She went on to describe how Gran had a shopping bag with a flower on it and the dog was with her. She told me how Gran went into a shop (that the family had not used for many years) and a white haired lady tried to get the dog inside but he sat with his head in the door and wouldn't go.

That child had never seen Gran shopping, nor had Gran ever taken my dog out. What the child described was what the dog did with me when we did use the shop. The white haired lady was a previous owner who would try and persuade the dog to go in but he would never put a paw over the step.
When Gran did shop she always had a raffia shopping bag with a flower embroidered on the side.

Now, that sort of says to me that those that are dear do visit and follow us, including our pets.

See, those are the stories I love as noone can explain HOW the child could possiblty have known certain things. Always sends a shiver down my spine!
I used to hear odd things as a kid and they used to scare me - I never saw anything just felt a 'presence' as it were. Is it the mind playing tricks or is there something/someone actually there trying to communicate? I guess noone ever knows.

I like to think i will maybe see my old ponies and dogs some days - that would be nice

 

[Madam Min]

I don't believe in God or heaven as such but I do believe there is some sort of higher being/ thing out there. I like to think that loved ones ( both human and animal) stay with us and now again sometimes send us sutle messages /signs possibly to reassure us

 

[horsebenny]

Horsebenny- i lost my boy on Friday and after a long battle with lami, im hoping he is scoffing his face with grass. Sorry to hear of your loss

Thank you -I'm sorry to hear about yours too...they say it gets better, let's hope so...

 

[Gingerwitch]

I hope so - although i will probably be in hell ! lol

What would happen though if the horse you though the world of did not wait for you -and was with some other owner ?

 

[FionaM12]

One thing which puzzles me is that some posters say they "like to" believe something, and one suggests the idea of making up your mind what to believe. So, they see it as a choice, if something's a nice idea, let's choose to believe it.

For me personally, belief can't work like that. I can't decide to believe, I'd have to actually believe which is a different thing. I tend to want proof before I believe something, and by their very nature Heaven, God or the afterlife can't be proved to exist.

I seem to remember from my Christian upbringing that the bible took a dim view of requests for proof.

I worked for a Funeral Director who observed that families cope with loss best if they have some sort of strong religious faith. He's probably right, but still I don't feel able to choose a faith in order to protect myself from the pain of grief.

 

[FionaM12]

What would happen though if the horse you though the world of did not wait for you -and was with some other owner ?

Ouch. That's right he could have had several other owners he preferred, or just loved someone else on the yard more!

Mind you, same could apply to spouses!

 

[PonyFeet10]

My belief is in my signature !

 

[leighby]

I certainly believe they go to heaven, even more so because of an incident that happened to me in September 2004.

I had just moved to a new area and wanted to see a medium there, I see them every few years as I lost my dad when I was young and like to feel he is at peace.

I researched the local area and found a highly rated medium called Sue. We arranged for her to come to my house and she arrived and started the session.

She contacted my father and my stepfather who had only died a couple of months before and then, it was quite a dimly lit room, there was this golden flash, and I said to her what on earth is that, she said there is an animal head coming out of the floor, and it was a golden coloured horse.

I was in complete shock, I had a palomino on loan when I was 14 and he was my pride and joy and several years later I'd seen him once as his owners gave him to redwings in Norfolk and I went to visit him there.

Sue described him standing over me, nudging at me and chewing my hair (he used to do that a lot) she said he seems to be demanding your attention! I became very upset at this point because as far as I was concerned he was still alive. When she left I rang redwings to find out he died of liver disease earlier that year.

Now people often say mediums research you or study you before hand, well there was no reference in my house to my fathers or my horse and her description of him and how he behaved was uncanny. So I believe he goes on in spirit and that gives me great comfort.

A lot of people don not believe in the spirit world or life after death, thats their decision, however, I do believe in it and its been proven to me on more than one occasion.

If it gives you strength to know that a family or loved one, or a beloved horse goes on in spirit there is no harm in that and until it can be proven to me that when we die we stop existing on any level I will continue to believe in heaven

 

[Booboos]

According to some interpretations of the Christian faith, no they do not, which is leaving some Christians worried about what will become to their pets after rapture. Bizarely enough there are now pet sitting services by atheists that will take over after rapture.

http://www.aftertherapturepetcare.com/