It seems most Christians believe once an animal dies, that is it. That they have no spirit or soul. That is why their death is so very sad for pet owners and animal lovers, believing that they will never see their beloved companions again.
As a dog owner, someone gave me the book Cold Noses At The Pearly Gates, by Gary Kurz. While there isn't any scripture that bluntly tells us one way or another what happens to our beloved pets, Mr. Kurz does refer to several verses throughout the book. However, since God does not provide us with any concrete answers, deductive reasoning must be used.
I've always reluctantly accepted what the majority of Christians believe that even our most beloved pets have no afterlife. Although I'm not one hundred percent convinced otherwise, this book did give me something to ponder. A very good argument was made that when we get to Heaven there will not only be animals for us to enjoy, but we would also be met by the pets we loved on earth.
Maybe. I hope anyway.
How could it could it be Heaven without dogs? reminds me of the old Twilight Zone where the guy died with his hound. He was invited into what looked like the Pearly Gates but told he would have to leave his dog behind. Of course he told the gate-keeper "no thanks" and moved on. The real gate to Heaven was just a lttle further down the road and the dog was welcomed with the man.
Jimmy Dean had a story about his father, long johns with a back flap, a shotgun, a chicken coop and a dog with a cold nose. The story ended with feathers flying everywhere.
I sort of have a deep down belief, hope actually, that by domesticating our animals we MAKE them part human, and that they thereby GET souls so that they can wait for us and join us in the afterlife.
As far as automatic admission is concerned, there are plenty of people that aren’t getting there either.
I don’t think that. It seems to me that every animal has fulfilled the nature and measure of its creation.
Why punish them?