Christian views on whether animals go to heaven after death

[Ipsevenenabibas]

After an online conversation today, it's got me thinking...
What do you believe happens to animals when they die?
It's one of those questions the Bible doesn't seem to answer directly, yet so many of us have loved pets or simply wonder about God's creation.
Do you think animals will go to heaven? Do you think we'll see our beloved pets again? I'm not looking to start an argument—I know there are different views within Christianity. I'm just genuinely interested in hearing your thoughts, whether they're based on Scripture, Church teaching, or your own reflections.
Let's discuss! *looks over to @thegreatestoftheseislove 😂

This will have to wait 😄 Too tired now. Good night, God bless.

Imo they don't.
If pets go to heaven so would every other animal. It's a very odd idea.

I agree that there is nothing in Scripture to support the idea that animals will be in heaven. John 14:6 animals are not capable of choosing Christ. There is nothing in Scripture to support the idea animals have a soul.

However, as I said on the other thread, this knowledge is not what I want to believe. The idea we won’t be reunited with our beloved pets is unthinkable. A very wise woman once told me that she had a metaphorical box on her shelf where she filed all her ‘why?’ questions knowing they would have to wait for heaven. It saved her brain from doing somersaults and getting brain ache - just leave it in the Why Box and at the foot of the Cross.

As I was falling to sleep last night the Lord dropped a thought into my heart: Ever since humankind’s relationship with the Father was broken in the Garden of Eden, His Guide for our lives (the Bible) has been the story of His relationship with humankind. This culminated in the birth, death and resurrection of the Son which was all about finding humankind’s way back into relationship with God - a story of redemption, forgiveness and sacrifice. The whole story is a human one. Animals did not ‘break’ anything.

We believe in a God of Miracles. Alpha and Omega. The One Creator God who made everything: space, time, planets, life. Why then would I think He is incapable of having animals in heaven just because it is not talked about in Scripture? The Bible is about humankind’s story. We do not need to know about animals’ story. It has no consequence for our own salvation. So, for me, I am content to believe that which is most comforting and to leave the detail in the Why Box.

I have no solid biblical basis fot this but i agree with @Thegreatestoftheseislove . The animals didnt break covenant in eden so they have never had to regain entry to heaven. I think heaven will be filled with animals.

So..everything from elephants to tapeworms.
Or just the cute ones?

I think there will be animals in the New Creation - pretty sure the bible is clear on that. The lion will lie down with the lamb. The child will be able to put a hand on the snake’s nest etc. So yes, both the cute and the less cute, but the key thing seems to be that they won’t hurt us! Also the garden of Eden was filled with animals which points to that being the case in the New Creation.

I sometimes think that the Christian MN board will one day have to be split into Evangelical and Non Evangelical boards (rather as the Feminism board has been split), as whether or not one believes in the literal truth of everything in the Bible changes everything.
I don't believe the passage quoted above is anything more than a beautiful image, and I don't believe in the Garden of Eden.
Also, the question is from the OP - do animals have an afterlife? Or are these supposed animal inhabitants of heaven newly created?
And do posters believe that all sentient beings on earth have an afterlife?

I cannot say where animals who die will go. The Bible mentions that the lions will eat straw it looks like to me on the New Earth and some people will see this differently as symbolic or literal. The main point though is that it mentions lions as it mentions them I think they may be there on New Earth.

Workingpreacher was a website recommended to me by my minister and they have a post about God’s covenant being with all creatures.

https://www.workingpreacher.org/?s=animals+go+to+heaven

As I said, I think there are some points beyond which there is an impasse between Christians. There is no meeting point where one person believes in the literal nature of the Bible and the other see sections as a poetic image.
And, as I have said before, I would love to know if those posters who think that their pets get an afterlife think that this works.
We kept pigs on a small scale and were very fond of them. But we sent them to the abattoir and ate them. Will we meet them in Heaven? If you think your dog is there, why not my pigs?

@Sausagenbacon all of them. Although logistically i can see that tapeworms could be problematic!

I am more than happy for my fellow siblings in christ to see eden as a metaphor rather than a real place. Tbh i am not really certain either way myself. I think thats part of the mystery. We cant ever know or understand a lot of things about what God did or why. Or why the bible is written the way it is and doesnt clarify slightly more stuff although i guess that it to do with faith maybe?

Ha I pressed agree instead of thanks.

I didn’t have views about peoples personal animals if they will go to heaven. However, I have considered if God has animals in heaven. I think he does. However, I think that they may be more nurtured if more physical. They need upkeep to so need help with this.

God’s Kingdom to I know uses spiritual animals from experience. A snake with its tongue waggling once when something harmful was going on was sent to me..This was not physical. So strictly spiritual versus more physical animals. I don’t think it matters what animals God has and spiritual animals to have impact and less harm.

It is written though that Jesus will return on a white horse in the clouds. They are not light so people may have divided thoughts about.

I said to myself if I go with God’s understanding of the Bible whatever that is an accept that as correct. Not all of God’s parables in the Old Testament is clearly listed as such like with Jesus’ parables in the New Testament.

As a Catholic, this is something I've often thought about. We love our pets and the animals we share this world with. They bring us joy, companionship and remind us of God's goodness in creation. It's only natural that we hope we might see them again one day.

The Bible doesn't clearly teach that our pets will be with us in heaven, so I try not to claim certainty where Scripture doesn't. Instead, I trust that whatever God has prepared for us will be far greater than anything we can imagine. I sometimes wonder if our longing to see our animals again comes from looking at heaven through earthly eyes. We can't fully grasp what eternal life with God will be like. If we could truly understand the perfection, joy and complete fulfilment of heaven, perhaps we wouldn't feel anxious about what or who might be missing. God's presence will satisfy every longing of our hearts.

That doesn't mean our love for animals is unimportant. Quite the opposite. They are part of God's beautiful creation and caring for them reflects something of God's own love. But I trust that, whatever the reality of heaven is, God won't disappoint us. Whether or not our earthly pets are there, we can be certain that heaven will be more wonderful than we are capable of imagining.

Those are just my own thoughts. I am enjoying reading everybody's comments. Thank you all for contributing so far!

As a Catholic, this is something I've often thought about. We love our pets and the animals we share this world with. They bring us joy, companionship and remind us of God's goodness in creation. It's only natural that we hope we might see them again one day.
Do we?
I think we exploit animals and often treat them very cruelly. I think the only person who can hold that POV would have to be a vegan.

Sorry, of course I can't speak for every Catholic, but from my point of view only. Scripture consistently shows that animals are part of God's good creation, and we're called to care for them, but it also teaches that God gave them to humanity for food and other purposes.

In Genesis, before the Fall, humans were given plants to eat (Genesis 1:29). After the Flood, God explicitly tells Noah, "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything" (Genesis 9:3).

Jesus Himself ate fish (Luke 24:42–43) and celebrated Passover, which included lamb. He also helped His disciples catch fish (John 21). The New Testament never teaches that eating meat is sinful. In fact, 1 Timothy 4:3–5 warns against those who forbid certain foods, saying that everything God created is to be received with thanksgiving.

At the same time, the Bible is clear that animals should be treated with kindness. Proverbs 12:10 says, "The righteous care for the needs of their animals." So Christians should reject cruelty and be good stewards of God's creation.

Whether someone chooses to be vegan is a personal choice that can be made for compassionate or practical reasons, but I don't think it's biblical to say that only vegans truly love animals. According to Scripture, it's possible to love and care for animals while also accepting God's permission to use them for food.

@Sausagenbacon is your "we" people generally or christians, or catholics?

Good question @Geneticsbunny - I initially interpreted it as 'we' meaning Catholic in response to my post as I used the words 'Catholic' and 'we' in the same paragraph. But now I'm not sure how the poster actually meant to use the word 'we', as you have pointed out.

All Catholics are Christian but not all Christians are Catholic of course, which is why I often specify my denomination whilst posting here.

We is people generally, unless they are scrupulous about how the animals they eat, and produce the dairy products they consume, are kept and slaughtered.

We should care about how animals are reared and slaughtered, and where possible support humane farming. But I don't think it is only vegans or those who raise and slaughter their own animals who can exclusively claim to love them. Most of us rely on others to produce our food, just as we do with many other aspects of life. That doesn't mean we can't appreciate, respect and care deeply for God's creatures.

I'm sorry. That's a lovely emotion, but just not backed up my any aspect of reality.
Do you know how commercially-reared pigs (very intelligent creatures) are treated? Just as an example. Or how cruel the dairy industry is?
I'm not a vegetarian, but i can't understand the cognitive dissonance of thinking that pets go to heaven (while tucking into a bacon sandwich).

This is a great topic, thanks for posting it @Ipsevenenabibas

We need to start with Genesis to find any kind of answer to this, and I don't want to limit it to 'pets' species, but all created animals. I will add I'm a young earth Creationist, but not sure it matters in this discussion. It was Day 5 when sea and air creatures were created. This would include the ancestors of fish, whales, dolphins and also pleisiosaurs. We classify them now into fish, mammals and reptiles but they were all created on the same day. In the same way air creatures included birds, bats, flying mammals and pterosaurs. All these day 5 creatures are the first nephesh chayyah or 'living creatures', a term not used for plants even though we consider them 'alive' today, they are more self-replicating, solar-powered food factories. The expression nephesh chayyah is used for both humans and animals and can be translated from the Hebrew as 'living soul' or 'living creature'.

Land animals were created on Day 6 (this would include the ancestors of our pets, but also animals such as dinosaurs, and of course man. Again these are 'living creatures'. The land animals were made in 2 main categories: Livestock (all domesticable animals like cattle, sheep, goats, and beasts of the earth, i.e. those that could not be domesticated. Insects don't appear to be nephesh chayyah in the Bible. Of course mankind was created in God's image unlike all the other living creatures.

Paul says "For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish." (1 Cor 15:39)

My church teaches that animals were created with souls, not identical to human souls, but souls nonetheless. Compared to, say, insects who don't.

If animals have souls then what happens to their souls upon death? Does God destroy them? Do they self-destruct? I don't know, however I think God (who let's face it, knew from the beginning how fond humans would be of various critters He made) has a plan for them, too. They don't need to accept Christ as they aren't humans who fell from their own actions. They fell with humanity and because of humanity, it's we who are to blame for that. So I tend to go with yes, animals will be in Heaven. Will our pets be part of that? I don't know, I really hope so. I think all sorts of 'living creatures' will fill Heaven, including dinosaurs, who will of course not be fierce but will be friendly as will all animals, and we'll all be vegetarian again, thankfully!

We kept pigs on a small scale and were very fond of them. But we sent them to the abattoir and ate them. Will we meet them in Heaven? If you think your dog is there, why not my pigs?

Nothing wrong with pigs being in Heaven, if cats, dogs, hamsters, horses and pet snakes are in Heaven then so will pigs! I had a pet sheep as a teen, I hope she will be there!

I think this is why Scripture is something to be wrestled with. Sometimes there are no clear or easy answers to difficult topics, and we have to learn to live with that, until one day we will have the answers.

Oh I just remembered the white horse Jesus rides during his second coming, plus the riders behind all on white horses. Surely that means there are animals there?

Rev 19:11 "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war." and verse 14 "And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses."

I don't rule out the possibility of Jesus riding a real horse. I was thinking the horse may be the Holy Spirit. God sent an angel and they changed into a form of man to wrestle with Jacob. The Holy Spirit came as a burning bush to. They can do many things and look like a horse to.

It was said that all foods are fit to eat in Acts 10.

Oh I just remembered the white horse Jesus rides during his second coming, plus the riders behind all on white horses. Surely that means there are animals there?
No, it just means that the Bible doesn't have to be read literally. Look at what knots posters are tying themselves into because of this.
As i posted earlier, there quickly comes a point in any discussion where Evangelicals part company from other branches of Christianity, as i would not base my thoughts on this on Genesis. And such a literal view of Genesis.

You can have a more literal view of the Bible in places and be not an Evangelical Christian. You can be a Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and see the Bible in places or all of it as literal. These denominations allow for different beliefs like this with their members.
These denominations view the Bible as the inspired word of God written by human hand.
More critically there are different neurotypes which may impact how some people read the Bible.

Me myself I was baptised as a Catholic which is a Christian and went to a Catholic school from 4 to 19. I prefer to include female priests and there are female Anglo Catholic priests and some other female Catholic priests to. If people want to have only male priests I agree with every persons right so I respect. I am non denominational now though and attend an Anglican church and looked into this a bit more into a previous thread by a forum member in the philosophy section.about different perceptions from Christians about the Bible.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/philosophyreligionspirituality/5496792-does-christian-apologetics-encourage-people-to-be-dishonest