As a Humanist I believe Heaven is a State of Mind but there are Bibical references to it being a real place and that animals can go to heaven. I laugh to myself when I think of Polar Bears and Ostrich being on location with people in Heaven
I've always had difficulty imagining what heaven must be like. For one thing, it must be pretty big for all those saved souls to mill around. Then I wonder what they do all day... living forever is an awfully long time. And I wouldn't want to be in any place that wouldn't allow my little dog in. I'll just mosey down to the Rainbow Bridge and be with him instead. That would be heavenly. This may sound like I am ridiculing the idea, but I am not. I just can't imagine the logistics of it all.
I think that none of us has nearly enough information to comprehend what heaven would actually be like, or even in what form it exists. What we do know, is that every civilization has some story in their history of a belief in a god or in multiple gods, and that they had more places where they existed than just on this earth. Most of the stories have a lot of similarities, even though they come from people who live in different parts of the world, just like we can find very similar architecture in many countries that seem to have no relationship to each other. The Bible mentions animals together in heaven, so there is at least reason to think that the animals would be the ones we have loved here in this life. I agree with you about little dogs being there, and if my beloved Chipper is not in heaven, then I want to go wherever he went, just like you said, @Beth Gallagher .
@Beth Gallagher, maybe it's more of a way station, a layover, a place for R&R, than a permanent destination. That makes more sense to me.
Lord, forgive me for what I am about to post. @Lon Tanner - go ask , Jeff Elohim @Beth Gallagher ..lolo sorry I just had to say that
From what I understand, we will all be spirits floating around. How we all find each other, as in meeting all family members who have died, I don't know. Heaven is Eternity, where there is no sickness, war or any of those other terrible bad things that we currently live in. Jesus, and his father (God) are there..........at least that's what wife and I have read about and believe.
Lon, you should read the last verse of Solomon's advice, after all is said and done, in Eccl. 12:13. I hope we can all live by that.
I dunno @Beth Gallagher. Maybe there is no destination, as westerners think of the implication of that word, no Club Heav, so to speak. Maybe there is dissolution of all traces of individuality , memory, conscious awareness and beingness that resemble earth life, and an entering back into the flow of universal energy, back into the Great Mystery. @Lon Tanner I suspect animals and other beings have an easier time dissolving into the Great Mystery than humans do. LOL
I’ll bet this thread gets merged with the last thread Lon started on it. We humans have no concept of our own universe or multi-universes as some believe so how can we have any understanding at all of what heaven is? All we know is what is in the scriptures and I personally believe the descriptions that are made are there to give us an idea of the vast magnificence of it. It may very well be that we will be able to travel throughout all of God’s creation, all of His universes, all of His dimensions for do we not call all that we see above our world the heavens? It is my belief that the picture we get of heaven is the exact opposite of hyperbole in that heaven is much more than the description. If anything, it’s understated. Gold only has worth here on earth but to use it in a description of the streets in heaven gives us an idea and only an idea of what it will be like because there’s little else that has more value to mankind than gold and pearls. Many are the sights here in this world that cannot be accurately described because what we see is beyond description. Yet, when we try to tell someone else about it, words fail us and the best we can do is try to compare it with something else but still not do justice to what we’ve seen. As far as animals in heaven...why not? I’m in the group that believes all living beings; animals, fish, birds and man alike are spirit at our very essence so why not?
Every living thing dies. Sooner or later we will all be dead. Heaven is an invention to take the dread of death from us. All of us feel better when we think some how we will live on when we pass on or some when we are caught up in the rapture when all those remaining on the earth will rise up to meet their redeemer who snatch them out of a certain destruction here on earth, or something like that. None dare teach when we die we're dead and that is the end of things. It is nice and a little comforting to believe we will see our love ones again. We have somehow figured out how to go round that big cliff that's in the way of seeing down. That being the case, heaven is an allusion I do wonder about Carl Sagin. Was that his name? My favorite scientist. I think we were offered a way to stop death from being the end of all things by a brilliant invention, Religion. There may be other dimensions we can't see or yet know about here on earth as in where do all these craft come from seen by many pilots. Or, our own government may/could be testing flying object unseen by radar, yet some have speed and capilibilities then defies physics. There is much unknown in our own universe we may someday learn but heaven is not one of them. It is in the imagination and it slays that vengeful death angel. Believe oh ye of little faith. Something like brainwashing maybe. Religion and the scriptures once was something only a prest could know and interput, then came others to preach the word. Faith is the key plus a little something called repentance and presto, home free. But back in the real world the debate rages on. Maybe inside onenof these dying stars Christ has made his rock, and his kingdom and prepared a place for his children, the believers and in that star he has prepared an eternal home.
The thing is Bill, when I pass, if there is no heaven or God as you say then at least I will have left behind me a good name. If on the other hand, all is as scripture points to, I’m not going to be the one who is highly embarrassed.
One's idea of heaven is naturally going to be dependent upon one's religion. Here's a Christian perspective: In Isaiah 11:6 the Bible suggests that animals will be in heaven. Foretelling the future, it says: "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them." (NIV84) This does not address whether our beloved pets will be there. Theologically, since mankind was distinguished from the animals by being made in the image of God, it doesn't seem likely that animals have an eternal soul. Neither are they mentioned in Revelation's raising of the dead and judgement day. But.. I sure would like to see my loving, faithful, missed childhood dog there too. That'd be so cool! Describing heaven is a complicated affair because there seems to be two places with many terms involving an intermediate step and final step. When we die, out supernatural spirits (our software of mind, conscience, soul) immediately go to the intermediate place. There, according to numerous NDE testimonies, some will see, smell and hear incredible beauty, meet Jesus, have life reviews, and feel intense love, while others will experience horrifying, dark, painful, loneliness - with a visible wide gap between the two contrasting environments. This intermediate step for the dead is called Hades and apparently includes both a pleasant and tortuous place. (It should not be confused with the unbiblical Catholic concept of Purgatory nor the Mormon's equivalent place of retribution.) After Armageddon and the final rapture, there will come a judgement day in heaven. According to John's Revelation, the lost will then be sent to a literal, lake of fire type place we call Hell and the saved will be sent to the paradise we call heaven. But how is this heaven different? It's a newly created universe and world, and we'll have new, perfect, eternal bodies (hardware) to live in it. We can't possibly comprehend the glory of heaven, but every NDE witness coming back with a taste of the good side of it says they wanted to stay. It was unimaginably wonderful - and everyone looked to be quite busy, not bored.
According to the Christian Bible, there is no identity in heaven. No one knows anyone or anything. It is a spiritual existence that our minds cannot comprehend and that is why faith is required. I walked out of a funeral when the preacher asked for those wishing to see their deceased loved one in heaven to step forward and confess. At the graveside, I confronted him about ignoring this scripture just to get grieving relatives to confess so he looked good to the elders and would keep his paying job. He got angry and asked me to leave. I told him to kiss my ass. I think animals leave energy behind just like every other thing in the universe. Which animals will go to hell? I think we can safely say poisonous snakes are headed to the eternal blaze, but what about wolves? I can't see living a life of holy behavior just to get to heaven and see that St Peter was duped by a wolf posing as Moreover, the dog that licked Lazarus's sores. Moreover was the only service dog mentioned in the scriptures and I would love to pet him, but the scripture says I won't even know my own mama.