“Do animals go to heaven?” – The contradictions to answering YES or NO!

The question was posed to me recently, “Do animals go to heaven?” My answer was simple, “No, nether do you. It doesn’t exist.” I saw this great song on YouTube on the same day. I guess you could call it an atheist theme song. It simply asks “Why don’t bees go to heave, tress go to heaven… because man created god!”

It made me think, I wonder how many Christians believe in an animal’s ability to make it into heaven. I own pets. I understand the love people have for them. So, I am sure many believers think their animals will be right alongside them on the streets of gold someday. Whether they are right or wrong, it should make us question their logic.

Ask a Christian this questions sometime and be prepared to give them pause whether they say YES or NO. The following are two fake conversations to show them why they are wrong either way and how your responses can create some much need cognitive dissonance for them to dwell on for a little while.
Atheist (A)- Do you think animals go to heaven?
Christian(C)- Yes.
A- Why?
C- Well, god loves all the things he created and wouldn’t want them to suffer.
A- But the bible says that the only way into heaven is to believe in god and accept the death of his son Jesus as the sacrifice to end all sin. An animal has no ability to know what sin is or accept Jesus Christ as its Lord and Savior. The bible gives no exemptions for this.
C- Well, animals are exempt, I’m sure, since we can’t tell them about god.
A- Then what about mentally retarded children. Can a child with down syndrome be exempt too? Where does it say this in the bible? If they are unable to accept Jesus as their personal savior, are they like animals? Or, do they not get into heaven? (stare… and watch their face build with confusion)

Christian(C)- No.
A- Why?
C- Only humans can get into heaven because we are god’s chosen creation that he loves most. Heaven was created for us and you have to be able to understand god and his son’s sacrifice in order to gain entrance and be repentant of your sin.
A- So, then why did god create all those animals? Just for fun? Are they purely for our enjoyment and then they die and that’s it?
C- Sure.
A- What about a person with a mental handicap that never had the ability to “understand” god or accept Jesus into his heart?
C- They are exempt.
A- Really? Where does it say that?
C- I don’t know… but my pastor told me that once.
A- What about a teenager that is saved, but gets in a car crash on the way home from a party where he drank and had sex? He gets into a coma, comes out brain damaged, and never has the mental capacity to ask god to forgive his sins. Is he like an animal and exempt even though he will still die with sin in his heart or is he guilty of never asking for forgiveness and doomed to hell?
A- Um, well, you are obviously filled with the demon of doubt… I will pray for you now so we can change the subject.

Ok, so the conversation might not go exactly like that and the believer might actually have a real, good, thought out response. But, I doubt it. either way they answer, you should be able to raise these other questions and make them explain it. Don’t be an ass. just tell them you want to know. Remember, heaven is different for different people and the bible is pretty vague about it (and hell). It’s another reason we know it’s imaginary – it’s whatever people make it out to be. Making them face that, and the fact that they don’t really have the answers to detailed questions about where they are gambling that they will spend eternity, is a simple, but strong conversational argument to make.

Believers can’t be told things to make the stop believing. You can only pose questions and leave them thinking. They either discover the truth on their own or not at all. Questioning heaven is one of those things. We can’t prove it doesn’t exist any more than they can prove it does exist. You can just point out the fallacies in the explanations and hope cognitive dissonance will do the rest. They are betting their whole life on a reward that doesn’t come until they die. You’d think an all loving god would lay it out a little better if he expected us all to make that gamble. Amazingly, he doesn’t.

  • kathague

    this was the first question i remember asking, why do people go to heaven but animals can't?, of my sunday school teacher. it was my first question i asked on my road to letting go of religion.i'm sure alot of children start questioning their parents religion starting here.

  • Robbie

    Typically, any mental exercise of this nature with a Christian will end pretty much this way you described.


    P.S. I love the tune of the song. Reminds me of David Hasselhoff's song – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJQVlVHsFF8

  • Filipe Guimar&atilde

    Calvin has already shown a paradox like this:

  • http://www.angryhuman.com AngryHuman

    What caused me to start doubting god/religion was an answer my Sunday School teacher gave me to a question I asked her. She had been telling us all that the only way to go to heaven was to accept Jesus into your heart as your personal lord and savior. I asked her, “What if a man lived on an island away from civilization, and no one told him about Jesus? If he lived a good life, would he still go to hell?” and she responded with, “Yes, because as Christians, it is our duty to spread the message of the lord to all people.”

    I thought that was incredibly unfair and ridiculous. That was the catalyst that caused me to really question this god fella.

  • Mark

    People, just read a Bible. You have to actually open one before you spout all sorts of platitudes, and justifications for this and that, or for you to have a philosophical discussion about this issue.

    This case is closed. It is open and shut. ANIMALS ARE IN HEAVEN. Here’s how I know.

    Eccles. 3:19 /

    Revelation 9:14 /

    So, now I’d like you UNBELIEVERS to prove to me that this is to be taken as metaphor and not taken literally. And I’d like you to back it up using the Bible as your reference.

  • Greg

    From a biblical standpoint the question is a non-issue. Animals did not in Genesis taste the forbidden fruit and are free from initial sin. They have no free will and therefor lack the capacity to commit sin. An animal therefor does not need grace or forgiveness to enter into the gates of heaven. I likewise object to you supposition that a mentally handicapped child or a comatose patient lacks the ability to be in commune with God. The issue here is a failure of non-Christians to understand that the physical body exists independently from the immortal soul. The inability of a physical brain to process certain information or communicate it effectively does not negate the understanding of a soul. It is this understanding and acceptance that is ultimately meaningful. The facts that many Christians can not articulate their beliefs accurately and that nonbelievers often make incorrect assumptions about what these beliefs actually are based on failed communication, does not validate logical contradictions in Christianity only in an incorrect understanding of it.

  • The Old Wolf

    Heaven, for me, would be a place where people of *all* belief systems or rational thought structures could co-exist in an atmosphere of mutual support and respect. By definition, rabid atheists (who consign those who do not reason as they do to the jackwagon of humanity) and rabid believers (who think anyone who doesn't accept their particular Weltanschauung is damned to eternal hellfire) would not be comfortable in such a world, which to my way of thinking would be worth building here, and now.

  • Heinrich

    Trueth is not what you belive, its what God IS. ALL things on earth belong to God, He created it and loves everyting. The bible say that he even looks out and feed the birds of the earth. So do i think animals go the heaven? YES, everyting belongs to God because he created everyting with love, it was man that currupted everyting

  • Jacob

    cant do anything but laugh at the guy who wrote this and his stupidity. All this is is just a bunch of "what if's". pointless. Life must be pretty miserable not believing in God and knowing when you die all you have to look to is hell for eternity. I know I would hate it if thats what my afterlife looked like, makes sense why this other guy calls himself AngryHuman. Hope you guys grow up someday because it will be a sad day when God walks you to the gates of hell while you beg and plead. But its your decision just like it was Adam and Eve's.

    • Chloe

      Dear Jacob, you said life must be miserable not believing in God and KNOWING when you die all you have to look to is hell for eternity. Well Jacob if you don’t believe in God then typically you don’t believe in hell either. So you saying that were going to hell is about as scary as telling an adult that Santa or the tooth fairy isn’t real. Also saying the that the author is stupid is extremely rude and childish. Then you tell us that we need to grow up. Ahem excuse me sir but that’s you. By the way the reason you have 1 guest vote is because I clicked on it not knowing what is was.

  • Thegoodtwin

    mark, no need to search the bible for a response; Eccles 3:19 is vague, and simply posits that both animals and man will both die – not that all dogs go to heaven. Revelations 9:14 also doesn't specifically state that animals are in Heaven either. Of course there is no biblical reference to this being a metaphor. Atheists dont believe in any of this. You've sidestepped the mental retardation questions too, I noticed.
    And Greg, it certainly is convenient for the soul to be able to communicate with god without conscious thought. I guess thats in the bible too?
    Just a thought – when a widower who later remarries goes to heaven, would he then be a bigamist?

  • luke

    @angryhuman -Very sad to see that so many people dont believe in god. not just christianity… are you telling me that this whole concrete world full of money and greed is the only thing? surely you have to believe that there is more to life?
    I am not super religious i just cant accept that the world was simply created by a big bang…. scary what lies ahead for those who dont believe in at least a god.. nevermind what denomination. as for the guy on an island – he will go to heaven, because he didnt know the right from the wrong. and you should know that. for you not to believe in god or a religion means that you lay awake at night and are okay with the idea that your dead relatives and friends are simply in limbo for eternity? not a great thought. but each to their own. i hope you dont stay angry.