Comments on: Can Dogs (or any animal) Go to Heaven? http://tj.tntluoma.com/religion/heaven-for-animals Life through my skewed view Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:07:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Shirley http://tj.tntluoma.com/religion/heaven-for-animals#comment-15759 Shirley Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:29:28 +0000 http://tj.tntluoma.com/religion/heaven-for-animals#comment-15759 <p>Thank you so much for answering this question for me. There are several pets that I have never gotten over and one dog that I left starve to death when I was a young girl. I hope to see him some day and share God's love with him. It would be so good to know that he went to a better place. Because his last bit of strength was used to lick my hand. And even though I know that my parents should have been checking to be sure I was caring for him properly, I have never gotten over the guilt I feel for making him suffer.</p> Thank you so much for answering this question for me. There are several pets that I have never gotten over and one dog that I left starve to death when I was a young girl. I hope to see him some day and share God’s love with him. It would be so good to know that he went to a better place. Because his last bit of strength was used to lick my hand. And even though I know that my parents should have been checking to be sure I was caring for him properly, I have never gotten over the guilt I feel for making him suffer.

]]> By: John http://tj.tntluoma.com/religion/heaven-for-animals#comment-14485 John Thu, 08 May 2008 05:29:37 +0000 http://tj.tntluoma.com/religion/heaven-for-animals#comment-14485 <p>I found a lot of comfort in your article and for that I am most grateful. Our sweet old chocolate lab, LuLu, died Sunday morning after a brief illness. We brought her home from the veterinary clinic, ostensibly to pass away in her own comfortable surroundings, which was a mistake. Between midnight and dawn she had a very rough time and I'm now constantly reliving her last hours and wishing we had had the vet put her down. So, the sense of loss is combined with regret and self-reproach. I know I can't undo her suffering but it helps to believe that she has joined the true Master in eternal happiness. Your last segment, "Beyond the Bible", echoed a conversation I had with my 15 year old daughter. It just doesn't seem reasonable to me that a loving God would create innumerable species of animals and toss them away for eternity just because they're not human. I can only hope that God's response to the question of animals' going to heaven would be, "Why wouldn't they?" Thanks again.</p> I found a lot of comfort in your article and for that I am most grateful. Our sweet old chocolate lab, LuLu, died Sunday morning after a brief illness. We brought her home from the veterinary clinic, ostensibly to pass away in her own comfortable surroundings, which was a mistake. Between midnight and dawn she had a very rough time and I’m now constantly reliving her last hours and wishing we had had the vet put her down. So, the sense of loss is combined with regret and self-reproach. I know I can’t undo her suffering but it helps to believe that she has joined the true Master in eternal happiness. Your last segment, “Beyond the Bible”, echoed a conversation I had with my 15 year old daughter. It just doesn’t seem reasonable to me that a loving God would create innumerable species of animals and toss them away for eternity just because they’re not human. I can only hope that God’s response to the question of animals’ going to heaven would be, “Why wouldn’t they?” Thanks again.

]]> By: Tom http://tj.tntluoma.com/religion/heaven-for-animals#comment-14387 Tom Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:22:45 +0000 http://tj.tntluoma.com/religion/heaven-for-animals#comment-14387 <p>I found your comments on a Google search and they were very helpful since we just had to put our dog to sleep yesterday. Your words ring true to me also as a believing Christian who has been searching the Bible for the last hour looking for an answer to this question. </p> <p>Not to sound flippant, but I'm just curious who you are!? Do you have a background in Christian ministry? </p> <p>Thanks again for your reassuring thoughts.</p> <p>{{I emailed Tom directly, but in case anyone else is curious, yes, I have an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and I am currently working on a D.Min. at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. I have been an ordained minister for almost 10 years. -- TjL}}</p> I found your comments on a Google search and they were very helpful since we just had to put our dog to sleep yesterday. Your words ring true to me also as a believing Christian who has been searching the Bible for the last hour looking for an answer to this question.

Not to sound flippant, but I’m just curious who you are!? Do you have a background in Christian ministry?

Thanks again for your reassuring thoughts.

{{I emailed Tom directly, but in case anyone else is curious, yes, I have an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and I am currently working on a D.Min. at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. I have been an ordained minister for almost 10 years. — TjL}}

]]> By: Rita http://tj.tntluoma.com/religion/heaven-for-animals#comment-14371 Rita Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:45:58 +0000 http://tj.tntluoma.com/religion/heaven-for-animals#comment-14371 <p>I love it when we are on the same page. I look forward to a happy canine reunion some day. And, as a Unitarian, I believe that the Gates of Heaven will remain open until the last recalcitrant sinner is dragged through them to see the light. Now that's transformation!</p> <p>Love you, Luoma Family!</p> I love it when we are on the same page. I look forward to a happy canine reunion some day. And, as a Unitarian, I believe that the Gates of Heaven will remain open until the last recalcitrant sinner is dragged through them to see the light. Now that’s transformation!

Love you, Luoma Family!

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