Do All Dogs Go To Heaven?

[T-fish]

I've heard some people at my Church say animals don't have souls.

How do they know?

I don't think God could communicate with animals if they didn't have souls.

 

Some dogs are bad and should go to purgatory. But then again, they had stupid masters.

 

[Nihil Obstat]

St. Thomas Aquinas concluded that animals, in contrast to humans, do not have rational souls.

[MIKolbe]

Only catholic dogs go to heaven.

[CrossCuT]

From what I understand they DO have souls, just not the same type.

It is only an earthly soul so once they die it dies too.

 

Im sure thats not a very theological answer, but someone else can probably explain it better.

[ToJesusMyHeart]

St. Thomas Aquinas concluded that animals, in contrast to humans, do not have rational souls.

From what I understand they DO have souls, just not the same type.

It is only an earthly soul so once they die it dies too.

 

Im sure thats not a very theological answer, but someone else can probably explain it better.

 

According to Aristotle: 

Degrees of soul:

Anything that nourishes itself, that grows, decays, moves about (on its own, not just when moved by something else), perceives, or thinks is alive. And the capacities of a thing in virtue of which it does these things constitute its soul. The soul is what is causally responsible for the animate behavior (the life activities) of a living thing.

 

 

 

1. There is a nested hierarchy of soul functions or activities.

    

   1. Growth, nutrition, (reproduction)
   2. Locomotion, perception
   3. Intellect (= thought)

       

2. This gives us three corresponding degrees of soul:

    

   1. Nutritive soul (plants)
   2. Sensitive soul (all animals)
   3. Rational soul (only human beings)

       

3. These are nested in the sense that anything that has a higher degree of soul also has all of the lower degrees. All living things grow, nourish themselves, and reproduce. Animals not only do that, but move and perceive. Humans do all of the above and reason, as well.

Only beings with rational souls can go to heaven, so only humans. 

Edited April 28, 2013 by ToJesusMyHeart

[jeffboom]

Catholics believe that animals do not have eternal souls like we do. 

[CatholicsAreKewl]

Only catholic dogs go to heaven.

I disagree. I think you're misunderstanding what previous popes have said about this. Dogs can only attain salvation through the Church but that doesn't mean that dogs must be Catholic to do so. All dogs [can] go to heaven. 

Edited April 29, 2013 by CatholicsAreKewl

[MIKolbe]

you kiss your mom with that mouth?

[Papist]

As long as the dog lives a moral life.

[CatholicsAreKewl]

you kiss your mom with that mouth?

I would up you but I started hoarding my props when I found out there was a limit. 

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Catholics believe that animals do not have eternal souls like we do. 

According to your religion label, you're Catholic too.

[CrossCuT]

My dog never seems to repent for the bad things she does...

 

 

[dominicansoul]

my dog fornicates with every dog in the neighborhood, so I'm more concerned if dogs go to hell...

[CatherineM]

When I was a kid, my dad told me that if I want my dogs in heaven with me, then I'd probably get them because we get everything we want in heaven. He also said when we get there that we will probably be too busy to notice.

[Norseman82]