No Soul? So What? re: Pets in Heaven

NO SOUL? SO WHAT?

In the book, “Will I See Him Again (A Look at Pets in Heaven),” so many different things are looked at. Of course, one of those things centers around the notion of whether or not animals, including our beloved pets, have souls or spirits and just how it affects what we believe about their living again. There are several scriptural reasons to believe that they do have souls and much consideration is given in the book to support it. Not only are their souls looked at but we also find that their earthly bodies will be raised to live again, too! When this earth comes to an end, not only the bodies of all human beings will be resurrected, but those of the animals, as well. These very same bodies (no matter what has happened to them) will then be reunited with their "souls" and will then live in God's kingdom forever on the brand New Earth. So, animals really do have souls or, better yet (and as human beings are also described) they “are” “living souls.”

Many other aspects of this “soul” question are looked in the book as well, such as whether their souls are eternal or not; or where they actually go when they leave their bodies, etc. But there is one other point that needs to be seriously considered and that is whether or not it even matters if they have souls or not! This is a thought that, apparently, many others seem to overlook and it’s baffling as to why that is.

Why should it matter to us if they have souls or not? Especially when we know that we are dealing with a God with whom nothing is impossible anyway! Why should it matter to Him? He’s the one who created their souls to start out with. And if they have no soul, then He’s the one who caused them to live with no soul! So what’s the big deal? If they were created out of nothing to live without a soul before, then why is it so hard to believe that the same God can cause them to live without one again? If they lived without a soul, then that’s the proof that they CAN live without one! And if they can live without one, then we have hope that we will see them again—even if they didn’t have one!

The following "Copyrighted Material" is adapted from “Will I See Him Again? (A Look at Pets in Heaven).” It is taken from the section “No Soul? So What?” in Ch. 2, which is entitled “On The Mystery Of Their Souls.”

No Soul? So What?

But if you’re one of those who happen to believe that animals have no souls at all, then my question for you is, “So What?” It’s a moot point, anyway. It really doesn’t matter. Why should we continue to live in fear of never seeing our pets again, merely because there are those who deny they have souls to begin with? So, who are they? Can’t you see it really doesn’t matter in the least?

Let’s say, for a moment, it’s true that they have no souls. So what? What does that mean? Well, it means they’ve come into existence and lived only as a physical entity without a soul, somehow, and then for whatever reason they just stopped living. And if it is true, then it means God created them to live and to love without a “soul.” OK. So what? If that’s the case then we know they’ve already lived once without a soul! So, it’s possible after all! Why, then, would this be a reason why we’d never see them again? It doesn’t make a lot of sense, if you ask me.

Just how does not having a soul prevent Him from raising the very same bodies from the dust and re-enlivening them in the same way once again? If He were able to make the soul-less bodies live once before (even with personality, etc.), then why would He be unable to make the same soul-less body live once again? And with the same personality? Is He not able to re-create the very same situation if He wanted to?

If being a soul-less creature is all they were, then that’s what they were. So what? We loved them anyway, didn’t we? If that’s all Butchie was, I’d surely take him back the same way! I’m not as stupid as I look! The only thing God really needs to do is breathe life back into those remains, as He already did at the first, and--guess what? You got it! They’d be alive! Just like before. If that’s what they were before, then that’s what they’ll be again. I happen to believe, however, they’ll actually be a whole lot more than they were. After all, we will be.

Even though nothing is too hard for Him [“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?” (Jer. 32:27], one could make the case that it would actually be “easier” for Him to bring them back to life if they had no soul than if they had! After all, He wouldn’t have to “worry” about which soul goes to which body and all that! All He would have to do is just say the word, as before. “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind” (Gen 1:24). That’s all the “Lord, the God of all flesh” had to do before “and it was so.” Until He said that, there were no living creatures in existence anywhere. However, the basic physical elements they were made from were already there and then (by His “word”) they were brought forth from them. And the same would be true in the New Earth, too. They would simply be brought forth from the elements that are already there, having existed before they died and returned to dust or ashes.

I’m just flabbergasted and unable to understand how anyone can be so intimidated by such a notion as, “We will never see them again because they have no soul (or spirit).” Oooh! Scary! We’ve all been sold a bag of fear. I can’t believe I almost fell for that stuff, too. Don’t we realize whom we’re dealing with here? Have we forgotten the Almighty? What do we think “Almighty” is, anyway? Nothing is too hard for Him. So let’s turn away from such nonsense and put our trust in Him.

Having said this, however, I will grant you one thing; and it’s something that will be covered in “No Pets Allowed?” [a future sequel]. It actually is possible that not “all” the animals, or animal life forms such as invertebrates, in existence “have souls.” There is reason to believe, from the Scriptures, that some may and some may not be “living souls.” The animal kingdom is certainly made of upper and lower “classes” (if you will), and much of this is even seen in their ability (or lack of) to relate to man. The “higher” forms of animal consciousness are referred to in the Bible in such a way that the lower ones are not. The higher forms are those who are domesticable (I know that’s not a word) and were made by God to be closer to man than were those who are “in the wild,” so to speak. These “closer” ones are not limited to pets, though.

Nonetheless, none of this precludes God from being able to raise any of them from the dead and bring them back to life in the New Earth. This includes all, or as many as He would desire, whether they’re from higher or lower classes, or whether they have souls or not.

So my humble advice to you is that you not be dissuaded from the truth. Not the truth as to whether they have souls or not, but rather as to whether it even matters or not. Keep your eyes upon Him, for nothing is too hard for Him and He’s already proven it once.