Pet Loss

[TomS]

...and one of the best examples of Christlikeness I have ever seen.

... :ohvey:

[TomS]

...and one of the best examples of Christlikeness I have ever seen.

Oh yeah. Let's compare the actions of a dog as "Christlike"

Jeez. What a PATHETIC statement.

[ANGELA]

Dear Joasia,

Everything has a soul that is living. Even plants have souls. Though plants don't go to Heaven. But I believe that there is a special place that God has created for the good animals too.

In Paradise with Adam and Eve there were animals. Also there are saints that protected animals and the animals eg bears, lions etc had a deep respect for the saints. Noahs Ark those blessed two of every kind.

So you see Joasia, everything has a place in life and our Creator God will know exactly were the animals will go after death.

God Bless
Angela+++

[joasia]

Angela,

There are no good or bad animals. Good and bad is a state of consciousness of right and wrong. Animals don't have that. They react from cues that they learn. We tend to give them human characteristics because of our emotional attachment to them. For example, your reference to the bear having respect for saints. Respect is a conscious perception. The way the bear reacted to St. Seraphim of Sarov was due to the peace of God that the saint had and the bear being created by God reacted to the saint because he sensed that peace which is God. It's God's grace within St. Seraphim that the bear reacted to. And that same grace that the saints have allow them to understand what the animal is feeling.

Plus, I've heard that it's wrong to name a pet with a Christian name.

As far as plants having souls...that is a new age concept. That's why pagans worship nature(trees, sun, moon etc.) If plants(trees) have souls then you should remove everything wooden in your house and replace it with plastic. We would be guilty of killing and eating the bodies that hold those souls. That goes for cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys. Do fish have souls?

I'd hate to be confronted with all those cows I've eaten all these years.

Joanna

[ANGELA]

Dear Joanna,

Everything that moves has a soul. Ask your priest or spiritual father. I would be very surprised if he says no.

God Bless
Angela+++

[Jean-Serge]

Yes indeed everything that lives has a soul, but the animals and plant' soul are mortal. They die along with their bodies. The Resurrection is only for human beings, not for animals... Moreover, only the man was created immortal.

[michigan]

Yes, it was an ROCOR nun who believed this. Unfortunately, she reposed about a year ago, and all her resources were in Russian, so I can't go back and check.

I'm quite sure (and I can't think of any resources off the top of my head) that it was through man's sin that death (including the death of animals) came into the world. Also, one of the saints mentioned seeing birds in a vision of paradise. (again, I'm not sure who; maybe someone can help me on this! )