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Four Corners Pet
Journal
By Lynn Thomas
There is a pet afterlife, Bible scholar
says
November 10, 2002
Do our animals have souls? Will they go to heaven when they die? Will we be reunited with our pets in an afterlife? These questions are in the minds of many pet parents, particularly when faced with the loss of their pet.
Opinions and theories differ among theologians. Responses ranging from "I’m not sure" and "I don’t know" to an emphatic "yes" or "no" are not uncommon. Some believe the question is dealt with in the Scriptures. Others adamantly believe the subject is not broached within the pages of the Bible.
What was clear to Niki Behrikis Shanahan was that this subject demanded further study. So Shanahan studied it with a passion, deciphered the Old Testament written in Hebrew and the New Testament written in Greek and wrote of her results in There is Eternal Life for Animals, based on her exhaustive interpretation of biblical Scripture.
People of deep religious faith will find affirmation in this book, while those taught that animals have no soul will find a measure of comfort. Folks more spiritual than religious will probably think, "I knew that." Actually, they may have sensed it, but Shanahan’s work allows them to know it.
Despite my confusion with some of the conclusions in this book, there is no questioning Shanahan’s devotion to her Christianity or her belief that animals do have souls and will go to heaven. That is good enough for me.
In a few weeks Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving. In a world sometimes gone mad, focusing on friends and families and our creatures and critters allows us to acknowledge our blessings, past and present. This year, instead of experiencing a heaviness in my heart at this time of year as I think of my personal losses, I shall concentrate on how lucky I am to have had these blessings in my life at all.
If you missed the opportunity to experience a blessing for your animals on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi last month, Thanksgiving may offer another chance. Bless All Creatures Here Below, written and illustrated by Judith Gwyn Brown, a well-known children’s author and artist whose artwork is part of the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is my personal favorite.
This book, published by Morehouse Publishing in Harrisburg, Pa., is a celebration service for the Blessing of the Animals, including a hymn song with music, a reading from the Noah story from the book of Genesis and a prayer for your own pet by name.
Over the years Bless All Creatures Here Below has been used by families, Sunday schools, classrooms, church groups and animal organizations that gather together with the creatures they love.
The book’s dedication reads "to the people of the Church of the Holy Trinity, New York City, who open their arms to all of God’s creatures, and welcome them Sunday by Sunday as they meet for divine worship." That’s a service I would love to attend.
Call (800) 877-0012 to order Bless All Creatures Here Below ($15.95). There is Eternal Life for Animals is available through Amazon.com.($11.95).
Lynn Thomas is the host of "American Pet Journal," a syndicated radio show broadcast at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on The Star KAZX-FM (102.9-FM in Farmington and 107.7-FM in Durango). Reach her at 2829 Madison N.E. Albuquerque, NM 87110; (505) 888-5946, or e-mail at petladydh@hotmail.com.