I got an email which is an advance notice about the publication of this book and I am intrigued, even though I'm not sure whether it has much to say about heaven.
Humans have spent a lot of time trying to establish themselves as gatekeepers of the life to come, although I don't recall God appointing any of us to the position. We make pronouncement about what religion to which others must adhere (ours), and what brand of our religion gets us in. We insist that heaven won't include all sorts of people, even if they do adhere to our sect or group, depending on sexual orientation or skin colour, or...you name it.
There are lots of Christians who would sneer at the prospect of animals in heaven. No matter that one's dog might be the most loyal, loving, and self-giving creature you will ever encounter. Because they can't profess faith in Jesus Christ they are on the outside. The Pearly Gates don't have a pet-door.
I was fortunate to have a religious studies prof nearly forty years ago named Millard Schumaker. He was both gracious and brilliant. He wrote a monograph on the prospect of a life to come for non--human creatures which appealed to my wife Ruth, who was also one of his students, but left me a little unsettled. If critters were "in" what did that say about the criteria for salvation? Of course what it says is that God is the Creator of all, loves all that God has made, and whose abundant grace makes room for all whom God chooses. It's God who decides, not me. I'm not sure why that prospect didn't fill me with gladness rather than make me suspicious.
I am grateful that Dr. Schumaker pushed me to think outside the box (litter box?) of my late-teen Christian faith. There are some companion animals I would rather see again that some humans.
Do you figure there are monkeys and a bunch of other creatures in heaven? Is this heresy? Or do figure we're all just compost.
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