Posted on May 7, 2012 by Brenton Dickieson

My son asked me yesterday whether the cat buried beneath the old maple stump in the back yard will go to heaven. I thought Rob’s essay might be a good answer for my seven year old. His follow up question though–aren’t there always follow up questions?–was whether JoJo, his favourite toy monkey, would go to heaven. “Maybe he’ll become a new monkey!” he suggested. I’m not sure Rob can address that, but here’s a blog worth reading.

About Brenton Dickieson

“A Pilgrim in Narnia” is a blog project in reading and talking about the work of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, the Inklings, L.M. Montgomery, and the worlds they created. As a "Faith, Fantasy, and Fiction" blog, we cover topics like children’s literature, myths and mythology, fantasy, science fiction, speculative fiction, poetry, theology, cultural criticism, art and writing. This blog includes my thoughts as I read through my favourite writings and reflect on my own life and culture. In this sense, I am a Pilgrim in Narnia--or Middle Earth, or Fairyland, or Avonlea. I am often peeking inside of wardrobes, looking for magic bricks in urban alleys, or rooting through yard sale boxes for old rings. If something here captures your imagination, leave a comment, “like” a post, share with your friends, or sign up to receive Narnian Pilgrim posts in your email box. Brenton Dickieson (PhD, Chester) is a father, husband, friend, university lecturer, and freelance writer from Prince Edward Island, Canada. You can follow him: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com Twitter (X) @BrentonDana Instagram @bdickieson Facebook @aPilgrimInNarnia
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7 Responses to

  1. Josh Duffy says:
    May 8, 2012 at 1:33 am

    Good stuff, but I am far more confident in God’s interest in animals than Mr Stroud is. I love the conversation though!

    Reply
  2. Josh Duffy says:
    May 8, 2012 at 12:42 pm

    Soulish? Not sure our terminology would fit the bill. I’m pretty sure that as expressions of a loving Creator they both have an independent worth maybe not measurable in human terms?

    Reply
    • brentondickieson says:
      May 8, 2012 at 12:47 pm

      Excellent. “Independent worth” is really interesting to me. I’m not sure anyone/thing have that independent worth in creation, but what you mean to critique is that they are not “needed” so aren’t of worth, right?
      Does “worth” need to be eternal?
      Also, don’t you think dogs have some sort of communicative intelligence that ants–intelligent as they are–do not?

      Reply
      • Josh Duffy says:
        May 8, 2012 at 1:09 pm

        Ya, that is kinda my critique, I spose. I dont think God creates anything in vain, and He has a purpose (and a love [which I guess would constitute the ‘independent worth’]) for that which He creates.
        I don’t think ‘worth’ would need to be ‘eternal’ but I think God is pleased to bless sentience (and even un-sentience ie: trees, plants [if they are indeed un-sentient?]) with eternity. I guess, if God is pleased with something, and that ‘something’ can enjoy existence, then it would please God, and the created thing, to continue existing. Really, from a totally anthropocentric sense, it would make no sense for their to be anything in heaven but that of human beings. I think to expand our allowances in this area would be a healthy thing for humans, not a restriction on our ‘uniqueness’.
        Dogs seem to indeed have a sort of communicative intelligence that ants do not, but that is really only in regards to what ‘we’, as humans, benefit from that intelligence. We are still very speciesist in our dealings with animals, reckoning that what can be of benefit to us is more important. I dont think God views animals in this way. They are His, and respond to Him inherently (also constituting inherent worth).
        On a fringe relation, as I look at the cover of The Wittenberg Door, I am reminded of St Guinefort? Thats a trip.

        Reply
        • brentondickieson says:
          May 8, 2012 at 1:15 pm

          ah, there it is again: I’m a speciesist. It’s true, I am, at least a little. I think humans are uniquely made in the image of Go and have inherent worth. But think about it: all creation must reflect some aspect of God’s reality, right? I don’t know what skunk cabbage and sponges and spiders reflect of God, but to assume no value (or only a service value) is to perhaps miss something.

          Reply
  3. Josh Duffy says:
    May 8, 2012 at 1:19 pm

    Indeed, tis a mystery, but we are much more aware of what cetaceans and great apes, and elephants are like now than we were say 50 years ago; who knows what the future will hold………..if the Mayans arent right.

    Reply

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