Friday, December 12, 2014

Childish Logic

    When I was 10 years old, I answered for myself the question of whether dogs could go to heaven.   The answer seemed clear to me:  Yes, my dog would be with me in heaven because heaven is the place where you would be completely happy, and I knew I couldn't ever be happy without my dog. Ergo, dogs would be in heaven.
      I just read that Pope Francis said animals are God's creatures, and there is a place for them in Paradise.  I'll have to look up how many Popes there were before one of them agreed with me.  Instead of being  a source of comfort, though, the Pope's words made me cry because I no longer believe that.  I'd love to think that I would re-unite with Lassie, and it would be wonderful to hear Cosmo's "talking" in the morning, and writhing with joy when the boys returned home from college.  But then I think of the vast numbers of cows and chickens, birds, and fish and insects, and I lose hope.

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