Some people just have no sense, or at least they have no sense of humor.

If you came here recently because you were:

1. Shocked an appalled the two religious denominations would argue a doctrinal point on their reader boards.

2. Horrified that some Catholic Parish out there is teaching that animals have souls.

3. Confirming your opinion that all Catholics are nuts as is proven on a parish’s reader board.

4. Led to believe that all  Presbyterians are cruel and heartless because they think animals don’t have souls.

or you if otherwise have your knickers in a bunch over this old post, let me help you out.

First off the entire thing is a JOKE (you might need to acquire something called a sense of humor to get this. Shocking but true, even us wacky Catholics have a sense of humor).

The signs in question aren’t even real.  You can make your very own reader board signs here.  No, I did not make those they were sent to me by a friend.

Secondly, no, the Catholic church doesn’t explicitly teach that all dogs go to Heaven,  but there is a definite theological reason to believe that all creation, including all animals and rocks will exist in the fullness of time.  I wrote a while back when asked about a Catholic grieving a pet:

If you look over at Catholic Answers there is a pretty good answer. http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=53700 The short of it is that we just aren’t sure what happens to animals. While we know they have spirits, animus, they don’t have the indwelling spirit of God, a soul. An animal acts on nature and instinct, they do not have a moral sense. Animals can’t sin, they therefore can neither deserve hell nor merit heaven, but they are part of creation destined to be renewed in the world to come.

…

I like the CCC quote from the Catholic Answers article: The visible universe, then, is itself destined to be transformed, “so that the world itself, restored to its original state, facing no further obstacles, should be at the service of the just,” sharing their glorification in the risen Jesus Christ

Finally, I have no idea what Presbyterians actually teach about animals in heaven.   Either way I wouldn’t think they were crazy or even wrong… I suppose a very good argument could be made for either case.  I just can’t see it as that big of a deal – I doubt anyone is going to hell because they think Fido will be going to heaven and likewise I don’t think belief in an animal afterlife is listed as a required tenet of anyone’s faith.    So serriously lighten up.