Page 27 - Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained Vol. 3

Ghosts and Phantoms 7

Tulsa, Oklahoma, attorney M. Jean Holmes New American Catholic Bible uses for man
is not an animal activist, but her extensive “clay of the ground” (Genesis 2:7) and the
study of the Bible for her book Do Dogs Go to Living Bible says “dust of the ground.” In
Heaven? (1999) convinced her that the dis- regard to the animals, the New American
tinction between humans and animals alleged Catholic Bible states that they were “formed
to be found in Scripture is the result of an old out of the ground” and the Living Bible states
translator’s “philosophical construction.” In “formed from the soil.” Kolb argues that since
her opinion, an examination of the original humans and animals came from the same sub-
Hebrew texts for such concepts as “soul” and stance, many Bible scholars, including herself,
“spirit” clearly tells that the authors of the var- believe that animals must therefore have a
ious books of the Bible believed that animals soul. The holy breath that God breathed into
have souls and spirits, just as humans do. Stat- man was the same breath that He breathed
ing that she has been enriched by her explo- into the animals, birds, and other creatures. It
ration of various religious practices, from is Kolb’s further contention that God’s act of
Catholicism to Pentecostalism, Holmes offers blessing the animals is further proof that all
a suggestion for those individuals who are trou- creatures have a soul. “‘Blessed,’” she points
bled about orthodox teachings that deny spiri- out, “means ‘to make holy,’ ‘sanctify,’ to
tuality to animals. She urges them to allow the invoke divine favor upon, ‘to honor as Holy.’”
Holy Spirit to be their teacher. God blessed his creation of man and woman,
and thereby granted them a soul. Why else
Attorney Holmes says that she is not
ashamed to be compared to animals, “for most would God have blessed the animals if it were
are of the highest character and are very good not to bestow a soul upon them?
company. We have much to learn about and
from animals.”
Holmes was inspired to write her book by
her late mother, Irene Hume Holmes, who ORTHODOX teachings deny
would often question members of the clergy of spirituality to animals.
various faiths: Did animals have spirits? And if
they did, would they go to heaven when they
died? Although her mother usually received
the standard response that animals did not In July 2001, ABC News and Beliefnet
possess souls and that humans had dominion released the result of their poll of Americans
over their four-legged companions, Holmes’s regarding the question of whether pets would
extensive research enabled her to answer at one day meet their owners in heaven. Forty-
last her mother’s oft-posed query, “Do dogs go seven percent of pet owners declared their
to heaven?” in the affirmative. belief that they would be reunited with their
beloved animals in heaven; 35 percent of pet
Janice Gray Kolb, author of Compassion for owners said heaven was reserved for humans;
All Creatures, says that she had been taught 48 percent of those respondents who did not
since childhood that her beloved pets did not own pets believed heaven was off-limits for
have souls. Today, however, she states that she animals; and about 17 percent said that they
has a firm conviction that there will be animals would reserve judgment until they themselves
in heaven. “Once I had this inner conviction walked through the pearly gates.
from the Holy Spirit that animals and all God’s
creatures do inhabit Heaven with us, then I
M Delving Deeper
could never believe otherwise,” she writes. “It Boone, J. Allen. Kinship with All Life. New York:
was irrevocable! No matter what anyone else Harper & Row, 1954.
may argue, I cannot be shaken on this.”
Holmes, M. Jean. Do Dogs Go to Heaven? Tulsa,
As a student of the Bible, Kolb states that Okla.: JoiPax Publishing, 1999.
God created humans out of the ground, and Kolb, Janice Gray. Compassion for All Creatures. Neva-
He created animals out of the ground. The da City, Calif.: Blue Dolphin Publishing, 1997.

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