About a year ago, on one of the religious TV shows on Sunday morning, where a married couple discuss modern issues vis a vis Bible teachings, the subject of an afterlife for animals came up. They had previously felt not, but changed their minds, and even advertised a book called Fido in Heaven? I have not read it, maybe you have, Demi. I'd sure like to get a hold of a copy. If my late pets aren't going to be there, I don't want to, either, and I mean it.

In any case, I am not religious, but trying to respect religious people, I must add that I don't care what any Holy Scripture says - Christian, Jewish, Muslin, Buddhist, etc. I have a powerful feeling that we will indeed meet our "pets" in the Next World. And meet not only them, but the ones we harmed also by careless and unappreciative meat-eating. (Not all meat eaters are like this but most are.) Can I prove this? Of course not. And nobody can prove the opposite point of view, either.

Russ, you truly are a Moderator.

This isn't about protein, which is what this thread is supposed to be about (gulp), but you implied that animals somehow "count" less to the Almighty because of lack of intellect. Not so fast. There are humans who because of birth problems, perhaps, or because they resulted from incest, who never develop that faculty, and who are, indeed, less intelligent than most animals I have known. So, where do these people fit into God's plan (according to your beliefs)?