The Mary T. and
Frank L. Hoffman
Family Foundation
and All-Creatures.Org

Letters and Responses

According to the Bible, there will be numerous animals in heaven, both "wild" and domesticated.

When my son was 6, we came home from church following an infant baptism, and my son baptized his hamster (our minister was mortified when I told him). His hamster lived to be about 4.5 years old, and died very peacefully in his sleep one day while my son was at school. He was a wonderful hamster who gave much love to our family. When you held him, you could feel the love radiating out of him. Did this little baptized hamster go to heaven? I absolutely believe he did. Did our non-baptized hamsters also go to heaven? I surely believe they did, as did the cats, dogs, rabbits, gerbils, guinea pigs, fish, and birds we've hosted over the years.

I can't imagine God would consider any part of His creation as unimportant and not worth keeping. Perhaps man is the only creature in need of sacrificial salvation.

Celia R. Mooney-Javadi

Reply from Frank and Mary Hoffman

Dear Celia:

Your son did absolutely the correct thing, because even more than the pastor, he understood the meaning of infant baptism. It is a ceremony of parental commitment to bring the child up in a Godly manner and lead him or her to a life in Christ. Your son extended that love and commitment to his hamster, and it obvious worked.

And yes, all your animals went to heaven, for they were lovingly created by God with souls and spirits just as we were, and you will see them again some day in the future.

In the Love of the Lord,

Frank and Mary