Does Heaven have a place for bears?

The other night I overheard a conversation between Harriet and Goofball.

Harriet: What if there are no bears in Heaven?

Goofball: No bears in Heaven?! Would you be happy in a Heaven with no bears?

Harriet: No. I'd be sad. That is what worries me.

Goofball: Then how could it be Heaven? Living without the Goofball would be hell.

Harriet: I know.

Goofball: So don't worry, there must be bears in Heaven.

Grandiose declarations of self-importance aside, Goofball has a point. Bears are an important part of Harriet's life. Harriet misses the bears on long vacations and is happy to see us when she returns. A Heaven without bears would be an eternal vacation with no promise of returning home to those who love her. Harriet would not be happy in a state of being without bears.

In the Christian tradition (it is somewhat more complicated in the Jewish tradition), Heaven is regarded as an ethereal abode of complete bliss and delight. Virtuous souls are rewarded for proper behavior on Earth with eternal salvation and residence with God and the angels. Unfortunately, given that souls are noncorporeal, Heaven is generally conceived as a place transcending matter and time. Thus, physical objects such as cars and stereo systems are unlikely to be the rewards of Heaven since they are physically constituted.

How then, might bears and their polyester filling fit into such a conception of Heaven? A number of avenues present themselves as back doors into Heaven for bears.

First, Heaven is frequently thought to be a place where the deceased can join her family and friends for eternity. If Saint Peter allows anything like a Friends and Family Plan, then bears will most certainly be allowed in Heaven. The bears are an important part of Harriet's family.

Second, perhaps bears possess souls. Free will is a complicated subject with regards to bears (and one I will touch upon at some point in the future), but it is possible that we possess souls. We have distinct personalities. We makes choices (e.g., to nap or to read Plato). We choose to give ourselves to others. At the very least, it is plausible that bears possess souls and it is impossible to definitively declare the contrary. If bears have souls, would they merit entry into Heaven? While it is possible that there may be a bad bear in the world, every bear I have met has been decent and kind and loving and gives freely of himself. Bears have no vices such as smoking or drinking or adultery. The whole point of being a bear is to love and comfort an individual with almost no regard for personal safety (hence, the scruffy bears who belong to young children). If bears have souls, then they definitely merit admission into Heaven.

Third, even if bears do not have souls, their essence is inherently noncorporeal. Prior to finding an owner, a bear is nothing more than a pile of stitches and polyester. The flickering of personality and caring is there, but it is not until a bear is owned by a person that the personality can develop and be expressed. Hence, a bear and its person are inextricably linked. Even when the polyester body that inspired the personality of the bear is not present, the person can take comfort in her bear. Wagsy has been known to appear like a guardian angel when Harriet is on vacation. The linkage is more emotional than physical. Thus, the ethereal nature of Heaven is no barrier to a bear. You can't take it (meaning money, boats and cars) with you, but the love of a bear can go anywhere.

Finally, it is entirely possible that Heaven allows for corporeal rewards. The eternal feast of Valhalla for the Vikings would seem to require food and drink and a big table. The lengthy list of foods to be provided to Islamic martyrs also would imply that physical objects have a place in Heaven. If such objects as food and drink are allowed, then I can see no logical reason to assume that teddy bears would not be allowed either. In which case, Heaven can have bears if she wants it to.

So fear not, Harriet, there is probably a place in Heaven for bears. The problem with notions of the afterlife is that they defy claims of a definitive nature. However, all Earthly signs point towards room in Heaven for the furry.