Are there Homo neanderthalensis in Heaven?

[Colt]

I am not sure if your concept is broadly increasing access to your concept of Heaven, or making it an even narrower and selective club. If the Animists are happily communing with, and appeasing their concept of the Spirits of objects and animals, does this qualify as seeking and having Faith in "the unseen God", and as such, the Animist has access to your concept of Heaven? If the polytheist see multiple "Gods" that affect life on earth and interact with each other, does "the unseen God" interpret this as having found "the unseen God" and having Faith in it?

Yes, broadening, the "faintest flicker of faith" is all that is required to get started towards Paradise. God is spirit.

 

[MikeF]

Yes, broadening, the "faintest flicker of faith" is all that is required to get started towards Paradise. God is spirit.

Given @ChristineM 's contribution to the thread, it looks like Homo neaderthalensis my have had the qualifying "faintest flicker of faith". What do you think?

 

[Colt]

Neaderthals had ritual buriels with burial goods thousands of years before early modern humans found their way to Europe showing some sort of belief in after death.

Yes, true. But weather they were spirit born is another matter.

 

[Colt]

Given @ChristineM 's contribution to the thread, it looks like Homo neaderthalensis my have had the qualifying "faintest flicker of faith". What do you think?

Primitive man had no concept of death. In other words, they thought everyone went on to the spirit world, so that's why they invented hells for people who sucked in the tribe during mortal life. They had to devise some form of punishment. Religious history is replete with belief in an afterlife.

 

[ChristineM]

Yes, true. But weather they were spirit born is another matter.

Its unknown but you can guess

 

[ChristineM]

Primitive man had no concept of death.

Bull. You opinion is wrong.

Neanderthal grave goods and flowers buried with the deceased indicates that they did have a concept of death

The concept of hell is a homo sapiens scare tactic. It is unknown if neanderthal had such a concept

 

[VoidCat]

I dont see why they wouldn't if there is an afterlife

 

[MikeF]

I dont see why they wouldn't if there is an afterlife

Cool. What about the great Apes? Might they as well?

 

[King Phenomenon]

Haha homo Neanderthal

 

[MikeF]

Primitive man had no concept of death. In other words, they thought everyone went on to the spirit world, so that's why they invented hells for people who sucked in the tribe during mortal life. They had to devise some form of punishment. Religious history is replete with belief in an afterlife.

Hmmm. It seems what you are saying is not that they didn't have a concept of death, but that they didn't have the *correct* concept of death, in your opinion. Is that a fair assessment?

I'm not sure you aren't contradicting yourself somewhat. If Neaderthals believed in a Spirit world, had views similar to the 18th and 19th century Animist cultures we have data on, does that not meet your criteria of "faintest flicker of faith"? What is disqualifying them given your allowances for the polytheists and animists?

 

[Colt]

Hmmm. It seems what you are saying is not that they didn't have a concept of death, but that they didn't have the *correct* concept of death, in your opinion. Is that a fair assessment?

I'm not sure you aren't contradicting yourself somewhat. If Neaderthals believed in a Spirit world, had views similar to the 18th and 19th century Animist cultures we have data on, does that not meet your criteria of "faintest flicker of faith"? What is disqualifying them given your allowances for the polytheists and animists?

I'm saying that primitive humans didn't seem to believe that a person really died, only their body died, that they went on somewhere to the spirit world. Belief isn't the inexplicable faith that I referred to in the beginning of my replies to you. I had belief before I was born of the spirit which was a whole new software!

 

[MikeF]

I'm saying that primitive humans didn't seem to believe that a person really died, only their body died, that they went on somewhere to the spirit world. Belief isn't the inexplicable faith that I referred to in the beginning of my replies to you. I had belief before I was born of the spirit which was a whole new software!

Huh. Ok. You mentions several times that being "born of the spirit" was a criteria. What does that mean?

 

[Colt]

Huh. Ok. You mentions several times that being "born of the spirit" was a criteria. What does that mean?

Simply put, “those who have received and recognized the indwelling of God have been born of the Spirit.”

 

[VoidCat]

Cool. What about the great Apes? Might they as well?

Anything is possible. Personally i can't know what happens after death so I focus on the present.

 

[MikeF]

Simply put, “those who have received and recognized the indwelling of God have been born of the Spirit.”

How does one receive the indwelling of God? Are they born with it? Is it received through instruction? Is it instilled by some external force or entity? Why do some receive it and many do not?

 

[Colt]

How does one receive the indwelling of God? Are they born with it? Is it received through instruction? Is it instilled by some external force or entity? Why do some receive it and many do not?

It’s a mystery like Jesus said but it seems to be conditional to sincerely wanting to know God. The spirit comes from God.

 

[Subduction Zone]

If Neanderthals went to heaven it would depend upon what was required. According to many Christians no one went to heaven before Jesus's death on the cross. If that is one's standard then no Neanderthals went to heaven.

What are the rules for going to heaven?

 

[1213]

This question struck me while reading another thread:

For those that ascribe to a belief in some sort of Heaven, I was curious if your concept of Heaven is open to all species of human being, or if it is limited to your specific species. If your version of Heaven is open to all human species, does it also include non-human species? If it includes other non-human species, is there a cut-off? How low down the evolutionary tree do you go?

I don't believe Homo Neanderthalensis is different species. But, I believe it is in any case so that righteous will have eternal life.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

​

 

[ChristineM]

I don't believe Homo Neanderthalensis is different species.

Skull size and shape were different than homo sapiens sapiens and the brain was larger. They had protruding brows and bigger noses. Their jaw was more developed than ours.

Although they were hominid and genetically 99.7% the same as us they are classified as a different species of homo than humans.

 

[Audie]

Neanderthals, cro-magnon, denisovan. The modern world is a mix of those 3, and possibly others. I vote to allow them all.

Many religions attribute a spirit to all living entities, Mormonism even to bacteria, rocks, planets, and stars. I suspect only humans have individual spirits, but I would be just as happy if other critters do, too.

But no H. erectus?

Google Image Result for https://www.museumize.com/cdn/shop/products/statues-prehistoric-homo-erectus-cranium-skull-from-hominid-series-12l-5113z-1_580x.jpeg?v=1571438773