Philosophy of Love in Christianity
In death do our dogs depart?
It is written that Jesus of Nazareth made the following remarks about marriage (paraphrase): (a) that no man should interfere with what God had joined; and (b) that in heaven, no one would be married, because the people would be in a state of perfection, like the angels. (See Luke, 20: 34-38). Let's assume that, in (a), the idea of God joining two people isn't meant as being the social ritual humans have arranged for weddings. Rather, it is meant as "truth." It means to say that two people who are "really in love" should not be separated by any human institutions.
If we take this to be true, what does (b) tell us about what this state of affairs really amounts to? It seems to say that even "true love" is only a temporary repository for fallen creatures (the imperfect). And that, once purified—once redeemed and transcendent—we would no longer need our "true companion." One would, in a sense, graduate from such behavior. Hence in death do you truly part.
A scientific picture of love could fold into this. If the experience of love, for example, was merely a chemical brain state—and if only the spirit passes at death (whatever that means)—then love would no more be of issue here than would, say, depression or addiction. In movies, are not the heavenly people seen as transcendent of urgings and dependencies in a way that the condemned are not? I'm thinking here of Dumbledore and Voldemort. After his death, doesn't Dumbledore seem like someone who could no longer experience a neurological dependency upon someone (a craving, a crush, a captivity)? Yet, Voldemort seems defined by such a thing—he seems, in short, to be forever driven by urge and desire.
But there is great difficulty that I have with this picture. For suppose a boy had a dog, and the two were a perfect pair. The dog dies of old age as the boy goes off to college. And the boy prays to his God and asks that he be reunited with his dog when it is the boy's time to pass. At that time, will the boy's love of his dog no longer exist? Will his dog's love of him be outgrown? And how would it really be to have truly loved a person, only to find that, upon passing, each had graduated from such a thing?
It seems to me that what is said here is that true love really is not "true." And though this idea may not at all be a revelation, if it came from science, neurology, divorce lawyers or cynics—it seems quite curious being attributed to Jesus of Nazareth. Think about it: no one will be married in heaven because they will be in a state of perfection. Rather than having a "soul mate," we are told that no souls actually need mates.
I'm only raising the issue because I want to see my dog again. And if he isn't following me around in heaven, it's going to be a real bummer.
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