An influential Baptist pastor has declared that animals have no souls and that most people are destined to go to hell when they die.
In a sermon preached at his First Baptist Church, Dallas, Pastor Robert Jeffress said: "The animal has no spirit. But man has a spirit that ascends to heaven, even after he dies. That's how we're different from the animals."
He continued: "I know some of you are saying, 'I can't take this. it was the cat story last week and this about the animals this week.
"But that's what makes us different.
"Listen to me. When you die, you don't cease to exist. Your spirit is going to live forever. Everybody's spirit lives forever. It doesn't matter what you believe. Jew, atheist, Muslim, Catholic, Baptist. Everybody's going to live forever.
"Some are going to live forever in heaven, with God. Others, the majority of people, will be in hell, separated from God. But we live on, after our bodies fall asleep. That's what the Bible says."
Jeffress said that in the New Testament, Jesus raised people from the dead three times, each time by speaking to the one who had died. One was a 12-year-old girl to whom Jesus said: "Little lamb, arise."
The other was his friend, who Jesus commanded: "Lazarus, come forth!"
Jeffress continued: "There's a great resurrection coming for those of us who know Christ.
"Our bodies are buried or cremated or blown apart, it doesn't matter what happens, one day, when the Lord returns at the Rapture, he's going to shout, and our bodies are going to come forth and we're going to receive that brand new resurrection body from God."
Jeffress has previously said that following Islam leads people to hell.
"Islam is a false religion that will lead you to hell. It is based on a false book that is based on a fraud. It was founded by a false prophet who was leading people away instead of to the one true God," he said during a sermon in May.
Pope Francis, named after the patron saint of animals, has suggested in the past that pets might go to heaven. "One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God's creatures," he said two years ago. However, more recently he made a gentle comment on people who appear to love their pets more than their neighbours.
Jeffress recently tweeted his support for Donald Trump:
Tonight the world witnessed the @realDonaldTrump I've come to know. Strong. Decisive. Compassionate.
— Dr. Robert Jeffress (@robertjeffress) 22 July 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">
