This is not a joke, yet it still feels ethically questionable. A couple guys have started a service whereby you can contract with them to have your pets cared for after the Rapture. Eternal Earth-Bound Pets promises that their atheist agents will come to your house after Jesus has taken you home and adopt your pets and care for them in a post-Rapture world.

I suppose this could provide some peace of mind for those convinced they will ascend while furry ones they love will be left behind. On the other hand, I have to believe these guys are not doing any actual planning, but rather are just cashing checks. After all, depending on the nature of “God’s wrath” that Jesus promised as part of the Great Tribulation, this planet could be a pretty chaotic place to be. It might be hard to assure someone would get to your house in time to save Fluffy. There’s no reasonable way to plan for that short of keeping a few extra bags of Alpo in the basement and hoping for the best.

Nonetheless, it does bring to light some of the more practical questions about the post-Rapture world we are left with. For example, what about the rest of the possessions of the risen Christians? I’m assuming their last will and testament doesn’t come into play as they are not dead, but they are not coming back either. The legal system is clearly not set up to handle the Rapture. On the one hand, I’m surprised the Evangelicals haven’t started lobbying for better Rapture legislation to work some of this out. But then again, they are counting on the fact that their God will wipe all pain and suffering from them as they are risen, so I guess they figure they aren’t really going to care. Ironically, that leaves it to us heathens to start making policy for what happens at the Rapture. It would seem that since the Christians won’t be here, they really shouldn’t get much of a say about it. Although it would be interesting to hear the outcry from the faithful if non-Christians introduced Rapture based legislation. Hmmmm…