Non-Jews actually get there quicker because they've only got 7 commandments to follow, whereas Jews have 613. Takes us a bit longer when we go through "Gehenna" (roughly the Jewish equivalent to "purgatory") to explain ourselves and be "purged" of our wrongdoings than non-Jews.
(BTW, cruelty to animals is specifically described as never eating the limb of an animal while it's still alive, just to keep the rest "fresh")
I happen to be a messianic evangelical jew, and we and orthadox jews do believe that non jews can go to heaven. I believe that anyone who believes in Jesus, Jew or Gentile, goes to heaven. Orthadox jews believe that as long as you believe in God and follow the ten commandments you can go to heaven.
Yes, but only in limited circumstances. Just being a "good" person isn't good enough.
There is a specific example of this in the Old Testament, where a good man who is not a Jew, gets to go to heaven (we're told). Conversely, sinners of all denominations end up in Hell.
The entry requirement is that a person going to heaven must follow the seven commandments laid down by Noah, after his little trip in the Ark. These are called the Noahide laws. They are:
To worship one God and not idols, To not blaspheme God's name To not commit immoral sexual acts To not steal To not murder (people) To have a justice system, and to respect and pursue justice To not be cruel to animals
There are some divisions of opinion, within Judaism, about whether Jews go to the same heaven as everyone else, though. Or maybe they get their own separate area there, the view of the afterlife is sometimes vague in Judaism and open to interpretation.
Most varieties of Christianity and Islam are quicker to dismiss the likelihood of non-believers getting to paradise.
The Abrahamic religions are sadly off the mark when it comes to who goes to heaven or hell. The Jews, Christians & Muslims believe that they have some special right to go to heaven which is non-sense. Even heaven is a temporary place for God resides not in heaven. In fact there are heavenly planets where one takes birth grow old and die just as well governed by demigods. Only when one has achieved realization that one soul is liberated from cycle of birth and death and go to God's abode where there is no coming back. Heaven is not the ultimate destination in Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma for they are governed by demigods and one still suffers from material limitations there. For example for mohammedans , they get to sleep with virgins in heaven and get to drink rivers of wine. In christianity, Christians get to meet saints in heaven notably saint peter. In Hinduism one has to realize God first and foremost, that's the sole aim to really care for !
Another false idea espoused by those of the abrahamic faith is the belief that they would all wait in purgatory before judgment day...a day which they do not even know when it is going to happen...only then will they be able to reach heaven or hell which is a nasty long time to queue up. Christians believe they would be resurrected like jesus even if they have been eaten by worms in the meantime which doesn't make sense. It's pretty much the same thing for mohammedans which is just plain wrong. In Hinduism judgment is made in the most efficient manner at the time of death. The soul takes birth in another body according to past karma right away or reaches the heavenly planets or realize God and do not come back again in the material plane of existence for God is all knowing.
In Hinduism God states that all can reach Brahman/supreme reality and all can reach heaven if they so wish. Those who worship demigods go to them. In fact to be realized one is supposed to have reached the stage of equanimity and see A Hindu a Jew a Christian or a mohameddan or a Cow a poor man or a rich man etc in the same light. So all the non sense about whether one has to belong to a particular bogus man made creed to go to heaven is ridiculous since heaven is not eternal and governed by saints and demigods. Nothing can be farther from the truth than saying that only some creed would go to heaven and not others. These ideas were rather enforced by hatred filled men in order to turn people against people but this is contrary to God's will "himself". God is the supreme reality/Brahman to reach for in Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma not heaven.
