theological dogs

    In reading Webbs Theology for Dogs, it really struck me how selfish humanity's relationship with dogs really is. We breed and mold them into different shapes, we impose theological or moral belief systems on them, we "treat them as useful objects provided by God for profit", we impose our own class structures on them, we make them fight for entertainment, and then debate over whether they deserve rights. But despite all of this dogs still love us. People still have wonderful loving relationships with pets, dogs work to rescue victims of disasters, or help the blind navigate, dogs form relationships with us and remain loyal. It really shows how both humans, and dogs, aren't a monolith. We are each unique and form unique bonds with each other. 

    On another note, I found the passage near the end of the article Excess More Than Other extra fascinating. It's an interesting thought that anthropomorphism was first applied to God, and then to animals. It's two very different kinds of anthropomorphism. For God, being seen like man was something degrading, that dragged down the sanctity of diety. In contrast, the anthropomorphism of animals is seen as something that lifts the animal or gives them traits above their ability. It seems like as people we have a hard time understanding beings that aren't inherently like us. We understand grand deity and "lowly" animals through the lens of what we understand, ourselves.