Organized religion has a unique relationship with the animal community. From the ancient Egyptians and their worship of the feline goddess Bastet to the ancient Greeks associating the owl with the goddess Athena, each animal’s characteristics and diverse strengths have reinforced belief systems for millennia. This practice of animal worship is more commonly known as zoolatry.

In contemporary times, we see religions seeking out the traits of pastoral animals – frequently and unfairly incorporated into animal agriculture – as symbols of faith and devotion. Goats, sheep, and cows are beloved for their steadfastness, resilience, and peaceful dispositions. However, as kind and goodhearted as this form of appropriation appears, it still calls into question whether these animals are being commodified as opposed to celebrated.  

Bibek Debroy, a columnist for India’s Financial Express, wrote in his 2003 essay: “As our national animal, the tiger may be close to extinction. But the cow is very much around and many soon become our new national animal.” Debroy’s assertion that people are still placing animals on spiritual or cultural pedestals underscores a widespread issue: the human need to assert dominance over animals, even under the guise of kindness. Animals are adored so much that they are used as beacons, still without permission, but more acceptably because of the seeming lack of harm to their physical beings.

This is not to say that zoolatry is wrong. Many animals’ lives are spared by the practice of this type of worship. Some Eastern cultures demonstrate love for wildlife or those animals sometimes associated with farms the way Western cultures fawn over dogs and other domesticated companions. These protections extend to snakes and even rabbits in other faiths. Yet, observances of the intersection of humankind, religion, and the animal kingdom have also been historically misunderstood and derided. During the Victorian era, a monthly magazine called The Open Court offered its racist take on communities of color and their beliefs in animal sentience. The publication even mocks this notion while inadvertently making a case for cultural open-mindedness outside of stuffy colonial societies. 

Since animals are present in so many religious texts, it’s unlikely that zoolatry will be phased out as a practice. Humans are highly emotional creatures, often searching and yearning for deeper connections, and other species offer examples of how to exist in a more peaceful, innocent, and compassionate way. Still, the deification of animals demands that human beings learn that there is a fine line between zealotry and exploitation.

Source: PBS, The Open Court