If Dogs & Cats Could Talk

Wouldn’t it be something if scientists could come up with some sort of electronic chip that could be inserted into a dog or cat and broadcast what the animal was thinking. Maybe inserted at the base of the tail since wagging tails seem to be their present way of communication. Dogs and cats observe a lot during their lives, most of which is human behavior. They see us at our best and at our worst.

Oddly enough their present form of communication is a blessing to us. In our empty nest home, my wife and I were encouraged by some friends to get a dog. It had been several years since our last dog died and we hated to go through that again. Since we acquired our new puppy, our lives have been much more enjoyable. It’s been like having a baby in the house again.

Our daughter-in-law had a health issue recently and part of her rehab facility’s treatment was regular visits with a sweet lovable dog. It has really helped her deal with the issues that she’s facing. Surely these animals aren’t angels sent by God, are they? They certainly have an angelic effect on those around them.

We have to wonder if they have souls, but many theologians would tell us no. Maybe like creation is described in Genesis, with man over all the animals, places us on a superior level with God. Dogs can learn to do complicated tricks and acts, like leading the blind or searching for illicit drugs, but reasoning is another story.

Dogs and cats certainly develop knowledge of us as they observe our actions and specifically in the way we treat them.  They seem to understand the negative nature of their master when they are reprimanded and maybe the negativity of their owners and those around them when those humans are in disagreement through argument and anger.

Some say that plants and animals have souls, but not like ours. They believe that a soul is a principle of all life. Human souls however; are rational while animal souls are not. While some theologians say the difference is that Humans are rational because they are spiritual, many times our observations of animals reveal a better spirit than we humans possess. Others say that animals lack a moral sense, but again, they outdo us in morality, or at least don’t consciously know that they do bad things. Maybe there is no dog or cat heaven, but many of them deserve heaven more than many of we humans do.

A biblical comparison of humans and animals makes us think about how much food for nourishment our Lord and Master provides us. In Matthew 15:27 we hear about the Lord-seeking lady: “And she said, Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Are we that hungry for the Lord?  

Now let’s look at Ecclesiastes 3:19-22, and really get confused: ^“For the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and humans have no advantage over the animals; for all is vanity.  All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.  Who knows whether the human spirit goes upwards and the spirit of animals goes downwards to the earth?  So I saw that there is nothing better than that all should enjoy their work, for that is their lot; who can bring them to see what will be after them?”

Thinking back on just what a blessing pets can be to us, God knew what He was doing when he gave us animals that have been domesticated. Maybe domesticated is the key word here. Maybe God wants us to be His domesticated children at home with Him. He gave us free will that allows us to make bad choices in life. We can be wild in our living when we don’t seek God.  Maybe animals aren’t perfect.  Wild animals without masters live a different kind of life than do domesticated animals. When Man rejects God’s domestication in His Word, Man becomes wild and without direction. Thank God for His forgiveness.