August 18, 2019

Dear St. Martin of Tours Family,

In this bulletin Dash tells us about the sin of SLOTH, even while he chews on a stuffed animal in the form of a … SLOTH.

I have a theological argument explaining why we have a reasonable hope that all animals (most especially our pets, but probably not insects) have immortal souls. 

We know that animals, since they are not made in God’s image and likeness (such honor belonging only to humans), they are not destined to see God face to face (what we call the “Beatific Vision”).  Even so, there is nothing in Scripture to suggest that the souls of animals perish after they die.  In fact, since death (for man and beast and vegetation) came into the world as a the consequence of human sin, not animal sin (if there can be such a thing), it would be unjust to conclude that human sin result in the obliteration of animal souls after their death. 

When an animal dies, it seems most just that it enter a realm not unlike the Garden of Eden. 

Yet I wonder: Is there an animal morality?  What about animal free will or animal sin?  Do animals receive grace?  Our Catholic tradition suggests not, but why? 

Biological ethics, which encompasses such considerations as animal cognition, volition, and judgment are hot topics in contemporary philosophy.  Usually, I am not a fan of contemporary philosophy due to its tendency to reduce the spirit and immaterial order to the empirical, material, and the mathematical.

Yet medieval philosophers and theologians had a very poor understanding of the non-human animal intellect and will.  They did not know that dog and human brains (for example) light up so similarly in an MRI that some alien race comparing our scans would think dog and man to be brothers.

Questions to contemplate:

1. Why have so many dogs sacrificed their lives for their masters?
2. Why do dogs, cats, and other pets make us so happy?
3. Why do we humans love our pets? Either our love for them is holy, or it is a waste of our efforts.  Which is it?
4. Can the love of a pet be holy? And what does such holiness imply – about you, your pet, and God?

In Christ,