To live like a God, you must die like an Animal

A more radical idea I have recently considered emerged partly from the hostility I have encountered among some Christians in my audience. It has made me question whether religious conviction necessarily produces compassion, humility, or moral clarity. In many cases, the most ideologically committed people can also be the most judgmental and combative. By contrast, the least ideological presence in the room is often the most peaceful, sometimes quite literally the dog. There is something unsettling about the possibility that animals may embody loyalty, humility, and trust more naturally than humans who claim to be closest to God.