My dog is an atheist

[Falvlun]

So, I was thinking the other day. Why are some dogs afraid of thunder? It doesn't make sense: it's natural, it's never done anything to them, and in the wild, they would have had to deal with it without beds to hide under.

[Atheist dog lounging on beach.]

And then as I was listening to a lovely storm rolling in, it hit me. Thunder sounds surprisingly similar to a dog growling. So, perhaps some dogs think that a very large and angry sky dog is growling at them. These dogs are the theists.

Now, what of the dogs that are not afraid of thunder? They could either be agnostic or atheistic about the Great Dog God. Now, my dog is a bit of a pansy. He is generally distrustful of strange things and is particularly anxious to please. But thunder does not disturb him in the least. If there was any possibility in his mind that the Sky Dog was up there and growling at him, then he'd be the first to high-tail it under the bed. Ergo, he must be an atheist.

The logic is irrefutable.

/cough

 

[angellous_evangellous]

My dog is Buddhist.

 

[Falvlun]

My dog is Buddhist.

Ha! Do you rub his belly for good luck?

 

[Darkness]

Would domesticated dogs picture God as a human, since we are their masters?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Ha! Do you rub his belly for good luck?

He does carry his bowl around and beg for alms.

 

[MissAlice]

My cat Bill hides under the bed ONLY if it is a thunderstorm. Firecrackers, vaccums, and other noises even gun shots don't bother him. I suppose there really is a Ceiling Cat in the sky.

 

[Requia]

I'm pretty sure my dog thinks I'm God.

 

[Falvlun]

My cat Bill hides under the bed ONLY if it is a thunderstorm. Firecrackers, vaccums, and other noises even gun shots don't bother him. I suppose there really is a Ceiling Cat in the sky.

I've never heard of cats being afraid of thunder. I would think that most of them would be atheists... or whatever -ist it is when you believe that you yourself are god. So, perhaps your cat is a trailblazer. :yes:

 

[Falvlun]

I'm pretty sure my dog thinks I'm God.

Good dog.

I had a dog as a kid who would give us sacrifices of garter snakes. Every morning she'd go out for her morning hunt, and leave the carcasses at back door.

 

[earlwooters]

My dog is a Muslim. He considers himself to be unclean. He's always licking himself, to try to get clean.

 

[elmarna]

To humanize a animal is not a realalistic way.
I know many do as they try to realate. Realisticly animals do not have a human brain.
Most "respond" and are limited on resoning power. Science clims the most intellegent dog has a IQ of a 12 year old child it is a decent amount of reasoning power.
How do you know your dog does not "know god" ? Perhaps he has seen him but relates to him differently!

 

[Valjean]

So, I was thinking the other day. Why are some dogs afraid of thunder? It doesn't make sense: it's natural, it's never done anything to them, and in the wild, they would have had to deal with it without beds to hide under.

[Atheist dog lounging on beach.]

/cough

I don't know, falvlun.
That pooch has a Presbyterian look about him. :sarcastic
Perhaps he's just resigned himself to his predestined fate.

Seriously, though, all animals are atheist, as are all infants. Nothing is born with a belief in anything. Beliefs are taught.
Atheism is the intellectual default position.

 

[Marble]

Stop giving him food for some days, maybe than he makes up his mind & starts believing in you.

 

[Falvlun]

I don't know, falvlun.
That pooch has a Presbyterian look about him. :sarcastic
Perhaps he's just resigned himself to his predestined fate.

Seriously, though, all animals are atheist, as are all infants. Nothing is born with a belief in anything. Beliefs are taught.
Atheism is the intellectual default position.

He does have a bit of the Amish austerity, or perhaps Buddhist self-deprivation going on there.

While I do highly doubt that dogs have thoughts about god beings, I did think that the idea of them believing that thunder was a Great Sky Dog to be intriguing. Who knows? It's hard to say what's going on in those cute furry heads of theirs.

Stop giving him food for some days, maybe than he makes up his mind & starts believing in you.

I am not a vindictive God. Besides, that look of adoration as I give him a bowl of should-be-poured-down-the-sink-already milk is just priceless. (That's his favorite treat in the whole wide world.)

 

[Leonardo]

I have three dogs; Leo, a german shepard, believes that its possible for a human to be scentless and invisible! You say I how do I know this? Well Leo like most dogs can't open a door with a round nob or one that uses a latch, so his only experience of doors opening are when humans open the door. Sometimes the wind rattles the fence door, its a 6' wooden fence so you can't see through it easily. But when the door moves with the wind Leo is in full guard mode. His hair is up and he's groweling, then he charges the door and growels and barks in the classic german shepard way that would scare the pants off anyone. Leo then runs up the stair case to see whose behind the fence, he can actually clearly see from the top of the stair case what's behind the fence. He then runs back down the stair case and continues to bark!

Clearly in this dog's mind the idea of a scentless invisible person is not an impossiblity....

Here's a link to a video of my dogs when the rottie was only 7 weeks old:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeVKvYVkkog

 

[ZooGirl02]

Animals are not spiritual beings. They do not have the capability to believe or disbelieve in God.

 

[Valjean]

Disbelief doesn't require a "capacity." It's an epistemic default position.
If you're not a believer you're automatically a disbeliever.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Yeah...my dog is definitely Amish.
Refuses to drive, no mobile phone, and I am yet to catch him posting on Facebook. He's scared of thunder, so clearly has issues with the big fella in the sky. Perhaps he's been a bad boy?

I think he sees me as a lesser demi-god. He brings all sorts of dead animals to the back door. Or maybe he thinks I'm some sort of grand priest?

*snaps fingers*

Got it. He's monotheist, and he's just worshipping me as a way of getting choice prime cuts. He knows I'm not really a God, and he's worried the REAL God knows he's worshipping false idols. Hence his fear of thunder.

 

[ZooGirl02]

Disbelief doesn't require a "capacity." It's an epistemic default position.
If you're not a believer you're automatically a disbeliever.

If you say so. Personally I think that since animals are not spiritual beings that they are neither capable of belief or disbelief. They probably don't even think about God.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

Animals are not spiritual beings. They do not have the capability to believe or disbelieve in God.

Humans do it just fine. Can't see why other animals wouldn't be able to.