Animal Worship

Diodorus, a classical author, explained the origin of animal worship by recalling a myth in which the gods, threatened by giants, hid under the guise of animals. People then naturally began to worship the animals that their gods had disguised themselves as even after the gods returned to their normal state.

I’ve been thinking recently about animal worship and why some animals were chosen over others. Many religions, most famously Hinduism, consider cattle to be sacred. Cows are symbols of life that should be protected and revered. In the Vedas, the oldest Hindu scripture, the cow is associated with Aditi, the mother of all gods.

These may seem like good reasons for cows to be sacred in Hinduism, but I beg to differ. Cows may be large, domesticable, and often friendly animals, but they come with a huge number of drawbacks. Cows require a ton of land, water, feed, and many other resources. They are one of the most expensive animals to raise and keep. You may not be aware of the huge environmental impact of cattle: accounting for almost 9% of all GHG emissions.

Cows are not alone in being an animal that is considered sacred by many while having no significant positive impact on the world (not counting hamburgers). And I can think of many other animals with huge real-world importance that are not worshipped by any people. Thus, here is my list of animals that should be considered sacred if any:

1. Honey Bees – Since 70% of the world’s agriculture depends on bees for pollination, it is easily one of the most essential animals for the prosperity of humanity. Unfortunately, in recent years bee populations have declined by nearly 90%. The main reasons being deforestation and the use of pesticides. These tiny, fuzzy animals are not only cute, they are also essential to life on Eart
2. Earthworms – They spend their lives aerating soil and enriching it with organics and minerals from their excrement. Yeah, they’re kind of gross, but earthworms are the heroes of gardens and farms everywhere. And just like bees, they are under serious threat from excessive use of manure and ever acidifying soils.
3. Butterflies – Maybe I’m biased towards pollinators, but their importance cannot be understated. Butterflies are remarkably beautiful animals. With colorful wings and lackadaisical flight patterns, they make our lives a bit more fantastical whenever we see them.
4. Frogs – They are essential to controlling insect populations. Anything that eats mosquitoes is great in my book. Frogs also are very unique and delicate organisms. Since they breathe through their skin, climate change poses a great danger to them.
5. Elephants – Okay, elephants are not as beneficial to humanity as the previous ones, but I think they’re cool.

Although I personally have no animals that I worship or hold sacred, I want to recognize how much humans are benefiting from these animals. We must protect them and allow them to flourish before it is too late. Cheers.