Treat Dogs as Dogs?

by Charles Hoffacker

The year is 2010.

Conservatives in many provinces are insisting that the church return to what they term "the biblical teaching on dogs." Others, especially in Britain and North America, insist that there is nothing unchristian about showing dogs love and respect as creatures of God.

A new controversy is bubbling up throughout the worldwide Anglican Communion and threatening its unity. Conservatives in many provinces are insisting that the church return to what they term "the biblical teaching on dogs." Others, especially in Britain and North America, insist that there is nothing unchristian about showing dogs love and respect as creatures of God.

Both sides admit that there are relatively few references in the Bible to dogs, and that most are negative. Many of these verses use the image "dead dog" as a term of opprobrium. Others speak of dogs licking up somebody’s blood or eating their mortal remains.

Psalm 22, which Christians often apply to the passion of Jesus, speaks of how

"packs of dogs close me in, and gangs of evildoers circle around me." The refrain in Psalm 59 refers to enemies who "howl like dogs and run about the city." Both Proverbs and Second Peter include unsavory references to how a dog returns to its vomit. In a reference that combines sexism with speciesism, the apocryphal book of Sirach compares a headstrong wife to a dog.

Jesus warns his disciples in Matthew "not to give what is holy to dogs." In

Matthew and Mark, he converses with a pagan woman, and implies that her people are dogs. Philippians labels the circumcision party as "dogs," while at the close of the Book of Revelation, "dogs" appear outside the new Jerusalem along with "everyone who loves and practices falsehood."

Whether understood literally or metaphorically, most of these references place dogs in a bad light. Neutral references include the dog who accompanies Tobias and the angel in the apocryphal book of Tobit, and the dogs who lick the sores of Lazarus the poor man in Luke.

Conservatives see these texts as establishing conclusively that dogs are nasty, and that Christians should have little or nothing to do with them. These conservatives also hold that altar rails, originally installed to keep dogs from profaning the altar, should be repositioned to protect the entire church building. They look askance at such developments as legislation against cruelty to dogs, pet cemeteries, human names for canines, and dogs sleeping in the same beds as their owners. In particular, they are offended at the proliferation of animal blessing services occurring in Anglican churches in some countries.

Progressives, on the other hand, see the negative references in Scripture as culturally determined, and base their case for respecting dogs on a creation theology that sees every living creature as good. In some places they are building churches or installing stained glass windows honoring St. Bernard. A trend in their scholarship identifies the Wolf of Gubbio, which St. Francis tamed as not a wolf, but a German shepherd. Some even draw Jungian parallels between Tobias’ dog in Tobit and Dorothy’s dog Toto in "The Wizard of Oz."

Matters have come to a head over proposals for the Episcopal Church to develop official services for the blessing of dogs… usually around the October 4 feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a figure viewed as suspect by conservatives, who regard him as a proto-pan-speciesist.

Matters have come to a head over proposals for the Episcopal Church to develop official services for the blessing of dogs. Some bishops have already endorsed such services for use in their dioceses, while others know they occur by reading about them in parish newsletters. Reports of such services also appear in newspapers, usually around the October 4 feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a figure viewed as suspect by conservatives, who regard him as a proto-pan-speciesist.

The conservatives have coalesced as TDAD (Treat Dogs as Dogs). They are extremely well-funded, allegedly by a couple of Texas millionaires who made their fortunes in cat food. TDAD is appealing to Anglican leaders in other parts of the world, and finding support in some places. Several African and Asian prelates read the biblical texts about dogs quite literally, and find support for their views in places in their homeland where packs of scavenger dogs prowl around freely.

The progressives have influential support. Their chief academic spokesperson is an American professor who specializes in creation theology. The Canadian Bishop of Yukon now begins his visitations to remote villages with a ceremonial entrance by dogsled. The Archbishop of Canterbury keeps pointing out that many of the animal welfare pioneers of the nineteenth century were Anglican clergymen. King William of Great Britain, a dog fancier like his late grandmother, has arranged for animal blessings at Westminster Abbey and other royal peculiars. One Anglican animal rights organization now underwrites brief trips by a priest/veterinarian into a diocese whose bishop forbids dog blessings, but oddly enough, permits the blessing of manatees.

President Cheney has reacted by proposing a federal leash law. The service has become a point of huge controversy, in part because the Presiding Bishop herself will officiate, making this a churchwide liturgy…

A vast canine service of reconciliation and blessing has been scheduled for the Washington National Cathedral. Afterward, the dogs will be allowed to play together unleashed on the cathedral grounds, which have been fenced in for this purpose. President Cheney has reacted by proposing a federal leash law. The service has become a point of huge controversy, in part because the Presiding Bishop herself will officiate, making this a churchwide liturgy, and in part because of concerns over whether the Cathedral Gift Shop will stock a sufficient supply of pooper-scoopers.

Various Episcopal and Anglican bishops are talking quite loudly about schism. In response, the Archbishop of Canterbury has summoned the heads of all Anglican provinces to meet with him at Lambeth Palace. His personal view of the matter is apparent: the meeting takes place the day after he officially opens the Greater London Dog Show. Conservatives hope to be vindicated, while progressives question the validity of the meeting since it will include no dogs, only primates.

The Rev. Charles Hoffacker is rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Port Huron, Michigan. He may be reached by email at choffacker@advnet.net