Funny Cool Stuff

Some philosophers say that spirituality is the thing that sets us humans apart from ordinary animals. That sounds quite reasonable. Among all the species on this planet, only human beings have the capability to understand religion and follow religious rituals, right?

Well, maybe not.

In a Zen Buddhist temple in Okinawa, Japan, a resident little dog named Conan has learned to clasp his paws together and pray in front of the altar alongside his human masters. The story of the praying dog has become a media sensation in Japan, and the temple has seen a dramatic increase in the number of curious visitors.

Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised about dogs learning how to pray. After all, isn’t “beg” one of the most popular tricks that dog owners teach their pets? And we can say that praying is basically begging from the God, right? Plus, it’s possible that dogs feel a special connection with the divine because “god” is “dog” spelled backwards.

Hmm, I wonder if that’s where the term “religious dogma” comes from.