Religious Education

Animals & World Faiths

How different cultures and religions treat animals, tell stories about them, and use them as symbols.

Animals matter in cultures and faiths all over the world. People may believe different things — but nearly everyone agrees that animals should be treated with kindness and respect.

1. 🌍 Cultural differences

Different countries and cultures treat animals in different ways:

🇮🇳 India
Cows are sacred (very special). Many people don't eat beef, and cows often walk freely in the streets.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Dogs and cats are popular pets, often treated like family. There are laws to protect animal welfare.
🇹🇭 Thailand
Elephants are national symbols — people respect and honour them; some help with work, some live in sanctuaries.
🏺 Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptians worshipped cats — they were seen as magical, and harming one was a serious crime.
🇲🇳 Mongolia
Horses are extremely important — children learn to ride very young, and horses help with transport and herding.

2. 🤝 Cultural understanding

What we can learn:

💚 Think about it: Can you think of an animal that's special in your culture or family? How do you show respect for animals? Even if someone treats animals differently from you, we can all agree that kindness matters.

3. 📖 Animal stories from around the world

Many religions have famous stories about animals — and the animals often teach us important lessons.

✝️ Christianity — Noah's Ark
God told Noah to build a giant boat and fill it with two of every kind of animal to survive a great flood — showing the importance of caring for all living creatures.
🕉️ Hinduism — Ganesh
Ganesh is a god with the head of an elephant — a symbol of wisdom, strength, and the remover of obstacles.
☸️ Buddhism — The Snake who Sheltered the Buddha
A giant snake, Mucalinda, sheltered the Buddha from a storm by spreading its hood over him — showing that even fearsome creatures can be kind.
✡️ Judaism — The Dove & the Olive Branch
In Noah's story, a dove returns with an olive branch — a sign the floodwaters were gone. The dove became a symbol of peace.
☪️ Islam — Kindness to Animals
The Prophet Muhammad taught that all animals deserve kindness and respect, and that causing an animal pain is a serious wrong.

4. 🐣 How animals came to be — creation stories

Different faiths tell different stories about how animals were created — but most agree on one big idea: animals are special and should be cared for.

✝️✡️ Christianity & Judaism — Genesis
God created the animals over six days — sea creatures and birds on day 5, land animals (and humans) on day 6.
🕉️ Hinduism — Vishnu's Avatars
The god Vishnu has appeared on Earth as different animals to save the world — a fish, a tortoise, a boar, and even a lion-man!
🪶 Indigenous Native American stories
Many tribes believe animals were here before humans. The Coyote and the Raven are common characters in creation stories.
☪️ Islam
The Qur'an teaches that Allah created every living creature — and each animal has its own purpose.
☸️ Buddhism
Buddhism teaches that humans and animals are all connected — your soul might have been an animal in a past life.
🗣️ Discuss: What do all these stories have in common? Why do you think animals appear in religious stories all around the world?

5. 🕊️ Religious symbols using animals

Animals appear as symbols in religions all around the world — each one stands for something important.

🕊️
Dove
Christianity, Judaism — peace, the Holy Spirit, hope.
🐟
Fish
Christianity — an early secret symbol; the Greek word (ICHTHYS) stood for "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Saviour".
🐑
Lamb
Christianity — innocence, sacrifice, gentleness. Jesus is called "the Lamb of God".
🐂
Bull
Hinduism — strength. Nandi the bull is the loyal companion of the god Shiva.
🐘
Elephant
Hinduism — wisdom & luck. Ganesh removes obstacles.
🦚
Peacock
Hinduism, Buddhism — beauty and immortality.
🐍
Snake
Many faiths — rebirth (shedding skin) in some; temptation in others.
🐝
Bee
Islam — hard work & kindness. The Qur'an has a chapter named "The Bee".

📖 Glossary

Sacred — something treated as very special or holy.
Worship — to show deep respect and honour, often to a god.
Culture — the beliefs, customs and ways of life shared by a group of people.
Symbol — something that stands for an idea (like a dove standing for peace).
Creation story — a story that explains how the world and its creatures began.
Avatar — in Hinduism, a form a god takes when appearing on Earth.
Welfare — the health, comfort and good treatment of an animal.

✓ Check your understanding