c. 2003 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) Montecore, to hear some tell it, is one lucky cat.

Decades ago, it’s likely that the 7-year-old white tiger would have been euthanized for mauling a human _ in this case, Las Vegas entertainer Roy Horn.

But minutes after the tiger dragged Horn off the stage at the Mirage resort in early October, Horn reportedly pleaded for the tiger’s life. Since then, others have joined Horn in his call, with some requesting that the animals used in the act be given a sanctuary in which they might roam freely.

Such sentiments mark a dramatic change in humans’ attitudes, according to Diana L. Guerrero, an animal behaviorist and author of “What Animals Can Teach Us About Spirituality.”

Years ago, she said, “they probably would have killed the tiger right away.”

The public’s apparent forgiveness of Montecore’s behavior isn’t all that’s changed in recent years.

Concern for animals has increased as people have begun to look at them differently, Guerrero said. Humans have learned more about creatures that once filled them with fear, she said, but have also started to ascribe mystical qualities to animals.

“Sometimes people read into animals what they want and not necessarily what’s the truth,” she said.

For her part, Guerrero said she hopes to help people learn to connect with animals. “Animals help people with personal and spiritual growth a lot,” she said.

In her new book, Guerrero highlights lessons taught by some of “God’s furry messengers.”

“Wolves show us that we should labor hard to work things out in families; communicate on a constant basis; set fair and solid rules and abide by them; use kindness and firmness with our children; and use patience and understanding when dealing with others in intimate social groups and larger communities,” she writes. “We are lucky to have wolves in the wild and dogs in our homes.”

While Guerrero emphasizes the ways in which animals can serve as positive role models for humans, she’s careful to state that the creatures aren’t perfect. Most people will applaud dolphins as wonderful, highly intelligent creatures, for example, she said. (Indeed, even Guerrero cites dolphins in her book as the animals that “represent the ultimate connection with the Divine.)

But, she said, “They will do things that aren’t great toward people. They’ve tried to drown people.”

When it comes to human-animal interactions, though, Guerrero said that animals “just don’t flat-out attack for no reason. If you’re not aware and you’re not paying attention, that’s when accidents happen.”

Guerrero, who said she’s seen Siegfried and Roy’s famous show, noted accounts that the tiger was “acting up” and that Horn disciplined him by tapping him on the nose.

“There’s always precursors,” Guerrero said, guessing that Montecore may have “telegraphed” warning signs even before he stepped onto the stage.

For years, the emphasis has been on man’s dominance over other living creatures.

Many Christians, for example, long have interpreted a passage in Genesis to emphasize their power over “the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the Earth.”

But in recent years, theologians have said that the word “dominion” present in some biblical translations should be interpreted as “stewardship” rather than “domination.”

“For humans to have dominion over the Earth certainly meant some control, but not exploitation, and not cruelty,” said Jay McDaniel, author of “Of God and Pelicans: A Theology of Reverence for Life.”

“I don’t think the word is especially helpful,” McDaniel said of “dominion.” “The themes that are most helpful today are compassion, and that we’re creatures among creatures, nested in a larger web of life. God establishes a convenant even with the animals in the Noah story. Paul’s theme (is) that it’s the whole of creation groaning in travail that awaits redemption at the end of time.

“John Wesley took (that) to mean that there are animals in heaven. Those themes are so much more helpful if you want to help churches awaken to the significance of human-animal bonds.”

By McDaniel’s account, many congregations have long been asleep.

“I myself grew up with pets, dogs in particular, and I also grew up a United Methodist,” said McDaniel, now a professor of religion at Hendrix College in Conway, Ark. “While I never sensed any tension between loving animals and being bonded with animals and being a churchgoer, it was also the case that I never sensed any affirmation of the significance of those bonds from the church.”

Religious communities could accomplish much by recognizing those relationships, McDaniel said.

Dr. Paul Waldau, clinical assistant professor at the Center for Animals and Public Policy at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Mass., noted, too, that taking time to care for animals is something that “enlarges your spirit” and may help Christians to better understand Jesus’ sacrifice for them.

“Human beings are connected up to the rest of the Earth,” Waldau said. “It’s part of our ethical potential to care about it.”

DEA END CAMPBELL