Animals and Religion

I remember a Sunday school lesson when I was 4 years old, where the teacher had taught us about how God wanted us to love. We had put together a little model of a bird. On the model, it stated that God wanted us to love: 1. Others 2. Ourselves 3. The Animals.
As a 4 year old I was very dismayed and bothered by this lesson. I remember continually asking my mom, why would God want me to love myself or other people more than the animals? My mother and the Sunday school teacher both tried to explain that God loved the animals but he loved people more than the animals. We were his "chosen" species, and while he loved the animals, he love us more. I could never wrap my four year old brain around this concept, and still have trouble with the concept that religion tries to teach that we are "the chosen," somehow greater than the rest of the living beings on this planet. Many religions would argue that we are the only beings who have souls and are worthy of eternal life (a belief system that crushed me when I first lost one of my animals).
Isn't it this sort of out-of-balance mentality that has gotten our planet where we are now?
Recently I have been thinking a lot about animals and religion. I consider myself to be not only a believer, but a follower of God. In fact, I believe learning and practicing animal communication has brought me closer to my creator, my source, and my own heart. By learning to listen to the animals, I have learned to listen to my own higher powers, be it spirit guides, angels, or the Ultimate Creator. By walking this path I have cultivated a relationship with God that is far beyond what I had before I started on this journey, and one that is growing deeper every day.
This journey has lead me to the place where I believe strongly in having my own personal relationship with God, not one that is dictated to me by a religious leader. I believe it is this personal relationship that has brought me to a place where I can communicate with animals, see energy, and facilitate healings--a place far beyond where I ever thought I would be!! It has also brought be to a place where I feel I can hear God's voice on a daily basis and have Him as the main guide in my life. Isn't this an amazing thing?
I am now beginning to realize there are many paths to get to where I am now. Some people will get there walking the way I have walked. Others will be guided there through a religious belief system. There is no right or wrong answer, as long as we are continually following our hearts, listening to our higher power, and walking in love.
When I teach people how to be intuitive and listen to their heart in speaking with the animals, I teach them that the truth always comes in through love; if something comes in through the form of fear or hate, we can always know it is not of the heart, and not a truth. Fear is of the head, love is of the heart. It is the heart that leads us to the truth, and the head that often leads us astray.
I believe we can use this same system when putting our religious belief systems to the test. If a belief seems to be based on fear, I believe it is moving us away from God. If it is based on love, then it brings us to a closer relationship with ourselves and our Creator.
I know much of the fear that is in religion has simultaneously driven people away from religion and also driven religious people away from things that could bring them closer to God. I hope more and more people will begin to recognize animal communication and similar fields for what they are--a way to move closer to God, one's own spirit, and the ultimate truth of creation: that we are all connected a linked through the power of love and spirit.