GOD’S BLOG.
I have one particular favorite kitty. She’s a mean, black street cat – full of energy, zesty and fun. She’s about 3 years old, has a hernia and is dying. Although I can afford the surgery, I’ve decided to let nature take it’s course. Partly because I feel paying so much to ‘defeat nature’ is hypocritical, especially for me. Partly because I like to hoard my wealth, so I can use it on better things (using your money to preserve your pet companion rather than, for example, feed starving children – is that not an unhealthy egoism or selfishness?)
At any right, I’ve decided not to pay for the very expensive surgery my cat needs. However, now I’m stuck at home with a very miserable cat. She doesn’t seem to be in too much pain, but she’s weak and slow – certainly at this point aware that something is wrong with her. Friends are saying I need to put her to sleep so that she doesn’t suffer.
I’m inclined to disagree with them, however. Why is it that we ‘put down’ our pets, put them to sleep, make the call that their life is over; we would never do this to humans. In fact it is almost universally illegal. Humans always choose to suffer, to have another sunrise, another sip of coffee, another sniff of flowers. Humans fight to survive as long as possible, and that is their right. It is also the natural way; the way I DESIGNED the universe. The biological imperative to survive. Why do humans who accept pets as their own (property) have power over their life and death?
Is it my responsibility to take my cat in to get put to sleep, because I don’t want to pay for the surgery? What’s wrong with letting her die in peace, at home, loved, surrounded by familiars – her favorite spot by the window, her favorite pillow? Is that less humane than a trip to a strange, busy, frightening vet’s office and getting a shot on a steel table? If I can’t bring myself to strangle my cat, or put poison in her food, how can I take her to the vet’s and put her down?
On the other hand, is my respect for my cat and sentimentality getting in the way of making the best decision for her comfort?
September 4, 2010
If your decisions about how you spend your money are based on the fact there are starting children on this planet, you’d never spend any money. Why pay a mortgage when you can buy a tent and feed children? Why buy a tent when you could buy a towel and feed even more?? Isn’t the universe designed so I should sleep under the stars and witness the glory of God every night? This is a slippery slope.
This type of legalism is exactly what Jesus railed against with the pharisees. This kind of thinking is adding to the words of God (and woe unto…). Man was made to tend God’s garden and rule the animals (Genesis 1:28).
God has been teaching Man how to properly love throughout the entire bible. I’d say love is the main theme of the bible. Wouldn’t you? If your pet is slow and tired, she is suffering. Does your decision or attitude express love for her? Think about that.
I can empathize about your distress. I had to have one of my cats killed for cancer one time and it was a very painful and anguishing decision, and even harder to carry out. However, we do live in a cursed world.
Help those you can and love those you come into contact with. Including animals. Search the bible for scriptures about being kind and fair to animals. You will find them.
November 1, 2010
Thanks for your comment. Sorry to hear about your cat.
You’ve obviously, however, never opened your bible. The idea that Jesus came to abolish law and legalism and institute “love” is a later Christian gloss – possible to support by extracting 3 or 4 quotes from the bible and ignoring all of the rest. Love is the main theme of the Bible? Go and read the psalms, which are constantly whining about why God hasn’t decimated his accusers. Read how God and Satan tag teamed Job with punishments just to settle a bet between them. Read how God tortures Jonah, or how Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery, or how Abraham whores out his wife Sarah to the Pharaoh, or how Rachel steals from her father before running away from him.
In the New Testament, Jesus says “I came to bring not peace, but the sword”. He says “leave the dead to bury the dead” and says you must “hate your father, mother and brother”.
Sure he says things like “I am love” and “God is father” – but look at his actions!! There’s hardly any love there. He chastises and rebukes everybody, all the time. Jesus may have been somewhat decent but ‘God’ in 98% of the Bible is a monster.
As for animals – can you find any such passages? I can’t. I can find how many animals of what type need to be given to a man after you’ve raped his daughter, how many animals much be slaughtered in what method or burnt on a pyre to please the jealous and angry Yahweh. I can find lots of passages about animals being killed or destroyed. I’ve found nothing relating to pets at all, and certainly nothing that could be taken as ‘being kind and fair to animals’.
December 8, 2010
I can promise you that I do read my bible every day. You misunderstand what Jesus meant when he said he came to bring a sword and not peace. What he meant is that since the world hated him, it would also hate his followers. Therefore, unbelieving family members would turn against believers and divide them just like someone has taken a sword to it. When he said leave the dead to bury the dead he was demonstrating the commitment required to follow him. I could go on, but from reading your post you have so far missed the entire overall message of the bible that I will not spend the time to argue with you. I can only say that at one time I hated God as much as you did. I would actually flip off every church I drove by. I spent 35 years being an athiest, but one day his word of truth cut through my heart of stone. I pray one day he does the same for you, too. But for me, he fills my heart full of love and joy every day of my life. I would never turn my back on Jesus now.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
December 8, 2010
Thanks for your feedback. I agree with your interpretation of the ‘sword’ reading. He did come to divide people, even between family members (how is that bringing peace?).
Incidentally, this view is not new to Jesus, it was common especially for Stoic philosophers, who believed the world was passing away and they needed to make sure they were ready:
On a voyage, when the ship calls at the port and you go
ashore for water, it amuses you to pick up a shell or a plant by the way; but
your thoughts ought to be directed to the ship and you must watch lest the
captain call, and then you must throw away all those things, that you may not
be flung aboard, tied like the sheep. So in life, suppose that instead of some
little shell or plant, you are given something in the way of wife or child
nothing need hinder. But, if the captain call, run to the ship letting them all
go and never looking round. (Epictetus, qtd. Glover 50)
As for salvation, it’s not that simple. Christians believe once you accept Jesus he will forgive all your sins and you will be saved. I accepted Jesus fully as a teenager. Jesus says you can blaspheme against him and God as long as you don’t blaspheme against the holy spirit. So I’m pretty sure I’m still safe. For more ways to be saved, check out this post:
http://dwindlinginunbelief.blogspot.com/2006/08/28-ways-to-get-yourself-saved.html
And I don’t hate God at all, or anybody else; I believe in many things I can’t see, the right to spiritual worship and belief. I also have found the Bible to be categorically untrue and disbelieve that Jesus is historical, which is based on evidence and reason. At any rate, I’m kind of tired of this conversation. I’d like to suggest you do some reading and if you decide to post again, post evidence (not from the Bible, but from research) and not opinion; which I probably won’t agree with you about.
I’m happy that you found Jesus and that it makes you happy. It’s great that you have a passion and purpose driven life.
By the way your final quote has many different meanings. The meaning that you give it means “most people are going to Hell because God decided to hide the door of salvation and make it appear foolish so that only those with faith (without evidence) can be saved, which is how I will know who truly loves me”. That’s not the kind of manipulative deity I can believe in.
April 25, 2011
Wow, what a great discussion. I started looking for things related to euthanizing my 17 year old dog, cause I’m still fighting my inclination to put her out of her obvious misery. She hacks and coughs almost every waking moment she has, and even wakes up the same way, frequently during the day or night. Her tired old body is riddled with fatty tumors. We’ve had her in our family since she was 6 months old, and I believe we’ve given her a good life. But as her ‘owner’, which most people would agree I am legally, I also feel I am part of her family, and a friend; in which case, I feel I have an obligation to end her suffering, whether or not is legal to do so for a human being.
As far as the argument discussing the Bible – I can’t believe how ridiculous the discussion got. Either you believe in God, and that Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament teachings – which meant changing things, including ending all forms of other sacrifice for ‘sins’ – or you choose to NOT believe. After all, in 2008, enough idiots believed in Obama’s ‘Change You Can Believe In’ that THAT idiot was actually elected. So clearly, people will believe anything, if you feed them enough BS. I CHOOSE to believe in Christ, you can believe in Obama. I still like the old line: “If you don’t believe in something, you’ll fall for anything.” Clearly Obama nuts already fell – hard – and will probably fall again in 2012. Pity. In the mean time, I’m stuck, still puzzling, over what will be kinder for my own friend and companion; who is, by the way, only one of six – three dogs and three cats. You, on the other hand, should go feed all the hungry in the world, bow down to dictators, as Obama has, and join his effort to ‘redistribute’ the wealth. Be happy.
April 25, 2011
Thanks for your comment; sorry to hear about your dog, it’s a terribly sad position to be in. I still feel terrible about the way I let my cat go, not in peace at all. If I could do it over again I probably would have chosen to let the vet put her down.
Good luck with your decision and best wishes!
November 1, 2010
If your decisions about how you spend your money are based on the fact there are starting children on this planet, you’d never spend any money. Why pay a mortgage when you can buy a tent and feed children? Why buy a tent when you could buy a towel and feed even more?? Isn’t the universe designed so I should sleep under the stars and witness the glory of God every night? This is a slippery slope.
This type of legalism is exactly what Jesus railed against with the pharisees. This kind of thinking is adding to the words of God (and woe unto…). Man was made to tend God’s garden and rule the animals (Genesis 1:28).
God has been teaching Man how to properly love throughout the entire bible. I’d say love is the main theme of the bible. Wouldn’t you? If your pet is slow and tired, she is suffering. Does your decision or attitude express love for her? Think about that.
I can empathize about your distress. I had to have one of my cats killed for cancer one time and it was a very painful and anguishing decision, and even harder to carry out. However, we do live in a cursed world.
Help those you can and love those you come into contact with. Including animals. Search the bible for scriptures about being kind and fair to animals. You will find them.
December 22, 2010
Why have a pet at all if you won’t pay for hernia surgery? A hernia is easily treatable. Your cat is just three years old! Go ahead and get her the surgery she needs, like yesterday.