If I go by some of the crap I have seen my cat hork up on my carpet, I would say he is possessed too.
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But he's really a sweetie.
Pets - How do you view them? (Bullcrap article by WT)
by skeeter1 39 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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erandir
Did anyone have the notion to read the follow-up article? There's a whole section on the "problem of pets" where the WT does what it does best: highlight the negative aspects and minimize the positive. Sick. They like putting their spin on a matter and then passing it off as a "conscience" matter. No pharisaic rules for me, please! Yet another reason to be done with that group!
*rant over*
Erandir
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MissingLink
Young People Ask: Can my pet be disfellowshipped if they become too much of a burden?
WT: We'll try to find a way!
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brinjen
The Watchtower can not help but find the negative in every aspect of life.
Yep, whether it's having a pet, drinking a cup of coffee or going for a walk on the beach, the WTBTS will find some way to dig up the 'negatives'.
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avengers
Pets
How Do You
View Them?How I view pets is none of their business! I am not interested in their view. There were times that they viewed cats as demonic animals.
Cats are not demonic, the WT is. So stay away from my views and keep your views to yourseves I love my pets. They give me more for my money than the WT ever did.
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WTWizard
OK, there are a few needs that pets cannot fulfill. The major one is the sex drive and to produce children. While people do commit bestiality, I do not recommend it (however, I am not going to police anyone that chooses to do bestiality). And people cannot have children by doing bestiality.
That aside, pets can fill any other need that another human can. Unlike humans, pets are totally bicameral in nature and thus it's proper to expect absolute obedience from a pet, as long as you fully provide for all the pet's needs. They can be trained to watch the place when no one is home. And they can be trained to do things that the person may be unable or too lazy to do. Pets provide emotional support to many people as well.
The real truth is that pets are going to die. Dogs will die after about 12 years, depending on how well you take care of them and the breed (some can last as long as 25 years). Cats live a bit longer--15 years is about average, and a few can exceed 30). Some birds can last more than 60 years. Rodents like mice, rats, and rabbits tend to have very short life spans. It is rare for a rabbit to live more than 10 years; mice are old at age 3. And thus one must expect that they are going to eventually die.
However, that does not reduce the sadness. For a rodent with a very short life span, death is expected and the pet should be viewed as expendible. The plus is that there is no long term commitment. You can take care of them to make sure they live as long as possible in good health. Dogs and cats last longer, and it can be a very traumatic experience to lose one. It is expected, but still a loss that must be grieved whether the Watchtower Society likes it or not. Birds have extremely long life expectencies and thus are not reasonably expected to die before the owner; however, when they do, it is usually much more traumatic. The down side is that the commitment is lifelong with those birds.
Before taking on a pet, it is better for both you and the pet to learn as much about taking proper care of it as possible. Can you reasonably accomodate it? If not, then it is going to be difficult for both you and the pet. Cats tend to be more independent than dogs. Birds can be left in relatively small cages. Rodents are also able to live in cages, especially mice and the like. Tarantulas are also fairly easy, spacewise, to accomodate. Then you have to provide for their diets, exercise needs, temperature and humidity needs, and account for their temperament. For instance, some pets have diets that can be expensive or temperature needs that humans would find very uncomfortable. Dogs and cats tend to be moderate in these areas, but after the dog food incident earlier this year, you want to make sure you can afford the best food for them possible to prolong active lifespan.
Once you have decided that you can, and are willing, to take proper care of a pet, and you get it, it becomes essentially a member of the family. A pet can take a lot of time to care for; if you have already decided that you are willing and able to do that, then it can be very enhoyable as well. Dogs and cats are quite easy in general; cats tend to need less attention than dogs. At this point, you can enjoy the benefits of owning the pet.
Oh yes, why the Watchtower article? Taking care of pets takes time. And that's time that could have been put in field circus. Dogs are more demanding than cats; certain tropical pets are even more demanding. They also take money away from the Worldwide Pedophile Defense Fund. Besides, the last thing the Watchtower Society wants is to not be able to have a book study in your house because you have a banana spider as a pet (those are extremely demanding, difficult to keep, and have a nasty temper to go along with a nasty bite). Either way, the Watchtower Society loses.
Yes, you should have a pet if the benefit exceeds the total cost. Do the research. Decide if their is enough benefit to justify the total cost of keeping the pet. And, if the benefit is greater than the cost, and once you learn how to properly take care of the pet, then by all means get it!
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Maddie
The WT want to control how we feel about our pets now??! I agree that some people get a little off-balance about their animals and I think that sometimes it's because they give unconditional love to their owners. I knew a lady who felt this way about her dogs. Some people have lost faith in human beings because of the way they have been treated so they substitute them with a pet andshower all their love on them. It is sadbut understandable.
Maddie
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fresia
The remarkable loyalty of animals actually causes some people to have stronger love for their pets than for family members.
Yes well some family members are bastards, and animals as they WTS say THE REMARKABLE LOYALTY OF ANIMALS, in times of stress and loniless, when someone is being abused or treated badly by others, yes even in our own family, and IN THE CONGREGATION,THE FAMILY OF GOD, pets can give us so much comfort. So what's wrong with that. No wonder some prefer to leave there pets a big bone.
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Celia
And people have named pets in their last will and testament as beneficiaries of fabulous wealth.
No wonder pets are big business today! There are books and magazines that provide advice on every matter relating to pets. Realizing that some pet owners are willing to provide extravagant luxuries for their pets, businesses offer whatever pet owners want.
For example, one may consult highly specialized doctors who treat all manner of ailments affecting pets. There are pet psychiatrists who will prescribe an antidepressant for a pet. In addition, there are pet lawyers and insurance agents as well as pet grooming services and training institutions. Funerals are held for pets. And offers are made to clone pets— all at a price, of course.
Pets don't just take up too much of your time, which would be better spent slaving for us, but they cost so much money that should instead be sent to us....
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sacrebleu
I've never had a dog back talk, wreck the vehicle, or give me indigestion.
I've never had a dog who was brain washed into not socializing with me.
I vote for dogs over most people.
They drag people out of burning buildings, they find lost people, they hear and see for us, turn lights on and off, help the disabled get out in the community, alert for seizures, they protect us and our property, they can lower our blood pressure, give the dying something else to think about, give the depressed a reason to get out of bed.
I think they are some of God's best work. And no stupid cult is going to change my mind.
Thank God for dogs.
sacrebleu