The shooting of a domestic cat by a chapel maintenance worker exposed many ungodly wrongs. The Bitterroot Valley Calvary Chapel Church declare on Facebook that “we believe that God’s rule and reign came to earth expressed in the life and ministry of his son…”. This is a Christian church doing their best to live by the morals and code set by the Bible. A catalogue of wrongs followed by a nice apology tells us that on this occasion they failed in that objective.
Although the church had a legitimate problem in that community cats were defecating in a sand pit used for sand volleyball, they recklessly put out traps to catch them. Unsurprisingly they trapped someone’s pet. Sheila Fallows’ cat was caught in the trap. Lee Maxey, 65, the chapel maintenance employee, shot Sheila’s cat in the trap. It was an act of so-called euthanasia. This was not euthanasia because the cat was healthy. It was a killing. I would argue that the cat must have felt pain and certainly a lot of distress.
Subsequently, Mr Maxey has been charged with discharging a firearm in city limits. He has not been charged with animal cruelty under animal welfare laws. I don’t know whether the police and prosecution service discussed the potential of a crime under animal welfare laws. I sense that they did not. This is the second ungodly mistake in this saga.
The initial mistake was that they put down traps with a disregard for the possibility that they would trap someone’s pet. I’m surprised that they failed to understand the possibility.
Maxey admitted that he killed the lady’s pet. The chapel dug a big hole for themselves in terms of morality and in doing God’s work. And the prosecution services have failed as well in my opinion.
On the upside, the chapel has demonstrated great contrition and have done all they can to remedy the matter. They adopted a new cat for Sheila Fallows and Maxey apologized profusely and asked for forgiveness. Of course she is very distressed, “it was heart-wrenching, it really was heart-wrenching” she said. Maxey is also distressed but in all honesty his attitude towards animals is ungodly.
Lessons
She also said that she hopes that the people involved have learnt a lesson. The police say that there is no law preventing the use of live traps but anybody contemplating putting down traps should contact the Humane Society on how to do it. The great danger is the one that this story highlights: you trap someone’s pet. In this instance the pet was shot but an alternative scenario is that the animal is taken to a shelter where it might be euthanized.
There is also the added complication that Sheila has an action under civil law. She is not taking that course of action but her cat was stolen from her and killed. This was ungodly behavior by people who should know better.
Source: Faceook and 8KPax.com.
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I think the church would have been better off by either covering or removing the sand out. I’m sure it would have been cheaper in the long run, especially after this publicity.
Cats are cats and prefer to use soft soil for their toiletries. If you don’t want a giant litterbox, don’t have a giant sand box outside. That’s what cats think about it and that is why children’s sandboxes now come with covers. DUH! The
Neat idea Cat’s Meow. They could have taken proactive steps to protect the sand. That would have avoided this distress.
What a great idea! I guess all the hotels and resorts in Miami should have covered-up all the beaches there when a few years back all the stray cats were spreading hookworm in all the beaches and ruined everyone’s vacations and businesses. What a simple and inexpensive solution!
Don’t be stupid. You are being deliberately idiotic and facetious. Covering a sandpit is not the same as covering a beach! Really, spare me your idiocy.
People like that give Christianity a very bad name. God gave us animals. It is our duty to care for them, not murder them in traps.
Yes, they should have known better. But do Christians relate to animals well?
Do Christians relate to animals well? I think we probably reflect much of society’s norms when it comes to animals. There are people who don’t care for animals on one end of the spectrum, and Christians like me who dote on them and are sometimes animal activists. One big difference is that we are commanded in God’s word to be good stewards of the Earth, including animals. There are also a fair number of Bible verses that admonish us to care for animals. I believe people like that custodian and those to do even worse things to animals will have to answer to God one day. I will too, for all I have done. But those who have mistreated animals I’m sure will be dealt with in God’s own way. I don’t think it will be pleasant.
I tend to agree with you. We are commanded to care for God’s creatures, even when they anger us.
We all will stand before God one day. I am extremely thankful that I will only be standing in my shoes and not an animal abuser’s.
The church is apologizing after murdering pets. I doubt there has been just one. The person shooting the cats was acting in full knowledge of the pastor. They should all be charged with animal abuse. I feel like some are looking to give this so called church a pass, why? Because it’s a church. They posted an outright admission of a crime online and a decent DA would take it and run with it.
Agreed. I feel that (1) being a church they got off lightly and (2) the maintenance guy who shot the cat has the wrong attitude and he won’t change therefore he should go. In fact he should be sacked for gross misconduct ( a crime is automatically gross misconduct).
The pastors of this church need to be canned also. Pressure needs to be applied.
That will never happen. Remember,priests have gotten away with child sexual abuse, with no consequences except being moved around.
Religious/spiritual leaders of all sects/cults have gotten away with evil deeds from the beginning, and I don’t think that will change.
This sad case of a church being involved in the murder of cats and getting away with it, just adds to the body of evidence that religion is not a force for good, it is too often used as a licence to abuse vulnerable cats, humans or any species, with impunity.
A life of seeing animals abused and hearing about why it was excusable has always come from someone who professes a religion.
I understand the frustration of stray and non-managed pets that in itself does not give anyone the right to abuse them. In fact it is used at every turn to start wars, genocides and the subjection of women as all major religions see women as somewhat less than men. Aside from true looking for a word other that whack-job but can’t find it when referring to N Korea it’s hard to find conflict in the world today that does not have religion at the center of it. My in laws are all fundamental(ly ill) Baptists and have no reguard whatsoever for animals or anyone who doesn’t subscribe to their personal nuttery. You cannot reason with this type of person because they truly believe their way is the only way. Well how’d that work out for them this time.
I don’t think anyone disagrees there is a feral cat issue. A simple motion activated sprinkler system around the sand pit or sonic deterrents would have solved most of their problems. Instead they took the caveman route and figuratively just start whacking the problem with clubs.
Did they notify every house in the neighborhood about the issue and ask them to keep pets at home ? When caught in a live trap they should have called AC or fish and game to take care of or dispose of the pest animal.
What have they done or did they do to mitigate the church yard from being attractive to so many feral cats and raccoons? I doubt it was just the sand pit.
We don’t kill people or animals that trespass on our property unless threatened. That means that you or your livestock is in eminent danger of being harmed at that moment. We are civilized and there are government and private rescues that can help. In almost all cases self-help is illegal.
And if anyone still thinks it’s ok to let your pet roam after reading what this church did to a pet cat you have holes in your head.
Here! Here! Very well said M E
I really hate when i go back and read a longer post that I wrote in segments. Even though I think I’ve picked up where I leave off often I’ve had the dialog run in my head. I hope the meaning of my post is clear. What happened here is worse because it happened under church order and yet many christians will call for forgiveness because they are a religious institution.
I’m sure there are a lot of people who under their breath are blaming the cat’s owner. Indeed she was negligent in letting her pets run loose. But once again that does not give the church the right to act outside the law. Or outside of moral behavior. If solving problems with neighbors were that easy I would have simply dropped my in laws dogs and had peace and quiet instead of working for years to make them obey the law.
Years ago I had an extremely dense neighbor complain that his pasture was full of coyotes and dogs. Turns out he dragged a dead cow out there and left it to rot. Again I don’t believe the sand pit was the biggest issue. They are perhaps guilty of a ‘ dead cow ‘ in their yard.
Truly an “un-godly” act, done without a bit of common sense or thinking. To trap a cat, then shoot it, because it used the sand pit, is not only poor judgement, but an unconscious lack of thought or compassion.
A simple reflection of “Do Unto Others…..” might have been appropriate for a Christian. A moment of considering “What would Jesus do?” might have been a guide.
I like your last sentence. It seems that Christians are no more moral than the rest of us even those who work at churches.