Christians are confused about domestic cats
It’s okay for Christians to hate cats so says a Christian writer on christiantoday.com. On another Christian website, the site owner says that if you don’t like cats you have a problem with the Lord. This is because the Lord made everything and everything he made is good.
“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made…(John 1)
“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving…”(1 Timothy 4)
I’d say that God would want us to respect all creatures. You can’t respect cats if you hate them. Yet…
The ten reasons why it is okay for Christians to hate cats are listed (and there is a tongue in cheek element to this list) – Note: I have included nine of them:
- There are no cats in the bible and therefore cats “are of the devil”. I think you’ll find lions are mentioned in the bible so the statement is wrong. Also just because domestic cats are not mentioned in the bible it does not mean they are “of the devil”.
- Cats drive you insane because you can get toxoplasmosis from them. This is an old chestnut. It is tiresome. I have addressed this one before.
- Cats shed hair and it gets everywhere. This is a reason to hate cats? So says a Christian. Dogs shed hair don’t they? If you dislike a cat’s hair to the point where it causes you to hate cats, I’d suggest that there is something wrong with you.
- Cats are less loveable than dogs. Are they? I don’t think you’ll get agreement to that from the millions of cat owners. Domestic cats narrowly outnumber dogs in the USA as I recall. I think this makes cats as loveable as dogs. It is just a matter of personal preference as to how you like to be loved and what sort of relationship you like with a companion animal.
- Cats target people who don’t like them. This is another myth. Forget it. It’s mumbo jumbo. As is the case for humans, cats won’t know if a person does not like them until the person demonstrates that dislike at which point the cat will disappear.
- There are too many cat lovers who can’t accept people who don’t like cats. I disagree. Most cat lovers are balanced, intelligent people with open minds. They are prepared to accept the views and opinions of others even if they are at odds with theirs.
- Cats poo in litter boxes in the living room in front of people. Litter boxes are almost never in the living room! And cats like privacy when using the litter box so they don’t normally use it in front of people.
- People can be allergic to cats. Yes, about 10% are as I recall. I have no comment on this except to say it is not a reason to hate cats. It is just the way it is. It could be argued that the reason why some people are allergic to cats is because they are sensitive to the allergen. It could be said that this is a human problem not a cat problem!
- When cats are kittens they are invariably cute but then they grow up all the above are reasons to hate cats.
Useful tag. Click to see the articles: Cat behavior
A very interesting statement about animals in the Bible: The Bible was written for Man, not animals, and therefore most animals have not been mentioned. If The Bible had been written for animals, Man probably have been left out. That is no reason to hate cats. Revelation mentions horsemen, so it could be correct to say that animals are in Heaven. The Bible just doesn’t go into any details about that because it isn’t relevant to Man’s salvation. Keep in mind that Jesus is referred to as Lamb and Lion. Lions are cats! 😀
Not to mention that in my opinion, Heaven would not be perfect with out animals.
Thanks Sadie Ann.
The bible seems to say anything anyone wants it to say if the words are properly twisted. It’s a tireless platform for war and hate.
i know this is off topic, but i need a little help/advice on my current rescue situation. i posted this on another article, but im posting it again cuz i trust you all will give me good advice, etc. heres my post(i didnt know if there was a section on this site for this kind of help/advice):
my gf & i just rescued 4 kittens 2 days ago on our property. 2 were in/under a rose bush & the other 2 were under her car. theyre just 5wks old. 2 are girls & 2 are boys. the good thing is the motheris around & we are currently trying to TNR her so she can be adopted along with her kittens. we plan on adopting 2(probably both girls)which leaves the other 2 which we are hoping they will be adopted together. we THINK the mother was abandoned cuz eventhough she IS standoffish she doesnt hiss or anything when my gf goes near her & she doesnt sprint away either. shes young, probably less than 2yrs old & she showed up around the time a house nearby vacated about 5 or so months ago. the local shelter has been great. they already helped us out by giving the kitties their shots, giving them a flea treatment, they & got us set up to foster them with food & kitty-safe litter. its our 1st time fostering, but we already have 2 4yr-old male cats. we are keeping them separated for now since they are technically feral. its only been a few days, but it seems like the “tortie”(i think thats the right term)girl has already chosen usas she constantly seeks our attention, naps on us, & purrs loudly when we pet her. the others are in various stages of accepting us so it seems like they will have no trouble getting adopted. theyre VERY energetic & seem healthy. we are very pleased. any advice though would be greatly appreciated as far as things to look out for with the little ones. we have a safe, clean area for them to sleep, eat, drink, & play. we just dont want to miss anything or mess anything up. we are also unsure what to do about momma. she seems to want to be around them as she tends to camp out outside our back door & meows to her kittens. my gf thinks we should try to foster her too, but ive read that THAT will make it harder to socialize the kittens. we ARE going to TNR momma cuz there are SEVERAL cats in our neighborhood. her tom is a bit of a local fixture around here, but no one seems to want to get ANY of the cats around here spayed &/or neutered. the prevailing attitude seems to be “animals should be allowed to do as they please”. we have a lot of strays here both cats AND dogs. again ANY advice is GREATLY appreciated. ill post this on the current article as well & i will check for responses. thanks for all your help! heres a pic of them resting on my lap.
My babies are 5 weeks old. If those kits will eat on their own I’d wean them so they can be fully socialized to humans. If mom is skittish she’ll teach it to the babies. It’s also important to get mom before she comes back into heat. Here’s the link to my thread http://www.thecatsite.com/t/325774/tera-2-4/420#post_4116857 Sorry Michael 🙂
With the right gentle, loving care, Momma will become more trusting and eventually become a loving indoor kitty. She will be skittish at first and the kittens may follow suit, but if they are all indoors together, they will all learn to trust you and become great pets. It would seem a shame to force her to stay outdoors if you don’t have too. She may even learn to accept you more quickly seeing her kittens are safe.
Best wishes!
two tings: first and foremost i think Diane hit the nail on the head, ‘these people are misled’. the bible says love thy neighbor as thyself. so to hate anyONE or anyTHING is to hate yourself which would be sinning against “god”. its ALWAYS sad when people take religion and twist it for their own ends to use as a tool for justifiable hatred of others be they people or animals. when they do that they are disrespecting the very “god” they profess to serve and show others their own lack of faith and belief.
second, as far as point #6 goes:
6. There are too many cat lovers who can’t accept people who don’t like cats. I disagree. Most cat lovers are balanced, intelligent people with open minds. They are prepared to accept the views and opinions of others even if they are at odds with theirs.
there have been MANY times when the responses to people that hate & abuse cats has been met with responses like: these people should not breed, or they should be taken out of the gene-pool or something similar on this very site. it would be nice if we all meet those that criticize cat-lovers with equanimity, but not all of us do. but by and large our responses tend to be the same as others which is sad, but its still the truth. i dont see or responses as being any WORSE than theirs, but they arent a whole lot better either though if we are honest. i know i have been harsh at times when i SHOULD be more even-keeled, but i, like the rest of us, am human and prone to respond emotionally to certian situations.
i dont/didnt mean to piss anyone off by my last assertion, and i hope i didnt. but i felt like THAT point WAS a little bit valid TO A DEGREE simply because many of the responses ive seen to certain comments/articles HAVE been kinda harsh, BUT they havent been any worse than dog-lovers, AND -unfortunately-have actually been better than some responses ive seen on many “christian” sites on similarly charged issues(like how democratic leaders-especially black congresspersons, etc- have handled different issues). which is pretty sad. apologies to any ive offended. nuff said.
Ed. . . thank you. . .♥
What a disappointing article from a Christian website. With all the topics to choose from and all the things going on in the world today, they have to attack the domestic cat?
If they wanted to write about cats there would be interesting ways to do it. Jesus is the Lion of Judah but the devil is also described as a roaring lion looking for people to devour. I’m sure some valid theological points could be made regarding the use of this imagery of a big cat in both a very positive light and a negative one. It does show a cat representing great power– power for evil or power for good, but power none the less.
And cats do show, as any predator would, that nature is indeed “red in tooth and claw”– a very different world from the perfection of Eden and evidence of the effects of sin on the natural order or creation.
So if a person wanted to write a cat themed article for a religious website there is certainly potential there for a thought provoking Bible study which could also include a look at one of God’s magnificent creatures, the king of the jungle.
My Monty is certainly the king of his back yard enclosure. Small animals scatter in his wake and birds scold him from above, but they all fear him.
But he does only what he was created to do, what comes naturally to him. He is in harmony with God, it’s humans who are not.
Seems kind of arrogant that sinful humans should decide to hate innocent creatures. When you reflect on the forgiveness and love available to us in Christ and then read that hateful article it is seems possible that the person(s) who wrote it have no faith at all. They are like the servant in the parable who after his great debt is forgiven goes after someone who owes him a small sum.
God loves us so in response we should hate innocent animals? Even if it is a joke, and maybe it was intended that way, it is in such poor taste that it would have been better not to have been included on their website at all.
Ruth. . . AMEN!!! ♥♥♥
Michael, I am a Christian person, and in my church (non denominational), we are taught to love ALL living things. God made them to be our companions (the companion anipals) — and He made ALL things, therefore, they are ALL good in His eyes. Misled people are the culprit here. If one truly understands what he/she reads in the Bible, it is plainly clear. The key to Heaven and happiness here on earth is LOVE AND FORGIVENESS.
As for the above so called Christian comments, get a life and READ your Bible!!!!
I agree with you Diane. All Christians should respect all animals. I am being deliberately provocative in the article to try and generate a discussion. I am sure most genuine Christians respect animals. However, many people who are religious are not necessarily good as we are all aware.
♥♥♥
I avoid religion like the plague on humanity it is. Now see if the Christ lovers were honest the bible makes a lot of bad comments about doggy. They should hate doggy but we have churches where they take doggy with them now.
Religion = if you can’t explain something attribute it to a sky fairy.
BTW anyone who uses religion to prove they have the right to hate something has just proven every argument I’ve ever had about religion. Pack of trouble makers.
Even though I disconnected myself from my Christian upbringing years ago, I remember many things.
Yes, lions are in the Bible. Daniel was put in a lions’ den.
And, as far as hate… the Bible clearly reads that man is only permitted to hate those things that God hates, ie. evil. I seem to remember self pride and arrogance somewhere also. But, there is nothing anywhere that condones hatred for any living thing.
BTW, the 9 reasons listed sound like Woody.
I couldn’t find the article in ChristianToday.com
The link at the top of the article takes you to it.
I had clicked on the link, and got to the page, but not to the specific article. This time it did. Strange…
More Christian ignorance…