Kitty Idol

[MamaJunebug]

The following story was told me with some smugness, since the teller is not a Lutheran and is biased against anybody who isn't of her own denomination. I relate it here with a different purpose.

A never-married, but romantically experienced woman in her early 30s met a man online who seemed an improvement over the beau she had at home. So she found a job in her field in the other town, pulled up stakes and moved there, taking along her beloved pet cat.

Shortly, the cat presented with a health situation that would cost about $1,000 to cure. The woman agreed to the procedures. Why wouldn't she have? She has supported herself her whole adult life, had a well paying and reasonably secure job and could afford the expense.

Her new beau exploded in resentment and criticism. $1,000 to cure a mere cat was unthinkable, he declared. When she didn't back down, he said darkly that she was making an idol of that cat.

She had the cat treated without a second's thought to doing otherwise; just as quickly, she told the beau he wasn't part of her life, anymore. The cat's doing fine, BTW.

"And he's Lutheran," my acquaintance sneered at me. And I replied back with aplomb, "And the young woman knew a control-freak when she saw one."

(I wish I'd added, "Unlike you, who didn't know a control-freak and married one, your first time. You know, the one you still call 'asshole' though you've been apart 20 years." I didn't, but only because I didn't think to at the time. :roll: )

So why do I post this? Because control-freaks appear in all denominations and religions and non-theistic worldviews.

And because - IMHO - it shows yet again how all that Maxwellish talk of "idols" is not about honoring God or some ethical standard. It's about keeping those around you in-check, and doing things the way you think is best.

[Marian the Librarian]

"So why do I post this? Because control-freaks appear in all denominations and religions and non-theistic worldviews.

And because - IMHO - it shows yet again how all that Maxwellish talk of "idols" is not about honoring God or some ethical standard. It's about keeping those around you in-check, and doing things the way you think is best."

Very well-put, MJB.

I'm afraid the online beau would have no truck with me and Mr. Marian the Librarian - we KNOW our cats are idols!! :lol:

[NurseNell]

I'm afraid the online beau would have no truck with me and Mr. Marian the Librarian - we KNOW our cats are idols!! :lol:

The Egyptians honored cats as gods, and they haven't forgotten it. :royalty-pharaoh:

[Guest Anonymous]

There's no such thing as a MERE cat (Charlie agrees, totally). If this lady had to have an idol, I would say that she picked the right one.

[anniebgood]

Squeaks is sitting on her perch looking at me while I am nodding my head. She knows she is the queen, the beloved, and the child who claims her is her person. (The dog on the other hand has made an idol of me, crying when ever I leave him....wonder what the Maxwell's would make of him?)

[MamaJunebug]

Squeaks is sitting on her perch looking at me while I am nodding my head. She knows she is the queen, the beloved, and the child who claims her is her person. (The dog on the other hand has made an idol of me, crying when ever I leave him....wonder what the Maxwell's would make of him?)

You think it's significant that the family have no pets? It just occurred to me.

[NurseNell]

You think it's significant that the family have no pets? It just occurred to me.

They had a golden retriever, Honey, who was very loved from the way they wrote. The dog was old and might have died in the last few months.

[ladypuglover]

Last spring we paid close to $1000 to have our little boy pug's hip fixed. Is he our God? No. He is our beloved family member and now after the surgery he is pain free and will hopefully have at least 10 more years of being our sweet boy. Without the surgery he would have had to use a doggy wheelchair until the pain forced us to put him down. Big bucks to make him a normal healthy pug or bigger bucks to prolong a painful life or a few bucks to put him down. I think we did the right thing as no money was taken away from our children's comfort and they got to keep their baby brother. And as plain Christians, we feel we did what God would have asked us to do.... to care for his dumb creatures. (dumb meaning silent, not stupid. Even though being a male pug it can mean slow witted..)

Our cats know they were worshiped thousands of years ago but the pugs know they were too. The lab doesn't care as long as a good belly rub is in her future.

[marmalade]

The snoring torbie on my left approves this post. :D

[UmmSqueakster]

Squeaky would prefer offerings of smoked salmon in lieu of worship.

[BoomerLynn]

Aw what a pretty cat!

[NurseNell]

Love Squeaky. My cats love to be up high too.

[anniebgood]

Squeaks.

Squeaks and a little Duffy, who loves Squeaks in his Pepe Le Pew style.

[NurseNell]

edited: How do I get a bigger image?

[Kitty]

This asshole should fear the Wrath of Sneaky.

Yes, my mom spent $175 on Sneaky and her sister (who, unfortunately, disappeared a long time ago) so they could be cured of a respiratory infection.

There's a REASON the Egyptians worshipped cats.

[oscar]

I was getting kind of worked up over some stuff in another thread - I find Mrs. E particularly upsetting, for some reason - and then I clicked over here, and - KITTY PICS! I love the kitty pics! You guys are the best!

[alliem]

This thread seemed like as good a place as any to introduce myself - hi, I've been lurking for ages and actually registered to comment on something a long time ago, but just got approved and now the moment has kind of passed on that topic :) - because I have the proud distinction of having paid over $5000 (THAT credit card took a while to pay off) for one of my cats to be hospitalized for a week with renal failure. She was supposed to last maybe another 3 months or so but (for a lot of reasons, mainly that she was only six at the time, it was very sudden, and she was so crazy angry in the hospital that I couldn't even pet her) I decided to do our best and see what happened. She's been getting subcutaneous fluids every other day for the last two years and she just got promoted to only getting them twice a week! I feel like a good mom.

As far as the idol thing goes, I feel like if God hadn't wanted her to survive, she wouldn't have.

As you can see, she's doing an excellent job of thriving. Possibly too excellent. Actually she needs to go on a(nother) diet.

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[browncoatslytherin]

so, if they had married and had kids, and one of them got sick and had to have a procedure for $1,000, would he say that the child is an idol?

[Guest Anonymous]

This thread seemed like as good a place as any to introduce myself - hi, I've been lurking for ages and actually registered to comment on something a long time ago, but just got approved and now the moment has kind of passed on that topic :) - because I have the proud distinction of having paid over $5000 (THAT credit card took a while to pay off) for one of my cats to be hospitalized for a week with renal failure. She was supposed to last maybe another 3 months or so but (for a lot of reasons, mainly that she was only six at the time, it was very sudden, and she was so crazy angry in the hospital that I couldn't even pet her) I decided to do our best and see what happened. She's been getting subcutaneous fluids every other day for the last two years and she just got promoted to only getting them twice a week! I feel like a good mom.

As far as the idol thing goes, I feel like if God hadn't wanted her to survive, she wouldn't have.

As you can see, she's doing an excellent job of thriving. Possibly too excellent. Actually she needs to go on a(nother) diet.

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Welcome, and she's gorgeous!

[emmiedahl]

Keep teh fluffeh kittehz coming! I can't afford to have one, but I love seeing them. I miss having kitties sit on my lap and purr while I type. :(

[anniebgood]

Keep teh fluffeh kittehz coming! I can't afford to have one, but I love seeing them. I miss having kitties sit on my lap and purr while I type. :(

When mine was little she was very affectionate. Even though she came into a house with a 57 lb dog. She got really pissed off when we got the 2nd dog and hasn't forgiven me. She does however rule this house.

[Terrie]

Keep teh fluffeh kittehz coming! I can't afford to have one, but I love seeing them. I miss having kitties sit on my lap and purr while I type. :(

Mine doesn't do that. He attacks my fingers, because clearly they should be scratching under his chin, and I'm wasting my time with this computer thingy.