Saturday, September 15, 2012

Dog Bless America!



Is “The Temple of the Dog” a true religion?  Sure, we can say “anything someone worships IS a religion”, but is that technically considered as such?   In the past, I wrote that the behavior I have observed on various internet forums and in real life may likely indicate a primitive religion.  When one takes the position that an animal is superior to a human being, and does not provide hard scientific proof of the matter, that presents a clear example of deification.  The legal and social leeway presented to dogs and dog owners indicates that many may consider the dog to be a sacred animal.

Opinions aside, if we are presented with a true religion that in turn presents some profound public policy issues and impacts, primarily issues related to separation of Church and State.   What does it mean to the rest of us if our neighbors and community leaders truly consider a dog a sacred animal?   That may depend on the “separation” codified in your jurisdiction, or if your jurisdiction has a state religion.

In the United States the general policy is separation of Church and State.   That more or less means the following:
-          We have no state religion.
-          The state does not direct church policy.
-          The church does not direct state policy.
-          In parallel, citizens have a right to change religion or to not follow any religion.
-          There is an implied freedom from religion.
-          Etc…

An establishment and recognition of a formal “Temple of the Dog” might indicate that harboring a dog is indeed a core civil right, as practitioners generally have a right to their objects of worship:  Holy texts, crucifixes, etc…

However, the above would also present the notion that we “non practitioners” have a core civil right to be free of such things.   Would they be able to demand that others wear a crucifix?  Fast on Saturdays?  Bow towards Mecca 5 times a day?  May I stand in my neighbor’s yard and read the Bible into a bullhorn at 3am?  If my religion requires human sacrificial rites, may I kidnap and kill someone as part of that ceremony?  This separation indicates that participation in a particular religion grants NO passes on bad behavior NOR does that participation empower someone to control the personal lives of others.

Now, there are several dog owners in my community that I believe deserve to be “sacrificed” but somehow I think that would just get me into a lot of trouble.

If a dog is indeed a religious symbol, that may also restrict doggy access to public places and government properties.

Separation of Church and state also indicates that, for the most part, the electorates do not want executives, bureaucrats, law enforcement, and legislators making policy decisions based on religious doctrine.  Essentially, NO, we are not going to force everyone by law to go to church on Sunday.  Rabbis are not allowed to go on shooting sprees at the mall strictly because of who they are and so forth.    This is by no means a perfect mechanism, as the majority of people have some sort of spiritual beliefs and those are going to influence the actions and decisions of those same people.  However, it’s generally understood that government agencies are by definition secular institutions.

A couple of months ago I wrote about the systemic corruption of our AC and law enforcement agencies and how that is a major contribution to the Animal Uncontrol problem.  Essentially, our AC and law enforcement agencies have been taken over and thoroughly corrupted by animal rights and owners rights fanatics.  These people put the interests of individual dogs ahead of human rights, health and safety.   They have a strict “dogs first” policy.  When the interests of an individual dog intersect with the human rights, health and safety, they do whatever they can to make sure the dog wins!

So, why have a “dogs first” policy?  Well, if one considers a dog to be a sacred animal, then that is the only policy one CAN have!  If a dog is barking all night or attacking someone, you CAN’T take action as the incident in question was by definition an Act of Dog!   If you get mauled by a dog when fetching the mail, the state can’t intervene as that was, literally, Dog’s Will!   You must Thank Dog that you were not killed!   It is clear that you must be a horrible person who has sinned terribly to bring the Wrath of Dog down upon you!!  You must repent, and Pray to Dog for forgiveness!  If you will not repent, then Dog Damn you!

On a more serious note, the above presents an interesting policy situation as we very well may have executives, legislators, bureaucrats, and law enforcement (all paid by our taxes) making public health and safety decisions based primarily on religious doctrine.  This clearly violates both the spirit and intent of Separation of Church and State.  It is fundamentally no different than a Pagan Sheriff tolerating human sacrifice based on his/her religious beliefs.  Such a “policy” is objectionable to any civilized person regardless of their belief structure.

Have a great weekend everyone and Dog Bless you all!

16 comments:

  1. Well that is the DOGma for you. Except is not a belief system it is the conviction, the dogcraver will automatically reject the dog as soon as the dog endangers his well being, while the true believer will stick to his faith till death.

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  2. DOGma! LOL!

    If we were to dig into the issue deeper, I'm sure different "sects" would become apparent. I.E. there would be "Orthodox", "Conservative", "Reformed", perhaps even "Protestant" ROFL

    You are right, the "orthodox" will die for their beliefs. This is not uncommon in the pit bull rescue community: They will harbor a dog thats demonstrably dangerous until either, A) The dog kills the owner, or B) The dog dies... likely killed by a mauling victim, police, or the government.

    BTW: Here are some more catchy phrases...
    - Dog helps those who help themselves!
    - Dog works in mysterious ways.
    - Cleanliness is next to DOGliness! (OK, this one is a HUGE stretch!)
    - Praise Dog!
    - For Dog's sake!
    - For the Love of Dog!
    - My Dog!
    - Dog knows?
    - Oh, Dog!

    I am SO going to hell!

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    Replies
    1. No,you will not go to hell, but you life will be hell according to the projection

      Delete
    2. Bill, when/if you've finished all your mockery, its back to doggods...then what? Just say'n.

      JJ

      Delete
  3. Yeah, you have those too:
    1.Pitbullterian Guard
    2.Labradorians
    3.the good German shepherd reform movment.
    4.Rottweilerians
    5.The order of St.Bernard.

    I mean each race has its own diocese.
    And the Dog said to its pack:"Multiply and maul,my puppies, for the enitre creation belongs to thee"

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  4. "Thou shall not neuter nor spay, for if one is neutered, it is like the all are neutered. ".

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  5. Or if you are Nordic than all dogs go to Doghalla, where the mighty Dogin will greet them.

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  6. Don't forget...

    Holy Mother of Dog!

    Many pit bull advocates aspire to this position, some are influencing elected officials in your community and mine, some face legal challenges and public disgrace, some are dead.

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  7. Dog is my co-pilot. That's a bumper sticker a friend of mine has.

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  8. dog damn it animal uncontrol, you've really out done yourself this time. i'm an atheist and one of my guilty pleasures is mockery of religion. well done!

    this might be my favorite. and very timely. i have been working on a pit bull blog post that deals with unusual attacks like pit bull carjackings. you might find this attack interesting.

    the shelter wouldn't allow the victim to identify the pit perp because it could hurt her adaptability and the pit perp MIGHT be innocent!

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  9. It has truly become a religious cult, but I mean literally. Check this out:

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=240607336061462&set=o.21244393629&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf

    This isn't a trivial link, please take the trouble to look at it. You'll fall off your chair.

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  10. Alas, the Facebook spake unto me:

    This content is currently unavailable

    The page you requested cannot be displayed right now. It may be temporarily unavailable, the link you clicked on may have expired, or you may not have permission to view this page.

    Aw, darn. I really wanted to see that page. But I guess the creator(s) of said page didn't want to be called out via Animal Uncontrol.

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  11. It showed a dramatic drawing of a pit bull nailed to a cross, just like Jesus, but for some reason a conspicuous penis showing (an unconscious reference to what the pit bull is a surrogate for?), and the caption 'He died for the sins of others'.

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  12. Sputnik, not that I see the Pit Bull as a legitimate religious icon or anything, but in a sense most Pit Bulls DO die for the "sins" (bad behavior) of others. Think about it, the million pit bulls killed in the US every year are a result of the actions of:
    - Pit bull breeders.
    - Pit bull owners, who get them for the wrong reasons.
    - Pit bull Apologistas who promote pit bulls as safe Nanny Dogs!

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  13. I'm a part of a dog forum and I see this all the time. Any time there is a phrase that uses the word "God", they replace it with "dog". As in oh, my dog! and thank dog. Those are the most common. It grates on my nerves. I'm a part of the forum community to learn about dogs, training and so forth, but the zealousness that is present there and any other dog forum I visit is overwhelming.
    ~Tash

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  14. I've been saying for some time now that people are worshipping their dogs, and when a vicious dog is euthanized they act like Jesus Christ is being crucified again. It's insane. Take a look at this: http://doghatersunite.com/2013/02/18/bad-dog-lifts-its-leg-on-art-museum/ If someone put gold leaf on it this could be the modern equivalent of the golden calf in the Old Testament.

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