Confessions of an Athiest

* Satire Alert *

Published on July 15, 2004 By CS Guy In Humor

A friend of mine sent me the following quote that he encountered on some forum...

As an atheist, I'm left up to my own moral devices. As a result, I personally slaughter twelve puppies a day, feed them to twelve other puppies, and then repeatedly stab the second set of puppies and have sex with the stab wounds.

Without God as a compass, what other result is possible?

I really should find a religion soon, because all these puppies are getting expensive. And I think the pet store owner is getting suspicious.

Comments (Page 2)

Gerry Atrick

on Jul 16, 2004

This was great but xtines comment really had me rolling

No, no, I got it! I thought it was very amusing. But then...I don't like dogs much....

LOL

CS Guy

on Jul 16, 2004

This was great but xtines comment really had me rolling

Yes, I attract the finest examples of commentators.

CS Guy

on Jul 17, 2004

They are her favorite shows and she spent summers working on her grandfather's ranch.

Ok, now I find that to be just a tad off. Surely she has seen how animals treat each other.

Abe Cubbage

on Jul 17, 2004

I guess it would have been more accurate for me to say that she hates anything that relates to cruelty with animals.

CS Guy

on Jul 17, 2004

I guess it would have been more accurate for me to say that she hates anything that relates to cruelty with animals.

That is interesting. That makes me wonder what it really is that she objects to. Is it the effect on the animal, or is it the morality of the act?

For instance... if a wild dog catches a rabbit and rips it to shreds, she is ok with this. But if a human rips a rabbit to shreds, she has a problem with this? The rabbit gets the same treatment in either case. The difference is that the dog is following its nature, while the human is following a sadistic whim. So is she really concerned with the well being of the rabbit, or is she concerned with something else?

Gideon MacLeish

on Jul 17, 2004

For instance... if a wild dog catches a rabbit and rips it to shreds, she is ok with this. But if a human rips a rabbit to shreds, she has a problem with this? The rabbit gets the same treatment in either case. The difference is that the dog is following its nature, while the human is following a sadistic whim. So is she really concerned with the well being of the rabbit, or is she concerned with something else?

I would have an answer to that...but I'm too busy processing bunnies through my woodchipper!

CS Guy

on Jul 17, 2004

I would have an answer to that...but I'm too busy processing bunnies through my woodchipper!

Hmmm.... bunny paste... great on crackers!

Ketamina

on Jul 18, 2004

I'm the 'she' mentioned above, and I'll do my best to explain my position. It's not exactly a black and white answer.

Most predatory animals don't intentionally unnecessarily prolong the death of a prey animal, nor will they torture them. In your example, comparing the wild dog and a human tearing apart a rabbit, we know what the purpose of the wild dog is: eating. A human knows better, and has no reason to 'tear apart a rabbit' unless he's really hungry with no other food sorce. So, in a situation that is exactly the same for both sides, it's a morality issue. I personally don't like it when people hunt to get trophies for their wall... how ridiculous is it to be proud of conquering an animal who is no match for you, and if it's beauty you hunt for, why not use a camera? However, if people are hunting for providing food for the table, that's fine. Hunters don't typically prolong the death of what their after.

On the other hand, most animal cruelty cases are performed by people that know better. Whether it's neglect or torture, it's not just morality (or lack thereof) that makes me angry. People who have animals for pets because it's 'cool' and then neglect to try and make that animal's life as pleasant as possible (like buying a macaw and sticking it a small cage for it's very long life, or getting a dog and tying it up outside without interaction, for example) is just as bad as intentionally putting a cat in a garbage can and then pushing it down a hill. Perhaps my bad feelings for this can be lumped into lack of morality, since greed and ignorance fit.

Many people are cruel for other reasons. People who torture animals because it makes them feel good are truly sick in my opinion. The mistreatment of animals in labs is probably due to most scientists forming some sort of disconnection, so they don't have to think about what they're putting animals through, is just as bad. And then there are those who pit animals against each other in fights for entertainment...it's not just the fight and imminent death of most combatants, it's the psychological treatment and administration of various drugs to make good fighters that is their lives.

I try to stay out of debates about this subject because it rarely solves anything, but one comment that I hear often is this: animals don't know that what is happening to them is wrong. While they're right to a point, it's no excuse to throw a kitten against a wall just to hear what kind of sound it makes, or how many times it can hit the wall before it dies.

Seeing or hearing of an animal being harmed in this way creates an emotional response in me. I think first of the pain and fear they feel, so morality doesn't enter my mind first. My second response is anger at whatever is causing them to feel that way. In the end, I guess you could say it's morality. I don't get emotional when it's one animal killing another though.

Cats are the worst... I don't even like it when people joke about killing or harming cats (well, any animal... I'm just saying that cats cause me the highest level of emotional response). Last night I saw a funny picture on the internet: a big cardboard sign on a freeway, said "Free Cat" and had an arrow pointing at a dead cat lying on the shoulder. I laughed because it was funny, but also felt sad at its death, and a small amount of anger at the person who'd put up the sign. I know some of my feelings aren't necessary, but I feel confident that when I'm stirred to action by a case of cruelty that I am right in how I feel.

Sorry for the long winded response, I just wanted to answer your question.

CS Guy

on Jul 18, 2004

Sorry for the long winded response, I just wanted to answer your question.

Thanks for the response. And I think you should use as much text as you feel you need to express yourself... so no apologies for a "long winded response."

Jamie Burnside

on Jul 18, 2004

I am a little surprised that this post is receiving so many comments.

CS Guy

on Jul 20, 2004

I am a little surprised that this post is receiving so many comments.

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