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As much as I ADORE dogs (though admittedly not all breeds), I see that some are getting very defensive here about them so let's remember something a priest said on an Orthodox forum I look at: animals are animals and God has given man dominion over the animals, so we should avoid 'sentimentality' when relating to them because that can be sinful. Hello Alice: Actually "the some" is me. I apologize to everyone if I have caused any offense. In Christ: Einar
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My old priest had an Irish wolfhound in his house next to the church! I bet that scared some people away!
Alexis
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As much as I ADORE dogs (though admittedly not all breeds), I see that some are getting very defensive here about them so let's remember something a priest said on an Orthodox forum I look at: animals are animals and God has given man dominion over the animals, so we should avoid 'sentimentality' when relating to them because that can be sinful. Hi Alice: I guess I am a big sinner then. I do care a great deal about my dogs and they are my buddies. It is true that God did give us these animals and we have been given dominion over them but I do believe that we are to be kind to them and not mistreat them. To so is a sin against Gods creation in my opinion. Dogs are amazing animals and I am still amazed at all of the good they can do for us. To this day I will not forget a young girl I saw working with her seeing eye dog, it was truly amazing. In Christ: Einar I agree with you brother. I think love towards animals is an expression of God's love for all of His creation. In fact Orthodoxy teaches that the whole world, including the animal kingdom can be redeemed in and through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These creatures are given to us by God to care for, love and express our appreciation for the magnificence and complexity of divine creation. It is in no way sinful. All of us can only hope to have your devotion and care for these little ones. Also the devotion, care, protection and unconditional love these creatures show us is something from which we as humans need to learn ourselves. Most of us don't show that kind of humble, unconditional and selfless love even towards our husbands and wives. Maybe God is trying to teach us something through these animals... Maybe I am just a crazy deacon... I don't know... 
Last edited by Deacon Borislav; 11/19/09 09:33 PM.
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[/quote] Maybe God is trying to teach us something through these animals... Maybe I am just a crazy deacon... I don't know... [/quote] Thank you Father Deacon: I needed that. I catch a lot of heat sometimes from folks because of my views. In Christ: Einar
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I think love towards animals is an expression of God's love for all of His creation. In fact Orthodoxy teaches that the whole world, including the animal kingdom can be redeemed in and through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These creatures are given to us by God to care for, love and express our appreciation for the magnificence and complexity of divine creation. It is in no way sinful. All of us can only hope to have your devotion and care for these little ones.
Also the devotion, care, protection and unconditional love these creatures show us is something from which we as humans need to learn ourselves. Most of us don't show that kind of humble, unconditional and selfless love even towards our husbands and wives. I agree! I guess I am a big sinner then. I do care a great deal about my dogs and they are my buddies. It is true that God did give us these animals and we have been given dominion over them but I do believe that we are to be kind to them and not mistreat them. To so is a sin against Gods creation in my opinion. Dogs are amazing animals and I am still amazed at all of the good they can do for us. To this day I will not forget a young girl I saw working with her seeing eye dog, it was truly amazing. I think that you are misconstruing the point the priest was making! Infact, I think you are misconstruing why I posted it as well!! If you recall, I said "I ADORE dogs". No one was talking about hurting dogs, nor were any of the posts talking about hurting dogs, nor anything I said was about hurting dogs, so I have absolutely NO idea how this twist came in to the thread!!!! The priest was remarking, in response to someone who thought that neutering dogs was cruel, that we need to be careful of OVER 'sentimentality' towards animals...I don't see how in any way he was condoning cruelty to animals, unless ofcourse you agree with the person who thought that neutering them was cruel. His point, I believe was also so that we do not fall into the trap of 'killing animals to eat' is evil, that 'wearing leather is evil', and in general, caring more about animals than humans, etc., mentality. I think that what he meant is that we need to keep their service and position in God's creation in focus. Now getting back to the dogs, I do care a great deal about my dogs and they are my buddies. It is true that God did give us these animals and we have been given dominion over them but I do believe that we are to be kind to them and not mistreat them. I am offended that anyone thinks that I condone mistreatment to them. Where in the world did THAT come from?!?  I love dogs and have always had dogs. They indeed can be angels sent by God to help us in many ways, including their companionship, their devotion and unconditional love, but sometimes, unfortunately, they can also be the opposite. Many people have been killed or injured by wild and domesticated dogs. Putting them, or any other animal above humans is what the good priest was implying is sinful.
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Father Deacon:
Christ is in our midst!!
We tend to paint with a broad brush, but the truth is that any dog can have a pleasant personality and any dog can be a problem. There are plenty of examples of large breeds with members who have the kind of personality that adapts to and warms up to anyone who comes along. Some of these are just pussy cats and I've known owners to say that they might wag theri tails at thieves carrying out the goods of the house. So there shouldn't be any hard and fast condemnation of large breeds.
My sone just adopted a dog that had been rescued as a stray. She's a big dog and has symptoms of being abused. She doesn't jump up on people, stays off the furniture, doesn't beg at the table, and almost seems a bit shy. She doesn't bark. Now, they've only had her about thee weeks and she doesn't seem to think the house is her place yet, but they've worked hard to make sure that she stays as docile as she is. I'm not a fan of dogs in the house, though I've had relatives who've had them and I've lived with them. So if you're willing to work with the dog, I'm sure it will be a good thing.
BOB
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In other dog news, the University of Georgia is in mourning, following the death of Uga VII, the English bulldog mascot for the University football team. http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/latest/lat_703436.shtmlUga VII died Thursday of heart-related causes, the dog's owner said. The 4-year-old dog made his debut as the mascot in August 2008 after his father, Uga VI, died of congestive heart failure. He had big paws to fill — Uga VI was the school's winningest mascot, racking up a 87-27 record, seven wins in nine bowl appearances and a pair of Southeastern Conference championships.
"Uga VII was not as active or mischievous as his father but more distinguished. He realized his role when he put his shirt on. He was well-behaved and always appreciated the significance of his role."
"He had been truly embraced by all those who follow the Georgia Bulldogs across the country. We will miss him dearly."
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Hello Alice:
My remarks about mistreating dogs was not aimed at you but was meant in general terms. My apologies for not writing more clearly.
Yes, I did misconstrue your remarks. I thought you were trying to tell us/me not to be sentimental about our dogs because it was sinful. Once again I apologize for my misunderstanding. I do agree with you that putting them above humans is sinful.
In Christ:
Einar
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There are plenty of examples of large breeds with members who have the kind of personality that adapts to and warms up to anyone who comes along. Some of these are just pussy cats and I've known owners to say that they might wag theri tails at thieves carrying out the goods of the house. We tried takign in a sheltie-pomeranian mix that had been too much for an elderly couple many years ago. It didn't work out; he desparately needed a six year old. Anyway, while I didn't want him to be aggressive, I did think it a bit much when I observed him rush up to the meter man and lick him . . . hawk
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