Why Do Many People Compare Animals to People?

[Luminous_Rose]

This is something that irks me. I see it an awful lot in our society. I suppose it bothers me when there are people out there that treat their pooch better than their kids. It doesn't make sense. It bothers me even more when people compare their pets to children. "Furbabies", anyone? It is so stinkin' awkward to be like, "You have kids?" And they are like, "No, but I have a dog/cat/bird/etc. Want to see?!"

I have some married friends that don't have kids and they talk about their dogs like they are kids. It drives me crazy. I have said nothing. Taking a puppy to potty outside at 3am is nothing like potty training a toddler lol. Listening to your new puppy yap and whine all night is nothing like getting up every 2-3 hours to feed, change, and get a baby back to sleep.

I had pets before I had kids. I am so guilty of talking about my cats like they were people, too, but a few years later I learned better. I learned that an animal life has value, but it does not compare to the value of a human life. We are not like each other, we are not the same.

I believe animals have feelings and can be extremely intelligent. However, they lack the ability to step back and examine the sins and blessings in their lives. They do not have the concept to fully understand sin and Jesus sacrifice like we do.

I remember having a friend that had a bad baby sitting experience and after the kids were picked up she said, "That's why I will never have kids! I am only going to have dogs! Babies are so gross! They drool everywhere, it is so nasty." My friend was 19 at the time and we are friends no longer, but she is a vet tech with from what I understand way too many animals. I was surprised that even in Christian communities I see this.

It makes me sick to see studies where people could choose to save a baby's life or a puppy's life and they choose the puppy. Scientists try to justify it by saying it is because human beings feel that the puppy is so helpless so most will heal the puppy so yeah, what about the baby again? Aren't they helpless? Doesn't their life have more meaning?

End rant. Feel free to post your thoughts.

 

[daninthelionsden]

This is something that irks me. I see it an awful lot in our society. I suppose it bothers me when there are people out there that treat their pooch better than their kids. It doesn't make sense. It bothers me even more when people compare their pets to children. "Furbabies", anyone? It is so stinkin' awkward to be like, "You have kids?" And they are like, "No, but I have a dog/cat/bird/etc. Want to see?!"

I have some married friends that don't have kids and they talk about their dogs like they are kids. It drives me crazy. I have said nothing. Taking a puppy to potty outside at 3am is nothing like potty training a toddler lol. Listening to your new puppy yap and whine all night is nothing like getting up every 2-3 hours to feed, change, and get a baby back to sleep.

I had pets before I had kids. I am so guilty of talking about my cats like they were people, too, but a few years later I learned better. I learned that an animal life has value, but it does not compare to the value of a human life. We are not like each other, we are not the same.

I believe animals have feelings and can be extremely intelligent. However, they lack the ability to step back and examine the sins and blessings in their lives. They do not have the concept to fully understand sin and Jesus sacrifice like we do.

I remember having a friend that had a bad baby sitting experience and after the kids were picked up she said, "That's why I will never have kids! I am only going to have dogs! Babies are so gross! They drool everywhere, it is so nasty." My friend was 19 at the time and we are friends no longer, but she is a vet tech with from what I understand way too many animals. I was surprised that even in Christian communities I see this.

It makes me sick to see studies where people could choose to save a baby's life or a puppy's life and they choose the puppy. Scientists try to justify it by saying it is because human beings feel that the puppy is so helpless so most will heal the puppy so yeah, what about the baby again? Aren't they helpless? Doesn't their life have more meaning?

End rant. Feel free to post your thoughts.

I'm no longer on speaking terms with our daughter. She sold us out for big money. But, she is like that. She thinks animals should have rights = to human rights. She says she doesn't think highly of humans. I guess that's why it was so easy to betray us. She even used her pet sitting jobs to spy on people on disability and even spied on a doctor who treated patients on disability. I don't trust her and I even fear her or anyone who places more value to animals than humans. It's like some kind of weird cult-like thing they belong to.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

I think it's one thing to treat your pets like your children. I think that it's another thing altogether to treat them better than your children.

 

[jasonc]

I have no,kids ,I cried and had flashbacks for days of my,digs death .yet I don't see my,pets ,present or past as equals ,however humans do treat each other worse then a dog .Cheyenne and especially prince my,dads dog would sense sadness .prince refused to leave me if I was sad.he whined if I did leave him .

We simply at times lack,that empathy .

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

I have no,kids ,I cried and had flashbacks for days of my,digs death .yet I don't see my,pets ,present or past as equals ,however humans do treat each other worse then a dog .Cheyenne and especially prince my,dads dog would sense sadness .prince refused to leave me if I was sad.he whined if I did leave him .

We simply at times lack,that empathy .

Really?? You're childless?? Then why did I think that you had kids for some strange reason??

 

[jasonc]

My,wife's 60,she has kids .

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

My,wife's 60,she has kids .

Oh so then they're your stepchildren. Gotcha. :D

 

[for_his_glory]

Animals have loving caring senses we can not understand and yet they might not be equal as your own children they too are God's creation as He breathed the breath of life in them making them a living soul just the same way He breathed life into us and we became a living soul.

Yes, animals have a soul and also will be in the New Jerusalem, Ecclesiastics 3:19-21; Isaiah 11:6-9. If we take them into our homes to be our pets we become their guardians as we take care of them like we would our own children as their needs are just as important within our care.

 

[Luminous_Rose]

I love animals, I just don't see them as an equal as people treat them.

The Bible does not answer the question whether they have souls or not. It is totally possible for them to be on the new Earth/Jerusalem, but it doesn't mean they have or had souls. If the do, perhaps it is not as significant as our soul is. In the long run, we don't have a definite yes or no in the bible. I am more towards the fact they don't have souls I suppose because we were made in God's image and animals were not made in this way. Yes, both human and animal have received God's breath of life and are important.

Of course a pet owner/livestock owner is responsible for their animals to feed, provide water, care for illness, etc etc. I am not saying to neglect them. I just don't see their needs as more important than a human's. There were times I spent money for food on my cats and went hungry, but I should have taken better care of myself in that time.

I suppose thinking about it, those that maybe don't have children sometimes try to find a way to relate in the best way they know how. I suppose for some parents it is off putting because we don't see our baby as a dog and feel no true relation exists. Animal and baby behaviors are often incredibly different.

 

[daninthelionsden]

I love animals, I just don't see them as an equal as people treat them.

The Bible does not answer the question whether they have souls or not. It is totally possible for them to be on the new Earth/Jerusalem, but it doesn't mean they have or had souls. If the do, perhaps it is not as significant as our soul is. In the long run, we don't have a definite yes or no in the bible. I am more towards the fact they don't have souls I suppose because we were made in God's image and animals were not made in this way. Yes, both human and animal have received God's breath of life and are important.

Of course a pet owner/livestock owner is responsible for their animals to feed, provide water, care for illness, etc etc. I am not saying to neglect them. I just don't see their needs as more important than a human's. There were times I spent money for food on my cats and went hungry, but I should have taken better care of myself in that time.

I suppose thinking about it, those that maybe don't have children sometimes try to find a way to relate in the best way they know how. I suppose for some parents it is off putting because we don't see our baby as a dog and feel no true relation exists. Animal and baby behaviors are often incredibly different.

Yep, I loved my cats, but I knew I had to get my family outta Houston and even though I couldn't find homes or even a no-kill shelter to help us....I chose family first and was forced to dump the animals at the pound and evacuate my family.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Yep, I loved my cats, but I knew I had to get my family outta Houston and even though I couldn't find homes or even a no-kill shelter to help us....I chose family first and was forced to dump the animals at the pound and evacuate my family.

Really? That's sad. I understand that you did what you had to do but still, I'm really sorry that you had to go through that. As for me, I do believe that all animals go to Heaven because like babies they can't comprehend what sin is and if God didn't have any further purpose for them, then He wouldn't have created them in the first place.

 

[jasonc]

Really? That's sad. I understand that you did what you had to do but still, I'm really sorry that you had to go through that. As for me, I do believe that all animals go to Heaven because like babies they can't comprehend what sin is and if God didn't have any further purpose for them, then He wouldn't have created them in the first place.

Do we really want to meet every animal we ate?

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Do we really want to meet every animal we ate?

True good point.

 

[for_his_glory]

I will just say it's a conundrum. If I had children then my family would take first place over my pets needs, but yet making a pet out of what ever we choose their needs also need to be factored in how we care for them and our children at the same time.