It's been a nice few weeks off. I've spent most of it trying to shake off this double consciousness I'd acquired, trying to get back to my non-analytical doggie worldview. (Okay, it wasn't that hard.) But it hasn't been all bones and blankets--I spent a few hours following up on the project I started during NaBloPoMo: a cursory glance at that Christian tradition humans get so hung up about this time of year. As I think I made pretty clear with my post about the creation story, I'm not a believer in this whole anthropomorphic Christianity thing. But I thought that maybe I should give the New Testament a try, and what better place to start than with the Nativity story.
I do see an important moral lesson in the story, but once again, it's not the one humans have gotten out of it. In fact, they've pretty much interpreted the whole thing backwards. They act like the fact that Mary had to give birth in a manger, surrounded by animals, was some big hardship, a last resort. "No room at the inn"--strike the violins. Now let's look at this objectively.
Human childbirth: normally excrutiatingly painful, long, lots of maternal and infant mortality, etc. etc. Human nature: often petty, cruel, vindictive, greedy.
Animal birth: easy, quick, safe, neat. Animal nature: usually good, humble, compassionate.
Jesus's birth: easy, quick, safe.
Jesus's nature: good, humble, compassionate.
Do we not notice some similarities here? Don't we think the logical conclusion is that what set Jesus up for all his good works was the fact that he was born among sheep and sheepdogs? I don't know about founding a religion about this guy, but I certianly see some public policy implications. Fewer OB-GYNs, more OES's!*
*Old English Sheepdogs.
8 comments:
hi sancha,
your theory is intriguing but couldn't we just cut out the middleman (no pun intended) and make the sheepdog the god? (i mean, dog spelled backward and all).
happy wallydays and a barking new year! (from one corgi mix to another)
wally
From the perspective of a male cat, it's even quicker and easier than you make it out to be — and fun too.
Even better, the animal rights people haven't sratred to push for child-support from cat daddies. That would be going too far.
But tell me Sancha, what do you know about giving birth? Any little Sanchas running around somewhere?
Thanks for the Aussie info.
By the way, your mom's mom told me that your mom wants to be reincarnated as a Chihuahua. She (your mom's mom) went on to say that your mom would then like to learn how to time travel and be reincarnated as your mom's Chihuahua --- which raises the question whether she hasn't already accomplished that trick. No wonder you're such an insightful dog.
-- Blue.
How are you doing? It's almost a month and no Sancha thoughts.
Hey Sancha,
I hope you start blogging again. I just came across your blog and liked it a lot. You know, I almost quit blogging because I didn't get any comments and then the dogs with blogs folks came up with "paw it forward", but more importantly, I learned that you get more comments when you go and comment on other dog's blogs. Try it!
See ya
Pippin
Sancha!
I just today came across your blog, thanks to "paw it forward". Only a small portion has been read. That portion has been interesting and amusing. Perhaps you would consider returning, after such a long absence?
Best,
Tansy
hello sancha ,
nace to meet you my nameis powder-puff the wug!
i see you havent posted in quite a while , but i really really hope you will soon youre just too cute!
feel free to stop by my blog i would LOVE to hear from you!!!
http://powderpuff-thewug.blogspot.com/
peace out
puff
I agree that Jesus had it right from the start! He was a lover of animals too, I believe. Good thoughts, Sancha!
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