If that brings up my numbers I will continue to keep my food intake as it is...one daily serving of Numana.
Speaking of Numana, Jay is currently over in Kenya dispensing food. What an amazing trip that would be for my family, in particular, my children. I hope this project opens their eyes considerably.
Over the weekend we got a flyer in our newspaper from IAMS dog food.
Humans were created in God's image to be in dominion over the animals.
A listened to man say yesterday that he had a pet rabbit for a while as a child...and then one day it was gone. He asked his father, "Where's my rabbit?" His dad pointed at the oven and said, "We're higher on the food chain."
What about you? Is your pet an "idol" in your life? Does it keep you from traveling because you can't leave it? Does it cost you resources that you really can't afford or that could be better used?
Pets are just pets. And in many countries, they are supper.
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (Genesis 1:24-26, emphasis mine)
Can't wait to see what PETA has to say about this...
I hope I don't offend but for those of us who don't have kids our pets are our kids. I love my dogs very much and they are my life. Other than my husband they are the 3 things I cherish most in this world. I would do anything for them even if it means buying them more expensive dogfood because I am able. I will always have that 9 hour "bladder curfew" but I wouldn't change it for anything. So to me and many others; Pets aren't just pets. They're more to that....They are family.
ReplyDeleteSG
Sharla
I'm sure you aren't the only one who feels that way. My husband was raised that pets are like children. We have two dogs and two cats that have it pretty good. My post is questioning whether or not this is a reasonable. The more I talk to people in other cultures who can't afford this luxury (and it is a luxury), the more I question our priorities.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment!
Other countries don't have the luxury of driving a car to the the local store and paying what is most likely 6 months worth of income for vitamins. How many people could you have fed from the amount of money you spent on gas and vitamins?
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the truth! I thought of that while I was at the store, too. Yes, I realize that I am certainly at an advantage here. Actually, I spent $15 on 100 days worth of vitamins...so about $.15 per day. The store is less than 1/4 mile away. Even so, figuring I spent $16, that could have provided about 70 meals.
DeleteI have a question for you. When you questioned if having pets is a drain on resources you can't afford or could that money be spent elsewhere, can that same question pertain to all the people in this world who continue to have children when they can't even afford to feed themselves? I am torn. I do feel bad for children/people who don't have the luxury of eating when and what they want. But on the other hand, I feel mad at these parents who continue to have children that they know they can't afford. Who rely on food stamps and WIC and every possible handout. I am a parent and I understand how wonderful it is to have children, I don't want others to not feel that. And if everyone waited until they were able to afford children, our population would drastically fall. But when is enough, enough? There are so many families that have 3,4, 5 children and they were barely getting by with one, yet they made the choice to continue bringing children into their impoverished world. I don't want to sound uncaring, but this is my struggle. Trying to move past the feeling of irresponsibility on the parts of parents.
ReplyDeleteThere are really two different issues that you address here. The first is the overpopulation in areas where there is no food. Keep in mind that there is also no healthcare...including sex education or birth control. With sex being a natural human urge, babies will be brought into the world. Many of these people may not even be aware of how babies are made.
ReplyDeleteThe second issue is large families with no food in the U.S.. With so many food programs here, nobody should be starving. When children go without food in the U.S. it is not a poverty issue, it is a parenting issue. There are food banks, free school meals, WIC, food stamps, etc. If someone here is not feeding their children it is because they either don't care about them or are unwilling to swallow their pride. Children always come before pride.
As long as our government offers handouts, there will be those who choose to "work the system" and get as much as they possibly can. I know some of these people just like you do. However, the vast majority of those who get assistance see it as a temporary aid to get back on their feet.
However, none of that matters when you consider that the kids did not ask for the life they were handed. Whether in a third world nation or next door, a child should never go hungry because of the choices of his or her parents. Every child is a precious child of God. And He has a plan for their lives or He wouldn't have knit them in their mother's womb. We have a responsibility to help them.
Also note that I am not condemning having pets. As I mentioned in a previous comment, we have four of them! I was really trying to point out our skewed priorities (including my own) when we are willing to pay hundreds (even thousands) to maintain animals while their are people who are starving to death. Just food for thought. Our western values need to be challenged. We think we're so superior to other cultures but we certainly have our own (numerous!) flaws.
Thanks for the comment!!