Thursday, March 29, 2007 . 3/29/2007

I'm continuing to read Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul, which is a very good book (that I made a post about earlier). Every once in a while though, the word "God" shows up. And before all you religious people get your panties in a bunch, "ZOMG it's just a word, why are you offended?" Well, I'm not offended. I don't mind people personally believing in a god, but rather, it's the way they apply this belief. For example:

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A rather touching story about a woman with ovarian cancer, and her daughter, who sees her through it. When her daughter suggested she get a cat, she said that she was a dog person. Later, however, she came to the conclusion that a cat would be better than nothing as the landowner didn't permit dogs. So she called up her daughter and, being a writer, asked for her to get her a sophisticated-looking cat, "..with a white bib, white paws and maybe a mustache. I will call him Charles Dickens". Her daughter came home with a cat almost identical to her mother's description.

It turns out that this cat had quite a history, having to fend for himself until one day he happened upon a woman's front porch. She already had three cats, however, and couldn't afford to keep another. When she gave the cat to the adoption agency, she requested that the new owner call her.

And the new owner did. The former caregiver of the cat explained that she prayed to God that someone would adopt him, someone who needed him and someone who loved him. Little Dickens got just that. Of course, the woman rationalized, it must be the work of God. "Your prayers were answered", she said. "I need him and I already love him".

Fast forward a few weeks or so and Dickens becomes ill, but eventually recovers. The woman is hoping that she will recover from her illness (ovarian cancer) as well. She prayed that she would get better, about a day before her final operation, and you guessed it.. she was free of cancer.

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Now what is so wrong about this story, you might ask? Two things. One, when the woman with ovarian cancer figured that the cat must be a gift from God. Again, what is so wrong with this, you may ask? The answer is ignorance. Of all the needy people in the world, needing more important things such as food, she figured she was special enough to have recieved a gift, a cat, from God. Second, when she prayed that she would get better.

Again, there are people out there with far worse conditions than just ovarian cancer, who suffer every day of their lives, and she figures she is special enough to be saved. I realise that this woman was sick, and that I probably am thinking too much about this, but this sort of thing happens every day with far less trivial prayers such as, "Please help me pass this test", or "Please help me get this job".

It's rather selfish. There are starving, sick, and poor people in Iraq and other parts of the world, and all you can think about is asking some non-existant higher power to help you to get a job, or that you won't get a speeding ticket, or that your favorite parking space won't be taken? 0 Comments - Post/view comments