I don't want to address the complex issues of whether canines, felines etc... are more or less "members of the family" than brothers and sisters in Christ - both are only so in metaphorical (or spiritual) senses ;)
Photo from The NationalCourtesy Free Burma Rangers
- spend $200 for a Freeview set top box which will allow us to get free to air TV from the Sky dish
- spend $150 to get an aerial fitted
- send the money to Partners for the 4,000 villagers camping in the monsoon rains?
Canadians wishing to obtain a receipt for tax purposes should make donations at the Partners Canada website. www.partnersworld.ca
Americans wishing to obtain a receipt for tax purposes should make donations at the Partners USA website. www.partnersworld.org
Norwegians can find the information needed to make donations in Norway at: www.partnersnorge.no
Australians can find the information needed to make donations in Australia at: www.partnersworld.org.au
UK Residents can find the information needed to make donations in the UK at: www.partnersworld.org.uk
Labels: burma, cat, ethics, refugee
¶ 4:46 PM
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tim, for the record, i've got excellent freeview reception on rabbit ears. yes it's true. so, if you were going to spend on freeview, buy your next tv with a tuner already installed. i know it's a side issue and almost makes a mockery of what you are really getting at, but sometimes we buy what we think is necessary when it is indeed not.
We faced a choice during our move that had nothing to do with packing or even the things we own (too many, but that's another story ;).For the move, Quizzie (our cat - born a stray and somewhat nervous) went into a cattery. While she was there the vet looked her over as well as getting her vaccinations up to date. She has bad teeth and some gum disease. To fix this and to do a blood test to check on other possible health issues would cost $400 to $500 (even cleanng a cat's teth needs a general anesthetic).
At the same time, an Internally Displaced People's camp in Burma is under attack by Burmese government forces. Some 4,000 women and children have fled across the river to Thailand and there is a great need for basic supplies. So, assuming we have $500 we can spend what do we do? Prolong our beloved cat's life and make the next few years more pleasant for her? - After all we see her every day! Save the lives of a few refugees we may never meet?Labels: burma, cat, ethics, refugee
¶ 6:00 AM
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I enjoy having students read some of Dorothy Day's autobiography, the early leader of the Catholic Worker Movement who pioneered Christian hospitality networks in NYC and elsewhere. She chose voluntary poverty for practical, ethical, and philosophical reasons, arguing that sharing everything one has with others is morally superior to owning anything.
However, from a practical point of view, her hospitality house was dependent on contributions from those who did have financial resources. How does the idealism of Christian service balance with the hard realities of life?
This doesn't necessarily address your cat decision, of course. We tend to see our pet (a dog) as a member of the family, so I think we would pay the vet. That doesn't necessarily make it right, though. Do we need to be more willing to let go of things, of pets, and even of other people?
By 
Bryan, at
June 15, 2009 1:29 PM
