OWNERS OR GUARDIANS?
The city council of the city of West Hollywood, the homosexual epicenter of Southern California, voted 3 to 0 to amend the city’s municipal code to remove all references to “pet owner.” From hence forth and evermore, pet owners in the two-square-mile city will be officially called “pet guardians.” The only other city in the United States that has such a code is Boulder, Colorado. According to the Mayor, Jeffrey Prang, “There’s a tremendous amount of power in words. Choosing the term ‘pet guardianship’ connotes a much greater sense of responsibility and care for your pets. The resolution has a symbolic purpose” aimed at reminding those with pets that animals have rights.
The ordinance has more bark than bite. Violators who slip up and use the O word won’t land in the doghouse.
Reaction was mixed. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Many in the city’s large gay population have dogs and cats they consider members of their families.” One man, who is not a resident of West Hollywood said, “To me, I think it’s kind of silly. If you have a pet, you are the owner.”
When I heard about this, two thoughts came to mind. First, if what they are doing is expressing compassion toward animals, they have a point. God is compassionate and uses His compassion toward animals as an illustration. When Jonah was angry that God spared Nineveh (Jonah 4:1-3), God had compassion on a very uncompassionate Jonah, giving him a plant to shade him from the burning sun (Jonah 4:6). Then, to teach Jonah a lesson on compassion, God prepared a worm and an East wind (Jonah 4:7-9) and pointed out “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left, and also much livestock?” (Jonah 4:10-11).
God’s point is simply this: “Jonah, if you could have pity for one small shrub which you neither planted, nor labored over, nor caused to grow, can I not have compassion on creatures I created, innocent creatures, that is, the children. Besides, look at all the livestock. Are not sheep superior to shrubs? If you can grieve over the loss of one mere plant, can I not be concerned over hundreds and thousands of animals and humans?”
Secondly, they are right. We are not owners; we are “guardians.” From a Biblical point of view, we are stewards, not just of pets, but everything. The problem with the unjust steward in the parable Jesus told (Lk. 16:1-13) is that he forgot that he was a steward and thought he was an owner. Thanks, West Hollywood, for the reminder.
© G. Michael Cocoris, 2/22/2001
The ordinance has more bark than bite. Violators who slip up and use the O word won’t land in the doghouse.
Reaction was mixed. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Many in the city’s large gay population have dogs and cats they consider members of their families.” One man, who is not a resident of West Hollywood said, “To me, I think it’s kind of silly. If you have a pet, you are the owner.”
When I heard about this, two thoughts came to mind. First, if what they are doing is expressing compassion toward animals, they have a point. God is compassionate and uses His compassion toward animals as an illustration. When Jonah was angry that God spared Nineveh (Jonah 4:1-3), God had compassion on a very uncompassionate Jonah, giving him a plant to shade him from the burning sun (Jonah 4:6). Then, to teach Jonah a lesson on compassion, God prepared a worm and an East wind (Jonah 4:7-9) and pointed out “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left, and also much livestock?” (Jonah 4:10-11).
God’s point is simply this: “Jonah, if you could have pity for one small shrub which you neither planted, nor labored over, nor caused to grow, can I not have compassion on creatures I created, innocent creatures, that is, the children. Besides, look at all the livestock. Are not sheep superior to shrubs? If you can grieve over the loss of one mere plant, can I not be concerned over hundreds and thousands of animals and humans?”
Secondly, they are right. We are not owners; we are “guardians.” From a Biblical point of view, we are stewards, not just of pets, but everything. The problem with the unjust steward in the parable Jesus told (Lk. 16:1-13) is that he forgot that he was a steward and thought he was an owner. Thanks, West Hollywood, for the reminder.
© G. Michael Cocoris, 2/22/2001
