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Mountain Home News

For the love of all animals...

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Fr. Ben Uhlenkott takes a minute to meet Mary Lou Koelsch's miniature ponies as the Catholic priest chats with her granddaughter, Diana Fish, during the annual Blessing of Pets on Sunday.

Families across Mountain Home brought a procession of dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, donkeys and an alpaca to the local parish for the yearly blessing -- an international observance that coincides with the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi in remembrance of his love of all animals. Photo by Brian S. Orban

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    Do you think they would have blessed a python?

    -- Posted by shockwave on Thu, Oct 6, 2011, at 6:18 AM
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    Great story and picture!

    -- Posted by jessiemiller on Thu, Oct 6, 2011, at 12:53 PM

  • Wow, this is sad. When will humanity grow up from these kinds of superstition!?!

    -- Posted by Mastermind on Thu, Oct 6, 2011, at 1:21 PM
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    Hey mastermind, what does matter to you and why should you care? It's better to beleive in something and be wrong than to have no beliefs and be wrong.

    -- Posted by mhbouncer on Thu, Oct 6, 2011, at 1:27 PM

  • @MHbouncer,

    "Beliefs" inform our actions. They led to 19 hijackers attacking us on 911. Other examples are persecution of women and gay people. That's why I care.

    -- Posted by Mastermind on Thu, Oct 6, 2011, at 5:35 PM

  • Additionally, I care if my beliefs are true. That's why I don't rely on faith to determine them.

    -- Posted by Mastermind on Thu, Oct 6, 2011, at 5:42 PM

  • "It's better to beleive in something and be wrong than to have no beliefs and be wrong."

    MHbouncer, don't forget to convert to every past and present religious concept. It's better to believe. ;) The problem with this line of reasoning is that there are thousands of gods that humans have imagined. A person who believes in Allah can make this statement, and so can a person who believes in Jesus, and so can a person who believes in Vishnu.

    FYI -- You spelled believe wrong.

    -- Posted by Mastermind on Thu, Oct 6, 2011, at 5:56 PM

  • This 20 minute video speaks directly to MHBouncer's claim about belief and explains why that was true- when we were primitive cave-dwellers. Unjustified beliefs can be harmful, though, as Mastermind has pointed out, and that is why as intelligent, thinking beings, the critical examination of one's beliefs is important.

    http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/michael_shermer_the_pattern_behind_self_decept...

    -- Posted by Geoff Schroeder on Thu, Oct 6, 2011, at 7:30 PM
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    And some beliefs lead people to attack others for blessing animals. Thank you for proving my point. I care little whether you believe in what I do or don't. But apparently you care what I believe in. And comparing Catholics blessing animals in the name of Saint Francis to the terrorists of 9/11 just shows the mind set of those on the left. My religion encourages me to be tolerant of other faiths as they are tolerant of mine.

    -- Posted by mhbouncer on Fri, Oct 7, 2011, at 2:02 PM

  • @MHbouncer.

    I was giving you examples of how "beliefs" can become dangerous. It's funny you didn't dispute misogyny and homophobia that's prevalent in religion. I agree this event was fairly harmless; however, this doesn't mean these places of worship aren't harmful to rational thought and humanity. Furthermore, I was definitely chastising this event, and the problem with this criticism is what? Religion teaches ignorance and shouldn't be respected.

    FYI -- I respect you; however, I don't respect your religion. Have a good day.

    -- Posted by Mastermind on Sat, Oct 8, 2011, at 2:04 PM
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