This blog is 'All about dogs' and has nothing to do with A G Gardiner's 'All about a dog'.
This blog resulted because I was totally upset to see a longtime spiritual person (I thought he was, not anymore) was walking with his dog on a Sunday morning when every believer was supposed to gather to fellowship with other believers, pray, partake in the communion and learn doctrine from God's word (Acts 2:42). I also had a short-time Christian (?) friend who always had an excuse to make over his dogs (he owns fully air-conditioned kennels with several purebred dogs though dog-breeding is not his profession) when he was asked (with a genuine concern) about missing believers' gatherings.
Do dogs matter at all?
Let us see what the Bible says about this. Here are all the Bible references I found in the New Testament:
1) Give not that which is holy unto the dogs. - Matt 7:6.
2) and 3) It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. - Matt 15:26; Mark 7:27
4) ...the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. - Matt 15:27
5) ...the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. - Mark 2:28
6) ...the dogs came and licked his (the beggar Lazarus's) sores. - Luke 16:21
7) Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision (circumcision). - Phil 3:2
8) But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. - 2 Pet 2:22
9) For without (outside the city New Jerusalem or the Bride of Christ / the Church) are dogs, and sorcerers, and whore-mongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie. - Rev 22:15
If dogs are mentioned nine times in the New Testament (40 times in the whole Bible), then it must be a matter of significant consideration for believer. In contrast, the cow is mentioned only seven times in the whole Bible. And, dogs are compared to abominable people who were once believers and who later backslide, show their backs to God, and commit apostasy.
Right from the first book Matthew to the last book Revelation dogs are mentioned as abominable animals in every one of its nine references. And only worldly people love anything abominable and take 'pride' in them (like the shameful LGBTQ community).
Here are some practical scenarios that you as a believer are in when you have at least one dog at home:
1) You spend a significant amount of money to buy a pedigree. After purchasing a dog, you spend even more money for vaccination, Veterinarian (Doctor), pedigree food apart from, beef, chicken and bakery items, grooming, training, keep-fit programs. Mind you, you are spending God-given money (it is God's money,not yours!) to buy a thing abominable to God and spend more to keep it, pet it, and grow it. You feed your dog your food on the table, not the crumbs (or left-overs). Do you know that your food becomes holy after you 'say grace' over it or thank God for it. Could this money be spent for other activities that will glorify God - helping fellow-believers, parents, and siblings who are badly in need of money?
2) You abusively call your children 'dog' ('puppy', affectionately?) and your wife and other women 'bitch' (though for fun sometimes). However, you call your dog an Apostle! (Jimmy is James, Johnny is John, Matt is Matthew, Pete is Peter, Andy is Andrew, Jackie is James, Tommy is Thomas, Judy is Jude, Pauly is Paul, Tim / Timmy is Timothy). Irony! You start calling your dog 'he' or 'she' ('Avan' and Aval in Tamil) but use the neuter gender to call human beings.
3) You spend a significant amount of time with your dog. (Do you know time is more valuable than money - you won't get it back once you have spent it?). You take your dog out for it to relieve itself (nature's calls); you take your dog for a walk to keep it fit (your fitness is secondary!); you facilitate its mating (in the name of breeding); you play with it as and when possible; you eat with it; you sleep with it; (some of you even sexually abuse it shamefully). Could this time be spent for reading your Bible, praying and for evangelism activities? or at least, for cleaning your house and your surroundings or doing other social activities?
4) You have to stay home with it (or search for an alternative dog-sitter) and so cannot go out to have fellowship with the believers as a church; you can't go out for sharing the gospel with others; you can't take your children to Sunday school, youth meeting or music classes; you can't partake in spiritual gatherings with your extended family, believer-friends and spiritual mentors.
5) In some cases, your dog comes in to sit with you in a Church gathering or a prayer meeting embarrassing or frightening other believers. (The pet dog of a well-known Indian preacher was spotted (?) on stage with other 'saints' and 'ministers'!). And children are amused by its presence and they, in turn, create a commotion and confusion in the meeting. How annoying to the preacher who is admonishing the gathering and to the believers who are listening to the word of God! Would the Holy Spirit be pleased about the situation?
6) You get emotionally attached to the dog. You become upset when it falls sick while on the other hand your brother or sister is suffering very badly health-wise or otherwise. You are more anxious during its pregnancy than you are about your children's spiritual well-being or your wife's deteriorating health. You don't love God and prioritize His purpose in your life. You ignore your responsibility of loving your neighbor as yourself. Loving your dog takes first priority. God or doG?
7) Over a period, you start derogating human beings around you equally as your dog or even less. Your focus remains on the dog even when you have visitors at home; hospitality takes a backseat. Your attitude and opinion about your fellow-beings becomes as good as (as obnoxious as!) your dog. As time goes by, you start considering human-beings as animals. You treat your wife like your dog - as a bed-mate than your life-mate! God considers humans as valuable souls!
8) You mourn for your dog at its death. And some of you try to give the dog a christian funeral. You have little or no consideration for dying fellowmen around you. What a shame!
And, you, the believer (!) starts looking for a new dog to replace the dead one! Is it because a living dog is better than a dead lion?
Dead one? the dog or you, the 'believer'?
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