Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Ebonmuse · 11-06-2006, 04:48 PM

Hello all,

I recently posted the following short parable on my blog, and a lot of commenters seemed to think I was saying something other than what I meant. The point was perfectly clear to me in my own head while I was writing it, but that may not mean anything, so I'm curious to see how many other people see what I intended by it.

Here's the post. What do you think it means?

Quote:

Inspired by the recent downfall of Ted Haggard:

Once upon a time there were two men, each of whom owned a dog. The first man was glad to own and care for his dog, knowing that pets, if properly cared for, can bring much joy into one's life. He took his dog on walks every day and played catch with it in the park, and at night they slept snuggled together. Because the man was a gentle and kindly master, the dog came to love him and respect him, and it followed his good example and became a gentle and peaceful creature as well.

The other man believed that it was morally wrong to own dogs, and considered the fact that he owned a dog to be a shameful secret that had to be hidden from the world. As a result, he kept his dog inside all day, in a cage, and never took the dog on walks or let it run and play outside in the yard, lest his neighbors discover the truth. On the rare occasions that he did let his dog out of the cage, he was usually angry at the poor animal, because he resented having to go to such effort to keep its existence a secret - so he often yelled at the dog, and hit it with a stick, and treated it with cruelty.

One day, that man's dog got out of its cage while he was at work. All its rage at its master, its pain and resentment of him, had come boiling over as a result of the years of abuse. When the man came home, the dog was waiting for him, and it knocked him down and attacked him, wounding him severely.

"See!" the second man said, as he was taken away to the hospital. "This proves that I was right all along! Dogs aren't good companions, they're evil, uncontrollable monsters. They ruin people and destroy their lives. This just goes to show why we have to be stern with them and treat them harshly. Giving them any freedom can only lead to disaster!"

As the paramedics took him away, the first man watched from over the fence, shaking his head sadly. He knew what the other man did not - that dogs, like any other creature, are neither inherently good nor inherently bad, and that their behavior depends on their master's view of them. If you treat them harshly, if you push them away or try to keep them imprisoned, in the process you will turn them into the very monster you fear. If, on the other hand, you treat them rationally and not with fear or hatred, they will respond accordingly, and they will become good and gentle companions that can be easily brought to heel.

(If you want to cheat, you can read the comments at my site, but I request that no spoilers be given in this thread.)

Imaginary Mark · 11-06-2006, 04:55 PM

Clearly the moral is: don't beat your wife because sometimes the bitch will bite back.

(kidding!)

reddhedd · 11-06-2006, 05:02 PM

Don't buy a dog you don't really want?

braces_for_impact · 11-06-2006, 05:09 PM

Oppression can cause the very behavior you fear, but for different reasons than you think, while treating someone as you would be treated will allow them to flourish and enhance your relationship with them.

Yeah, that's it.

xaxxat · 11-06-2006, 05:25 PM

Uh, don't flog your dog? Don't pound your hound? Don't smooch your pooch?

AthenaAwakened · 11-06-2006, 06:15 PM

A tale of self fulfilling prophecy?
The consequences of ignoring the old adage ""To thine oen self be true"?

I'm just guessing mind you.

EthnAlln · 11-06-2006, 06:22 PM

Seems clear enough to me: dog = sex urge. It need not even be a homosexual urge. The same parable would apply to Jimmy Swaggart.

Betelnut · 11-06-2006, 07:52 PM

You create your own monsters.

The seeds of destruction come within.

benjdm · 11-06-2006, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EthnAlln

Seems clear enough to me: dog = sex urge. It need not even be a homosexual urge. The same parable would apply to Jimmy Swaggart.

What Ethn said.

Alethias · 11-06-2006, 08:05 PM

I would say that we each have a human nature. You can treat it as if it's an evil thing to be feared and caged and locked up and disciplined severely, or you can treat your own human nature with kindness and love and respect.

Just as with a dog, if you cage it and are mean to it, at some point all the venom and evil you feed your own nature will come out and attempt to destroy you.

This is an apt analogy, in my opinion, to what happened to Ted Haggard.

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11-06-2006, 04:55 PM	#2
Imaginary Mark Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: rantsnraves.org Posts: 2,273	Clearly the moral is: don't beat your wife because sometimes the bitch will bite back. (kidding!)

11-06-2006, 05:02 PM	#3
reddhedd Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: I'm down here! Posts: 1,757	Don't buy a dog you don't really want?

11-06-2006, 05:09 PM	#4
braces_for_impact Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: In a nondescript, black helicopter. Posts: 6,637	Oppression can cause the very behavior you fear, but for different reasons than you think, while treating someone as you would be treated will allow them to flourish and enhance your relationship with them. Yeah, that's it.

11-06-2006, 05:25 PM	#5
xaxxat Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Space Station 33 Posts: 2,543	Uh, don't flog your dog? Don't pound your hound? Don't smooch your pooch?

11-06-2006, 06:15 PM	#6
AthenaAwakened Contributor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: In a Blues Nation, In the 99% Posts: 15,479	A tale of self fulfilling prophecy? The consequences of ignoring the old adage ""To thine oen self be true"? I'm just guessing mind you.

11-06-2006, 06:22 PM	#7
EthnAlln Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Burlington, Vermont Posts: 5,179	Seems clear enough to me: dog = sex urge. It need not even be a homosexual urge. The same parable would apply to Jimmy Swaggart.

11-06-2006, 07:52 PM	#8
Betelnut Regular Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 177	You create your own monsters. The seeds of destruction come within.

11-06-2006, 08:05 PM	#10
Alethias Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 7,198	I would say that we each have a human nature. You can treat it as if it's an evil thing to be feared and caged and locked up and disciplined severely, or you can treat your own human nature with kindness and love and respect. Just as with a dog, if you cage it and are mean to it, at some point all the venom and evil you feed your own nature will come out and attempt to destroy you. This is an apt analogy, in my opinion, to what happened to Ted Haggard.

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