My aunt has a cat named Genevieve, (x-posted from R/T)

[darkstar3]

and a dog named Riley. They both live in the same house with her and my uncle.

Now cats and dogs are old and obvious adversaries, and in order to train the two of them to live together my aunt was very attentive and strict. Any aggressive behavior was immediately corrected, no matter which party it came from. But my aunt loves to tell (and so do I) an interesting story about how that correction backfired.

You see, Genevieve figured out 2 things about Riley: 1) He would attack immediately if provoked, and 2) he was incapable of attacking silently.

So one day, while standing in the kitchen, my aunt hears Riley snarl and bark, to which she immediately responds by turning and correcting him. With both animals looking at her with somber eyes, Genevieve put upon by the dog and Riley sorry to have earned his master's ire, she turned back to chopping her potatoes, and happened as she turned her back to the animals to catch some motion on the reflective glass oven door. Genevieve swatted Riley on the snout, and immediately, without being touched, flipped onto her back to cry woe, suffering, and persecution. It was then that my aunt realized that Genevieve had learned to goad her unwelcome opponent, and was feigning persecution in an attempt to see Riley punished, or even banished, and thus cement her place as alpha pet.

The story of Genevieve and Riley features strongly in my mind when listening to American Christians, of late. I wonder why...

[yellerpup]

1. Sign that cat up for a soccer team.

Anything counts as provocation where religious ideas are challenged.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

2. I'm pretty sure the point flew way over their heads

It's amazing to me that people who depend on so much allegorical bullshit in the bibble don't get a common sense analogy like yours.

[darkstar3]

3. I thought it would be hilarious to post a little atheist parable.

It's even more hilarious that nobody got it.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

4. Or if they did get it, they were too uncomfortable to respond

:shrug:

[darkstar3]

5. Either way, the silence is very telling.