In a message dated 6/6/03 5:43:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time, "J.  Gordon
Bengtson writes:
>I have answered each personally who expressed concern for my recent loss
>of Nibble-ed.  It is most heart warming to have such support on this
>forum.
>
>These little guys are just animals, God gave us dominion over them
>to use them as we choose.  But he does expect us to treat life with
>reverence even if we use some animals as food.  Thankfully ferrets don't
>cook up well.  No, haven't tried it either.
>
>Our use for a ferret is for companionship, laughs, and just a little
>fuzz ball to come home to who will make you laugh regardless of who we
>bombed today or what happened at work.
 
I don't know if I would say that companion animals are *just animals*
anymore that we are *just animals*.  It seems to me that you obvious
grief at losing the company of Nibble-ed makes it doubtful that she was
*just an animal*.  /8> )
 
It seems to me that when *just animals* are loved by a humans they become
more or less *humanized*, the way an experience of divine love makes
humans more god-like.
 
At any rate death, the *great democratizer*, creates an empathetic bond
between all animals, human and non-human alike.
 
Carol
[Posted in FML issue 4172]