Some say that it’s kitteh abuse to raise a cat as an atheist—to brainwash it into rejecting Ceiling Cat, Basement Cat, and any of the supercatual notions that give comfort to felids. Indeed, even the term “atheist cat” could be construed as a form of abuse. Nevertheless, today we have one of these on tap, number two in our series of atheist cats.
It’s Lydia, the cat of blogger, feminist, author, atheist, and all-around troublemaker Greta Christina and her wife. Greta has a very nice blog, which I’ve highlighted before (today’s entry features her other cat, Violet). She also wrote one of the best series of articles on atheism that I’ve ever read. You can find them here, and if you haven’t read them, do so immediately.
Lydia is pictured getting a belleh rub from Greta’s trophy wife (her description) Ingrid. Greta describes the situation:
From her adoring upside-down gaze, and from the sweet trustfulness with which she is letting her belleh be rubbed, you’d think Lydia was being photographed here in a rare moment of special feline/ human affection. You’d be wrong. Lydia is a belleh-rub tramp. Anyone, anytime, anywhere: that’s her motto.
Lydia was originally Ingrid’s cat but is now both of ours; Ingrid’s had her for about 13 years. She’s a New York native and San Francisco transplant. She’s also Exhibit A in a theory our vet had: that smart cats tend to be the aloof and cranky ones, and the dim cats tend to be the sweet ones. Lydia is definitely in the “sweet but dim” category. She knows how to work the belleh-rub action, though.
Today’s bonus is a sad arthritic cat (from Sick Cats):
It’s simple justice to raise cats as atheist. As any Cat can tell you, the Bible doesn’t mention them at all. All that time in Egypt and the Hebrews don’t see a single cat? Not even one? It’s jealousy, pure and simple! God knew real competition when he saw it.
If God’s going to deny the existence of Cats, it’s only fair they reciprocate. If he’s an afelinist, they should certainly be atheists. Personally, I think god created them with free will also, an excess of free will. Personal experience tells me that they listen even less than we do. If God really wanted something to whine about he should have made Cats the chosen people. Let’s see him give them the commandment. “Thou shall not… Hey get back here! Why you… God damn it!”
I must bow down before the great lord cat, for I have one sitting next to me under my reading lamp as I write.
Blessed Atheist Bible Study @ http://blessedatheist.com/
I imagine God’s banning of shellfish was the final straw.
I’ve never met an atheist cat – they’re all autotheist.
Eddie Current’s cat is Christian…
Cats are natural atheists. Just try to herd them into a Sunday morning congregation for a sermon.
Although, I’ve heard they will sell their souls for tuna or catnip.
It’s not whether cats are natural atheists. (“Catheists”? – no it doesn’t utter well, does it.) Of course they are.
But they are all so basement cat-ish indifferent.
Well my black cat – called Black Cat – used to think I was the weather god. He would glare at me if it was raining, because, of course, I was responsible for the bad weather just like I was responsible for the food and all the magical stuff that happened in the house that was beyond his kitteh brain. So my hypothesis is that cats have a direct experience of omnipotence and omniscience, in the shape of me.
Robert A. Heinlein explored the weather god concept in “The Door Into Summer”.
Ah. That’s probably where I got the idea…
As with Pete the cat in TDIS, my cats are of the firm belief that if the weather is not acceptable at one door then you just need to keep trying other doors until it improves.
Is it just me, or do the names Greta and Ingrid just seem to *go* together? Something just makes me feel like the names are a perfect fit for each other.
Unlucky cat. If it were born in the age of Pharos it would be deified.
Yes, thank you, origin, we have definitely noticed that our names sound eerily well matched (though our ethnic backgrounds are actually pretty different).
One of these days we may decide to open a combination pancake house/massage parlor.
The only down side is that we suffer from a problem common to same-gendered couples, which is that new acquaintances have a hard time remembering “which is which.” We have gotten very used to answering to each other’s names.
“Belleh rub”… that’s great.
In my existence as a slave to several cats, I have come to the conclusion that cats are not atheists. How could they be when they all believe themselves to be gods? The divinely narcissistic centers of their own universes?