Eminent domain! Dom Bettinelli, Jimmy Akin, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss DS9’s “Progress,” including themes of societal good vs. individual rights; the limits of governmental authority, and Kira’s transition from rebel to government official and her ethical and moral dilemmas.
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Many reports of near-death experiences sound positive and uplifting and blissful. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss those that are reported as distinctly negative and distressing. What happens in them, what do they mean, and what are their implications?
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A correspondent writes:
On what grounds may a pet be euthanized?
We have an adopted dog that is highly destructive, more than we are willing to support financially, and more than we can manage with our limited time and attention. We are afraid for our one-year-old child’s safety, as the dog plays rough and has injured both my wife and me. The dog is confined to a kennel most of the day, since we cannot supervise and control him to prevent damage. We do not feel we can provide a good quality of life for this animal.
Day-training and boarding-school are not feasible, since the dog cannot ride in a car. We are not willing to pay for an expensive in-home behaviorist. We don’t have the time or expertise to train him ourselves.
We have tried re-homing the dog for months now. The foster family we got him from will not take him back. The local shelters will not take him as they are all at full capacity. Family, friends, and coworkers will not take him. We posted him on a couple of re-homing websites, with no success. We believe his chances of re-adoption are low due to his behavior and a pre-existing health condition.
We regret our decision to adopt this dog. We do not want to have an otherwise healthy dog put to sleep. But we do not know what else to do. We do not believe we are acting out of frustration alone. We are trying to consider what is best for our family’s wellbeing. Above all, we want to do what is right in the sight of God. If we are about to do something evil, we want to know it. So far, we have not found any clear teaching from the Church.
Can you help us?
I believe that I can.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2415 The seventh commandment enjoins respect for the integrity of creation. Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity
2417 God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure.
2418 It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. It is likewise unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery. One can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons.
These passages do not directly address your question, but they do contain the principles that provide its solution.
Animals do not have rights the way humans do. Consequently, they are “by nature destined for the . . . good . . . of humanity” (2415).
“God entrusted animals to [our] stewardship. . . . Hence it is legitimate to use them for food” (2417), meaning it is legitimate to terminate their lives when human need requires it.
While “it is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly,” this is not the case when there is a human need requiring their death and it is “unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to” human needs. Consequently, “one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons” (2418).
In your case, the animal is dangerous, it has already injured you and your wife, and you have a vulnerable child that it may injure. You have not been able to re-home it, and you do not have money to reasonably spend on alternative solutions (e.g., an animal behaviorist). At present, the dog is spending most of its time in a kennel for safety reasons, meaning it is not having a good quality of life, either.
In light of the principles and circumstances just described–and the lengths you’ve already gone to to try to find an alternative solution–Catholic moral theology would understand the decision to have the animal put to sleep. It would not be something evil. In light of the circumstances you describe, it sounds like it would be the best solution, even if it is a regrettable one.
For what it’s worth, a similar situation happened in my own family when I was a child. We adopted a dog that had been largely raised without human company, it was quite aggressive, and it attacked and harmed my little sister. My parents made the decision to have the dog put to sleep. This pained me as a child, but as an adult, I understand the decision they made.
Bottom line: We are not required to keep dangerous pets, and if there are no better solutions, they can be treated like other dangerous animals and put to sleep.
I hope this helps, and God bless you!
This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week, from 30 December 2023 to 31 December 2023.
Angelus
Speeches
Papal Instagram
The 15th Doctor starts his run and Dom Bettinelli, Jimmy Akin, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss everything, including what they think of the new Doctor, his new Companion, the fairytale shift, the themes of family and goodness of babies, and who is Mrs. Flood?
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It’s almost New Years, so Cy Kellett of Catholic Answers Live is asking Jimmy Akin weird questions from listeners, about topics like can you marry an alien; baptizing faeries or unborn babies; what the Soul Gem or the Borg do to your soul; time travel and alternate universes; and more weird questions.
The video will be available at noon Eastern on the day of release.
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This Episode is Brought to You By:
Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Deliver Contacts, offering honest pricing and reliable service for all your contact lens needs. See the difference at delivercontacts.com.
Rosary Army. Featuring award-winning Catholic podcasts, Rosary resources, videos, and the School of Mary online community, prayer, and learning platform. Learn how to make them, pray them, and give them away while growing in your faith at RosaryArmy.com and SchoolOfMary.com
Tim Shevlin’s Personal Fitness training for Catholics. Providing spiritual and physical wellness programs and daily accountability check-ins. Strengthen yourself to help further God’s kingdom. Work out for the right reason with the right mindset. Learn more by visiting fitcatholics.com.
The Grady Group, a Catholic company bringing financial clarity to their clients across the United States. Using safe money options to produce reasonable rates of return for their clients. Learn more by visiting GradyGroupInc.com.
Great Lakes Customs Law, helping importers and individuals with seizures, penalties, and compliance with U.S. Customs matters throughout the United States. Visit GreatLakesCustomsLaw.com
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This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week, from 21 December 2023 to 28 December 2023.
Angelus
General Audiences
Homilies
Messages
Speeches
Papal Instagram
One of Jimmy Akin’s favorite Old Time Radio shows is Lum and Abner, featuring the general store owner in Pine Ridge, Arkansas, and his employee. Every Christmas they did a special episode that gets at the true meaning of Christmas and so Jimmy wanted to share it with the listeners in a bonus episode.
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In what has become an annual tradition, Jimmy Akin spends a few hours on Christmas in a livestream, hanging out and answering questions, in particular for those who don’t have anyone to be with for the holiday.
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In a Christmas special episode, Jimmy Akin and Cy Kellett discuss the mystery of the very first Christmas, what we really know about Jesus’ birth, and how we know it.
The video will be available at noon Eastern on the day of release.
Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?
Links for this episode:
This Episode is Brought to You By:
Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Deliver Contacts, offering honest pricing and reliable service for all your contact lens needs. See the difference at delivercontacts.com.
Rosary Army. Featuring award-winning Catholic podcasts, Rosary resources, videos, and the School of Mary online community, prayer, and learning platform. Learn how to make them, pray them, and give them away while growing in your faith at RosaryArmy.com and SchoolOfMary.com
Tim Shevlin’s Personal Fitness training for Catholics. Providing spiritual and physical wellness programs and daily accountability check-ins. Strengthen yourself to help further God’s kingdom. Work out for the right reason with the right mindset. Learn more by visiting fitcatholics.com.
The Grady Group, a Catholic company bringing financial clarity to their clients across the United States. Using safe money options to produce reasonable rates of return for their clients. Learn more by visiting GradyGroupInc.com.
Great Lakes Customs Law, helping importers and individuals with seizures, penalties, and compliance with U.S. Customs matters throughout the United States. Visit GreatLakesCustomsLaw.com
Want to Sponsor A Show?
Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.
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