\n
Church-goers are less likely to own a cat than atheists \u2013 partly because some of the latter see cats as a \u201cgod substitute\u201d, according to research.<\/p>\n
Owning a pet is said to replicate some of the benefits of joining a faith community, and while cats are \u201cpretty low-maintenance, we end up serving them a lot\u201d, an American academic has pointed out.<\/p>\n
A study of more than 2,000 people in the United States found that those who never set foot in a place of worship own two pets on average, while faithful worshippers have 1.4.<\/p>\n
It also noted a \u201cstrong, negative association between worship attendance and cat ownership\u201d, adding that \u201cfrequent worship attendees and the most conservative evangelicals report owning fewer pets\u201d.<\/p>\n
Professor Samuel Perry, from the University of Oklahoma, said cats could be seen as a \u201cgod substitute\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey want to interact with you but it\u2019s always on their terms and it\u2019s always about them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to always win their affections and it bothers us when we think they might be somehow displeased with us.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo while they\u2019re pretty low-maintenance, we end up serving them a lot. Cats are very godlike in those characteristics.\u201d<\/p>\n
Professor Perry added that pets were \u201cin some ways substitutes for human interaction\u201d.<\/p>\n
He told The Times: \u201cPeople who are heavily connected to a church or faith community already have plenty of social interaction.\u201d<\/p>\n
The late writer Christopher Hitchens, an atheist, said that if you provide a dog with food and water, it will \u201cthink you are god\u201d.<\/p>\n
Do the same for cats and \u201cthey draw the conclusion that they are god\u201d.<\/p>\n
The research is published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Church-goers are less likely to own a cat than atheists \u2013 partly because some of the latter see cats as a \u201cgod substitute\u201d, according to research. Owning a pet is said to replicate some of the benefits of joining a faith community, and while cats are \u201cpretty low-maintenance, we end up serving them a lot\u201d, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":778645,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-778644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-odd-but-true"],"yoast_head":"\n
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