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Goats in church

Foaming DraughtFoaming Draught Shipmate
in Ecclesiantics
This appeared on my town's Facebook Page:

"Would the person that brings their goat to church every week, just not? I know you think he's fine with his little blanket and bowl of water, but the whole apartment complex has to listen to it bleet and carry on.
I don't go to the church, the goat is tied to a ute and left outside for however long they're there for."

Interested parties haven't narrowed down the church yet. Not one of my shacks, anyway. But if it were, I'd be minded to put down a mat and invite the goat in. What do other Shippies think?

Comments

  • TrinitarianTrinitarian Shipmate Posts: 6
    I naively assumed that “goat” in this thread title was meant in a Matthew 25 way, but I see it was rather more literally zoological
  • SandemaniacSandemaniac Shipmate
    Sounds a bit "Meh!" to me.
  • Gee DGee D Shipmate
    Foaming Draught wrote: »
    This appeared on my town's Facebook Page:

    "Would the person that brings their goat to church every week, just not? I know you think he's fine with his little blanket and bowl of water, but the whole apartment complex has to listen to it bleet and carry on.
    I don't go to the church, the goat is tied to a ute and left outside for however long they're there for."

    Interested parties haven't narrowed down the church yet. Not one of my shacks, anyway. But if it were, I'd be minded to put down a mat and invite the goat in. What do other Shippies think?

    I'd be contacting the local animal welfare organisation (RSPCA here in Australia).
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    Yes, that thought occurred to me. Presumably the goat bleats because it's missing its owner, although, if it were inside the church, it might cause a disturbance there instead.

    Either way, something's not quite right.
  • HarryCHHarryCH Shipmate
    Am I the only person wondering about "ute"? If I try yo look this up, all I find are references to Ute natives and a town called Ute in Iowa,
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    edited July 13
    I think it means *utility vehicle* - a kind of pick-up truck which also has accommodation for passengers:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ute_(vehicle)
  • BroJamesBroJames Purgatory Host
    From Wikipedia
    A ute, originally an abbreviation for "utility" or "coupé utility", is a term used in Australia and New Zealand to describe vehicles with a tonneau behind the passenger compartment, that can be driven with a regular driver's licence.

    Traditionally, the term referred to vehicles built on passenger car chassis and with the cargo tray integrated with the passenger body (coupé utility vehicles). However, present-day usage of the term "ute" in Australian English and New Zealand English has expanded to include any vehicle with an open cargo area at the rear, which would be called a pickup truck in other countries.
  • TwangistTwangist Shipmate
    Not "greatest of all time" then?
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    Foaming Draught wrote: »
    This appeared on my town's Facebook Page:

    "Would the person that brings their goat to church every week, just not? I know you think he's fine with his little blanket and bowl of water, but the whole apartment complex has to listen to it bleet and carry on.
    I don't go to the church, the goat is tied to a ute and left outside for however long they're there for."

    Interested parties haven't narrowed down the church yet. Not one of my shacks, anyway. But if it were, I'd be minded to put down a mat and invite the goat in. What do other Shippies think?

    Maybe I lack sociological imagination, but I'm somewhat bemused at the idea of a setting where there could be something reasonably described as an "apartment complex", in the same vicinity as a person who would trot his goat around town.
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    Well, at a guess - the owner of the goat lives way outside town, but comes into town for church on Sundays. There's no-one left at home to look after his goat, so the goat has to come with him.
  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    What kind of minute-by-minute care does a goat need that makes leaving it at home for a couple hours impossible? I mean, give it food, water, and confine it to one area. Make sure it has shade, and the local coyotes or whatever can't get at it. Done, right?
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    I did say I was guessing, but you're right.

    However, it may be that the owner lives in an area where goat-stealing is rampant, and, as it's the only animal companion he has in his lonely life, he takes it with him to church on Sundays.

    That said, the goat-thieves could easily follow him, and snatch the goat whilst the owner is saying his prayers.

    There is, no doubt, a back story...
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    Feels like someone is being made a scapegoat, I’ll get my coat …
  • angloidangloid Shipmate
    Doublethink wrote: »
    Feels like someone is being made a scapegoat, I’ll get my coat …

    Well this is a place for discussion of liturgical practices. There should be plenty of inspiration for relevant and imaginative liturgy in Leviticus 16.
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    Doublethink wrote: »
    Feels like someone is being made a scapegoat

    Well, I'm guessing he's a pretty gruff character.
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    What a silly-billy you are...
    :lol:

    I'll get me goat coat.
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    Bishops Finger wrote: »
    What a silly-billy you are...
    :lol:

    I'll get me goat coat.

    Yeah, enough with the trolling.
  • LatchKeyKidLatchKeyKid Shipmate
    Bishops Finger wrote: »
    I did say I was guessing, but you're right.

    However, it may be that the owner lives in an area where goat-stealing is rampant, and, as it's the only animal companion he has in his lonely life, he takes it with him to church on Sundays.

    That said, the goat-thieves could easily follow him, and snatch the goat whilst the owner is saying his prayers.

    There is, no doubt, a back story...

    In 1974, in Brisbane, our community house somehow acquired a goat that lived in our garden. It was there for some weeks, and one day it vanished. Some said they suspected "the Greeks" of stealing it for dinner. No more was heard of it.
  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    This is amazing. I am hoping we can discover more about this goat, and its owner, and why the goat cannot be trusted to stay home on its own during worship. (maybe it's doing drugs? screwing around on the computer? throwing wild parties Sunday morning?)
  • ChastMastrChastMastr Shipmate
    Twangist wrote: »
    Not "greatest of all time" then?

    Yes, one hopes He's there of course!
  • ChastMastrChastMastr Shipmate
    LatchKeyKid wrote: »
    Bishops Finger wrote: »
    I did say I was guessing, but you're right.

    However, it may be that the owner lives in an area where goat-stealing is rampant, and, as it's the only animal companion he has in his lonely life, he takes it with him to church on Sundays.

    That said, the goat-thieves could easily follow him, and snatch the goat whilst the owner is saying his prayers.

    There is, no doubt, a back story...

    In 1974, in Brisbane, our community house somehow acquired a goat that lived in our garden. It was there for some weeks, and one day it vanished. Some said they suspected "the Greeks" of stealing it for dinner. No more was heard of it.

    It was raptured! Everyone else on Earth was left! Pray for us, O Holy Goat!
  • ChastMastrChastMastr Shipmate
    stetson wrote: »
    Foaming Draught wrote: »
    This appeared on my town's Facebook Page:

    "Would the person that brings their goat to church every week, just not? I know you think he's fine with his little blanket and bowl of water, but the whole apartment complex has to listen to it bleet and carry on.
    I don't go to the church, the goat is tied to a ute and left outside for however long they're there for."

    Interested parties haven't narrowed down the church yet. Not one of my shacks, anyway. But if it were, I'd be minded to put down a mat and invite the goat in. What do other Shippies think?

    Maybe I lack sociological imagination, but I'm somewhat bemused at the idea of a setting where there could be something reasonably described as an "apartment complex", in the same vicinity as a person who would trot his goat around town.

    House church, maybe? Maybe it's in one of the apartments?
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    ChastMastr wrote: »
    stetson wrote: »
    Foaming Draught wrote: »
    This appeared on my town's Facebook Page:

    "Would the person that brings their goat to church every week, just not? I know you think he's fine with his little blanket and bowl of water, but the whole apartment complex has to listen to it bleet and carry on.
    I don't go to the church, the goat is tied to a ute and left outside for however long they're there for."

    Interested parties haven't narrowed down the church yet. Not one of my shacks, anyway. But if it were, I'd be minded to put down a mat and invite the goat in. What do other Shippies think?

    Maybe I lack sociological imagination, but I'm somewhat bemused at the idea of a setting where there could be something reasonably described as an "apartment complex", in the same vicinity as a person who would trot his goat around town.

    House church, maybe? Maybe it's in one of the apartments?

    Could be. Or they rent a rec-room in the block?
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    Our congregation has an owner of a herd of goats. She has never brought them to church, though. She thinks the goats get short shrift when it comes to the division of the sheep from the goats.
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    I loved goat when I discovered it in an Ethiopian restaurant in London, On.
  • AravisAravis Shipmate
    There is an elderly man who occasionally walks his goat in our local park. I’ve never seen one at church though.
    I have eaten goat a few times - several times years ago as a pastoral assistant in a Midlands church with a number of West Indian families in the congregation, and once recently with an elderly Somali couple.
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