This is Plum Orchard Mansion, and the First African Baptist Church is the inset photo.

I love this image. It's a picture I took on Cumberland Island, just off the coast of Georgia. I love the magical feel of this place. The Spanish moss and the saw palmettos, plus those really old oaks that you just know have seen and heard it all...just love it. And it's near First African Baptist Church, where JFK Jr. got married...such a special little building. I love it there. Cumberland Island is awesome...wild horses...the beach...Plum Orchard, that awesome mansion...if you want to see how the rich folks lived way back when...take the tour of the mansion. But this is without a doubt my favorite place on Cumberland. The road is quiet and peaceful. If you listen closely, the oaks will tell you of hot, humid nights under the stars, hoop skirts and mint juleps. I love that there are still places like this in the South.

Before I begin, let me just own up to two things…first, I am a Christian. Second of all, I own a cat. Or rather, I am owned by cat. If you have a cat, you know what I mean.

I am well aware that there are some serious nut jobs out there that wear the label of Christian and wear it loudly. I stumbled across a blog written by just such a person this morning, called "The Dark Underside of America's Obsession with Cat Ownership." Let's just say my mouth is still hanging open.

The post begins by enlightening us with the benefits of owning a pet…A pet can teach responsibility, foster love, teach stewardship, and protect your home and family. But the article then raises the question: Is welcoming any beast into the sanctity and privacy of your home always a good idea?

The author of the post then writes about the health issues associated with cat ownership, pointing out the risk of the various infections and diseases that cats can carry. He doesn't point out that if a person is a responsible pet owner, he can take his cat to the vet where the animal can be vaccinated against each and every one of the "diseases" that he writes are liable to infect us all.

I'll grant you, cats in homes with people who have allergies are a problem. This is why people who are allergic to cats don't have cats.

The article goes on to say "like rodents, felines have strong odors and can track in dangerous outdoor elements." Let me just say, my cat is an indoor-only cat. She doesn't track in anything and she doesn't stink. I have had indoor/outdoor cats before that didn't stink either. If you make sure they are properly vaccinated and use flea/pest prevention on them as diagnosed by your vet, you won't have a thing to worry about. But have you ever smelled a wet dog? Ever tried to clean up a dog that's gotten into something, well, gross outside? I have no problem with dogs, but don't point the finger at cats on this one element of your argument, buddy.

The guy also writes about cats urinating outside of their litter box. Yes, this can be a problem, but it's a indicator that there's something wrong with your cat, and your cat should be taken to the vet for treatment. Cats don't go outside their boxes unless there's an issue.

He also points a finger to the "offensive stench that hangs in a cat owner's home and on their clothing when they venture out into public." Ask anyone whose ever been in my home and they'll tell you there's no odor…in my home, on my cat, or on me and my clothing. Again, it comes back to responsibility. Care for your pet properly and there is no problem. The author of this atrocious piece doesn't point this out. At all.

This nut job says there are "additional psychological dangers in a close feline relationship" for women. We are all destined to become crazy cat ladies. He writes that, "single people are more attracted to cat ownership, while dog owners are married with children." So now he's slammed cat owners who are female and those who are single. Again, nut job.

Now for the really scary part…the author writes how the Bible does not ever refer to cats in a positive light. He points to how lions were used to murder Christians in the Roman coliseums, and how King Herod was a cat owner. He also writes, "In fact, amazingly, not one of the apostles ever owned a cat. It goes without saying that Jesus never did." Just...I...really?!

This crazy dude also points out that people are to train animals and not let animals train them – an obvious reference to the fact that people who have cats say they are "owned by" their cats and not the other way around. He writes, "This is a very important point as we have seen with many contemporary women's relationships with their cats. Worship of cats, a pagan ritual if there ever was one, is truly a sin."

Furthermore, he writes that it is ethically wrong for us to live our lives in service of our lesser creatures – i.e., cats. The author cites studies that show that cats are "highly manipulative" and have trained the "childless" to "fetch their food, scratch behind their ears and do whatever else they require, turning you into overworked servants in your own home."

The final question that this guy asks is this: "With the evident health and moral problems, can we really continue to believe that there is no harm in cat ownership?"

I'll tell you where the real harm is…it's in people who claim to be speaking about what the Bible says, without ever picking it up and studying it. It's those same people who take scripture out of context and twist it to back up belief systems of their own design. This is a very evident problem, Mr. Cat Owner Hater.

And yes, I do believe there will be cats in heaven. Deal with it.