I am a Dachshund, and I want to put in my two cents on this very important subject. I have long been upset by the lack of respect accorded to my species in most Christian churches and congregations. While it is true that many Christians like Dachshunds and keep them as pets, no Dachshund has ever been made a priest or a minister. We have been shut out of participating in an equal fashion. We are discouraged from singing along during hymns, although we dearly love to join in and have excellent voices. We are not allowed to mark territory or engage in normal social practices within churches either. The horrible truth is that Dachshunds are still being subjected to brutal corporal punishment for doing things as ordinary and inoffensive as marking the lectern! This shows extreme insensitivity, in my opinion, and is unconscionable. It is time that we "Weiner Dogs" attained the stature that we are due in the Christian community.

Oscar Meyer, the Third, of Dinsdale Court