Even before I was a Christian, I hated the needless mistreatment of animals. I was upset when my dad shot a songbird to show off how his new rifle worked, and when he'd heartlessly, almost sadistically, boil crabs ALIVE in a big pot. This turned me off to hunting and fishing. And, I walked out of Biology class in high school when live frogs were dissected for experimental purposes. These things just didn't seem right to me even BEFORE I got saved.
And SINCE I've been a Christian (1975) my thinking about animals has been honed by the Bible....I realize it is NOT wrong to hunt or fish, as long as we eat what is taken and these aren't just exercises to show off our "Manhood." The Bible says "the righteous man regards the life of his beast" (emphasis mine) which means that if we have a pet OR work animal or ANY animal that we "take", we should TAKE CARE of it. This is one of the reasons I don't have pets, by the way...I am LAX in the "take good care of" department, and I know it. I prefer animals (mostly birds) that I can WATCH or DRAW, but being one who cultivates HUMAN relationships a whole lot I don't have much energy left for PETS, frankly....and I know it.
And to me, the idea of a dog being "man's best friend" doesn't square with Scripture....our best friends tell us the truth about ourselves and (do I have to say it?) dogs. can't. talk.
I, personally, don't hunt or fish but those who do it lawfully and ethically are FINE by me now.
On Facebook, they link to quite a few videos about ANIMALS that I often watch. These are in four main categories...
1.) INFORMATIVE videos about animals (mostly fascinating insects, birds or fish, which make me MARVEL at God's creativity!! In Scripture, animals of ALL kids are used as "teaching helps," and that includes, spiders, snakes and ants which many hate because of their appearance and behaviors).
2.) Animals (usually lions or hyenas) hunting OTHER animals. Often gruesome, but "real life."
3.) Animals that are ABUSED as they are prepped to be USED as food for humans. These videos are put out by PETA or NSPCA, and, though these should be more concerned about human babies being aborted, they DO make some good videos exposing the abuse of animals awaiting slaughter.
And,
4.) PET animals, "pets" that are treated like they are the "children" of their "parents" (Humans.) It's very instructive that the ark God told Noah to build was for ANIMALS as well as HUMANS. But God gave instructions to NOAH, not to those creatures!! God VALUES animals but He values humans MORE, the two are not equal in His sight. God had NO special relationship with the "Ark Animals" like He had with Noah.
The Bible says we DO have the right to EAT animals, but frankly the callous way some are put to death by people is sickening. When WILD animals eat OTHER animals alive, THAT is heart-wrenching ALSO but these creatures are merely following their brute instincts. PEOPLE, made in God's image as we are, should not TORTURE animals because that does NOT reflect God's Heart.
And this idea of experimenting on monkeys is both cruel and mistaken with the assumption that we EVOLVED from them. Those crying that we should end experimenting on monkeys (to improve our lives as HUMANS) need to stop buying into the concept of EVOLUTION...attack the ROOT ASSUMPTION. We did not EVOLVE from apes, so how can experimenting on them HELP us in any way??
As for people in certain cultures who dress monkeys up as babies, call them their "children" and treat them as such, in my opinion they ALSO need to realize that God created us as PEOPLE, and if our sexual acts can only reproduce other HUMANS....not MONKEYS...monkeys or other pets can never be your "children." Sad to say, many CHRISTIANS seem to love animals inordinately, as well....they're more concerned if their dogs or cats will go to Heaven, than if their NEIGHBORS will.
Bottom line...animals should NOT be mistreated, NOT hunted for "entertainment" or to show off how "macho" we are, that is NOT what God intended when He gave us dominion over them. Staged videos which make small animals battle to fight for their lives are despicable, they are as bad as Cockfights or live Pitbull fights, and should be illegal. God created animals TO SHOW FORTH HIS GLORY AND POWER AND (regarding the edible ones) TO PROVIDE US WITH FOOD. I believe that EVERY animal teaches us life lessons by the very way it lives, and this is where those INFORMATIVE videos come in so handy. But the OTHER error is to treat animals as if they are HUMAN...as if they are even SUPERIOR to humans. To conclude, in Scripture, though we are told to treat animals well, the true barometer of our love to GOD is how we love (or don't love) our fellow MAN.
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