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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
The Word of God does not mention the treatment of animals to a great extent. However, from the creation account we get both what the Bible says about animals and how we must treat them. In Genesis ...
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Grant Abbott
Supporter
The very phrase "animal rights" is indicative of the way our culture has anrhropomorphized our relationship with animals. We want to attribute human attributes and rights to animals to enhance our relationship to them. People who are keenly aware of the damage mankind is doing to our environment (pollution, destruction of habitat, species threatened to extinction) often use this tactic to pull at our emotions so we will take action to help resolve the problems. Because most of mankind do not have a relationship with their creator, people don't realize that Satan is stirring our human desires for consumption, pleasure and greed to such an extent that we are wasting and destroying what God has created. As Christians we have a high calling to speak out against the willful and negligent damage and destruction and to act as wise stewards in caring for the planet. However, the rights we attribute to animals in our desire to care for them should never overshadow the rights of human beings to safety, food, shelter and a reasonable standard of life. After all, human beings are the crown of God's creation. We are made in his image and have been given both the authority and responsibility for the care of all creation. Because Satan has deceived our culture to place such a high value on animals, especially animals as pets, we have become blinded to the plight of human beings struggling just to survive. Economic studies have shown that if all the money spent on pets in the Industrislized World each year was redirected to caring for the poor then worldwide poverty would be completely eliminated. The anthropomorphization of animals is also being used by Satan to separate people from each other. We no longer have deep personal friendships with other human beings. Instead we have pets and attribute human attributes to them in an effort to fill our God given need for social relationships with other people. Satan has stolen the love, joy and peace that God intended us to have from close personal relationships with other people.
Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
Some biblical examples of the owner of an animal or pet being kind or not kind to it/them (Proverbs 12:10) can be seen: (1) Genesis 33:13-14: 33:13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are young, and that I have to look after the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven too hard for even a single day, all the animals will die. 33:14 Let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the herds and the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.” (2) Numbers 22:28-32: Numbers 22:28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” 22:29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “You have made me look stupid; I wish there were a sword in my hand, for I would kill you right now.” 22:30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am not I your donkey that you have ridden ever since I was yours until this day? Have I ever attempted to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.” 22:31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; so he bowed his head and threw himself down with his face to the ground. 22:32 The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you because what you are doing is perverse before me." (3) Deuteronomy 25:4: You must not muzzle your ox when it is treading grain.
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