Harming Animals

[BFP]

First off, cruelty to animals is definitely a sin. We are to be good stewards of everything in our lives. To kill an animal for food or to protect your property is a different story, we are above the animals. Being above the animals does not give us the right to be cruel to them and let them suffer. A quick kill is not cruel. Cutting an animals throat is not cruel by any means. It is the way it has been done since Biblical times. Shooting an animal over and over with a pellet gun that won't actually kill it is definitely cruel.

I raise chickens and rabbits for meat. Yes, I kill them when it is time. This is not cruel, they have a very good life here and are treated 100x better than anything you will ever buy at the grocery store. By eating meat from the grocery store you are in fact contributing to cruelty to animals...now that's food for thought.

Animal worship, as is more than prevalant today is another sin all in itself......

[tah]

This reminds me of the recent story in the Florida news about a young man or men, not sure as I have not been reading much today..

But he/they were going around slaughtering cats and leaving them for their owners..

This is a very very disturbed person that is doing these things and needs some serious intervention...

this is sin...

Killing for food is not..

What is my intent...

Butchering cats for fun is sin...

Butchering cows for food is not....

I cannot find the scripture that is just on the edge of my brain but we are to take care of them..

But here are couple..

I imagine if you did a search you could find a site that was not just a "don't hurt the fish" site but a real site dedicated to the teaching of non cruelty to animals you will find some Scripture about animals and our charge to care for them...

Pro 12:10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast:

Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

I seem a little too careful to my family cause they think I was silly to scoop a gazillion polliwogs out of the pool before cleaning it as opposed to draining them out on to the ground ..

They went into the pond where the fish are and they will become what they are supposed to be..

either frogs or food for fish......

People who have pets and care about them may have some scriptures for you as caring for animals comes up every once in a while here.. ...

I wish I knew more....

How about the shepherd who cares for his sheep like David did...

bad shepherds... nothing good to say about them...

[Believer1997]

First off, cruelty to animals is definitely a sin. We are to be good stewards of everything in our lives. To kill an animal for food or to protect your property is a different story, we are above the animals. Being above the animals does not give us the right to be cruel to them and let them suffer. A quick kill is not cruel. Cutting an animals throat is not cruel by any means. It is the way it has been done since Biblical times. Shooting an animal over and over with a pellet gun that won't actually kill it is definitely cruel.

I raise chickens and rabbits for meat. Yes, I kill them when it is time. This is not cruel, they have a very good life here and are treated 100x better than anything you will ever buy at the grocery store. By eating meat from the grocery store you are in fact contributing to cruelty to animals...now that's food for thought.

Animal worship, as is more than prevalant today is another sin all in itself......

I understand what you are saying - we try to buy local beef and range free chicken - but unfortunately - it is impossible for most people to raise their meat or for some of them to buy locally or range free.

[pokemaughan]

Cruelty to animals is a sin, yes!

However, people have to be careful to draw the line between cruelty, discipline, and hunting for food.

Some people won't smack their dogs because they feel it's cruel, then later find they've got a disobedient dog!

Some people think deer hunting is cruel, then later find they don't have food!

Some people think it's okay to pick a cat up by the tail... and later find that only the sickest people find it acceptable.

[MorningGlory]

I think anyone who deliberately harms or hurts an animal needs to have the same thing done to them. And yes, I do believe it's a sin. I don't have any scriptures either, but I can't see God condoning this.

I think it's a sin to harm animals too and woe be on anyone I catch doing such things. Ugh! I hate people who are mean to animals!

[MorningGlory]

First off, cruelty to animals is definitely a sin. We are to be good stewards of everything in our lives. To kill an animal for food or to protect your property is a different story, we are above the animals. Being above the animals does not give us the right to be cruel to them and let them suffer. A quick kill is not cruel. Cutting an animals throat is not cruel by any means. It is the way it has been done since Biblical times. Shooting an animal over and over with a pellet gun that won't actually kill it is definitely cruel.

I raise chickens and rabbits for meat. Yes, I kill them when it is time. This is not cruel, they have a very good life here and are treated 100x better than anything you will ever buy at the grocery store. By eating meat from the grocery store you are in fact contributing to cruelty to animals...now that's food for thought.

Animal worship, as is more than prevalant today is another sin all in itself......

I don't think most pet parents worship animals....we just love them.

[Guest LadyC]

mg, i think he was referring to peta-people.

[Axxman]

I see alot of emotional responses...but none that actually add up to "sin." I think Fez hit the nail on the head in the very beginning of this thread by comparing it to environmental issues. People like to have their "pet issues" and like to make others fit into their way of seeing things...but not alot of scripture to back it up.

[paul1149]

Thanks, Believer. A couple further points if I may.

• Man wasn't given the right to eat animals until after the flood. There's a theory that the Genesis creation account implies a water canopy over the earth protecting life forms from harmful radiation. Thus, if you track the lifespan of man you see a dramatic drop-off after the canopy poured itself out into the Flood. Now man in his weakened condition would need animal protein more than before.
  
• Regarding man's relationship to animals. The serpent was the most subtle beast in the Garden, yet satan did not think it would blow his cover to speak to Eve (anything too unusual would have sent her back to Adam for consultation). Therefore it must not have been too far from the norm for man and animals to communicate in some advanced manner. I think that in the Re-creation we can expect all that to be restored, and much more.
  

Just some personal thoughts. The more I think about God's Peaceable Kingdom, the more I want to be there. Marana tha, Lord Jesus.

Be well,

p.

[Believer1997]

PETA is a terrorist organization.... they started out with some legitimate and logical concerns for animals and they've evolved into crazy behavior that goes beyond their originally stated mission...

I have a pet that I love and care for. I do not confuse her with a human being - she is an animal. (She probably doesn't realize she's not human, but I do). I have been know to rescue animals that need help and find them suitable homes. I've paid a lot of vet bills that resulted from these missions of mercy and have a wonderful and understanding husband. On one occasion, many many years ago I abducted an older German Shepherd on a 2 foot chain who had a full inch of ice on his back and bloody paws from standing on frozen ground. I tried to call animal control and the weather was too bad for them to intervene. The owner who said someone "left" the dog there said it wasn't his problem. I prayed about it and then, I believe, God made it my problem. That dog was with me for 7 years and always afraid of the dark.... I always remember the way he looked at me that night.... fierce, big, growling and so bitterly cold... but he was cooperative and didn't bite me and let me bring him in and clean him up - I am terrified of big dogs... but we sized each other up and were accepting of our situation. He laid next to my bed each night for the next 7 years. When I got up to tend to a crying child or holding one who was so ill - Frosty was there.... always watching with those kind gentle eyes. I miss him still.

All said... God gave us dominion over animals and sometimes - they have dominion over our hearts. That's not a bad thing. Blessings...