Euthanization of animals, elderly and abortion

[Leonard]

When the beast is in agony, it knows only it is in agony. A human being in agony, can still find dignity and meaning and value in his/her suffering, by joining it with the very sufferings of our Savior and offering it to Him. The animal suffering is just suffering. The human suffering is still in the Image of God. That is the qualitative difference, and why one may shoot a suffering dog, but NEVER a suffering human.

You are correct however, that it does appear America is not far from our own Tiergartenstrasse 4.

[Fez]

I work in a large game reserve, a big chunk of Africa. I see death on almost a daily basis in one way or another. And mostly it is nature just taking it's course. 

 

But if we come across an animal that is wounded, injured, out of condition and tick infected, we put it down, especially the common species.

 

A black or white rhino we will dart and attempt to treat if possible (like a snare cutting into a leg), but if it is too far gone, like a broken leg, we shoot it.

 

One cannot by any stretch of the imagination compare this to abortion or the elderly. As Leonard says, there is a huge difference.

 

But if my biological brothers living will says pull the plug at a certain point, I will pull it. And he knows to do the same for me.

[revolutionist90]

 

 

Most of the things we would put a dog down for would have already caused their death in the wild.

I am not really sure God intended for our pets to have joint replacements and more. i know a couple that spent $10,000 keeping a cat alive for an extra 14 or so months.

We have the very human view that all death is bad, but death is a natural part of our world

Shrugs...my point of view was from people who are actually non-compassionate. Have you ever heard of the phrase "if a person is able to torture and kill a dog without remorse is able to kill a person"? I am simply noticing a connection with people who truly are not compassionate with animals and thus have lower compassion for humans. 

Many animals would starve in the wild but yet it is not a good choice to euthanize them for starving if they can eat. 

I am not really sure what God intended for animals which is why I am asking for biblical quotes. Was it wrong for the couple to keep their cat alive for those months?

You are right that death is not a bad thing but there is a problem when we interfere with natural death. All things will die but why do we make the decision when they are suppose to die?

 

These questions are not to be rude. I just think many posters are not understanding the point of my OP. 

 

 

I do believe there is a connection between those that would harm an animal and those that would do so to humans.  A compassionate person will be compassionate with all things, not just some.  It makes perfect sense that one who is compassionate with animals would also be that way with humans.

 

Do you think that prolonging the life of an animal though artificial means is interfering with natural death? 

 

I think that if the animal  was surely to die (i.e) and the artificial means would only be prolonging agony then a euthanization would be okay. If the animal could be saved by artifical means like fixing a broken leg with a special cast or something like that then I don't really see a reason for euthanization. If there is a small chance of the animal dying with their illness or injury and artificial means are used then that is no interfering with natural death.

[revolutionist90]

I work in a large game reserve, a big chunk of Africa. I see death on almost a daily basis in one way or another. And mostly it is nature just taking it's course. 

 

But if we come across an animal that is wounded, injured, out of condition and tick infected, we put it down, especially the common species.

 

A black or white rhino we will dart and attempt to treat if possible (like a snare cutting into a leg), but if it is too far gone, like a broken leg, we shoot it.

 

One cannot by any stretch of the imagination compare this to abortion or the elderly. As Leonard says, there is a huge difference.

 

But if my biological brothers living will says pull the plug at a certain point, I will pull it. And he knows to do the same for me.

But yours in actually out of compassion and respect for nature. Poachers and those who use animals for their own gain with no purpose of use except for sport is a different area imo. If a person can kill an animal and simply take it tusks and leave it out in the sahara to rot does that really not say anything about the person and how they probably see humans?

[revolutionist90]

When the beast is in agony, it knows only it is in agony. A human being in agony, can still find dignity and meaning and value in his/her suffering, by joining it with the very sufferings of our Savior and offering it to Him. The animal suffering is just suffering. The human suffering is still in the Image of God. That is the qualitative difference, and why one may shoot a suffering dog, but NEVER a suffering human.

You are correct however, that it does appear America is not far from our own Tiergartenstrasse 4.

I can see that it is compassionate to euthanize an animal if it is suffering. I'm equating those who would abuse an animal (kill it painfully) can abuse another human being if they see no difference. While I know animals and humans are on the different playing field we are called to have dominion over them with mercy and kindness. There are things we cannot do with animals even though we have dominion over them. Also you interject suffering but I did not intend for my OP to focus on suffering but instead focuses on animals who are hungry, thirsty and instead of giving the animal food or water they are instead killed. It is easier to kill them then to help them. A person who uses dogs for fighting (pit fights) and allows them to be tortured in the fighting are deemed abusers. I think there is a connection with those who kill without any compassion (just for necessity or fun) and how they treat other life that is deemed unnecessary by majority of society.

[Guest LadyC]

it's hard to put pets down. i've had to have three cats in recent years put down that were like family to us. screamer was 20. she was in advanced renal failure and had a thyroid tumor. some days she couldn't do anything but lay in a puddle of her own pee. one day she had a blood pressure spike and she went blind. we knew it was time. as heartbreaking as it was, i didn't regret our decision.

 

jordy was 19. he was my baby. i'd had him in my home longer than i'd had my own kids at home. i loved him like he was a kid. he had a tumor growing on his neck at a rate of 1/4 inch per week. i could have delayed the inevitable, but he had no quality of life left. i still have a baggy of his fur, three years later. i can't part with it. but i did the right thing. he was ready.

 

dax was 17. soon after we moved back to texas, he developed congestive heart failure. i sat up with him night after night on death watch. i cried many tears, because he was suffering terribly. more so than the other two had suffered. it was terrible, because i couldn't even afford to pay to have him put down. one day my mom came over and saw that he was hemmoraging from the nose and eyes... little pinpoints of blood at those areas. what's it called? patichial hemmoraging? something like that. she gave me the money to take him to the vet. i sure missed our old vet... this one was callous and made the cat's last moments horrifying and traumatic. i regret taking him to THAT vet (i didn't know the vets around here and just had to pick one), but i don't regret the decision to put him down.

 

i've had similar questions as you. but mine are actually leaning the opposite direction. if it's inhumane to let an animal suffer when they're at the end of their life, why is it illegal to allow a person to make the decision to end their own suffering in the event of terminal illness that is making every moment of living unbearable?

[Willa]

The biggest problem is that since Darwin decided that we evolved from animals, and abortion became legal, human life is no longer held sacred.

I usually say: if you think you are made in the image of God, you probably think and act accordingly.

If you think you evolved from an amoebe or an ape, you probably think and act like one.

[Guest LadyC]

i know i didn't evolve from an ape. and i know i was created in God's image. doesn't change my questions.

[revolutionist90]

it's hard to put pets down. i've had to have three cats in recent years put down that were like family to us. screamer was 20. she was in advanced renal failure and had a thyroid tumor. some days she couldn't do anything but lay in a puddle of her own pee. one day she had a blood pressure spike and she went blind. we knew it was time. as heartbreaking as it was, i didn't regret our decision.

 

jordy was 19. he was my baby. i'd had him in my home longer than i'd had my own kids at home. i loved him like he was a kid. he had a tumor growing on his neck at a rate of 1/4 inch per week. i could have delayed the inevitable, but he had no quality of life left. i still have a baggy of his fur, three years later. i can't part with it. but i did the right thing. he was ready.

 

dax was 17. soon after we moved back to texas, he developed congestive heart failure. i sat up with him night after night on death watch. i cried many tears, because he was suffering terribly. more so than the other two had suffered. it was terrible, because i couldn't even afford to pay to have him put down. one day my mom came over and saw that he was hemmoraging from the nose and eyes... little pinpoints of blood at those areas. what's it called? patichial hemmoraging? something like that. she gave me the money to take him to the vet. i sure missed our old vet... this one was callous and made the cat's last moments horrifying and traumatic. i regret taking him to THAT vet (i didn't know the vets around here and just had to pick one), but i don't regret the decision to put him down.

 

i've had similar questions as you. but mine are actually leaning the opposite direction. if it's inhumane to let an animal suffer when they're at the end of their life, why is it illegal to allow a person to make the decision to end their own suffering in the event of terminal illness that is making every moment of living unbearable?

Yes the death of my little Cassie made me question some things and made me look at the large amounts of animals who are euthanized: some out of a sense of compassion (animal is dying), some out of convenience (population control and such) and some really out irresponsibility ("It is just an animal and no one wants it sooo"... type of thought"). The problem is that even though many think of animals as being on a different level as humans the way we treat animals does seem to characterize our personalities. There just seems to be more of a connection. Also think of the people who would willfully save their dog and pays thousands to save their life while not giving a penny to a human. At the same time there are those who torture and kill animals (because they don't cherish the life) and they will willfully do the same to others they deem unworthy of life (the unborn/elderly- easily dominated victims).There is something special about animals (at least pets) that pervades human society and plays a role in how we treat each other. 

[revolutionist90]

The biggest problem is that since Darwin decided that we evolved from animals, and abortion became legal, human life is no longer held sacred.

I usually say: if you think you are made in the image of God, you probably think and act accordingly.

If you think you evolved from an amoebe or an ape, you probably think and act like one.

That is an interesting way to look at it. Without the mercy and love that God instructs his followers to use then anything that is deemed "unfit" (according to survival of the fittest) is not deemed worthy. So an unborn who is unable to really do anything without an adult, the elderly who are unable to do anything without the help of a younger person, and the domesticated dog, cat (or even undomesticated animals) are all unfit if they cannot defend themselves. There is no mercy within evolution and no care for any life. I never really thought about how something like that can play a role within the push for abortion, "right to die" laws and euthanization for convenience.