Show Kindness To Animals

[JAG**]

I was raised in a time and in an area of the country where many men considered it manly to kill animals just for the sake of killing them. They called doing that "sport." And they taught the young boys, as they grew up, to do the same thing. They explained that killing animals was merely we humans "exercising our dominion" as they put it.

The results was a lot of unnecessary killing of animals (and birds) just for the sake of killing them. "Road kills" counted too. Many back then would speed up in order to "score a point" on all critters crossing the road and even score points on stray dogs and cats too.

I now see all that as wrongdoing and outright sin.

Its a blessings how the Lord changes the heart and makes us wiser and better as we read His word and get to know Him better. I found myself braking the other day so I would not hit a young squirrel that had just dashed in front of my truck. I am glad I did that.

I will never again cause any animal death or pain just for the sake of killing the animal.

I read in the newspaper where they closed that disgraceful Ringling Brothers Elephant Show. Good. It was very painful for the elephants. I have read how they "trained" the elephants to do all their tricks and performances and the "training" involved intense pain for the elephants while they were forced to go through their routines.

No, I am not against hunting animals for food. I am against killing them only "for sport" and against killing them "just for the sake of killing them."

No, I am not a pacifist. I believe some wars are justified, for example WW II. But I believe killing and mangling up human bodies in wars ought to be the very last resort after all other solutions have been totally exhausted. "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God", said the Lord Jesus. That means exactly what it says.

On another subject:
"A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal." Proverbs 12:10

[MorningGlory]

Great post, Jag.  Your beliefs echo mine exactly.  And welcome to Worthy!

[Willa]

I also agree and thank you for the post.  There are some who go too fare and campaign against killing whales but have no regard for human life, especially the unborn and the infirm, the elderly or retired.  God loves all His creation and cares for the sparrows that fall and the lilies of the field.  

[missmuffet]

2 hours ago, JAG** said:

I was raised in a time and in an area of the country where many men considered it manly to kill animals just for the sake of killing them. They called doing that "sport." And they taught the young boys, as they grew up, to do the same thing. They explained that killing animals was merely we humans "exercising our dominion" as they put it.

The results was a lot of unnecessary killing of animals (and birds) just for the sake of killing them. "Road kills" counted too. Many back then would speed up in order to "score a point" on all critters crossing the road and even score points on stray dogs and cats too.

I now see all that as wrongdoing and outright sin.

Its a blessings how the Lord changes the heart and makes us wiser and better as we read His word and get to know Him better. I found myself braking the other day so I would not hit a young squirrel that had just dashed in front of my truck. I am glad I did that.

I will never again cause any animal death or pain just for the sake of killing the animal.

I read in the newspaper where they closed that disgraceful Ringling Brothers Elephant Show. Good. It was very painful for the elephants. I have read how they "trained" the elephants to do all their tricks and performances and the "training" involved intense pain for the elephants while they were forced to go through their routines.

No, I am not against hunting animals for food. I am against killing them only "for sport" and against killing them "just for the sake of killing them."

No, I am not a pacifist. I believe some wars are justified, for example WW II. But I believe killing and mangling up human bodies in wars ought to be the very last resort after all other solutions have been totally exhausted. "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God", said the Lord Jesus. That means exactly what it says.

On another subject:
"A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal." Proverbs 12:10

Yes, I live in the country and I see a lot of road kill. It is not necessary. I slow down and let a rabbit, deer, raccoons,opposums,squirrel cross the road safely. I even slowed down one night and let a huge bull frog cross the road. I have heard instances of people speeding up to kill a cat or dog. The only time I might not slow down is if a person was close on the bumper of my car and it would cause an accident. But that would be rare. There are many people on the road now especially where I live that are drunk or stoned since marijuana is legal in my State. We live in an evil world just look around you.

[The_Patriot21]

I dont speed up to intentionally "hit" animals, but im not going to hammer the breaks on either, unless the animal is a pet or big enough to hurt my vehicle. Im not wearing out my breaks or causing a possible accident over a rabbit. And I have no issue with killing invasive species such as prairie dogs or jackrabbits, theyre good target practice for hunting season, as unlike a paper target they move, and the better I am at hitting moving targets the better chance I get of taking down a game animal, and has the added bonus of weading out the invasive species.

[JAG**]

6 hours ago, MorningGlory said:

Great post, Jag.  Your beliefs echo mine exactly.  And welcome to Worthy!

Thanks Morning Glory. And thanks for the welcome too.

 

[JAG**]

6 hours ago, Willa said:

I also agree and thank you for the post.  There are some who go too fare and campaign against killing whales but have no regard for human life, especially the unborn and the infirm, the elderly or retired.  God loves all His creation and cares for the sparrows that fall and the lilies of the field.  

That's a very pertinent point to make. We need to show kindness to the unborn babies too and not have them killed. I am for life, not for killing.

There is enough death and killing and hurt in the world as it is, without humans deliberately causing more death and hurt to be inflicted upon humans and animals.

We ought to make killing as rare as is humanly possible. Sometimes, for example, wars cannot be avoided because some men (and nations) refuse to listen to reason.

Sad world.

Btw, wars have only provided temporary solutions to human problems (eg. WW II got rid of Hitler) but wars have never been the solution to the problems that have plagued human beings for thousands of years. Only the gospel of the Lord Jesus can be the permanent solution to human problems.

Btw Hitler was soon replaced by other tyrants that became mass murderers.

Then add that ongoing mess in the Middle East, a mess that seems to never end, and appears to be militarily insoluble. Time will tell about that, but don't bet to heavily that there is a military solution, that will actually be implemented, to the mess in the Middle East.

Lets stop killing the unborn. Lets pray that human beings will choose life and love, not death and killing.

[JAG**]

6 hours ago, bopeep1909 said:

Yes, I live in the country and I see a lot of road kill. It is not necessary. I slow down and let a rabbit, deer, raccoons,opposums,squirrel cross the road safely. I even slowed down one night and let a huge bull frog cross the road. I have heard instances of people speeding up to kill a cat or dog. The only time I might not slow down is if a person was close on the bumper of my car and it would cause an accident. But that would be rare. There are many people on the road now especially where I live that are drunk or stoned since marijuana is legal in my State. We live in an evil world just look around you.

Great comment. I appreciate it, bopeep.

[JAG**]

6 hours ago, The_Patriot2016 said:

I dont speed up to intentionally "hit" animals, but im not going to hammer the breaks on either, unless the animal is a pet or big enough to hurt my vehicle. Im not wearing out my breaks or causing a possible accident over a rabbit. And I have no issue with killing invasive species such as prairie dogs or jackrabbits, theyre good target practice for hunting season, as unlike a paper target they move, and the better I am at hitting moving targets the better chance I get of taking down a game animal, and has the added bonus of weading out the invasive species.

I don't see any disagreements between us. My objection was to killing animals "Just for the sake of killing animals" without just cause. I enjoy eating a T-bone steak and I have never ate one that was still alive *smile* which means somebody killed the cow for me. The wife and I eat a lot of chickens too, but we have never ate one that was still alive.

[JohnD]

My beloved bride (of 35 years) is the sweetest soul living (it was a close tie when her mother was still living). Both taught me to love and respect animals*. But especially my beloved. She has rescued strays by the thousands, many of them had to be put down and she cried like a baby for each and every one. I helped when I could (rescue, I mean) and every one of our pets have been rescues... some we tried to get adopted but none would take them so we always had room for one more. One time we were in an apartment with 5 cats and my job was in limbo. Then the Lord opened the doors to a wonderful house in the country for us all to live in.

I doubt people at the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, Californian would remember us but until we moved out of State 8 years ago we were there every Sunday after Church (next door a Calvary Chapel off-shoot). We worked with horses and sheep and goats and llamas and donkeys and chickens and pigs...  all my beloved bride's idea to volunteer there and I came around a year later... 14 years or so. I used to serenade the barnyard gang (we called them) with my guitar** as we turned them out into a yard to romp free for an hour or two and watched them together.  

This was Tommy the sheep who escaped from the truck taking his herd to slaughter for lamb chops I believe it was. The rancher was so touched by his will to live he donated him to HWAC. Here years later Tommy was about 300 lbs. Think I was too. LOL But when he was first donated, he was just a small lamb about the size of a medium size dog. We have pictures of my beloved bride carrying him like a pup with big ears.

We believe most hunting is just for sport. And we are against it. Having run over a wild hog going to work one morning, I understand there must needs be a thinning of herds in the wild... so we won't miss a moment of our busy civilized lives... nature always pays the price... [sigh]

________________________________________________

* I was never cruel towards animals or anything, I was just indifferent. I always loved our pets and cried when they died. But other than that I never gave them much thought until I got married (the second best thing that ever happened to me after Jesus saved me).

** I just check the HWAC site to learn one of the pygmy goats goats (Willie) passed about three years ago. He and his brother (Billy) loved to rub their head on things (where their skulls actually protruded through their skin and fur which is normal for)... but it itches them and I think I recall something about a scent gland to mark territory. Often they would rub their heads on my guitar as I kept right on playing and singing. Almost all of the original barnyard gang had died already of old age. Billy and Willie were the last of our barnyard gang when we moved away.