Animal Use or Abuse?

Introduction

It's in the news all the time. A chef is accused of cruelty to animals for plunking live lobsters into a boiling pot. A man is arrested for accidentally dragging his pet beagle behind his pick-up truck. Baby seals are clubbed to death so their fur can be made into coats for rich people. There are violent confrontations between environmentalists trying to protect endangered species and workers determined to save jobs. More and more people become vegetarians – refusing to eat any kind of meat.

Where does the Christian stand in the midst of this often heated, emotional, and very personal debate? God's Word is where to look for insight and guidance. What does God's Word tell us about the treatment of animals?

The Principles

The LORD created all living creatures.

  • "And God said, ‘Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.' So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:20, 21
  • "And God said, ‘Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:24, 25

Every creature belongs to the Lord.

  • "Everything under heaven belongs to me." Job 41:11b
  • "I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it." Psalm 50:9-12

The Lord watches over all living creatures.

  • "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?...Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied his ropes? I gave him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat. Job 39:1-5
  • "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they?" Matthew 6:26
  • "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father...So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29, 30b

The LORD made animals for the benefit of people.

  • "God blessed them and said to them (Adam and Eve) ‘Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'" Genesis 1:28
  • "Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field." Genesis 2:19, 20

After the Fall and after the Flood the situation changed.

  • "The LORD God made garments of skins for Adam and his wife and clothed them." Genesis 3:21
  • "Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.'" Genesis 9:1-3
  • "For the creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope..." Romans 8:20

The love of money can result in hurt to God's creation and harm to our soul.

  • "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6:9, 10
  • "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" Hebrews 13:5

Application Questions

Ask yourself if you agree or disagree with the following statments, and why.  Then click the link at the end of the section to check you answers.

1. People are just like animals – only we have a much more highly developed brain.

2. It is sinful to wear things made from leather – belts, shoes, jackets.

3. It is wrong to trap animals for their fur.

4. Many animals suffer from neglect at the hands of greedy people who raise them for profit.

5. Hunting for food is OK but hunting for trophies/sport is wrong.

6. Animals should not be used in painful experiments testing cosmetics.

7. Some people love their pets too much.

8. Animals that cause the death of a person must be destroyed right away.

9. It's wrong to take wild animals and put them in zoos just so people can come and look at them.

CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

Pray

Dear Heavenly Father,

We praise you for making minnows, whales, grizzly bears and baby bunnies. Thank you for long necked giraffes; for penguins in tuxedos; for peacock tails. Forgive us all the times we have taken animals for granted – forgive us for misusing or abusing them. Give us new hearts made wise through the Scriptures. Give us the energy we need to use all birds, animals and fish to the glory of Jesus' saving reputation. Amen!

By Rev. Anthony E. Schultz