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Man And Beast


So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “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 1:27-28) 


A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel (Proverbs 12:10) 


          Today is an interesting day in history. It is Humane Day, the anniversary of the founding of the ASPCA. It's also the birthday of William Booth, who cofounded the Salvation Army. It could be said that today is really all about caring for those with whom we share our lives.
          Some people seem to think the verses from Genesis quoted above are all about power and its abuse. That's how they see everything. They teach that animals should be seen as people in fur coats. Ingrid Newkirk (one of the founders of PETA) is quoted as saying, "...a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy."[1] Some claim that animal "rights" should take precedence over human rights. Because they reduce humans to the status  of "intelligent animals," these people claim we are obligated to work and even sacrifice on the behalf of all other animals. This is why it's illegal to harm a sea turtle egg, and the whole world is called to shame a person who mistreats a dog, but it's perfectly acceptable (even noble) to abort a human.
          This is not what Scripture teaches. Genesis 1 teaches that we are to see to the needs of our animals and our world. To that extent we agree with those who advocate ecological responsibility. Righteousness requires that we care for each other and for our animals. Such care does not confuse animals with people. It does not conflate animals/nature with God. It does not grant people the right to exercise power over other people, even in the name of saving the planet. Such care is in accordance with the needs and nature of each individual person or animal in obedience to God. May Humane Day (and every day) be a day in which you practice the best of humanity among those you meet.

 

 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On the Calendar:
Human Day (ASPCA)
Birthday of
William Booth (cofounder of Salvation Army)

 


[1] Washingtonian magazine, 1986 August 1

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