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