Animals

Something that has been burning on my mind for a long time is the question of how we're supposed to treat animals.

I absolutely love animals.  My first word wasn't mama or dada, it was "kitty".  I love not only dogs and cats, but rats, elephants, snakes, birds, bugs, pretty much everything that breathes.  I find animals absolutely fascinating.  I know a lot of people probably like animals a lot too, but I'm not sure they feel it the same way as me.

Like take a couple weeks ago.  Near campus there's these wild pigs that eat all our cafeteria leftovers.  They live out in the fields, eat tons, and live nice long lives of happy fatness until we kill them.  Now as far as eating meat goes, I don't think it's wrong, and as far as slaughtering pigs go I think it's wonderful that they live full happy lives out in the wild before they die.  Anyway our school leader and a bunch of the guys wanted to have a "man bonding" experience, so right before thanksgiving they all went down and caught the pigs with their bare hands and killed it, and we all feasted on it the next day.  I guess that's not a problem.  The pig tasted really good.  But I was baffled by how much joy it brought them.  When it was time for the guys to volunteer to go down and help kill it, they got super exited.  Like they started hollering and talking about how epic it would be.

Now this I don't get.  Because if I was there I'd probably cry, not even joking.  The thought of anything dying just isn't something I think is worth celebrating.  The thought of the pig being caught and struggling to get away until it finally got knocked out and cut open made me very sad.  I'm not calling it wrong, they did it in a very humane way in which the pig would be killed painlessly and quickly, but I just don't understand how anybody could watch a living creature die and think it fun.

I hate it when anybody or anything feels pain.

Even bugs.  People burn them alive with magnifying glasses, or pour salt on slugs, and I think it's just simply very mean.  Even if those animals are very small and simple, they have nerve endings and little brains, and they can feel physical pain.  I'm not saying bugs shouldn't be killed if they're threatening you.  If there's a mosquito near me, I'll squish it.  But I won't do anything like squish it half-way and watch it just suffer for a while longer before dying.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you must kill an animal, do it respectfully and quickly.  Is that asking too much?

Something that has always bugged me is how whenever I speak up about animals rights, or get sad about how animals around the world (especially on may farms that are in charge of our meat and dairy products) are being treated, Christians, not most people in general but Christians like me, always say something like "I think you should be more focused on people."  They go on to say that child abuse is way worse then animal abuse, or how it's horrid when people are more focused on preventing seal clubbing then saving unborn babies.  Well you know what?  That's totally true!  It's bad when people care more about seals then babies, and child abuse is worse then animal abuse!  But how on earth is that relevant?  Do people really need to point that out as if talking about being kind to animals is saying that we shouldn't focus on people?  I never ever said that humans don't come first, so it's totally unfair to assume that just because I think animals are important I think people are less.  That's just putting words in my mouth that were never there.

When God first made the world, he made us as leaders and caretakers over all creation.  He let Adam name all the animals.  He looked down on everything He made, people and creature alike, and said that it was very good.  There are more verses in the bible that suggest He loves and cares about individual animals (Take Matthew 10:29, for instance).  Throughout the bible but especially in Psalms it tells us again and again the the beauty of nature reveals and proclaims his majesty and beauty.  Which I can totally relate to.  Time and time again whenever I would doubt God was real, I would just go outside and look at the colorful sky, or my favorite strong tree, or a delicate little insect, and I'd be reminded that no, of course something this lovely and complex surely isn't the result of a random accident.  I believe the beauty and uniqueness of nature and animals point out how glorious God is, and they bring God joy just be being themselves.

Most people would think it offencive to say God is much like a dog.  And I admit it sounds bad.  But stay with me here when I say that I personally see so much of God's character in a dog.  Dogs are fiercely loyal and extremely loving.  They love you the same no matter what.  NO matter how I've acted during the day, no matter what crap I've done, as soon as I walk in the room Kylie and Gus, my two little corgis, are going to love me and welcome me EXACTLY the same, which is with utmost enthusiasm.  And that's just how God is!  I look at other animals and realise they too proclaim the glory of God, perhaps by showcasing his different characters.  God is beautiful, like the most exquisite butterfly, like a sinewy Arabian horse, like a colorful fish.  God is graceful like a jungle cat.  And everywhere he goes beauty fallows behind Him like a dew filled spider-silk web.  To say God created animals for food only is just silly.  People, he created animals wonderfully and carefully.  If he meant to make them only for food, he would've just kept making a bunch of manna with legs.

I wonder, is it wrong to think so highly of animals?  I've asked God exactly what he wants me to think about them and the only answer I get back is that he loves them even more then me.  But still I don't know if my opinions about animals are too off, mostly because other people, especially Christians, just don't agree.

Many Christians I talk to believe that animals are souly made for food.  I believe that while God does give us permission to eat meat, it wasn't his original plan, and even animals like cows and chickens have a purpose that's so much more then just being food.  Most Christians believe animal rights don't really have a place in our endeavors, because focusing on human injustices is so much more important.  I believe that while of course they're more important, caring about the treatment of animals doesn't take away from how much more I care about things like preventing child abuse and aids and world hunger.  Most Christians believe that animals are kinda like little affectionate robots without soul or reason.  I believe that until somebody comes up to me with a bible verse specifically stating that this isn't true, animals do have souls, maybe not souls that need redemption like ours but souls nevertheless.  Souls that have an at least an innate understanding of God.  I see birds sing in the morning and lambs dance in the spring for His glory.  I loved and knew my old dog Django like he was a person, and I believe that he's in heaven enjoying the bliss around him, not just a dead bit of bones buried in my backyard.

I know this post was controversial and many people might not agree with it.  I'm very open to any other opinions one might have to bring more wisdom to this topic, so please don't hesitate to comment below.  I think I have it set so you don't have to sign up or anything, you just type it in and presto, I can see what you have to say!  :-)