Is cruelty to animals a sin?

[remjsmom76]

Im sorry here but this statement offend me A LOT!!! HOW DARE YOU COMPARE A LIFE OF AN ANIMAL TO THAT OF A HUMAN BEING!!! Seriously!!!
My husband was a soldier and his buddies are still in the military. You can not compare an animals death to that of a human life. Thats INSANE!!! GOD GAVE US ANIMALS to live off of, to EAT, to raise so we can use them as FOOD! Thats what they are here for. They are here also to aid us in work as well. As for Vegitarians and the “arguement” that we do not need meat to survive well, I think you are wrong there. They (vegitarians) suffer lots of muscle mass loss, they suffer iron defficencies, and those who do not drink or eat dairy suffer week bones,and worse osteoporosis than those of us who do eat meat and drink and eat dairy. In my oppinion GOD is the biggest meat eater of all. I mean, just look at the bible, it is said that they would sacrifice CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS…and the FATTEST ONES OF THEM ALL!!! All for GOD. Seriously, I think GOD loves a nice big NY STEAK!!!

It has nothing to do with selfishness at all.

I think it is all about selfishness. Many argue that we need meat to survive. If that were true there would be no vegans or vegetarians alive. Eating meat is about money for the producer of it and selfishness for the consumer of it. If we are so highly intelligent and civil, as the human race claims to be, then we would not eat meat. There is no such thing as “humane” slaughter. Just because it is quick and so called painless does not make it humane. Is it humane when a soldier gets shot in the head and dies instantly? It was quick and most likely painless (he wouldn’t have know what hit him it happened so fast). Is that humane? or is it slaughter? Is one life more important than another? And why would one be more important than another? Is the person who molests your child better than the dog who saved your child from drowning? Which of the two has more worth. Should Obama have swatted the fly? Maybe not. Maybe he should have just shooed it away. I think if we want to claim we are intelligent and civil that we should make every attempt to be kind to any and all living beings. I know people like to use the thing of disease too to justify killing. I’ve had flies land on plenty of my food and mice crawl thru it as well. I’m healthier than anyone I know. Personally, I think your government likes to scare you into thinking those things. I don’t remember the exact wording but I believe it says in the bible that it is not dirt that defileth a man, but his thoughts. As far as I know, all living things feel pain so we should make every attempt not to kill others. Maybe it doesn’t say exactly that in the bible but I do know God made me the way I am. He is the one that made me compassionate towards any living being, so if I am wrong I guess God screwed up with making me. Do you think you would ever see Jesus in a slaughter house “humanely” killing something or working on a factory farm making animals live in a way he never intended? An animal may be meat but we are too. That doesn’t make it right to eat another human. Doesn’t it say something like “as you do unto the least of them, you do unto me”? Would an animal or fly or rat not be the least of them in some peoples eyes? Look at the way we treat other humans because of there skin color or features and their language. If they don’t look, act, and talk the same language as me, then they feel no pain and deserve no respect. Animals, rats, insects look different and speak a different language. Maybe that’s the problem humans can’t relate to them. Maybe if they spoke English it would change things. It’s too bad humans think they are superior to every other living thing. Look what they have done to God’s world with their selfishness and greed. Do you think God made animals so that we could make them extinct? Or do you think that he created this world so we could pollute and destroy it? Do you think he wants us to fight in wars and kill each other. Isn’t that one of the commandments? Thou shalt not kill. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anywhere where it specifies who we should not be killing. Does it just refer to humans, our own race, those of the same religion, those in the same country. When I read it, I see, “don’t kill”.

 

[cassini]

What a most interesting thread, one I have a special interest in as I was a mink-farmer. The answer to the thread question is of course yes, as many posters have written. But the REAL question is WHAT constitutes cruelty to animals?

The reason I pose this question is because it is double edged. There is nothing ‘crueller’ than nature itself and it is God who designed it so. Now we cannot accuse God as being cruel, can we, so this means attempting to define the human term cruel.

The sin of cruelty, as some have said, is a human one. We sin because of our behaviour no matter what the act. When we know something is not right yet pursue it, then it constitutes a sin. One would probably have to have the INTENTION to inflict pain of some sort on a living creature for it to be a sin, venial I expect although if ‘cruel’ enough with full consent it could be mortal. Only God could judge it so.

Jesus Christ, remember, ordered the Apostles to catch the fish that must have died a suffocating death on the boat. Christ fed the crowd fish. Killing humanely cannot be classed as cruel. Christ would have known there was no cruelty involved as He could not be accused of cruelty. Why is this? I have pondered this question and it leads me to believe Christ/God knows how animals ‘think’’ under such circumstances. When we see lions begin to eat a buffalo alive God known that buffalo’s ‘mind’. He must know that animals do not understand what is happening and thus the pain is not comprehended in the same way we experience it. Animals feel pain yes, but do they ‘suffer’ pain.

There are of course human acts that are the ultimate in cruelty. Pitting fighting dogs against one another is one example. There are those who say keeping mink in cages is cruel. I was a professional animal keeper. I loved my animals. I knew their instincts and how they behaved. Because of the nature of mink (cruel to the limit as they will kill everything they can get hold of) they had to be kept in cages. I know they were ‘happy’ enough in their cages once they were fed, watered and had a comfortable nest box to sleep in and have their young to rear in.

They say that animal-rights was a product of Walt Disney when he gave a mouse a human intellect. That is the trouble with most, they think animals think like we think. They do not.

The vegen solution is of course no solution. NOBODY on earth lives without affecting the creatures of earth. Billions of animals were/are killed, lost/lose their habitat and died/die, were/are killed by chemicals used to protect carrots etc.

Hope there is something in here to interest you posters.

 

[Ione]

Im sorry here but this statement offend me A LOT!!! HOW DARE YOU COMPARE A LIFE OF AN ANIMAL TO THAT OF A HUMAN BEING!!! Seriously!!!
My husband was a soldier and his buddies are still in the military. You can not compare an animals death to that of a human life. Thats INSANE!!! GOD GAVE US ANIMALS to live off of, to EAT, to raise so we can use them as FOOD! Thats what they are here for. They are here also to aid us in work as well. As for Vegitarians and the “arguement” that we do not need meat to survive well, I think you are wrong there. They (vegitarians) suffer lots of muscle mass loss, they suffer iron defficencies, and those who do not drink or eat dairy suffer week bones,and worse osteoporosis than those of us who do eat meat and drink and eat dairy. In my oppinion GOD is the biggest meat eater of all. I mean, just look at the bible, it is said that they would sacrifice CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS…and the FATTEST ONES OF THEM ALL!!! All for GOD. Seriously, I think GOD loves a nice big NY STEAK!!!

It has nothing to do with selfishness at all.

And you have offended me as well. HOW DARE YOU *NOT TO COMPARE *AN ANIMALS LIFE TO A HUMANS!

"My husband was a soldier and his buddies are still in the military. You can not compare an animals death to that of a human life. "
You apparently don’t understand the point of the remark. :tsktsk:

"As for Vegitarians and the “arguement” that we do not need meat to survive well, I think you are wrong there. They (vegitarians) suffer lots of muscle mass loss, they suffer iron defficencies, and those who do not drink or eat dairy suffer week bones,and worse osteoporosis than those of us who do eat meat and drink and eat dairy. "

Funny, I have none of these problems but my meat eating friends do. As well as cholesterol and heart problems. And most of the vegEtarians and the vegans that I know are extremely healthy people. I know alot of my meat eating friends and family have many health problems.

"GOD GAVE US ANIMALS to live off of, to EAT, to raise so we can use them as FOOD! "
Where’d the fruits and vegetables come from?

"Seriously, I think GOD loves a nice big NY STEAK!!! "

I doubt it.
I think he probably would rather we all quit killing each other and destroying his world with factory farms and chemicals and such.
“you do unto me as you do unto the least of them”:sad_yes:
“THOU SHALT NOT KILL”

 

[antunesaa]

But just about all meat comes from the slaughterhouses. It seems like the only way to avoid the cruelty of slaughterhouses would be to embrace vegetarianism and avoid all meat products. A lot of things are cruel to animals. Take fishing for example. Or hunting and shooting ducks. They are shot and they fall quivering to the ground. Yet, I don;t hear any sermons about avoiding meat products or avoiding fishing or hunting, etc. Why is that?

I eat meat from my mother’s own farm (as well as vegetables). All animals are humanely killed by her maid. But if everyone became vegetarian tomorrow, there would probably be huge supply problems. Also, is it not the case that to feed all humans with vegetables would imply the destruction of lots of forests, including parts of Amazonia? Recently the deforestation in Brazil has been carried out for cultivating soya beans and other vegetables, not for feeding cattle. This means that it is possible that we are imposing cruelty upon our fellow human beings under the form of hunger or destruction of the environment, in order to avoid cruelty upon animals in slaughterhouses. So the question seems tricky. I would care first about other matters and if and when we reach a sufficiently high standard of civilization and a broad consensus on the issue, encourage vegetarianism. That should still take many, many years.

 

[BCH]

Cruelty to animals for no other sake, not good. Who could ever say curuelty is a good thng?. But a sin to eat a hotdog and similar talk is plain nonsense.

We have a world gone insane. The world pushes to allow for partial-birth abortions and fight for the rights of flies.

Could you ever conceive of a priest asking the parishoners to pray for people who eat hotdogs. Ridiculous!. But I could conceive of a priest asking the parishoners to pray for all abortion vitims, both mother and child.

 

[aicirt]

I believe the dogs we’ve owned have had a better life than most people on this planet.

Things get a little crazy when it comes to animals and care. We lived in a neighborhood where more deer where killed by cars than by guns. The animals would run off and die from their injuries. Because there were so many, they ravished gardens and hedges not to mention the damage to the autos and injuries to people. The solution was to have a hunt. Then you’d have the animal activists up in arms. The idea was to thin the herd and give the meat to a shelter.

India has a great appreciation for its cows, rats, and monkeys. That is fine for them and their culture , but we are not about to sacrifice our health for the sake of letting animals roam at will or destroy those which carry disease.

 

[4elise]

But just about all meat comes from the slaughterhouses. It seems like the only way to avoid the cruelty of slaughterhouses would be to embrace vegetarianism and avoid all meat products. A lot of things are cruel to animals. Take fishing for example. Or hunting and shooting ducks. They are shot and they fall quivering to the ground. Yet, I don;t hear any sermons about avoiding meat products or avoiding fishing or hunting, etc. Why is that?

Some of us have made that connection - not just on the cruelty to animals issue but also on the issues of resources, the environment, the issues of social justice and those who work in the industry - we have started a group here on CAF - Catholic Vegetarians and Vegans - anyone is welcome to drop by for resources, ask a question, etc…

 

[4elise]

I don’t know how I would know that. If there was an expose on a slaughterhouse which was not killing the animal as quickly as possible but using methods that caused it to suffer unnecessarily, I wouldn’t buy those meats.

farmsanctuary.org/issues/factoryfarming/

 

[4elise]

It is a sin to be cruel to animals, and I don’t think just because of what it says about us. Animals also have a certian dignity which God gave them, as does all his creation. All creation reflects God’s nature in some way. Animals feel pain and fear, which should tell us something about how God intends for us to treat them.

Using animals appropriately may mean eating them, but not ever killing them without a valid reason, or torturing them. Now, hunting, fishing, and slaughtering animals always involves some pain - although perhaps less than one might think in many cases. That is, I think, because we are fallen, and all creation is affected by that. There is, alas, nothing we can much do about the inevitable pain of being a living creature.

Modern slaughterhouses are an entirely different story. The whole process, shipping, moving, killing, involves a lot of extra pain, and especially fear for the animals. I would conclude that almost always it is indeed wrong to eat meat from a modern slaughterhouse, or get eggs from battery chickens, and so on.

That might mean a person became, for practical purposes, a vegetarian. There is nothing wrong with being a vegetarian for that reason, just as it would be ok to be a vegetarian because you could not afford meat, or didn’t like the taste.

Another option is to look into finding a humane producer. I get my meat and eggs from a farm with it’s own slaughterhouse, so there are no shipping issues, and I know humane slaughtering, as well as farming in a sustainable way, is very important to the farmer.

Most Westerners also eat far too much meat for a sustainable diet, so that it another consideration as far as eating meat goes.

Great post - so many people don’t know about how food is produced today

 

[Ione]

I don’t know how I would know that. If there was an expose on a slaughterhouse which was not killing the animal as quickly as possible but using methods that caused it to suffer unnecessarily, I wouldn’t buy those meats.

Read Slaughterhouse by Gail Eisnitz

For an inside view on factory farming watch HBO’s documentary Death On A Factory Farm and then watch the farmer’s reactions at the end. And note that the farmers in the community raised around $15,000 to help pay this farmers legal fees in support of him. There are plenty other articles on it. If they(the farmers) are supporting it, they must be doing it themselves. The pork producers council (I think that’s what it’s called) even raised money to help this farmer but said they did not condone his actions that it was an isolated case. That to me says they condone the actions and others must be doing it too. It’s not an isolated or unusual case in the industry.

 

[4elise]

Read Slaughterhouse by Gail Eisnitz

For an inside view on factory farming watch HBO’s documentary Death On A Factory Farm and then watch the farmer’s reactions at the end. And note that the farmers in the community raised around $15,000 to help pay this farmers legal fees in support of him. There are plenty other articles on it. If they(the farmers) are supporting it, they must be doing it themselves. The pork producers council (I think that’s what it’s called) even raised money to help this farmer but said they did not condone his actions that it was an isolated case. That to me says they condone the actions and others must be doing it too. It’s not an isolated or unusual case in the industry.

Another great resource… I think so many people who shop at grocery stores away from where food is produced have an idealized view of the farm - I know I did before I learned about factory farming.

 

[mercifulJan]

My Mom suffered from osteoporosis for many years. I was her caregiver brining her to many doctors. I did some research and found that dairy products actually do not help make bones strong (it is questioned if they actually deplete the bones of calcium).
Please visit www.PCRM.org for more information. We have been lied to by the media and the agri-business for many years. Calcium can be found in some vegetabless.

 

[Ideo]

First off, the original post is wrong. PETA never even made a move to talk about Obama killing the fly until the media asked them in order to make news. blog.peta.org/archives/tags/president_obama/

Second, the view that “cruelty” is the causing of unnecessary suffering is one I would dispute. First off, what constitutes “unnecessary”? Most people seem to hold the view that factory farms fall under the category of “cruelty”… and yet the owners of these farms would argue that they are necessary because they are cheap. Is cheap a justification for cruelty? Most of us would say no. But then, why is a meat craving justification for animal slaughter? You might say, “because God gives us permission,” but in the OT, God gives permission to do many things that today would be absolutely unforgivable. He orders the wombs of pregnant women ripped open, orders the genocide of several peoples, orders constant sacrifices, orders men to stay away from menstruating women… why are all those things now taboo, while killing animals to satisfy a craving is still acceptable? Please keep in mind that animals were not eaten until after the Flood- did God change our digestive systems and bodies to need meat? According to research, no, he did not. The human digestive tract reveals that we were never meant to be meat-eaters. If you think it is necessary for a healthy lifestyle, then you should take a look at all the vegetarians of times past. Einstein, da Vinci, Lincoln, and countless others. Here are just a few:
ivu.org/people/writers/scientists.html
ivu.org/people/writers/index.html
This is a list of a few vegan athletes, for those of you who think it is necessary for muscle mass: organicathlete.org/james-southwood

So I ask, what is “necessary”? Gandhi said that any progress made by the shedding of innocent blood he counted as of no consequence. We have poured trillions into animal testing over the years- how far might we be if we had spent that researching ways to mimic the human body, instead of those of animals who have important differences in their biology (for example, chimps deal with AIDS completely differently than us, and scientists have declared them useless in AIDS research, and guinea pigs are actually killed by penicillin, a life-saving drug in humans).

Is it “necessary” to feed cows pounds and pounds of grains per 1 pound of meat- grain which would be better used to feed hungry people? Is it “necessary” to allow so much methane gas into God’s air so that you can have a burger? Is that what you call stewardship, friends? Remind me never to entrust my house to you, in that case.

Is it “necessary” for us to separate us from our fellow living creatures, “necessary” to consider them lower and treat them as no more than dirt? If God said that we are more valuable than “many sparrows,” then it is not because the sparrows are any less important to God, but because we are more. If God did not love them in a way that we cannot love even other people, why would he even have them? Does he detest his own creation? Does he want us to destroy that which he made? Sounds a bit ridiculous to me.

For those of you who respect other living creatures, good for you.

 

[Bluegoat]

I eat meat from my mother’s own farm (as well as vegetables). All animals are humanely killed by her maid. But if everyone became vegetarian tomorrow, there would probably be huge supply problems. Also, is it not the case that to feed all humans with vegetables would imply the destruction of lots of forests, including parts of Amazonia? Recently the deforestation in Brazil has been carried out for cultivating soya beans and other vegetables, not for feeding cattle. This means that it is possible that we are imposing cruelty upon our fellow human beings under the form of hunger or destruction of the environment, in order to avoid cruelty upon animals in slaughterhouses. So the question seems tricky. I would care first about other matters and if and when we reach a sufficiently high standard of civilization and a broad consensus on the issue, encourage vegetarianism. That should still take many, many years.

No, it wouldn’t, in many places. The places where it would be an issue would be where subsistence farming would be the norm, or in traditional herding cultures where the land is not suitable for cultivation; the issues with production in those places are different.

In the West, and some of the places that produce cash crops for the West, the opposit would be the case. All those cattle, pigs, and other livestock must be fed something. Keep in mind that compared to in the past, we eat huge amounts of meat. What most Western livestock is fed on is corn, soy, and other grains, also suitable for human consumption. And the conversion is not perfect, as the animals burn some off in moving, heating themselves and so on. So a pound of corn going into a cow creates less meat energy. There would actually be more energy for humans if they are the grains directly, the grains already being grown to feed livestock. So all in all, there would be less land required for more energy available for humans.

Those soya beans in Brazil are grown mostly for cows, not for direct human consumption. It’s directly related to the beef industry.

It’s actually more complicated than this in a sustainable farming situation. There are places that are not suitable for cultivation but are great for grazing animals - that is, feeding them primarily grass. Animals in a mixed farming situation also help maintain soil fertility and provide labour that does not depend on fossil fuels. (For example, pigs till the land, chickens eat bugs and parasites, cows produce oxen.)

But this has very little to do with modern industrial farming. It’s not at all just a matter that industrial farming tends to support practices that are cruel to animals. They are also unhealthy for people, as they are very pesticide and herbicide dependent, and use drugs in livestock that can threaten human health. (Research swine flu, which has a direct relation to factory farming.) It tends to degrade the environment in general, and particularly farmland, which again impacts people. It also has a whole host of issues related to food security, which means a glitch in the system could result in many people starving - a glitch like very high oil prices, or a serious plant disease like a blight.

 

[4elise]

But this has very little to do with modern industrial farming. It’s not at all just a matter that industrial farming tends to support practices that are cruel to animals. They are also unhealthy for people, as they are very pesticide and herbicide dependent, and use drugs in livestock that can threaten human health. (Research swine flu, which has a direct relation to factory farming.) It tends to degrade the environment in general, and particularly farmland, which again impacts people. It also has a whole host of issues related to food security, which means a glitch in the system could result in many people starving - a glitch like very high oil prices, or a serious plant disease like a blight.

So many are unaware of these issues - I really appreciate your shedding light on them.

 

[Ione]

First off, the original post is wrong. PETA never even made a move to talk about Obama killing the fly until the media asked them in order to make news. blog.peta.org/archives/tags/president_obama/

Second, the view that “cruelty” is the causing of unnecessary suffering is one I would dispute. First off, what constitutes “unnecessary”? Most people seem to hold the view that factory farms fall under the category of “cruelty”… and yet the owners of these farms would argue that they are necessary because they are cheap. Is cheap a justification for cruelty? Most of us would say no. But then, why is a meat craving justification for animal slaughter? You might say, “because God gives us permission,” but in the OT, God gives permission to do many things that today would be absolutely unforgivable. He orders the wombs of pregnant women ripped open, orders the genocide of several peoples, orders constant sacrifices, orders men to stay away from menstruating women… why are all those things now taboo, while killing animals to satisfy a craving is still acceptable? Please keep in mind that animals were not eaten until after the Flood- did God change our digestive systems and bodies to need meat? According to research, no, he did not. The human digestive tract reveals that we were never meant to be meat-eaters. If you think it is necessary for a healthy lifestyle, then you should take a look at all the vegetarians of times past. Einstein, da Vinci, Lincoln, and countless others. Here are just a few:
ivu.org/people/writers/scientists.html
ivu.org/people/writers/index.html
This is a list of a few vegan athletes, for those of you who think it is necessary for muscle mass: organicathlete.org/james-southwood

So I ask, what is “necessary”? Gandhi said that any progress made by the shedding of innocent blood he counted as of no consequence. We have poured trillions into animal testing over the years- how far might we be if we had spent that researching ways to mimic the human body, instead of those of animals who have important differences in their biology (for example, chimps deal with AIDS completely differently than us, and scientists have declared them useless in AIDS research, and guinea pigs are actually killed by penicillin, a life-saving drug in humans).

Is it “necessary” to feed cows pounds and pounds of grains per 1 pound of meat- grain which would be better used to feed hungry people? Is it “necessary” to allow so much methane gas into God’s air so that you can have a burger? Is that what you call stewardship, friends? Remind me never to entrust my house to you, in that case.

Is it “necessary” for us to separate us from our fellow living creatures, “necessary” to consider them lower and treat them as no more than dirt? If God said that we are more valuable than “many sparrows,” then it is not because the sparrows are any less important to God, but because we are more. If God did not love them in a way that we cannot love even other people, why would he even have them? Does he detest his own creation? Does he want us to destroy that which he made? Sounds a bit ridiculous to me.

For those of you who respect other living creatures, good for you.

That’s an excellent argument in favor of no meat!

 

[BCH]

Below is the teaching of the Catholic Catechism (The maroon color is my doing)

**2415 **The seventh commandment enjoins respect for the integrity of creation. Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity. Use of the mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe cannot be divorced from respect for moral imperatives. Man’s dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.**2416 **Animals are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory. Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Philip Neri treated animals.
**2417 **God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Medical and scientific experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice if it remains within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving human lives.
**2418 **It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. It is likewise unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery. **One can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons****2457 **Animals are entrusted to man’s stewardship; he must show them kindness. They may be used to serve the just satisfaction of man’s needs.

 

[4elise]

Below is the teaching of the Catholic Catechism (The maroon color is my doing)

**2415 **The seventh commandment enjoins respect for the integrity of creation. Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity. Use of the mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe cannot be divorced from respect for moral imperatives. Man’s dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.**2416 **Animals are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory. Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Philip Neri treated animals.
**2417 **God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Medical and scientific experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice if it remains within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving human lives.
**2418 **It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. It is likewise unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery. **One can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons****2457 **Animals are entrusted to man’s stewardship; he must show them kindness. They may be used to serve the just satisfaction of man’s needs.

I think you have added many balanced points - and the words you added - it is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly - I certainly agree with - so since I can survive (quite well) on a vegan diet, if I cause an animal to suffer or die for my dinner it is needless isn’t it?

 

[holy_moly]

It is a sin to be cruel to animals, and I don’t think just because of what it says about us. Animals also have a certian dignity which God gave them, as does all his creation. All creation reflects God’s nature in some way. Animals feel pain and fear, which should tell us something about how God intends for us to treat them.

Using animals appropriately may mean eating them, but not ever killing them without a valid reason, or torturing them. Now, hunting, fishing, and slaughtering animals always involves some pain - although perhaps less than one might think in many cases. That is, I think, because we are fallen, and all creation is affected by that. There is, alas, nothing we can much do about the inevitable pain of being a living creature.

Modern slaughterhouses are an entirely different story. The whole process, shipping, moving, killing, involves a lot of extra pain, and especially fear for the animals. I would conclude that almost always it is indeed wrong to eat meat from a modern slaughterhouse, or get eggs from battery chickens, and so on.

That might mean a person became, for practical purposes, a vegetarian. There is nothing wrong with being a vegetarian for that reason, just as it would be ok to be a vegetarian because you could not afford meat, or didn’t like the taste.

Another option is to look into finding a humane producer. I get my meat and eggs from a farm with it’s own slaughterhouse, so there are no shipping issues, and I know humane slaughtering, as well as farming in a sustainable way, is very important to the farmer.

Most Westerners also eat far too much meat for a sustainable diet, so that it another consideration as far as eating meat goes.

This is true, but does that mean other animals ‘sin’ when they hunt down & slowly kill their prey & begin consuming while it is still alive? Of course not. In Gn. God gave us dominion over all creatures & in the NT. Paul confirms that it is not sinful to eat any foods that one is served. That being said, ‘animal cruelty’ is a different matter, but it would come down to what the meaning of ‘cruel’ is? Also, which commandment would it be a sin under?

 

[holy_moly]

First off, the original post is wrong. PETA never even made a move to talk about Obama killing the fly until the media asked them in order to make news. blog.peta.org/archives/tags/president_obama/

Second, the view that “cruelty” is the causing of unnecessary suffering is one I would dispute. First off, what constitutes “unnecessary”? Most people seem to hold the view that factory farms fall under the category of “cruelty”… and yet the owners of these farms would argue that they are necessary because they are cheap. Is cheap a justification for cruelty? Most of us would say no