Is it sinful to kill insects?

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PumpkinSeed

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Bugs and creepy spiders? Is it bad to kill them? I have someone else do it for me because I’m afraid of them. I do not feel bad when they die. Is this a sin? Take note that I only have someone kill them if they are in the house, or just outside the house- near a window or door (I’m afraid of them coming inside the house)
 
As long as there is a reasonable reason to do it, such as ridding one’s home, garden, or farm from harmful insects, it can be morally licit and indeed a very good thing.

It could be a sin if one does it simply out of a desire to be cruel to weaker creatures, or if the insects are in fact beneficial (e.g. native insects in a forest or bees in your neighbor’s orchard).
 
All creatures are part of God’s creation and should be treated with a level of respect that resembles that. That being said, killing a spider because it’s in your house is much different than going out in the woods and pinning one to the tree and torturing it or burning it with a lighter, when it’s not even on the path. It’s all in the intent of why you do it.

I myself try not to kill them at all if I can help it, taking them outside if I can and catching/releasing whatever I can. I also realize though there are times this is inconvenient or impossible. Last year we had a hornets nest in our backyard and they were stinging anyone that came close. We had to dispose of them. It was not a sin to do so, we had to do something to prevent the kids and dog from getting hurt. There is no sin in protecting your family or doing what you have to do to feed them.

I think not feeling bad when they die is not a bad thing, but a neutral thing. I would be more concerned if you ‘felt happiness and joy’ at their demise. That would indeed be a bad thing. But to not feel a sense of loss when you have to dispose of a ‘pest’ is not a bad thing at all.
 
It’s not a bad question. I asked it the other day. (I didn’t ask the interwebz, just the voices in my head.) I’ll ask it again in a modified format for your reading pleasure. The other day I had one of my roosters with me. He ate an ant. I let him do it. Just the way it happened, the rooster has a very quick reflex, and when he ate the ant it was poof gone. It struck me as funny, and I laughed. God created all life, and my rooster didn’t need to eat that ant. The ant wasn’t inherently evil, it didn’t warrant suffering the presumably painful end of being smooshed up inside of Nugget’s sarlac like gizzard. Now, I rather doubt the whole ordeal will send me to Hell, but I do wonder if it wasn’t a venial sin, or someting. Or maybe my Priest is right and I really do have scrupulosity problems. Ahem. Anyway.

God bless,
 
Aelred_Minor said:
As long as there is a reasonable reason to do it, such as ridding one’s home, garden, or farm from harmful insects, it can be morally licit and indeed a very good thing.

It could be a sin if one does it simply out of a desire to be cruel to weaker creatures, or if the insects are in fact beneficial (e.g. native insects in a forest or bees in your neighbor’s orchard).
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Too scrupulous. We can kill animals as we see fit, even if they are “beneficial”.
 
white_sheep said:
Too scrupulous. We can kill animals as we see fit, even if they are “beneficial”.
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Not true, read my signature. They are still God’s animal. We can kill them if we need to, and if it’s necessary. We aren’t supposed to just do it on a whim.
 
“Thou shalt not Kill”.

Maybe we were meant to be vegetarian, we have the teeth for it.
 
Catholic_Prime said:
“Thou shalt not Kill”.

Maybe we were meant to be vegetarian, we have the teeth for it.
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Well if we study what scripture says, man was indeed a vegetarian up until after the flood. But we are fallen and do many things that we didn’t do at creation. So it makes sense that we have the same kind of teeth and jaw structure as most herbivores.
 
Let us refer to the very first commandments in the Bible: Genesis 1:27-28 "God created man in his image, in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.”

Human beings are the only creatures created in the Image of God. And God gave us alone the command to subdue the earth, to have dominion over all other creatures. So… killing insects is certainly not sinful. I killed 3 yesterday. And I’ll kill as many as I find to make sure I don’t get another infestation in my apartment.

On a personal note, as a mere mortal, I do not like the thought of roaches, spiders, bedbugs, etc. being in Heaven. However, I will not be 99% fulfilled in Heaven, I will be 100% satisfied and fulfilled in Heaven. With or without pests in it.

And yeah… dominion. That still includes being stewards. We should try not to kill off species, etc.
 
I’m not having people kill bugs or spiders to be mean. Its because I am afraid of them and find then disgusting.

I see some people here saying I shouldn’t do it, and others saying it doesn’t matter.

I’m not sure what to do.
 
Well here is my take on that. Outside I leave them alone if they leave me alone or mostly so. I accept on occasional buzz by. Come in my house you are dead.
 
PumpkinSeed said:
I’m not having people kill bugs or spiders to be mean. Its because I am afraid of them and find then disgusting.

I see some people here saying I shouldn’t do it, and others saying it doesn’t matter.

I’m not sure what to do.
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Assuming we are talking about in your own home, go ahead and do it! They serve no ecological or agricultural purpose in there, and disturb you if nothing worse. You aren’t doing it to be cruel but to maintain a comfortable home. Don’t scruple about it!
 
bmullins said:
Not true, read my signature. They are still God’s animal. We can kill them if we need to, and if it’s necessary. We aren’t supposed to just do it on a whim.
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I think we’re quibbling over semantics. I basically agree with that.
 
PumpkinSeed said:
Bugs and creepy spiders? Is it bad to kill them? I have someone else do it for me because I’m afraid of them. I do not feel bad when they die. Is this a sin? Take note that I only have someone kill them if they are in the house, or just outside the house- near a window or door (I’m afraid of them coming inside the house)
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It is absolutely NOT a sin to kill insects.
 
Catholic_Prime said:
“Thou shalt not Kill”.

Maybe we were meant to be vegetarian, we have the teeth for it.
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This is a wrong interpretation. It should be rendered thou shalt not murder. We were meant to eat vegetables and meat. There are insects that are dangerous. You do not want to provide an environment that would encourage black widows or the brown spider. When we moved into our house we had some strange spiders that built nest outside our window. We left them alone and enjoyed them. I have not seen them since the first year.😦 I still wonder what they were. Their shell was hard and shiny and looked like a Chinaman face.

It is not a sin to kill them. Being afraid is a legitimate reason to kill them.
 
adrift said:
This is a wrong interpretation. It should be rendered thou shalt not murder. We were meant to eat vegetables and meat. There are insects that are dangerous. You do not want to provide an environment that would encourage black widows or the brown spider. When we moved into our house we had some strange spiders that built nest outside our window. We left them alone and enjoyed them. I have not seen them since the first year.😦 I still wonder what they were. Their shell was hard and shiny and looked like a Chinaman face.

It is not a sin to kill them. Being afraid is a legitimate reason to kill them.
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Sounds like a spiny orb weaver.
 
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