Kill animal - is it a sin?

[vince2paul]

Is it wrong to kill animal intentionally?

When I was in high school, I had a group of classmates who loved to kill lizards, insects, etc. Once there was a lizard in my classroom, and they deliberately used the leg of a chair to crush its head. It seems that they really enjoyed it.

I’m not talking abt mosquito or flies. Though for ants, usually I place them in the more appropriate place rather than kill them. But now I try to prevent them coming to my kitchen.

Any opinion?

 

[Hastrman]

I’d say it’s wrong to kill an animal just to kill it; it’s wasteful, apart from the cruelty of a particular act.

It’s not intrinsically wrong to kill an animal that is a threat or a food source (bears, come to think of it, are both). I personally am ambivalent about the morality of, say, bullfights, where, although the animal suffers, it has a signifcant chance of killing the bullfighter, and the carcass is traditionally used like any other slaughtered bull–it’s eaten.

 

[Jay2]

Don’t kill it unless you’re going to eat it… or it’s going to eat you - simple.

 

[catsrus]

I believe that the deliberate destruction of God given life, ANY life, is a sin.
Except, as** Jay2 **noted, your life is in danger or you are eating it. (but you should be VERY hungry!)

 

[dorothy_smith]

People who are cruel to animals will get their comeuppance in the end. People who are cruel to animals are evil and I mean evil.

Is it wrong to kill animal intentionally?

Yes. Unless, it is to save the animal from pain or to save a person’s life in danger of being killed by the animal.

Concerning food - Thinking about the ‘live animal’ puts me off eating meat.

 

[wjp984]

cruelity to animals in children is a warning sign that they might become psychopaths. These can be very dangerous people who have no remorse and live lives of crime. However, I do not think it is sinful to kill animals that are annoying like bugs. However, the only bug I think is a necessity to kill immediately is the mosquito or I guess if I saw a black widow or some other bug that likes to harm humans I would kill it immediately also.

 

[Pug]

Is it wrong to kill animal intentionally?

No. The Church allows you to kill animals, even experiement on them in the right circumstances. She does not allow you to kill them needlessly. You are obliged to be kind to them.

CCC 2418 It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly…

Read the surrounding paragraphs to know more.

 

[Sixtus]

s it wrong to kill animal intentionally?

Yes, I think it is EXACTLY THE SAME as killing a human being, which is what we are, except that lower species of animals do not have a voice.

I have for the past 40-years been very keen on shooting. But I have never shot at any animal. I do not consider I have the right and I consider it a grave mortal sin so to do, on a par with any other grave mortal sin.

In fact I think it is less of a sin to be an active freemason than to be a lower-species animal killer

 

[Sixtus]

Why is it that in some States in USA a higher species animal killer goes to the electric chair, but a lower species animal killer does not get as much as a fine!!!

That is arrogant hypocracy. Regardless of species, either it is wrong to commit murder or it is not. But it cannot logically be both unless one is prepared to admit to being arrogant

 

[Pug]

Yes, I think it is EXACTLY THE SAME as killing a human being

You are a vegetarian. Is it that you believe you, Sixtus, may not kill any animal for food, or is it that you believe no man ever ought to kill an animal for food? Are you of the mind not to use down feathers, leather, etc. as well?

 

[otjm]

Killing an animal out of some sort of thrill seeking focused on the act of depriving something living of its life, and for no other reason, would be to misuse and abuse what God has given us dominion over.

However, to hunt an animal which is a predator as part of predator control is to exrecise that dominion over the animal and to act to protect those upon which it preys. That is not immoral, and nothing in the Church’s moral theology would inidcate that it was wrong.

For example, PETA and related groups sponsored a bill in Oregon to prevent hunting cougars with dogs. At the time we had a cougar population around 500 animals.

The law passed; in large part because the majority of the population lives in large cities and has no concept of what a cougar is.

The population of cougars is now around 5000; people have been attacked, not attacked but stalked, cougars have been sighted in school yards; the list goes on. Just across the border from Oregon, Idaho had a mule deer area with trophy mule deer. The cougars have killed the majority of them.

A cougar is capable of b ringing down an elk or a cow. It can most definitely bring down a human. It can leap 20 feet or more in one bound; can scale up a tree 15 to 20 feet in one bound. They are a deadly animal.

The ultimate irony: Oregon hunters cannot hunt them with dogs (the only reasonably successful way of hunting them other than simply stumbling across one), so the Game Commission now brings in bounty hunters. Who hunt with dogs.

And as far as hunting deer or elk or other game animals, the Church has not said that it is wrong. And the Church is pretty good at addressing what is wrong. But not hunting, opinions in this thread to the contrary.

 

[dorothy_smith]

All blood sports are cruel. Period!

 

[Pug]

Why would hunting and eating an animal be considered cruel? (I can perfectly well see why cockfighting is seen as cruel). I agree with our new member (greetings otjm ): the Church has not condemned hunting.

 

[Questionsabound]

Honestly, this is one of those posts that I can’t understand how anyone could be debating the graveness of sins.

Some people appear to be comparing the killing of insects and vermin to large animals and/or the (near) equal to killing (and likewise) killing of humans. I don’t get it.

 

[Ray_Scheel]

In fact I think it is less of a sin to be an active freemason than to be a lower-species animal killer

I will presume it is part of your current act to be turning a blind eye to the LEATHER binding common on older Masonic ritual books (still common on those in use for the higher degrees), or what is on the menu at most of the fundraising dinners held by the local lodges…

 

[Mintaka]

The Church has never condemned hunting. In fact, Our Lord commanded Peter to “kill and eat” – a pivotal moment in Church history. Likewise, Our Lord apparently felt that his post-Resurrection time on earth wouldn’t be complete without a fishing trip and a fish barbecue. Humans were made by God to be omnivores, and there is no shame in using our bodies for food-gathering activities, as God and nature intended.

However, if someone feels a call not to hunt, not to kill animals, not to eat meat, etc., or simply doesn’t want to, there’s nothing wrong with that, either. (Though it does seem cruel to discriminate only against the plant kingdom. Plants have life just as much as animals.)

But we must never be cruel or heedless or kill just for amusement. God has set us as stewards – as representatives of God Himself – over the earth, and its plants and animals, administering their use. (Not over the earth’s humans, which is why killing “higher species” is murder and not good eats.) God is not cruel, and we must not be, either.

 

[stinkcat_14]

Ok, let me add a twist to this. I have been an accessory to the abortion of kittens on many occaisions. My wife does cat rescue and I have taken many pregnant cats to the clinic to get spayed. Now, the question is, am I sinning? My rationale is that so many cats get killed in shelters because they cannot find homes, that spaying a pregnant cat is ok from a standpoint of prudence. My wife, on the other hand, is somewhat uncomfortable with this. On the other hand, she is not religious at all, and has no problem with human abortions.

One point, I will point out, is that even this is not without cost. We spayed a very pregnant cat one time and the vet called the next day to say that she will be depressed because she lost her kittens. If it causes depression in cats, just think of the effect on women.

 

[deb1]

Here is an article that I located that describes the Jewish believes on animal cruelty. I have to admit that when my husband began to read about his Jewish heritage I was very impressed at how Jewish writers interpret parts of the Talmud and Torah concerning animals.

According to the Torah, if we see an animal suffering we are required to help it and, all the more so, it is forbidden to actually cause suffering to animals. While we are permitted to use animals for labor, we are not allowed to overwork an animal. A person is not permitted to eat until he has fed his animals. Even when slaughtering an animal for food, Torah law requires us to avoid causing unnecessary pain to the animal.

members.aol.com/LazerA/animals.html

 

[deb1]

We used to own chickens, just enough for our family. Some of the roosters were quite mean and would either try to attack our family during egg gathering time or would drive the poor hens crazy chasing them around the enclosure.

My hubby decided to put an end to all but the most gentle rooster. He killed the roosters quickly with very little fuss. They didn’t suffer, in fact the whole act was done very quickly. One of our concerns was that the birds feel little pain during the process.

I think that when an animal has to be killed, we have a responsibility to make certain that they do not suffer needlessly. This is far different then torturing an animal to death or taking pleasure in their death.

The children in your class would trouble me also.

 

[deb1]

.

them.
The ultimate irony: Oregon hunters cannot hunt them with dogs (the only reasonably successful way of hunting them other than simply stumbling across one), so the Game Commission now brings in bounty hunters. Who hunt with dogs.

And as far as hunting deer or elk or other game animals, the Church has not said that it is wrong. And the Church is pretty good at addressing what is wrong. But not hunting, opinions in this thread to the contrary.

When I lived in East Washington State the situation was similar. Cougars could not be hunted with dogs and there were attacks reported on the local news. Because this wasn’t picked up by the national news there isn’t as much knowledge that cougar attacks aren’t rare in certain states.

Nebraska’s attitude was completly different then Washington State. When I lived near Omaha, a cougar-something uncommon in that part of the state- came close to a public school house. The animal was shot by law enforcement. There was no public outcry, no animal rights group shouting cruelty. The animal was large, potentially dangerous and children were nearby. End of story.

In Washington State(I was by Spokane) there would have been more discussion as to whether the police should have shot the animal as it wasn’t actually threatening the children yet.

The difference in the two states mindsets amazed me.