Silly question about respecting Creation

[justbeinfrank]

The Church teaches that we have an obligation to respect God’s Creation and to avoid needlessly killing or harming animals (CCC 2418).

Is it justified, then, to kill spiders, cockroaches, and other critters that get into my house or apartment?

 

[Scott_Waddell]

justbeinfrank:

The Church teaches that we have an obligation to respect God’s Creation and to avoid needlessly killing or harming animals (CCC 2418).

Is it justified, then, to kill spiders, cockroaches, and other critters that get into my house or apartment?

Keeping your house free from infestation would be a legitimate need.

Scott

 

[NFPfamily]

Scott Waddell:

Keeping your house free from infestation would be a legitimate need.

Scott

I agree that this is a legitimate need- these pests can carry diseases and some spiders can cause health problems. Now if you are killing them by using a magnifying glass in the blazing sun…that’s a different story !

 

[CarolAnnSFO]

Yes, kill them as humanely as you can! I would consider leaving the spiders alone, though, even though they are icky. If spiders are in your house, it is generally because they are finding that which to eat. They eat other insects, so they are doing some of the extermination job for you. Only a few species have enough venom to be harmful; most are not dangerous. I will kill a spider if it literally “gets in my face”; otherwise, I leave them alone.

The same goes for centipedes, although they are really icky!

And I have heard it said that if you live in an old farmhouse, you will have either mice in your house, or a snake (which will eat the mice). Up to you to choose the lesser of two “evils”!

 

[MooCowSteph]

CarolAnnSFO:

Yes, kill them as humanely as you can! I would consider leaving the spiders alone, though, even though they are icky. If spiders are in your house, it is generally because they are finding that which to eat. They eat other insects, so they are doing some of the extermination job for you. Only a few species have enough venom to be harmful; most are not dangerous. I will kill a spider if it literally “gets in my face”; otherwise, I leave them alone.

The same goes for centipedes, although they are really icky!

And I have heard it said that if you live in an old farmhouse, you will have either mice in your house, or a snake (which will eat the mice). Up to you to choose the lesser of two “evils”!

I HATE centipedes! they give me shivers…yuck. I do have many very large spiders and a snake in my house. Thankfully they all belong to my husband, who considered them pets. :whacky: If I killed any of them I’d be in big trouble! Sorry…off topic…

 

[Dr.Colossus]

CarolAnnSFO:

And I have heard it said that if you live in an old farmhouse, you will have either mice in your house, or a snake (which will eat the mice). Up to you to choose the lesser of two “evils”!

Nonsense. Get a cat or three. Of course, cats can be evil too, but at least they’re fluffy! LOL

 

[PeterC]

Ever since I learned spiders care for their young and actually raise families I no longer kill them or force them down the drain. I do, however, ask them to leave and I help them out the door.