The Purpose of Animals

[Melodeonist]

I personally feel God created them for many reasons. They tend his creation, keeping plants alive. They provide us with food. They protect us, give us jobs, and help the needy. They are a great gift from our Lord.

 

[Shakuhachi]

I personally feel God created them for many reasons. They tend his creation, keeping plants alive. They provide us with food. They protect us, give us jobs, and help the needy. They are a great gift from our Lord.

I agree. We are all interconnected in beautiful ways and all give glory to God. Human, however, have the ability and choice to be other than as God created us to be.

 

[AdamP88]

We could all argue this til the cows come home, but the Catholic view on this seems pretty clear, creation is for man as man is for God. It may well be the case that our pets are given back to us in heaven, we are free to argue on that point, I personally don’t believe that will be the case.

 

[Shakuhachi]

The thing about vegetative, animal or material souls is that the concept is similar to atheistic epiphenominalism. If such a soul somehow arises into being from matter where is the need for God? I guess I have a less orthodox view, thinking that all life requires something of the breath of God. And upon death that breath, whether animal, vegetable or human returns to God or travels in more subtle realms.

 

[Autumn-Smoke]

"For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth?’’ (Ecclesiastes 3:21)

I personally don’t think anyone can know for sure, let alone make a doctrine about it.

 

[AdamP88]

I don’t know whether every animal ever created will be in heaven or not. I tend toward the negative. I do think it would be funny to meet the cow, part of which is my dinner tonight. I could have it for dinner all over again…and for eternity!

I think one thing most of us can agree on is that some of God’s creatures taste great!

 

[Benadam]

Adam was able to name all the animals. To do this Adam had to know them intimately. To know another creature requires a union of likeness. To know a frog fully one would have to be a frog. Giving the animals names implies a relationship in which one is able to call the other. The named are at the beckon call of the one who names. Here we see animals find their purpose in man…

After naming the animals God tells Adam to choose among them a companion to serve as a solution for loneliness. So here again, we have animals revealed as servant to the needs of man. This is fitting since man is the pinnacle and purpose of creation.

In this fallen world the service of animals to man seems reduced to food, and for a few, companionship.

 

[Brendan]

Every living material creature has a soul. A soul is what distinguishes dead matter from living matter.

If a plant or animal did not have a soul, it would not be alive. In fact, even the name, ‘animal’ comes from the Latin word for soul ‘anima’

What is different is that humans have an immortal soul. Ours lives on after the death of the body. The souls of plants and animals do not.

In addition, ours is a Rational soul. We can comprehend and deduce abstract truths using Reason alone. The animals cannot do this. This is a function (power) of the soul.

 

[Shakuhachi]

We name all the stars also. Does that mean they were all created for the purpose of serving us?

 

[Benadam]

Well, there are fundamental differences between stars and animals that make naming them fundamentally different. The animals are named because they interact directly with man on earth. The stars aren’t named in Genesis and perhaps weren’t until later, when man, in his fallen state began worshiping natural powers. Powers that God created to serve man. The entire creation served man before the fall. Even the stars in the sky as it say’s in Genesis.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.”

The stars, it seems are at our service and the service of all life on earth.

 

[Shakuhachi]

I am thinking that while we are able to utilize many things in creation that does not necessitate the conclusion that they were created specifically for us and have no other purpose or meaning.
We are rather new on the scene even though the apex of creation from our perspective

 

[AdamP88]

I am thinking that while we are able to utilize many things in creation that does not necessitate the conclusion that they were created specifically for us and have no other purpose or meaning.

We are rather new on the scene even though the apex of creation from our perspective

Well…you can believe what you want. But if you follow the Christian faith It is sort of self evident both that we are the pinnacle of creation and that creation is primarily for man. Jesus didn’t come to save the trees or the cows, he came to save man. The very fact that God would become man rather than anything else is, for me, proof enough of the unique position of man in creation.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The “do pets go to heaven” argument has already been had several times on here and it’s pretty obvious that we’re as unlikely to come to a consensus about that as we are about gays, so I’m leaving the entire issue up to God, as the bottom line is we aren’t going to know the answer unless and until we show up in Heaven ourselves.

 

[Shakuhachi]

The “do pets go to heaven” argument has already been had several times on here and it’s pretty obvious that we’re as unlikely to come to a consensus about that as we are about gays, so I’m leaving the entire issue up to God, as the bottom line is we aren’t going to know the answer unless and until we show up in Heaven ourselves.

We are not so much talking about pets in heaven as we are about their purpose here on earth.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

We are not so much talking about pets in heaven as we are about their purpose here on earth.

I saw several posts about whether they go to Heaven, so I responded.
As for their purpose here on earth, they are both to serve man and to glorify God like all his creations do, so I don’t see much to debate there.

 

[Shakuhachi]

Well…you can believe what you want. But if you follow the Christian faith It is sort of self evident both that we are the pinnacle of creation and that creation is primarily for man. Jesus didn’t come to save the trees or the cows, he came to save man. The very fact that God would become man rather than anything else is, for me, proof enough of the unique position of man in creation.

I agree. That seems to be the mainstream Catholic and general Christian view. I have a hard time with it. As if mosquitoes were created to give us swatting exercise and stars and planets billions of miles away were created just for us to wonder about and mark our seasons. It is an anthropocentric view that could border on appropriating to ourselves what belongs to God. A view that has brought us to abuse, exploitation and pollution. I would rather see a view that acknowledges some purpose for things beyond us, found only in God’s delight. Whether a virus, bacterium, puppy dog or cow, they belong first to God. Their usefulness or peril for us is secondary. Or so it seems to me.

 

[Shakuhachi]

I saw several posts about whether they go to Heaven, so I responded.
As for their purpose here on earth, they are both to serve man and to glorify God like all his creations do, so I don’t see much to debate there.

As a vegan I sometimes encounter people who basically think I am off my rocker as they beleive God created animals specifically for us to consume. I think that function is secondary to God’s delight and certainly not mandatory.

 

[Autumn-Smoke]

As a vegan I sometimes encounter people who basically think I am off my rocker as they beleive God created animals specifically for us to consume. I think that function is secondary to God’s delight and certainly not mandatory.

When you read Genesis chapter 1:29&30, both man and animals were given plant life to eat. It wasn’t until after the flood that God mentions allowing mankind to eat animals, although in my personal opinion, that was highly likely a condensation of God toward mankind because man was probably already eating meat by that time.

I think God takes a great delight in all of his creation–there are so many neat creatures out there that have such distinct intricacies, and that shows a really creative and imaginative creator. I think God took delight in creating them, and he loves them also and takes care of them individually. As Jesus said, ‘Not even a sparrow falls to the ground without God.’’ IMHO it probably saddens God that we ended up killing and consuming His creatures, because it doesn’t seem to be what he intended.

I know you said that this thread isn’t about whether animals have an afterlife, but I personally believe they do.

 

[AdamP88]

As a vegan I sometimes encounter people who basically think I am off my rocker as they beleive God created animals specifically for us to consume. I think that function is secondary to God’s delight and certainly not mandatory.

Well, I think first and foremost nature is there to glorify God and stand as a sort of “witness” to His power and imagination. However I do think that after that purpose the fact that we humans are the only species capable of a deeper appreciation of the wonder of creation does suggest that to a certain extent, the purpose of the universe, is for humanity to discover and explore and wonder.

 

[BroIgnatius]

I lean toward Veganism for all sorts of reasons from health to compassion for the animals. When I share my views I often hear religious people tell me that God created them for human use. That sounds too anthropocentric to me, as if all things were created just for humans and have no innate God given value. It seems to me that all creation and all creatures give glory to God and that is their purpose… to give glory to God simply by being as God created them to be regardless of their usefulness or hindrance for human well being.

I was wondering how many here feel that animals were created mainly for humans to eat.

Has to the eating of meat, this issue is definitively and infallibly resolved by the Ordinary Magisterium teachings over the centuries based upon Scripture:

Acts 10:9-16 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

9 The next day, as they were on their journey and coming near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 And he became hungry and desired something to eat; but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heaven opened, and something descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “No, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

Man has dominion over the animals as shown in the Creation story of Genesis. Adam was given the task of naming the animals. To name something, in biblical economy, means that one has domination over it. This is why in exorcisms the priest asks for the name of the demon.

Man’s use of animals, other than eating, is well established throughout the Bible. We may use and kill animals for food, clothing, fuel, etc. This is part of God’s plan/