Wednesday, June 27, 2007

What About Animals?


Dr. Couch, there has been a lot in the news lately about treating animals right. What do you think?
 
    There are several verses of Scripture about treating your animals with kindness.

Deuteronomy 25:4 says, "You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing." That is, you shall not torture him with the munchy grain underfoot and not let him eat of it. That is, do not stop him from eating! Christ also added that, on the Sabbath, "Which one of you shall have … an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out?" No righteous man would leave his animal there to suffer for even one day! And as well, Proverbs 12:10 says, "A righteous man regards the life of his animal; but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." The People’s Bible comments:
   "This verse might be rendered—a righteous man knows the feelings of his animals. He gives them credit for feelings; he does not look upon them as merely so much animated matter, but as standing in some relation to himself, and the more responsible his ownership the more considerate ought to be his treatment even of the animals he owns. ... Does God care for oxen? "Not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father," Christ said. The lions roar and seek their meat from God, Job remarks. God cares for what He made."
    I once knew a man who belonged to a "fighting fundy" group, who thought himself extremely righteous and perfect in all ways. But he would capture poor wild animals in a cage, such as raccoons, and leave them there to suffer in the heat for days without food or water, waiting for the Animal Control people to come. While he fed his cats, he gave them no love nor removed the tortuous fleas. They were wild without human affection and finally wandered off for attention somewhere else. When my cats get hurt I do not want them to suffer and rush them to the Vet. They are gifts from God and I have a responsibility to them. That same feeling should be for people also. 

    Though all who belong to such a hard core fundamental group do not mistreat their animals this way, I have seen the coldness of so many of that ilk that I do not want to relate to their hypocrisy. I have found also that, generally speaking, they will not change. They judge everyone else but themselves! What disturbed me the most about this Christian was his legalism and self-righteousness. He would never call what he did to animals wrong. He was legalistic but could not (or did not want to) see his own sins of cruelty. He could never confess that he was sinning against God’s little creatures! But interestingly, in like manner, and apart from his own immediate family, he was also cold and icy to other people. He always appeared to be better than other believers. And he certainly isolated himself from the lost. They knew how he felt about them. 

    How one treats his animals is probably how he will treat other people. And the reverse is true also. Lack of feelings and the lack of ability to identify with others is the rule. Thus, there will be little mercy for man and animal. When you are around these folks, observe how they treat their dogs and cats! If you see cruelty and coldness run from such! How they treat their animals is more than likely how they will treat you. 

Thanks for asking.

Dr. Mal Couch