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Does God care about animals?

Discussion in '2005 Archive' started by onecoolcanuk, Jan 11, 2005.

  1. onecoolcanuk

    onecoolcanuk Guest

    This might sound like a stupid question but it is important to me.

    I am not against eating meat but I am disgusted with the way that man treats animals. Is it fine with God or will He have vengeance on those who are cruel to animals?
     
  2. chipsgirl

    chipsgirl New Member

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    I would think so. It's disrespectful to abuse any of God's creation.
     
  3. onecoolcanuk

    onecoolcanuk Guest

    Thanks. I wish more Christians thought like that. Some have made fun of me for my "philosophy" on the matter. :(
     
  4. Debby in Philly

    Debby in Philly Active Member

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    The kosher dietary practices in the OT include slaughtering methods that are as quick and painless as possible.

    In Numbers 22 we find the story of Balaam and his donkey. Of course, the context of the story is God doing a miracle to make the donkey talk, and set Balaam back on track as to what he was supposed to do. But when Balaam beat the donkey, the Lord causes her to say:
    "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?"
     
  5. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    We are given dominion. That means also that we are given responsibility. Part or responsibility is having respect for God's creation. We're clearly permitted to consume animals for food. However, we still need to practice respect for the animals we use for consumption.

    I have a daughter in 4H and FFA. We have toured meat packing and production facilities before in the local area. Thankfully, the majority of processing plants are not abusive to the animals that are processed for our consumption. However, as with anything, we need to be on the lookout for abuses, and take action when appropriate. The food industry as of late has become grossly aware that consumers don't want animals mistreated in the production process, and have responded accordingly.
     
  6. chipsgirl

    chipsgirl New Member

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    Hoosier, I have a real soft spot for living things. I'm the crazy girl that saves earthworms off the sidewalk so they don't get trampled. In college, I ran out of Biology crying on dissection day and refused to participate. Luckily my instructer was nice about it. He just said to study the pictures instead.
     
  7. robycop3

    robycop3 Well-Known Member
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    In the wild, animals kill each other in unbelievably cruel ways, often eating each other alive. However, I don't believe that gives US the right to so treat animals. As a hunter and an omnivore, I thank God for my food, and I have respect for the animals I hunt.
     
  8. PastorGreg

    PastorGreg Member
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    Proverbs 12:10 "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." God has created animals for our use - food, clothes, etc. We are stewards over them and are to have dominion over them - animals do not have rights, but as thinking stewards that God has placed over them, we ought not to treat them with cruelty and thoughtlessness.
     
  9. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    I ave no idea, but are there laws about how animals are treated during the process of making food out of them?
    We used to ahve a chicken processing plant near here, and the stories that came out of there were horrorable. My brother and husband have worked there in the past. My husband worked 3 days and left.
     
  10. dianetavegia

    dianetavegia Guest

    Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
     
  11. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    Yes, many. The FDA is the primary enforcer of laws and requlations in the food processing industry. However, they can only investigate hat is reported. It is therefore important for employees to report abuses.
     
  12. rjprince

    rjprince Active Member

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    Proverbs 12:10 - "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast..."
     
  13. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    It's often been said that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she treats pets.
     
  14. onecoolcanuk

    onecoolcanuk Guest

    Johnv, I have heard that too and I believe it is so true.

    Thanks for your answers everyone. The whole issue just breaks my heart and I can't wait til this world ends. Human torture also bothers me. :(
    But there's something about it being done to animals that really gets me. Maybe I'm bad. :(

    robycop, I myself don't think I could hunt but you have the right attitude I believe. I wish more hunters were like you. (thumbs up since i don't know how to do it) lol
     
  15. dianetavegia

    dianetavegia Guest

    No charges in W.Va. chicken torture
    Wednesday, January 12, 2005

    Associated Press

    MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Criminal charges will not be filed against workers who allegedly tortured chickens at a West Virginia processing plant, a prosecutor said yesterday.

    Ginny Conley, acting executive director of the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute and Wood County's prosecutor, had struggled to find a lawyer willing to serve as special prosecutor in the case against former employees of the Pilgrim's Pride Corp. plant in Moorefield.

    "After reviewing the evidence and conferring with other prosecutors, I've made the decision the incident does not rise to the level of a criminal prosecution due to the fact that these were chickens in a slaughterhouse," she said.

    People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals quickly condemned the decision and vowed to keep fighting.

    In July, PETA released secretly recorded video of workers stomping, kicking and slamming chickens against walls at the Moorefield plant. Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride fired 11 employees, re-educated its work force at all 24 North American plants and added quality assurance monitors on both shifts in Moorefield.

    Pilgrim's Pride is among the largest poultry producers in the United States and Mexico, and is a major supplier to KFC, which PETA has targeted in an ongoing animal cruelty campaign.

    http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05012/441063.stm
     
  16. Ben W

    Ben W Active Member
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  17. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    It should be noted that Pilgrim's Pride fired the workers in question. It should also be noted that PETA has on numreous occaisions hired people to work undercover for Pilgrim's Pride, and to date, this is the only footage of cruelty to animals that has surfaced. While this incidentt should not be downplayed, the fact is that this is the exception, and not the rule. Without evidence, we cannot assume that this is the norm. On the contrary, the lack of evidence proves reassuring to those of us who are concerned about such things.
     
  18. onecoolcanuk

    onecoolcanuk Guest

    Thanks for your encouraging words Johnv. God bless.
     
  19. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    I ahven't read the article, but my husband and brother have in the past worked for ConAgra chicken processing. I don't know what crulities are in this article, but I know there is a lot of it in these places. You may not want to know what goes on either. And they don't fire people unless they get caught by outsiders.
    But I still eat chicken and will continue too.
     
  20. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

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    hoosierdaddy, I used to be an animal rights activist. I am no longer one now since becoming a Christian, but I have pretty much the same feelings for animals I did then and am just as upset now by abuse as I was then. I became a vegetarian when I was an animal rights person and that has not changed -- totally lost my taste for meat (and fish makes me sick so never had to give that up). [​IMG]

    You should read Job starting with chapter 38 where God talks about numerous animals that He made and how He designed them. It's awesome! [​IMG]
     
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