Pro-Life

[aldona]

[olger]

I heard that she swats flies as well. tsk tsk

"Of how much more value is a man than a sheep" (Jesus the Christ).

[Dr. Shane]

Is that a PETA ad? Too bad she isn't looking at the camera. That would make a better picture.

[there buster]

Always illuminating when someone equates animal life with human life.

[Neil D]

I am so glad that you Seventh-day Adventist, who believe in vegetarianism, up hold those beliefs so well....

[there buster]

Always illuminating when someone equates animal life with human life.

[cricket]

There must be something to it though--even a child will cry when his dog is put to sleep. Whether equal or not, such a shame to hunt when other food sources are available.

I thought the whole reason for animal sacrifice in the old testament was so that those people could understand the serious nature of their sins; that sins were such an abomination to God that a life had to be taken--pointing always to the need for a saviour. If there were no element of grief having caused the death of an animal by virtue of one's sins, then it really would have held no meaning for them.

[Woody]

There must be something to it though--even a child will cry when his dog is put to sleep. Whether equal or not, such a shame to hunt when other food sources are available.

I thought the whole reason for animal sacrifice in the old testament was so that those people could understand the serious nature of their sins; that sins were such an abomination to God that a life had to be taken--pointing always to the need for a saviour. If there were no element of grief having caused the death of an animal by virtue of one's sins, then it really would have held no meaning for them.

There might not have been any other food sources out there in the wilds of Alaska expecially in the dead of winter.

[Gail]

I thought the whole reason for animal sacrifice in the old testament was so that those people could understand the serious nature of their sins; that sins were such an abomination to God that a life had to be taken--pointing always to the need for a saviour. If there were no element of grief having caused the death of an animal by virtue of one's sins, then it really would have held no meaning for them.

Good thought- it makes an abstract concept into something they can see

[there buster]

There were also offerings for giving thanks. Presumably they did not involve grief.

It's always an error to inject contemporary values and reactions into historical situations where things were much different. There's absolutely no indication that, say, Jesus' parents felt grief for the pigeons they sacrificed when he was circumcised.

The death of the animal signified the consequences and seriousness of their sins. But the death of an animal (not a pet) in a society where a family commonly slaughtered animals for food is not comparable to our emotional response in cities today.

Hunting in an environment where mountain lions and grizzlies are common takes on a different meaning than it does in suburbia.

[Neil D]

I have been involved with ranching...the ranchers I have been with kill thier animals for meat. And there is some sadness when they must do so. It is always interesting to wonder at thier logic when they explain it to thier children..the object lesson still brings home the same things...There is always a better way...

I wonder does a grizzley regret the kill of another animal when it eats?

[Woody]

I don't think so Neil. I think they are praisin God for the meal.

[Nan]

I have Muslim neighbours living opposite. We are only on waving acquaintance, so this is only observation.

A couple of years ago they had a young sheep they kept on a leash and which ate on their lawn. It was there for a few weeks, then not seen again. From memory it was around the time of Ramadan and subsequent Eid, when animals are 'sacrificed', in memory of when Abraham did not kill Ishmael on the mountain. I have heard that in some families, the intended victim is kept as a pet first, to show the children the real meaning of sacrifice.

I am writing this because I assume that the origins of many of the Muslim practices are Judaic, and this would be trying to extend the lessons of sacrifice to the children.

And for the record, I find hunting for sport totally abhorent.

[there buster]

Quote:

I find hunting for sport totally abhorent.

I used to be the same way. Until I met some actual hunters, listened to them.

Then I studied the issues. Around here, if hunters don't reduce the deer herd significantly, many starve to death. And collisions with deer cause a number of human fatalities every year.

So it seems self-evident that hunting to thin the herd is more humane that letting large numbers of animals starve to death. And letting more people die from collisions with deer.

[Dr. Shane]

I guess I am pretty abhorrent because I am a vegetarian that loves to hunt and just give the game away. Hunting is an awesome sport and when a person gives the food away it seems to make it so much nicer. I would love to go moose hunting in Alaska.

[John317]

I have sometime wondered how God could have been pleased with such things as those described in 2 Chron. 7: 5, with its 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep sacrificed at one time. Of course we know God was not pleased with the death of the animals, but he was pleased with the people's faith in the coming Messiah. I'm glad Christ came and made it unnecessary for us to have to offer those sacrifices.

[there buster]

It used to be thought that, after the fall, the Devil introduced predation to the animal kingdom. A sort of joy in killing.

However, it seems almost certain that God introduced predation, as a way of minimizing the effects of disease and maximizing animal health. Predators take the sick and the weak, leaving the strong and healthy to reproduce. In NA, there are more deer today than two centuries ago, but there is also more disease and starvation.

That's largely due to the lack of predators. In my state, Iowa, mountain lions and wolves are rare--thankfully. But that adversely affects the health of the deer population.

In the last several years, the growing deer population has attracted more mountain lions, which not only have been seen, but seven have been killed.

I'm not big on killing anything with fewer than six legs, but I have grandchildren. And I'm not eager to see them put at risk with a large mountain lion population. And yes, I would readily kill a mountain lion rather than lose one of my grandkids-- or anyone else's, for that matter. I do not equate human and animal life.