Most Australians would have been horrified by scenes of how cattle were treated in a neighbouring country this week. And rightly so. No creature should be allowed to suffer or be tortured so needlessly and without second thought. Some questions may come to mind with regards to this incident. One is that all our meat actually (surprise!) comes from animals and that to enjoy that nice juicy hamburger, some poor beast had to die. What does the Bible say about cruelty to animals. Or eating meat even?
When God first created all things, humanity were told they could have, ‘every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it’ as food (Genesis 1:29). So originally meat wasn’t actually what God intended for our diet. We were made to be vegetarians! We then read that the first animal in the Bible dies when God has to make some clothes for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21). In fact when we read about animals in the Bible dying, it is usually (directly or indirectly) the result of rebellion against God. One of the reasons why this happens is because God wants to impress upon humanity how bad rebellion against Him is. We must never forget God’s original command in Genesis 2:15 that humanity was given the task and privilege of taking care of the earth.
So what is the deal with people eating meat then? God actually allows people to eat meat after the Great Flood (Genesis 9:3). The scriptures don’t really explain why, but those who continue reading the next two chapters will note how drastically the life span of humanity decreases afterwards.
While most people would be aware that the Royal Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) does most of the work with regards to protecting all creatures, not as many might be aware that the society was founded by men who were known for their Christian faith. As Christians, we should be always aware that we are just stewards of creation and this is why we should take good care of the planet and everything on it.
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