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God Knows Animals Matter
Preparing Churches and Communities to
be Compassionate Stewards of Animals
God’s Will
“Your Kingdom Come,
Your Will Be Done,
On Earth As It Is In Heaven.”
-Mathew 6:10
In The Beginning
Genesis 1:26
Then God said: “Let us make man in our
own image, after our likeness. Let them
have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle, and
over all the wild animals and all the
creatures that crawl on the ground.”
“dominion” – “yorade” which means to
come down to; to have communion with
and a compassion for.
Souls of Animals
They were created with the same
soul (nefesh chayah) as humans
Nefesh Chayah (living soul)
Genesis 1:21, 24; 2:7 & 19
God’s Intended Diet For Us
Genesis 1:29-31a
God also said: “See, I give you every
seed-bearing plant all over the earth and
every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on
it to be your food; and to all the animals
of the land, all the birds of the air, and
all the living creatures that crawl on the
ground, I give all the green plants for
food.” And so it happened. Good looked at
everything he had made, and he found it
very good.
Genesis 2:15, 19
The Lord God then took the man and
settled him in the garden of Eden, to
cultivate and care for it.
...the Lord God formed out of the
ground various wild animals and various
birds of the air, and he brought them to
the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them
would be its name. ...but none proved to
be the suitable partner for the man.
Animals Belong to God
... All things wre created through him
and for him.
... And in him all things hold together.
-Colossians 1:16b-17
Genesis 9:2
“Dread fear of you shall come upon all
the animals of the earth and all the
birds of the air, upon all the creatures
that move about on the ground and all
the fishes of the sea into your power
they are delivered.”
Catholic Concern for Animals
Man makes moral choices through free
will. Animals are innocent, or amoral.
As moral agents and endowed with
reason, we have responsibilities towards
the whole of creation including those
weaker and more vulnerable than we are.
Catholic Concern for Animals
As made “in the image of God” we ought
to act in a Christ-like way – loving,
compassionate, humble, slef-sacrificing,
etc.
The anthropocentric (putting anthropos =
man, in the center) view of the world
needs to be increasingly challenged.
Catholic Concern for Animals
Utilitarianism (the greatest happiness, or good,
for the greatest number) is to be avoided, as
that can justify the use of some (esp. animals)
for the many (e.g. people). Better to hold to
the principle of “evil can never be justified for
good to come of it”, or “the ends do not
justify the means” – especially if the evil is
done to animals for the good for someone else.
(CCA is totally opposed to all use of animals
for experiments on the principle that our
species should not make use of other species
just for our benefit.)
Pope John Paul II, 1980
Said that “Animals possess a soul and
that men must love and feel solidarity
with our smaller brethren” and “solicitous
care, not only towards men, but also
towards animals and nature in general.”
Animals in Heaven?
Elijah went up into heaven with horses of
fire.
-2 Kings 2:11
And now I saw heaven open, and a white
horse appear; its rider was called
Trustworthy and True...Behind him, ...
Rode the armies of heaven on white
horses.
-Rev 19:11-14
Isaiah 11:6
The wolf will live with the lamb,
The leopard will lie down with the goat,
The calf and the lion and the yearling
together;
And a little child will lead them.
O.T. Humane Laws
Ex. 23:4-5 Free an enemy’s donkey who
has fallen beneath his burden.
Ex. 23:10-11 Every seventh year,
fields must be left fallow to provide food
for the poor and for wildlife.
Ex. 23:12 Day of rest for the animals
on the Sabbath
Deut. 25:4 Instructions not to muzzle
an ox while he is threshing.
Animals and Their Rights
Rene’ Descartes (1600’s) likened the crying of
animals as “broken machinery”. Three centuries
later we find that they suffer, have emotions
and that they are conscious beings.
No different today. If domestic animal cruelty
laws applied to farm and animal labs, many
would be in jail for breaking the law.
All animals have God given rights to live free
from pain and stress, but profit is more
important in society.
What About Hunting?
The four hunters in the Bible are
considered to be adversaries to God:
Ishmael, Nimrod, Esau, and the rider of
the white horse.
(considered to be a prototype of the
anti-Christ in Rev. 6:2)
Shepherds vs Hunters
In the Bible:
-Shepherds are righteous (and
leaders)
-Hunters are God’s adversaries
Compassion
The Lord is good to all and compassionate
toward all His works.
-Psalm 145.9
“Compassion, in which all ethics must take root,
can only attain its full breadth and depth if it
embraces all living creatures and does not limit
itself to humankind. Not until we extend the
circle of compassion to include all living things
shall we ourselves know peace.”
-Rev. Dr. Albert Schweitzer
Servant Species
“...Cruelty is not only a denial of the
animal’s nature but a betrayal of our
own. If we are defined by reason and
morality, then reason and morality must
define our choices, even where animals
are concerned.”
-“Dominion”, by Matthew Scully
Proverbs 12:10
The just man takes care of his beast but
the heart of the wicked is merciless.
Gifts Animals Give Us
They help us heal emotionally, mentally,
spiritually and pshysically
They give us unconditional love.
They help us forget about ourselves
and help us develop love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness,
trustfulness, gentleness, and selfcontrol.
They reduce depression, lower blood
pressure and anxiety and boost our
immune system.
Animals Teach Us
“But now ask the beasts to teach you,
and the birds of the air to tell you; or
the reptiles on earth to instruct you, and
the fish of the sea to inform you.”
-Job 12:7-10
Proverbs 6:6
Go to the ant, O sluggard, study her
ways and learn wisdom; For though she
has no chief, no commander or ruler, she
procures her food in the summer, stores
up her provisions in the harvest.
- NAB
Some Famous Animals In the Bible
Balaam and his donkey (who saved his life).
The Lord opened the mouth of the donkey who
asked why he was beaten 3 times. An angel
told Balaam that he would have died, but the
donkey would have lived if they continued.
-Numbers 22
Nathan’s story about the man who had a pet
lamb to show David his sin.
-2 Samuel 12
The dogs who licked the poor man’s sores.
-Luke 16:21
Some Famous Animals in the Bible
The quail God gave the Israelites
because they wanted meat. Resulted in a
plague because of their greediness.
-Numbers 11
Amos 6:3-4
Thinking to defer the evil day, you are
hastening the reign of violence.
Lying on ivory beds and sprawling on their
divans, they dine on lambs from the
flock, and stall-fattened veal.
Romans 8:19-22
For creation awaits with eager
expectation the revelation of the children
of God; ... because of the One who
subjected it, in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery (bondage)
to corruption and share in the glorious
freedom of the children of God. We
know that all creation is groaning in labor
pains even until now...
We’re Responsible?
No creature (KTISIS) is concealed from
him, but everything is naked and exposed
to the eyes of Him to whom we must
render an account.
-Hebrews 4:13
Habakkuk 2:17
For the violence done to Lebanon shall
cover you, and the destruction of the
beasts shall terrify you;
Because of men’s blood shed, and
violence done to the land, to the city and
to all who dwell in it.
St. Francis
Loved nature (the environment) and
animals out of his love for God.
Loved the poor and the outcast.
Promoted peace between the Christian
Army and the Muslim Army.
Eternal Life for all Creation
Colossians 1:15-23 – “God chose to
reconcile the whole universe to Himself
... To reconcile all things, whether on
earth or in heaven, through Him alone.”
Facts
Dairy and meat products contribute to many
diseases.
Factory farms cause horrendous suffering to
billions of animals daily for food and clothing.
“While people suffer and die of starvation in
Central and South America, these regions ship
their grain to the U.S. To feed our cows, pigs,
and chickens so that we can satisfy our desire
for animal flesh, milk, and eggs.”
-Fr. John Dear, S.J.
Facts
“The typical meat eater’s diet can easily
consume up to 14 times more water and
20 times more energy than that of a
vegetarian.”
-Christian Vegetarian Association
Gluttony, pride, covetousness, greed vs.
Selflessness, and humility are moral
choices we make every day.
What Can We Do?
-Teach compassion from the pulpit and
classes
-Have a veggie dinner
-Allow the local shelter and/or rescue
groups to put pictures of adoptable
animals on bulletin boards
-Honor volunteers in your community
who help animals
-Have a foster care list of volunteers
in you church to help Parishioners
Mark 16:15
“Go out to the whole world; proclaim the
gospel to all creation.”
Choices
Do not support entertainment that
exploits animals
Check labels if animal tested
Avoid buying wool, down, fur, leather,
etc.
Avoid meat and dairy products
Choices
Do not buy from pet shops
Be humane to animals in and around your
yard. Spay and neuter cats, and allow
wildlife to live
Support charities that do not do animal
research
Quote
We cannot treat any living thing
callously, and we are responsible for
what happens to other beings, human or
animal, even if we do not personally come
into contact with them.
-Rabbi Pinchas Peli
Pope St. Pius V, Nov 1567
De Salute Gregis
“We forbid soldiers and all other
persons, whether on foot or horseback,
to dare to contend with bulls or other
beasts in the aforementioned exhibition
and if any one of them meets his death
there he shall be deprived of Christian
burial...we likewise forbid the clergy...to
be present at such exhibitions under the
penalty of excommunication.”
Quote
“Can eating meat be pleasurable to a sensitive
person when he or she knows that, as a result,
their health is endangered, grain is wasted,
and the environment is damaged, and animals
are being cruelly treated? One can indulge in
pleasure without doing harm to living creatures.
There are many othe cases in Judaism where
actions that people many consider pleasurable
are forbidden or discouraged—such as the use
of tobacco, drinking liquor to excess, having
sexual relations out of wedlock, and hunting.”
-Richard H. Schwartz, author and professor
Quote
“I believe in my heart that faith in Jesus
Christ can and will lead us beyond an
exclusive concern for the well-being of
other human beings to a broader concern
for the well-being of the birds in our
backyards, the fish in our rivers, and
every living creature on the face of the
earth.”
-John Wesley
Quote
“Cruelty to animals is as if man did not
love God...there is something so
dreadful, so satanic, in tormenting those
who have never harmed us, and who
cannot defend themselves, who are
utterly in our power.”
-Cardinal John Henry Newman
Isaiah 11:6
The wolf will live with the lamb,
The leopard will lie down with the goat,
The calf and the lion and the yearling
together;
And a little child will lead them.
Psalm 150:6
Let everything that breathes
Praise Yahweh. Alleluia!