Animal Rights
Visitors' Questions and
Our Answers
What purpose do animals serve in the world?
Animals are here upon the earth because God created them with bodies, souls and
spirits just as He created us. And, He said that what He created was "very
good". God created them to be our friends and companions, and to give us joy.
For example, isn't there joy in hearing the birds sing? (FLH)
What purpose do WE, humans, serve in the world? We (all creation) were all
created by God and are all valued by God. God charges us, in Genesis 1:28, to look
after all creatures. Actually, we, as humans, cause more dysfunction in the world
than any other creature. (Debra)
God put them here to be enjoyed by him and by us. They are beautiful to look at
and it gives us pleasure to watch then romp and play in the field. I believe it gives God
pleasure also and they were meant to be companions to us. (Scott)
What exactly are the rights of animals?
Animals were created with very similar rights to ours. They have the right
to enjoy life. They have the right not to be kept in captivity or enslaved.
They have the right not to be abused and tortured. They have the right to enjoy this
earth just as we do, or should do. And they have the right not to be on our dinner
plates. (FLH)
They have the right to be looked upon as God's creatures. God would not
create a leaving, breathing creature that has no value. Animals, since they cannot
speak for themselves, have the right to have a voice. Even in our human domain, the
people give a voice to those that, for varying reasons, cannot speak for themselves.
Just because we "think" we're of more value, doesn't mean we are.
We are the only ones given free choice and we are the ones destroying what God has
created. Hmmmm. (Debra)
The right to be happy and healthy and respected like anyone else. (Scott)
How do you know that animals have 'feelings'?
Animals have the same feelings that we do. They feel heat and cold and pain,
all we have to do to know this is observe them. Many animals also mourn for a loved
one who has died, just as we do. Look at the "Animal" page on our web site
and "The Story of Nathan and Travelin". (FLH)
This one is easy for many reasons. Ever come home at night and have your
little "friend" meet you at the door with a wagging tail, a happy meow, a
cheerful chirp, etc., etc? I have! They don't do this because they're hungry,
they do this because they're "happy" to see you! Have you ever seen an
animal protect it's "friend" against something they "don't trust," be
it human or otherwise? I have. Ever have a little "friend" stay with
you continuously when you're ill? I have. Ever have a little
"friend" come to you and pat your face when you're crying? I have.
Ever have a little "friend" that cries (talks in their own language) when you
are upset and have your voice a few octaves above what it should be? I have.
They feel joy, happiness, sadness, fear, etc., just like we do. To this day, my one
kitty, Becca, doesn't like it when I get my keys out because she's afraid she's going to
the vet to get an operation (she was fixed). What do we call this?
Instinct? I think not. It's a memory of an unpleasant experience that she
doesn't want to go through again. Get a copy of John Robbins' book "A Diet for
a New America." He discusses many animal stories. Have a companion animal
of your own and you will see. (Debra)
By watching how they respond to varying stimuli both negative and positive. (Scott)
Can you communicate with them?
Absolutely, maybe not always in words as we speak and hear each other, but if we
live with animals, we come to know that they have individual personalities, and they have
ways of letting us know what they want, and they learn what we want. They make up
games and play with each other, and they teach their young. Some primates have
learned to communicate with us through sign language. (FLH)
Absolutely. They learn words, they learn voice inflections, they learn
moods. I say "treat" and they go right to the cupboard where the treats
are. I say, "let's go to bed" and they run to the bedroom. I say
"give me a kissy" and they raise their tails and put their nose on mine and give
me a kiss. (Debra)
My dog knows when I am upset with him for terrorizing a neighbor or destroying
something by the way I scold him. I think that is only one of many ways in which we
communicate back and forth. (Scott)
Do you believe that animals are sacred?
All life is sacred to God, both ours and the animals'. We don't believe that
they in any way are divine, just as we are not. (FLH)
All of God's creation is sacred! We should respect it! We should
nurture it! We should be in awe of the perfect way in which each of us are designed.
We were meant to live in harmony. (Debra)
What dies this person mean by sacred? Are not all life forms created by God
and thus in a sense sacred? (Scott)
Where did your group derive this philosophy?
From allowing ourselves to love without condition and feel as others feel, whether
human or otherwise. We have confirmed this with the Word of God as presented in our
Bibles. (FLH)
This is Frank's gig. My opinion, however, is that God wants us to be more
like Him. This is scriptural. To be more like Him, we have to go back to the
beginning. In the beginning, God instructs us in Genesis 1:28 to take care of the
animals, not eat them. He then instructs us that all vegetation is for our food.
There is a difference between what God wants for us and what God tolerates. (Debra)
The Scriptures. Me. (Scott)
Didn't the Lord say in the New Testament
that, "It's not what goes into A mans mouth that makes him unclean but what comes out
of his mouth that makes him unclean"?
You're correct. That's what the Bible says (Mark 7:18-23). Eating
anything doesn't defile a believer as far as his or her salvation is concerned, but it can
for physical health reasons, otherwise believers wouldn't get sick. But Jesus wasn't
talking about God's intent, but only about His concession. God's original intent was
that all people and animals would be vegetarians (Genesis 1:29-30). Now, God doesn't
contradict Himself, but He does make
concessions, as he did with the eating of flesh (Genesis 9:2-6). In particular,
please pay close attention to verse 4, for it is really impossible to eat flesh without at
least some of the blood remaining within it. For another comparison about intent and
concession read what we are told about divorce in Matthew 19:3-9. (FLH)
When Jesus said; (Matt.15.11) Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man;
but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. (Matt.15.20) These are
the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. He was
talking about the priestly proposition that a man became ceremonially unclean by eating
with unwashed hands. Once that is clear then it is clear that the Lord is not saying one
can eat anything they please and be defiled health-wise. It is also clear that Jesus also
never said in this text that
one could eat things which God had previously condemned such as unclean meats, blood, fat,
certain combinations, etc. Pork, for example, still would make a man unclean in a
spiritual sense seeing that God never lifted His ban on unclean meats. (Scott)
How true! Unfortunately bible translators of recent have twisted the text of Mark 7:19
making it sound as if Christ is declaring unclean meats ok. Actually, this verse
when read in Greek simply refers to the act of excretion, "purging" victuals
from the body. (Albert)
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