was raised in a time and in an area of the country where many men considered it
manly to kill animals just for the sake of killing them. They called doing that "sport."
And they taught the young boys, as they grew up, to do the same thing. They
explained that killing animals was merely we humans "exercising our dominion",
over animals, as they put it.
The results was a lot of unnecessary killing of animals (and birds) just for the
sake of killing them. "Road kills" counted too. Some back then would speed up
in order to "score a point" on all critters crossing the road and even score points
on stray dogs and cats too.
I now see all that as wrongdoing.
Its a blessings how the Lord changes the heart and makes us wiser and better
as we read His word and get to know Him better. I found myself braking the
other day so I would not hit a young squirrel that had just dashed in front of
my truck. I am glad I did that.
I will never again cause any animal death or pain just for the sake of killing the
animal.
I read in the newspaper, long ago, where they closed the Ringling Brothers Elephant
Show. Good. It was very painful for the elephants. I have read how they "trained"
the elephants to do all their tricks and performances and the "training" involved
intense pain for the elephants while they were forced to go through their routines.
No, I am NOT against hunting animals for food.
I am against killing them "only for sport" and against killing them "just for the sake of
killing them." {But I will admit that "sport hunting" is debatable.}
No, I am not a pacifist. I believe some wars are justified, for example WW II. But I
believe killing and mangling human bodies in wars ought to be the very last resort
after all other solutions have been totally exhausted. "Blessed are the peacemakers
for they shall be called sons of God", said the Lord Jesus. That means exactly what
it says.
____________
My wife and I love T-bone steak but we have never ate one that was still alive.
This means that somebody killed the cow so we could enjoy eating T-bone steaks.
We eat a lot of chickens too, but never ate a live chicken, they were all dead, so
again somebody killed them so we could enjoy eating them. This is good. Very
tasty too.
I generally kill all the snakes I come across, but that's because I fear all snakes,
even the so-called "good ones." If I did not fear them, I would not kill them. So
whither I am right or wrong on that (about killing the so-called "good snakes")
I still have, in my mind, a good reason for killing them. I don't kill them "just for
the enjoyment of killing." In fact I hope I never see another snake on my property.
I have only killed 2 or 3 in my life and that's plenty for me.
Yes. I am well aware that there are some types of animals that pose a threat to
people, to their homes, and to their livestock. I fully support killing theses types
of animals and controlling their numbers -- this is a good thing to do.
On the subject of showing compassion to animals:
What say you?
