If
someone blesses me, Webster's Dictionary says that means they
"invoke divine care" for me. Suppose I bless a pet or other
animal? Does that imply that the animal has a soul subject to divine
care, like me? If that animal does have a soul, does this mean that all animals
have a soul? If so, do animals go to heaven when they die? Will I
meet any of my former pets in heaven?
Lately, some
Christians (particularly in the Roman Catholic and Episcopal denominations)
have adopted an annual formal practice of blessing animals. The selected
animals are presented in a church worship service by members of the
congregation. Those who have initiated this practice say the ceremony is
meant to remind the congregation of their stewardship over God's Creation, and
how we have cared for it ---- or not cared for it. Therefore, must I
never kill an animal as a source of food for myself? Must I become a
vegetarian?!!
I wasn't sure
how to answer these questions, so I turned to the Bible. In the Book of
Genesis I found the following, in the Bible's "Creation Story.":
Chapter 1, Verse 25: "God made the wild animals according
to their kinds, the
livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that
move along the ground according to their kinds. And God
saw
that it was good."
Verse 26: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our
image, in our
likeness,
and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the
birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over
all the creatures that move along the ground.' "
Verse 28: "God blessed them [mankind] and said to them,
'Be fruitful and
increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the
fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living
creature that lives on the ground.' "
Simply put,
the Book of Genesis seems to give us a "license" to kill or do
whatever else may "please" humankind, with respect to God's earthly
creatures. Killing animals for food would seem entirely OK. In
fact, don't animals themselves kill each other for food and self-defense?
However,
Jesus himself teaches that "not a sparrow will fall to the ground"
without the care and attention of God. (Matt. 10:29) If we have
failed to notice this fact, perhaps it is because we have been too taken with
the idea that we are made in the divine image, and we have not
really been reflecting on the great responsibilities that such status
brings.
Author Philip
Sherman, in a recent issue of Presbyterian Life, argues that a
greater sense of responsibility for animals has developed in the last 100
years. "As some animals have transitioned from utilitarian purposes
(labor, production, food) to companionship (pets, therapy dogs and cats, and
service animals like seeing-eye dogs). a new element has emerged ----
LOVE. Many Christians today love certain animals, and give
them a special status by calling them "pets". We
remember St. Francis of Assisi and his passion for the care of God's
creatures. Today, we sometimes even link to animals some
passages of Scripture about love, and how we are supposed to treat those we
love.
Of all the
traits previously thought to be the exclusive possession of human beings,
perhaps love and compassion have been the greatest. The possibility that
many animals are capable of deep emotional lives, with some kind of love,
including grief and gratitude, seems accepted increasingly among many in the
scientific community.
Should we
deny that animals are capable of some kind of love, and that humankind may have
feelings of love for some of them, only because Genesis never mentions this
possibility?
___________________________________________________________________________
These
thoughts are brought to you by the CPC Adult Spiritual Development Team, hoping
that you will discover some personal spiritual growth this fall.
__________________________________________________________________________
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment