Christian thinkers believed thathuman beings were greatly superior to animals. They taught that human beings could treat animals as badly as they wanted to because people had few (if any) moral obligations towards animals. Modern Christians generally take a much more pro-animal line.
Which animals are more important to humans than other animals?
Bees and worms, trees and plankton, fish, ants and spiders, bacteria, whales and elephants amongst many others. They are more important for a very simple reason. Most of them can live quite happily without humans but humans cannot live without them.
Are some human lives worth more than others?
The reality is that some human lives are simply not worth more than other humans and also not more important than many animals. A few years ago when I was teaching at UCLA I asked my students this question:
What do God and man have in common?
Another attribute that God and man have in common is creativity. The Bible says God created the universe and everything within it. Man also is a creative being, having been given this ability by God. Man is different from the animals. Both biblical and scientific evidence demonstrate this.
Do animals get buried like humans do?
There is no example of animals doing any type of ceremonial burial as does man. The above list, though not exhaustive, points out that there are many things that separate man from animals. We could also add such things as: creativity, invention, imagination, abstract reasoning, love (at various levels), a will, and a conscience.
What does the Bible say about men?
Even more important, the Bible clearly teaches that men were created in the image of God – Gen. 1:26-28; 5:1; 9:2-6; James 3:9. This is not said of animals. Men have spirits that are responsible to study God’s word and obey it – Job 32:8; Zechariah 12:1; 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1. Ecclesiastes 3:21 – The spirit of man goes upward, …
What does the Bible say about being superior to animals?
Are we superior to animals in intelligence and moral responsibility? What does the Bible teach? God clearly says from creation that people (male and female) are superior to animals – Gen. 1:26-28; Psalm 8:4-8. Man is more valuable to God than animals – Matt. 10:29-31; 12:11,12; 6:26; 15:26.
Why did Jesus not die to save them?
Jesus did not die to save them because they do not need to be saved. Men are superior to animals in their spirit, their intelligence, their value to God, their moral responsibility, their eternal destiny, and in the price God paid to save them from sin.
Who authorized man to kill animals for food?
God authorized man to kill animals for food, but we are not authorized to kill people for food – Gen. 9:2,3; Luke 15:23; Gen. 18:7,8; 27:3,4. God Himself used animal skins to make clothing for Adam and Eve – Gen. 3:21. Numerous Scriptures show people owning and herding animals and using them for their own purposes and prosperity – Psalm 32:9;
What does "diminishment of whales" mean?
Diminishment of whales means diminishment of phytoplankton means diminishment of oxygen.
Why are phytoplankton and trees important?
A world without bees and worms would be a world where we could not feed ourselves. A world without phytoplankton and trees would be a world where we could not breathe.
Why is phytoplankton declining?
Phytoplankton has been diminished because of pollution, climate change, acidification and the slaughter of the whales.
How does human population growth affect other species?
As human populations grow larger they literally steal carrying capacity from other species, leading to diminishment of other species which leads to diminishment of diversity and diminishment of interdependence. In other words, no species is an island entire unto itself and that includes our own human species.
How much of the oxygen is produced by phytoplankton?
Since 1950, the Ocean has suffered a 40% decline in phytoplankton populations and phytoplankton produces over 50% of the oxygen for the planet. This is a serious problem but one which most people remain blissfully ignorant of.
What would be a world without phytoplankton?
A world without phytoplankton and trees would be a world where we could not breathe. A world without yeast (an animal) would be a world without beer and wine which I mention only because this is a loss that may get some people’s attention. Nature has three very basic ecological laws. 1.
What are the three basic ecological laws?
Nature has three very basic ecological laws. 1. Diversity, meaning that the strength of an eco-system is determined by the diversity within it. 2. Interdependence, meaning that the species within an eco-system are dependent upon each other and 3. Finite resources, meaning that there is a limit to growth, a limit to carrying capacity.
Why are animals considered to be a mark of biblical thinking?
1:26-28 ). Therefore, a mark of biblical thinking will be an appropriate love, care, and respect for animals that is in proportion to their place.
Is Syria hard to solve?
Yes, solutions in Syria are hard and uncertain. But I think even Katie in her gentle wisdom would have agreed that not only do all human lives have value, but also that a human’s life is worth every bit as much as a golden retriever’s.
Do people care more about animals than children?
As is so often the case, it is a cultural observation that leads to a theological conclusion. People seem to care more about animals than they do children.
Who is Erik Raymond?
Erik Raymond is the senior pastor at Redeemer Fellowship Church in Metro Boston. He and his wife, Christie, have six children. He blogs at Ordinary Pastor. You can follow him on Twitter.
What is the economics of man?
Economics. Man is an economic being, able to transact complicated business and to administer goods and services under his control. God instructed Adam and Eve to take control of the earth and "subdue" it ( Genesis 1:28 ). Animals do not transact business between each other.
What is the difference between man and animals?
The Bible makes a clear distinction between man and animals: All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fish, another of birds ( 1 Corinthians 15:39 ). Man is different from all other animals in a number of ways: 1. Analytical Thought. Man can think analytically.
What physical evidence marks out homo sapiens?
We are quite familiar with the physical evidence that marks out homo sapiens – the erect posture, the grasping thumb, the cerebral hemispheres. These are all acceptable criteria and have been with us for a long time. Few men take pride in them, but rather take them for granted . . . standard equipment.
What can secular history tell us?
Secular history can tell us much about our past as a human race, and therefore our own place in it. But no matter how much writing we turn up and translate, no matter how many excavations we make and how many artifacts we study, secular history has not unearthed a clue to help explain the final why of what we find.
What is the only living creature that buryes its dead?
Bury Its Dead. Man is the only living creature that buries its dead. There is no example of animals doing any type of ceremonial burial as does man. The above list, though not exhaustive, points out that there are many things that separate man from animals.
How do man and God have emotions?
Both man and God have emotions. For example, each can give love and receive love. God, as well as man, can be angry. Both man and God have the capacity to feel and express emotions. Man and God both have a moral sense of right and wrong. Each knows and understands the difference between good and evil.
How are humans different from plants?
Only humans, according to the Bible, are made in "Gods image.". Only humans possess the will and self-consciousness that distinguish us so sharply from even the most "advanced" and intelligent animals.