If you believe...
Animals: Tradition - Philosophy - Religion

FROM David Jack James
May 26, 2020 Facebook post

If you believe that God created animals so that humans can consume their flesh and bodily secretions, then why do you think that God gave them central nervous systems?

If you believe that God created animals so that humans can consume their flesh and bodily secretions, then why do you think that God gave them central nervous systems? You believe that God created emotional beings who can experience misery and pain and suffering because God wants you to exploit and slaughter them, even though God also created a wide variety of plants that humans can consume in order to survive and thrive?

There is no biological or nutritional requirement for humans to consume the flesh, organs, or bodily secretions (eggs and milk) of animals; therefore, a choice to do so causes unnecessary pain and suffering, which is apparently what you believe God desires? If God is love, as many Christians say, then why would God deliberately design the proper human diet to cause pain and suffering to sentient beings with full self-awareness and a desire to live?

And what does the Christian Bible say about the human diet and animals?

“God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.’”
~ Genesis 1:29

“The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
~ Isaiah 11:6–9

“Then the king commanded his palace master Ashpenaz to bring some of the Israelites of the royal family and of the nobility, young men without physical defect and handsome, versed in every branch of wisdom, endowed with knowledge and insight, and competent to serve in the king’s palace; they were to be taught the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the royal rations of food and wine. They were to be educated for three years, so that at the end of that time they could be stationed in the king’s court. Among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, from the tribe of Judah... BUT DANIEL RESOLVED THAT HE WOULD NOT DEFILE HIMSELF WITH THE ROYAL RATIONS OF FOOD AND WINE; so he asked the palace master to allow him not to defile himself... The palace master said to Daniel, ‘I am afraid of my lord the king; he has appointed your food and your drink. If he should see you in poorer condition than the other young men of your own age, you would endanger my head with the king.’ Then Daniel asked the guard whom the palace master had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: ‘Please test your servants for ten days. LET US BE GIVEN VEGETABLES TO EAT AND WATER TO DRINK. You can then compare our appearance with the appearance of the young men who eat the royal rations, and deal with your servants according to what you observe.” So he agreed to this proposal and tested them for ten days. AT THE END OF TEN DAYS, IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THEY APPEARED BETTER AND FATTER THAN ALL THE YOUNG MEN WHO HAD BEEN EATING THE ROYAL RATIONS. So the guard continued to withdraw their royal rations and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables... At the end of the time that the king had set for them to be brought in, the palace master brought them into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar, and the king spoke with them. And among them all, no one was found to compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they were stationed in the king’s court. IN EVERY MATTER OF WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING CONCERNING WHICH THE KING INQUIRED OF THEM, HE FOUND THEM TEN TIMES BETTER THAN ALL THE MAGICIANS AND ENCHANTERS IN HIS WHOLE KINGDOM.“
~ Daniel 1:3-20

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