A series of commentaries by Mary T. Hoffman about: humans and animals and the cruelty inflicted upon them; prayer and grace, and the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives; and the problems that plague our lives in this corrupted world.
This morning I had been thinking about the oxymoron "Christian hunter" (or "Christian bow hunter"), when Galatians 5:22-23 (King James Version) came to mind:
22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith,
23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:24 (KJV) continues:
24. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Would you agree that recreational hunters take joy in killing? Otherwise, why would they spend so much money on this pastime? A pound of hunted meat ends up costing approximately $25.00. So much for the very unconvincing excuse that they kill to eat, and for the other attempt at public relations to white-wash brutality, donating the kill to food pantries.
Then I looked up the word "sadism" and found "delight in cruelty" (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary). Webster’s New World Dictionary defines "sadism" as "the getting of pleasure from mistreating others". The Random House Roget’s Thesaurus gives this definition of "sadistic": deliberately cruel, brutal, vicious, fiendish, perverse, perverted, bloodthirsty."
It is easy to see from what I’ve written so far that taking pleasure in hunting, promoting this ungodly activity, and "rubbing other people’s noses" in it to upset non-hunters are all totally Anti-Christian.
Another fabrication to justify killing is that it is a "sport". If you look up the word "sportsmanship" in the dictionary, you’ll find, "conduct becoming to a sportsman". Under "sportsman": "a person who is fair, generous, a good loser, and a gracious winner".
Since when is taking unfair advantage of your opponent "sportsmanlike"? It is appalling to read about all the deceptions such as calls, scents, camouflage, animal urine (disgusting!), etc. hunters use against their quarry.
Isn’t it amazing how the public puts up with this legalized killing? God’s Word says in Amos 5: 14, 15 (KJV):
14. Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live
15. Hate the evil, and love the good
And one of my favorites, Isaiah 5: 20 (KJV) warns:
20. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
As for those who teach children to kill for "sport", Matthew 18:6 (RSV) warns:
6. but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
From my heart,
Mary
Go on to: Civilized Decadence?
Return to: Heartbreak: Ramblings From a Compassionate Heart
Watercolor Painting by Mary T. Hoffman