Question
If the Bible says thou shall not kill then we shouldn’t eat kill or wear animals right?
Answer
The Holy Scriptures do condemn murder, but murder of people, not animals.
Gen 1:24-28 24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (KJV)
Gen 2:7 7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (KJV)
Four points here:
First — God made man in His own Image. That means a lot. It does not mean that God has two eyes and two ears and two hands, etc. “In His own Image” has to do not with the physical, but with the spiritual part of man.
That means that God created man different from the animals. One of the differences is that man, in the image of God, has a special value to life. And the taking of that life bears a special punishment:
Gen 9:6 6 Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. (KJV)
There is not the same punishment for killing animals. Note all the animals which were killed in the course of sacrifices in worship to God. If it were wrong to kill animals, then it would be inconsistent for God to command killing animals in worship to Him!
The reason there is not the same punishment for killing animals is that there is not the same value to an animal’s life as there is to a human’s life. That doesn’t mean that we should torture animals for the fun of it. But we must realize the difference in values which God has placed on human life versus animal life. Don’t argue with me, take it up with God! And he has spoken, and I don’t think He is willing to negotiate it.
Second point — God said that man should have “dominion” over animals. That means authority or rule.
Gen 1:26 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (KJV)
Gen 9:1-2 1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. 2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. (KJV)
And that is consistent with man being made in the image of God — he is different from animals — he is to rule over animals.
Third point — Wearing animals. The first account of humans wearing animals is when God made the covering for man to wear:
Gen 3:21 21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (KJV)
I don’t think those were plant skins God used, they were obviously animal skins. And I bet that if we looked into other passages in the Bible that we could find where God asked his people to make clothing from animal skins. The tabernacle as I recall was covered with animal skins.
Fourth point — eating animals. God told Noah that animals were for food:
Gen 9:3 3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. (KJV)
And again, if we looked far enough, we would see where God discussed the priests eating the flesh of animals as part of their worship, and as part of their payment for doing their priestly duties.
So you see it is inconsistent with the Word of God to think that animals are to be treated the same as humans. That was not God’s plan from the beginning. And we only cheapen the value of human life when we try to exalt the value of animal life.
By David Baize
