Quote:
Originally Posted by Traveler
I believe it is important to recognize the difference between animals and people and not get either mixed up. G-d gave man dominion over animals and has commanded man to love his fellow man as himself. It is most foolish to seek dominion over other people and have love and compassion for animals. We can and should have compassion over animals but not the same love and compassion we should have for children and neighbors.
To be honest I am disappointed with the value some have for their children when they consider animals as like members of their family. I grew up with deep respect for my childhood dog that saved my life. But that relationship is not the same as my eternal partner and wife to whom I am married to for eternity nor my children and parents to who I am sealed to for eternity.
I would also point out that it is man that is fallen not animals. Animals need no salvation or saving ordinances – they were not excommunicated from the garden of G-d nor have they violated G-d’s commandments.
The Traveler
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Some quotes from Genesis:
"And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man,
and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made
them." Genesis 6:7
"And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for
all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth." Genesis 6:12
In the Garden, God gave grains, fruits and green plants to be the food of all living things (Gen. 1:29,30). After the Fall, the earth became filled with violence, including the eating of flesh by both men and beasts. After the Flood, God established His "rainbow covenant" with both men and beasts, giving them a new allowance to consume flesh "because the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Gen. 8:21). In the Millennium, though, when Christ returns, the nature of the animals (and presumably man) will be returned to its original innocence - "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD." Isa. 65:25
Obviously, the beasts did become corrupted. However, I do not believe they can be held accountable for that, since they have limited free will and function mostly by instinct (as far as we currently know). The current physiology of carnivores clearly requires a diet of flesh to maintain life. But Scripture tells us this was not always the case and will not be the case in the future. Whether they require some kind of salvation, I cannot say. But Francis of Assisi preached to the birds and beasts; who knows what merit there may be in that? Several passages in the New Testament state that Christ died for "the sins of the whole world". We allow that Christ's sacrifice covers those who are not accountable, including children and the mentally impaired; surely the "dumb beasts" fall into that category, having their "sins" covered by reason of unaccountability. Then again, perhaps each species has its own missionaries, spreading the good news.
