Can someone of CHRIST C U C K S out there elaborate why everyone has to eat burgers ?
>“It’s simply false to say that “animals were created in this world to act as a source of food.” Challenge your friend to re-read Genesis 1 and 2. In Genesis 1, God creates the cosmos, the sun and moon, all the plants, the animals and then creates man and woman in God’s “image and likeness” and gives them “dominion” over the other creatures, which incidentally, means something more like “responsible stewardship”, NOT “ruthless tyranny” (Ultimately the New Testament portrays Christ’s self-sacrificing love for the weak and marginalized as the true image of dominion). Then, in Genesis 1:29, God says, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” Moreover, this vegetarian world is the arrangement that God calls “very good”. (Contrast this to the depiction of the world after the fall of man, in Genesis 6 where violence fills the earth and God is “sorry he made man”). So, if the Bible does not say that animals were created to be used as food for humans, then what is the purpose of animals? Have your friend read Genesis 2: “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name” – Genesis 2:18-19 Here, the Bible seems to suggest that animals were created for companionship and communion with humans. So, the Bible is unequivocal about the original purpose of animals: animals are not created by God as food for humans, but to be companions, and friends of humans.
>Furthermore, while the Bible does give a reluctant concession to the human lust for flesh (Genesis 9:4), this is only after we are told sin and death enter the world, after the whole of creation itself becomes “fallen”. Paul says, in Romans 8, that all of creation is “groaning in pain” awaiting it’s ultimate redemption. Ultimately, the Bible is clear, meat-eating has no place in the fully redeemed creation of God: prophetic visions of the eschatological kingdom of God, like those of Isaiah 11:6-9, 65:25; Hosea 2:18; and Revelation 5:13-14 are clear that animals have a place in the redeemed creation, and that there will be a return to the peace between species as depicted in Genesis 1:29. Now, all of this may be religious symbolism, of course, but it illustrates the point that the Bible sees vegetarianism as the ideal, and sees meat-eating as part of a way of life that stands judged by God and is passing away. So, far from being a “sin”, as far as the Bible is concerned, vegetarianism is the ideal, while meat-eating is a reluctant concession (to need, or to sin) at best.
>Finally there are a number of biblical passages relevant to the question of how Christians are to regard non-human animals: God has compassion on animals and is good to them (Psalm 145:49), preserves them (Psalm 36:6), provides for them (Psalm 104:10-14; Matthew 6:26), satisfies their desires (Psalm 145:16), Is concerned for their well-being (Jonah 4:11; Matthew 10:29). God warns that “your destruction of animals will terrify you” (Habakkuk 2:17), creates a covenantal promise to ensure the continuation of animal life (Genesis 9:8-17, and promises a future covenant in which animals are guaranteed safety (Hosea 2:18). The torah (first five books of the Bible) encourages us to spare animals psychological and emotional grief (Exodus 23:19; 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21), bids us to alleviate animal suffering (Deuteronomy 22:4; Exodus 23:5; Matthew 12:11; Luke 14:5), advises us against causing animals unnecessary hardships (Deuteronomy 22:10), cautions us against inflicting unnecessary pain on animals (Numbers 22:32; Genesis 49:6-7), to feed and care for (even wild) animals (Exodus 23:11; Genesis 24:32, 33:13), encourages us (contrary to factory farming and battery cages) to respect the natural desires of animals (Deuteronomy 25:4). Proverbs states that the righteous care for the needs of their animals (Prov 12:10).
>4 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
>2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
>3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
