I read Rev Dr Lorna Khoo’s “SEMINAL THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS ABOUT GOD AND ANIMALS” in her Facebook and thought it interesting. She has permitted me to reproduce this for the good of all hoomans.
1 God’s world is not meant to be humancentric (revolving around humans )but theocentric (revolving around God). While it is true that humans have a special exalted position in His world -it is God’s world where He alone is God and Lord.
2 Animals don’t exist for us. They exist for God. They were there before humans were made(Gen 1 ), created for His pleasure and for His glory. Do not usurp God’s role.
3 Animals have inherent worth as fellow creatures of God in God’s world. Their worth is not tied to their ‘usefulness’ or lack of it to humans/ecological system. Their worth is in how their Creator values them. And He values them – be they Israel’s sparrows or the cattle of Nineveh. Never limit the wideness of God’s love.
4.We DO NOT have absolute right over their lives. (eg #1 I do not own my dogs. I am their God appointed guardian.#2 Patenting ‘clones’/’ chimeras’- says that they are ‘things’ and we have absolute right over their lives. This is wrong)
4 There is a Fall. What we see now as ‘natural’ or ‘natural order of things’ (eg survival of the fittest, hierarchical structure of wolf pack etc.) is NOT the model of how God’s ideal creation was meant to be. To use ‘what is’ now as a principle, pattern or philosophy for relating to creation(eg dog obedience is based on the ‘wolf pack’ hierarchical idea: top dog vs underdog) is to perpetuate the brokenness of the Fall. Alternatives should be found based on the rediscovery of His original intention and desire for creation.
5 Humans do owe to creation a duty: the duty is to ‘rule’ creation as God’s steward ie to care and tend it, reflecting the character of God.
6. God’s ideal was for humans to be vegetarians. Note that even when verse28 of Genesis says that humans are to ‘rule’over creation, the very next verse (s) 29-31 states the food appointed for humans- plants. Animals were NOT created to be eaten in the original plan of God. (Neither do they eat each other then).
7. The way we treat animals reflect/affect our integrity as Christians.
8. The argument based on ‘order’ and ‘hierarchy’ leading on to ‘prioritizing’ importance and value is inherently problematic eg to say that we have to take care of humans first sometimes means there will never be a time when anyone would be allowed to focus on creation’s needs.It is like someone saying, “ Children should be our priority” which can lead to no resources being ever given to the aging and the old. “Citizens first” can mean the lack of care for migrants. “Focus on development of male leaders” can lead to a denial of God given gifts and callings when it comes to women. God usually has a preferential option for the marginalised and forgotton. Some of His best resources will be set apart for such ministries.
