SHOULD CHRISTIANS LOVE ANIMALS?

 

SHOULD CHRISTIANS LOVE ANIMALS?

Someone might say, “I love them on my plate.”  But not all animals.  We tend to be very discerning in the kind of meat we want to be served, conditioned more by the culture in which we were raised than anything else.  Not many, if any, restaurants in North America serve dog or cat meat, but you can find such offerings in some Asian countries.  So, when I wonder whether or not we should love animals, I don’t mean as food, but as living creatures.  Christians have a moral obligation to love one another.  But are we morally obligated to love animals? 

In answering the question, we ought to consider how the Bible celebrates God’s creation.  “You fixed the earth on its foundation, never to be moved.  The ocean covered it like a garment; above the mountains stood the waters…You made springs flow…they give drink to every beast of the field; here wild asses quench their thirst.  Besides them the birds of heaven nest; among the branches they sing…You raise the grass for the cattle and plants for our beasts of burden…The high mountains are for wild goats; the rocky cliffs, a refuge for badgers…You bring darkness and night falls, then all the beasts of the forest roam abroad.  Young lions roar for their prey; they seek their food from God” (Psalm 104).  Creation reflects the greatness of God, who cares for all that he has created.  “For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made” (Wisdom 11:24).  We should love the animals because they are given to us by God for our good.  He said to Adam and Eve, “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.  Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth” (Genesis 2:28).  Every gift of God should be received with thanksgiving, including the animals.

Animals are living and sensate.  Therefore, they should not be cruelly treated.  They get hungry, and thirsty, and can feel pain.  A person who cruelly treats one of God’s creatures reveals a significant flaw in his or her character.  At the same time, the Church teaches that “God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those he created in his own image.  Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing.  They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure.  Medical and scientific experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice if it remains within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving human lives” (Catechism #2417).  Animals may not be tortured or treated cruelly.  “It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly.  It is likewise unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery.  One can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons” (#2418). 

Pets cannot replace children.  Some couples selfishly choose not to have children but adopt animals, which are much less demanding to care for and do not yell back at you.  (They also will not be able to care for you when you are elderly and sick.)  It is wrong for a married couple to use animals to replace children, for one of the two intrinsic purposes of marriage is the bearing of children (the other is the union of husband and wife).  Unless there is a physical impediment, a couple which is of the childbearing age cannot validly establish a marriage if they have the intent to never be open to having children together. 

I had a dog for six years and cried terribly when I had to put her down.  I loved her, but not like I loved my family and friends, or even my parishioners.  The Church respects the animal kingdom, for they are God’s creatures and “By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory” (#2414).  This is why the Church has provided in the Book of Blessings the option to bless animals, especially on or around the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.  But animals do not approach the dignity of a human being who is created in the image and likeness of God and has an eternal soul.  The animals were created for man, not man for the animals, but like all of God’s creation, they must be treated with justice and accordance with God’s plan for creation.