There are often two sides to every story. This is no exception for Genesis 1:26 of the Old Testament. As it goes, “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 creeps upon the earth.” For those humans looking for an excuse to eat animals (or pillage the earth), this popularly quoted passage from the Bible seems to give them reason to do so. If God gave humans “dominion” over animals, many humans rationalize that it must be okay to eat animals. However, if the message of the Bible is one of love and compassion, how is it then that killing fits into God’s plan? Many instead choose to read Genesis 1:26 as God’s calling us to be stewards of the earth and her creatures. If God created the earth in his likeness, would he not want us treat all that inhabit the earth as he would want to be treated, with love and kindness? Many religions recognize God’s love for all beings and call their followers to eat a vegetarian diet. Those who practice Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism feel vegetarianism is an obligation to God and believe that their actions, such as inflicting pain and death upon animals, will have equal consequences upon themselves.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 15:05:35 +0000
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