Title
Cruelty To Animals
Scripture
A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
(Proverbs 12:10)
Devotional
It seems as if humanist and animal rights activists have the corner on standing against cruelty to animals. Yet, this profound proverb differs. What does it mean to regard the life of an animal? The It says in Genesis, that man is to have dominion over every animal; and that man is created in the image of God. Therefore, how can tender mercies be cruel? The first chapter of Romans says that a wickedness of man is that he, “…serves the creature rather than the Creator…” When we make animals equal to man, we malign God’s order. Mankind was created a little lower than the angels, not a little lower than primates. It is wickedness toward God and cruel to animals to make them equivalent to man. To do so is to remove them out of their proper domain. It is wicked perversion. Nevertheless, we must remember that dominion is stewardship.