Does God care about animals?

I would think so. It's disrespectful to abuse any of God's creation.

 

The kosher dietary practices in the OT include slaughtering methods that are as quick and painless as possible.

In Numbers 22 we find the story of Balaam and his donkey. Of course, the context of the story is God doing a miracle to make the donkey talk, and set Balaam back on track as to what he was supposed to do. But when Balaam beat the donkey, the Lord causes her to say:
"What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?"

 

We are given dominion. That means also that we are given responsibility. Part or responsibility is having respect for God's creation. We're clearly permitted to consume animals for food. However, we still need to practice respect for the animals we use for consumption.

I have a daughter in 4H and FFA. We have toured meat packing and production facilities before in the local area. Thankfully, the majority of processing plants are not abusive to the animals that are processed for our consumption. However, as with anything, we need to be on the lookout for abuses, and take action when appropriate. The food industry as of late has become grossly aware that consumers don't want animals mistreated in the production process, and have responded accordingly.

 

Hoosier, I have a real soft spot for living things. I'm the crazy girl that saves earthworms off the sidewalk so they don't get trampled. In college, I ran out of Biology crying on dissection day and refused to participate. Luckily my instructer was nice about it. He just said to study the pictures instead.

 

In the wild, animals kill each other in unbelievably cruel ways, often eating each other alive. However, I don't believe that gives US the right to so treat animals. As a hunter and an omnivore, I thank God for my food, and I have respect for the animals I hunt.

 

Proverbs 12:10 "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." God has created animals for our use - food, clothes, etc. We are stewards over them and are to have dominion over them - animals do not have rights, but as thinking stewards that God has placed over them, we ought not to treat them with cruelty and thoughtlessness.

 

I ave no idea, but are there laws about how animals are treated during the process of making food out of them?
We used to ahve a chicken processing plant near here, and the stories that came out of there were horrorable. My brother and husband have worked there in the past. My husband worked 3 days and left.

 

Yes, many. The FDA is the primary enforcer of laws and requlations in the food processing industry. However, they can only investigate hat is reported. It is therefore important for employees to report abuses.

 

Proverbs 12:10 - "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast..."

 

It's often been said that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she treats pets.

 

http://www.savebabe.com

 

It should be noted that Pilgrim's Pride fired the workers in question. It should also be noted that PETA has on numreous occaisions hired people to work undercover for Pilgrim's Pride, and to date, this is the only footage of cruelty to animals that has surfaced. While this incidentt should not be downplayed, the fact is that this is the exception, and not the rule. Without evidence, we cannot assume that this is the norm. On the contrary, the lack of evidence proves reassuring to those of us who are concerned about such things.

 

I ahven't read the article, but my husband and brother have in the past worked for ConAgra chicken processing. I don't know what crulities are in this article, but I know there is a lot of it in these places. You may not want to know what goes on either. And they don't fire people unless they get caught by outsiders.
But I still eat chicken and will continue too.

 

hoosierdaddy, I used to be an animal rights activist. I am no longer one now since becoming a Christian, but I have pretty much the same feelings for animals I did then and am just as upset now by abuse as I was then. I became a vegetarian when I was an animal rights person and that has not changed -- totally lost my taste for meat (and fish makes me sick so never had to give that up).

You should read Job starting with chapter 38 where God talks about numerous animals that He made and how He designed them. It's awesome!