Was Jesus kind to animals?

[marco]

We are told by Christ to be kind to others, but Jesus never mentions cruelty to animals. In Egypt today or in Middle East countries donkeys suffer and it can be supposed they always have done. The ever contentious Matthew says: "Do not give what is holy to dogs." That dismissive comment suggests Jesus had little time for quadrupeds.

Why did Jesus not spare a thought for animals?

Societies today that cater for abused animals do not derive their mission from Jesus. Why?

[marco]

[Replying to post 1 by marco]

It is always fascinating to see how people manage to find some morsel that exonerates Jesus from any charge. I wonder if "Love thy neighbour" can be extended to cover animals and birds.

[SallyF]

The mythological Yahweh apparently keeps his eye on sparrows.

The possibly fictional Jesus character is not written of as actually caring.

Perhaps he was too busy setting family members against each other

Or preparing for one of his donkey parades through Jerusalem ?

Perhaps he was kinder to his donkey than the abusive Balaam was to his conversational ass ?

It seems to me that things can be just whatever one WANT'S them to be in these fantastical fabrications.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by marco]

There is no record of Jesus being cruel* to animals although there is indication he believed human life more valuable than that of animals. Jesus was a Jew; The Jewish temple system included the ritualistic sacrifice of animals and if he observed the traditional Jewish passover, Jesus would not have been a vegetarian.

That said, Jesus explicitly ordered his followers to obey the Mosaic law. The Mosaic laws also included certain mandates which protected the welfare of animals. If Jesus respected the law he supported, we can reasonably presume he did not inflict needless suffering on animals*. He certainly preached that the lives of animals where valued by the God he claimed to worship. Many of Jesus illustrations drew on this basic principle, most notably the illustation of a shepherd that so valued an individal lost sheep he went searching for it despite having 99 others.



* kind /cruel being rather subjective terms



JW








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JEHOVAH'S WITNESS

To learn more please go to other posts related to...

.THE PURPOSE OF LIFE, ANIMALS and ... CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

[marco]

The mythological Yahweh apparently keeps his eye on sparrows.

No, he shoots them and notes where they fall.

As far as Jesus is concerned the animal kingdom hardly exists, except as convenient material for parables. The silliest of animals, sheep, are compared to people who follow Jesus.

But nowhere is there a faithful dog. Perhaps these verses were omitted from Matthew's fabrications.

"Be ye also as faithful as dogs that, forgotten or abused by their master, yet love him. Whatever storms assail ye, whatever tragedies engulf ye, whatever hurts are thrown upon ye, be like dogs and crouch at the feet of thy master. For thy master can do whatsoever he wills and ye have no say. "

[marco]

Jesus explicitly ordered his followers to obey the Mosaic law. The law included certain laws which protected the regard for the welfare of animals.

Could it be which animals we can eat and which we leave, as unclean? I think a culture that offered the best flesh of slaughtered animals for the delight of God is not one to give lessons on the care of pets. One might mistakenly think that the Noah tale shows concern for animals. Try this:


Genesis 8
20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma

At the close of the atrocious story of Abraham and Isaac, when a ram is caught it is senselessly slaughtered. We have little to learn from barbarians.

[SallyF]

He slaughtered the ox and ram for the peace offering sacrifice on behalf of the people. Aarons sons delivered the blood to him, which he poured on the altar and around it. 19 As to the fat from the ox and the ram"the tail, the fat covering the kidneys, and the appendage of the liver" 20 they placed the fat on the breast and burned the fat on the altar. 21 Aaron waved the breast and the right thigh as a raised offering in Jehovahs presence, just as Moses had commanded. Leviticus 9



This is the literature of the barbarians who worshipped a barbaric, genocidal god.

This barbaric, genocidal god supposedly sent his own son to this planet to suffer such a sacrificial ritual.

These things apparently appease the wrath of this barbaric, genocidal god.

[Elijah John]

Proverbs 12.10

The righteous know the needs or their animals...

Jesus may have not taught kindness to animals, but his predecessor Solomon seems to have done so. And under inspiration from the "Old Testament God", who desires "mercy and not sacrifice".

Jesus quoted that verse from Hosea. So it seems that Jesus was compassionate to animals after all.

[Tcg]

Jesus may have not taught kindness to animals, but his predecessor Solomon seems to have done so.

The question the OP asks is, "Was Jesus kind to animals?" Wha

[Elijah John]

At the close of the atrocious story of Abraham and Isaac, when a ram is caught it is senselessly slaughtered. We have little to learn from barbarians.

Yes, that is an atrocious story.

But how about the Romans, who tortured people by crucifixion and pitted them violently against each other in the arena. Animals were not spared from blood sport in the arena either.

Were the Romans barbarians too?

Yet they too brought us law, culture and wisdom.

Why favor one set of Primitives over another?