Part 10:   Why Should the Christian Church Take a Leading Role in Animal Rights?

 It’s been said that the church has often been on the wrong side of culturally sanctioned moral issues, such as condoning slavery and the oppression of women, children, and minorities. Of course, with the passage of time, the church recognized the immorality of slavery as well as the equality of men and women and the rights of children and minorities. But the fact that some Christians have endorsed such behavior demonstrates that, at times, Christians have failed miserably to discern divine principles for godly living. I’m concerned this is also true of our God-given responsibilities to non-human life.

As we’ve seen in the previous blog posts in this series, God did not create animals solely for human consumption, work, and entertainment. A few varieties serve humanity as domestic stock and companions, but the vast majority—millions of species of wild animals—were created to live untamed and free. They are God’s possessions, and He created specific habitats and foods to ensure they survive and prosper. Does this mean God values animals as much as He does people, or they deserve the same ethical considerations as humans? Of course not; such a notion is totally unbiblical. Only people are created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27). We are the crown of creation (Ps. 8:4-8), and God values us far more than animal life (Matt. 10:29-31). But this doesn’t diminish the fact that God values non-human life and desires that they fulfill the purposes for which He created them.

As God’s ordained stewards over creation(e.g., Ps. 8:6-8), my hope is the Church corporately will take more of a leadership role in promoting the humane care of domesticated animals, protecting wild animals, and managing the natural habitats on which wildlife depend to survive. We can do this without compromising human health and well-being. We should do this because the Bible reveals that animals are valuable to God—not just because a few species serve humanity. ©

Next week I’ll begin a new series provisionally titled: “Hell: Does God Send People to Hell or Do They Choose It—and How to Avoid It.”