Killing Animals

Message / Question

Is the killing of animals murder? if not why not?

Response

Human life is unique in that it was created in the image of God, so human life is set apart from all other animal life. The term “murder” is applied only to the taking of human life.

In terms of general animal life, it has to be noted that God Himself ordained a sacrificial system under which animals — bulls, sheep, goats etc.— were killed. After the flood, God told Noah that he could now eat animals and, in the Old Testament law, He noted the kinds of animals that were safe to eat. It is clearly reasonable to conclude that it is not sinful to catch, kill, and use animals for food. Some of the most famous Bible characters were shepherds, fishermen and farmers. We know that Jesus ate fish and that He ate the traditional Passover meal, of which roast lamb was a part. Likewise, it is clearly not wrong to kill predators – David killed a lion and a bear that threatened his sheep.

Of course, none of this means that animals should be killed indiscriminately or recklessly. I think that it is wrong when I see hunters kill merely for the sake of gaining a trophy. However, the idea that it is wrong to kill any animals whatsoever is not supported by the Bible.