PETA is right about the Bible

    PETA is right about the Bible (HT: James Davila). At an alpha point beyond time rather than within time, told in a protology that fuses a description of the ways things are with a description of the way things should be, the God of the Bible enjoins vegetarianism, to man as well as beast (Genesis 1:29-30). At an omega point beyond our time, a point which stands in judgment of all time, that same God imperiously predicts that the wolf and the lamb will graze together; the lion like the ox eat straw (Isaiah 65:25).

    As Yael Shemesh argues (summary here), Rashi, Aquinas, and Descartes, the modern anthropocentric worldview in particular, represent a huge step backward with respect to the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew Bible and the book of Jonah in particular think of God as full of compassion for animals no less than human beings.

    PETA is an organization I applaud, even though I am not a vegetarian. I am not even against the use of animals in scientific experimentation. But the way we treat animals in the lab and in the food business would shock the carnivorous locavores of Bible times. If they could board a Way Forward machine and observe our habits, they would conclude that we are godless beings.

    From the perspective of biblical literature, the indifference to and mistreatment of animals connatural to the modern scientific mindset is reprehensible. It’s as if the modern world suffered under a wicked spell.

    Should we respect the gendered language of the Bible, insofar as possible, rather than adjust it to current conventions of the English language? A case can be made for carrying over into English far more gender specification than is normally done. Isa 11:12 is a case in point:

וְנָשָׂא נֵס לַגּוֹיִם

וְאָסַף נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

וּנְפֻצוֹת יְהוּדָה יְקַבֵּץ

מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ

He will raise a signal to the nations,
the outcast men of Israel assemble;
the dispersed women of Judah he will gather
from the four corners of the earth.

Try to find a translation like the above, which respects the gender specification of the Hebrew. It isn’t easy.

    David Berger of Yeshiva University argues against respecting in translation the gender specification of the Hebrew in Proverbs 6:6:

לֵךְ־אֶל־נְמָלָה עָצֵל

רְאֵה דְרָכֶיהָ וַחֲכָם׃

Go to the ant, oh lazybones,
observe her ways, and learn!

    The gender-specification of the Hebrew, which I reproduce in translation, is “arbitrary,” says Berger. You don’t say? That is what anthropological linguists refer to as an “etic” perspective. It stands outside the “emic,” internal, world-creating perspective of the text and the culture that produced the text. It stands over both and judges them from a viewpoint that is, according to an extraneous set of assumptions, objective.

    By the same token, the Torah kosher laws are arbitrary. I would counter: it is a matter of choice, not arbitrary whimsy, to respect or disrespect gender-specification and kosher laws in translation and life, respectively.

    I am in favor of gendering “ant” in Proverbs 6. If this is Bruce Friedrich’s proposal, it is a fine one. To be clear, the gendering of ant stretches English beyond its current set of conventions. That’s what poets and excellent translators do: they stretch language a bit in order to accommodate a new way of seeing things. Nor would I trust a field-tester of language who said, “that won’t fly.” That’s what the good bishop Wright said to his sons Orville and Wilbur. It’s fine to look before you leap, but perhaps, just perhaps, the gendering of “ant” would be a nice leap to make.

    We are celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Version. How often did the translators bend the English language to small detail in the source text? Rather often. In the process they enriched the English language with new idioms. We are or should be grateful heirs of their unusual respect for the fine detail of their source text.

    We live in an age resistant to change. Even obvious change like the need to be more respectful of life at every stage of development, animal and human. I applaud PETA’s challenge of the new NIV. What a compliment. The NIV team only just revised its work. The new NIV contains many improvements and a number of questionable choices. No one will deny that it is subject to further improvement.

    Don't know much about PETA? It seems to be an organization many love to hate. Go here for a self-introduction.  

Comments

[J. K. Gayle]

John,

I agree with a whole lot of what you've posted here. Generally, I could agree that PETA is right about the Bible, as you say.

Getting to specifics:

With you, and perhaps with Bruce Friedrich also, "I am in favor of gendering 'ant' in [English translation of] Proverbs 6." And I think you're saying that the Hebrew is right to gender the ant feminine. This is not just a grammatical gendering but it's also an honoring of this animal, this species other than our own. Likewise, the gendering of her, of the ant, is not arbitrary. Linguistically, we non-native speakers of Hebrews and native speakers of English may view this peculiar eticly, but emicly we know there's something right and purposeful about this.

A question:

In Proverbs 30:25, is the plural there for ants considered gendered? In other words, as anthropomorphized as ants are by the writer of the proverb there in Hebrew is there an inherent sense of their gender(s) that should be gendered in English translation?

[JohnFH]

In Hebrew Prov 30:25 "ants" is a masculine plural, but that is a generic masculine - Hebrew abounds in generic masculines - where is David Stein when we need him? It covers both genders of ants.

But go on to Prov. 30:28. On the principle we are espousing, it should be rendered:

The spider you can catch with your hands,
yet she is found in royal palaces.

That makes me think of Charlotte of Charlotte's Web. The image is threatening but not too threatening. It might make a good tagline for PETA.

[Mitchell Powell]

If a practice earns us points both with PETA and with biblical literalists, while making the translation challenging, alive, and poetic, let's do it.

[Truman 1]

Truman 1,

I think this passage starts out with an individual that has sinned and is realizing their wrong doings. It seems like being expelled into wrongdoing would mean that it is normal that people are sinners and he is and that he was brought into this world just like everyone else. Then they ask for forgiveness and also wisdom from the Lord. This passage shows an individual that realized they are not perfect and that no one is. He is also trying to improve himself in God’s eye.

[Praying with Lior 2]

It is interesting to think of how the killing of animals has evolved over the years from a sacred ritual to basically slaughtering them. I agree that people from the biblical time would be completely shocked to see how little respect animals are given and how poorly they are treated. I am not a vegetarian either, but I think if I allowed myself to hear the suffering that the animals go through I would reconsider my diet.

I do think it is beautiful that in the beginning God had all animals eating plants. In his eyes no animal should have that much power over another where they can decide if it lives or dies.

[Nell 5]

In some ways, I agree with PETA, and what they are trying to do for animals. It is horrible how animals being grown for their meat are treated. But, there are some things that I don’t agree with. Their request to change all the “it’s” to “he’s or she’s” when referring to animals in the Bible, is a little bit over the top. Changing the text of the Bible should not be allowed. Maybe the reason PETA wants animals to have a gender is so people start looking at them as God’s creatures instead of just objects. But, I still think that it doesn’t give them right to change the Bible. If they change this, who knows what other organizations will want to change things in it.

[Pulp Fiction 4]

I couldn't agree more with Nell 5! I don't think it gives them the right to change the Bible either, because then that is pretty much showing that any other organization can step in a change other parts of the Bible too. I think was PETA is doing with their program is great. It is just awful to think what is done to those poor animals that are raised just for meat. Over time people have gotten very careless, and now we have what are known as slaughter houses. I am not saying I am against killing animals for meat but I think they should be treated with a little respect while they do have time here on Earth. God has created a beautiful world with marvelous things in it, and that includes animals.

[JohnFH]

Let's step back here a moment and reflect on a few things.

It's the Bible in the original languages that has: "Go to the ant and observe her ways." The King James version translated accordingly 400 years ago. The Revised Standard Version (1954) translated accordingly. It is a more recent translation (NIV 1984-2011) that decided to make "ant" and "it" rather than a "she."

What I hear PETA saying is that if we more respectful of the language of the Bible *in the original languages" in cases like these, there is a chance we would be more respectful of animals as well, because it is normal for us to treat "hes" and "shes" with more tenderness than "its."

I hope that clarifies things a bit.

[Pulpfiction1]

I would like to question many people out there why they chose to be vegetarian. I have a friend and an aunt who are. I know they chose to do so for a diet/ health reasons. Not because the bible says to do so. Moving on, I do agree with the bible in that animals are no less than humans. I am a huge animal lover and I would do anything for many of them. I do not agree with using them for science, even a mouse! I am somewhat confused on the part about "hes" or "shes" towards animals. Does PETA want to change the bible to have all the creatures have a he or she next to it?

[True Grit 1]

I agree with this passage in saying that all animals deserve the proper pronoun when referenced. Just how it is mentioned throughout the Bible. It is respect to the animal and creation. Not only is it right respect to animals, but also to humans. During the last lecture examples were giving about how a spider was referred to as a “she” and such, but I got thinking about how men call their cars “she”. Some would say this is disrespectful to the female and is sexist. I think it is in everyones best interest to address things, animals, and people with the proper pronouns as a sign of respect. It is considerate and polite. Therefore, it may be in the NIV’s best interest to double check their translation.

[Chariots of Fire 5]

First of all, I believe that animals should be referred as “he” and “she” if that is how they were called when the Bible was first written. I do agree that it is a sign of respect for animals to not call them an “it”, and I also believe that they deserve that respect since we are all animals, even us humans. Humans need to take a step back and look at things in perspective. God created all of us and we are all special to Him.

As Pulp Fiction 4 has mentioned, I am not a vegetarian either but that does not mean that the animals should not be treated with respect. I have a low protein level which is not very healthy so eating meat is one way to help my situation. There are some people who treat the animals horribly because they know their fate, but I do not believe that is right. No matter what kind of animal it is, or how long it will live it deserves to have a decent time on this Earth.

I do believe that PETA does have good intentions. Sometimes they may seem to go overboard, but they are just trying to make a point. If they didn’t create a little tension their ideas and beliefs would not be heard or understood because it wouldn’t be important news to people.

[The Truman Show 4]

I also applaud PETA's challenge in the NIV version of the bible. If that is how the King James version is, I think it should also be acknowledged in the NIV version. I was just thinking of how I talk about animals in normal conversation, and it seems that I actually do refer to them with the proper pronoun "he or she."
Almost everyone I know would say that they are opposed to the mistreatment of animals, vegetarian or not. But that doesn't mean that they are going to turn vegetarian. I'm not a vegetarian either but I cannot stand hearing about how they are treated. I would also do anything for my dog! I think in modern times it's just almost impossible for a lot of people to say they are equal to animals. But I think people can't wrap their minds around the fact that God sees us as one equal unit.

[True Grit 3]

I would have to agree with Praying with Lior 2, and how animals these days are just slaughtered all the time, compared to back then. I do realize how animals are treated these days for food purposes, but I still eat them no matter what, because I believe that if God didn’t want us to use them for food, them he wouldn’t have put them here. I have friends who are vegetarian, this is something that I could never do, because I’ve grown up eating meat and it’s just part of my lifestyle. And I also think the people of PETA should mind their own business and let people decided for themselves what is right and wrong about killing animals for food.

[Truman Show 2]

When I read the title of Eric Marrapodi’s article I was interested in the content in which PETA was disputing. Having foresight would have helped me understand that they truly researched this topic in depth. Until now I was one of those people who thought PETA was just a group against animal violence, and had no idea of the scale of their commitment and goals. This argument gained my vote after reading what PETA’s vice president (Bruce Friedrich) said that animals glorify God. I agree with him and I too believe that calling any living creature “it” denies them something. I too agree with you that we are mistreating animals today and our ancestors would be disgusted. This post reminds me of Proverbs 12:10.

[Pulp Fiction 3]

I personally do not agree with PETA. I believe the bible should stay the way it is and be preached how it has been. I am a hunter like many of us in Wisconsin and I believe that that there is nothing wrong with killing animals if it is for meat. People that just go out hunting and kill animals for their horns on the other hand, is not right and should never be tolerated. There is scarcity of food all over the world and so I believe a human life is more important than an animals life so when it comes down to it the killing of an animal is ok by me. But I exclude from the killing common household pets like dogs, cats, etc.

[Breaker Morant 5]

I agree with Chariots of Fire 5 and believe that animals should be addressed as gender specific. All animals deserve to be treated respectfully and I find nothing wrong in specifying gender with regard to animals. I do eat meat, but I believe that animals can be respected by using them for food. However, hunting solely for antlers and wasting the meat is disrespectful in my eyes.
One issue that is hard for most people in our society is equal respect for all animals. Example: Would stepping on an ant give you the same amount of guilt as killing a dog? If we want to treat animals humanely we cannot just choose the “cute” ones. We must honor all or none.

[shawshank redemption 5]

Genesis 1:29-30 astounds me because it’s so hard to think of every animal being vegetarians. I myself have been a vegetarian at least 20 times, always for at least a week. If I truly committed, I know I could do it but it’s very hard to resist eating bacon when you smell it the moment you wake up. The longest time I didn’t eat meat was three months and I lost a little too much weight because I wasn’t getting the amount of nutrients and proteins that my body was used to. I think if no human ever ate meat in the first place, like God had wanted, we’d be fine. We’d get our protein from things like nuts, but what about big animals? Hundreds of species are herbivores and I’m sure most of the smaller omnivores could survive as herbivores, but I’m pretty sure things like lions and bears couldn’t survive without meat. If they were herbivores like God intended, they would look nothing like they do today, they would be extremely smaller in size and definitely not as strong. The Bible says God intended for humans and animals to be vegetarians, but then why did he give us teeth that can rip through flesh?
Isaiah 65:25 makes me a little sad because I wish all animals could live in harmony, especially every human. I hate seeing shows or, God forbid, actually witnessing animals fighting or one being murdered by the other. I understand most animals are killed simply for the other animal to survive, but the idea of it makes me sad.
I think PETA is a wonderful organization in a lot of ways, but I do not agree with some of their ways to get people’s attention. I totally agree that no animal should be harmed in any way by humans, there should be no animal testing, and if animals are going to be killed for food, it should be quick and painless. I don’t think they have to show videos of such tragedies or throw blood on people for wearing fur or leather. I myself would NEVER wear fur, I find it disgusting and unnecessary unless in the case of tribes or something like that. They actually use every bit of the animal instead of just ripping off its skin and they actually need it to keep them warm. Other people, like wealthy women who wear mink coats, have a choice to wear other clothes, those animals didn’t need to die. I try very hard not to wear leather either, but it’s pretty hard to find belts and sometimes shoes that aren’t leather. I will wear fake leather but I won’t even wear fake fur because I don’t even want to pretend I’m wearing a dead animal.
As bad as it sounds, most of the time, I love animals more than people. They feel emotions just like we do, they just express them differently. They know how to love and show it with things like nudges and licks. My cats always rub up against my legs and purr, but when I’m sad, they’re especially cuddly and the ones who don’t usually sit on my lap will jump up on it. I agree that animals’ gender should always be denoted, they deserve the same respect as humans. I never really considered insects and spiders’ genders like PETA pointed out, but if they were reported as male or female in a previous version of the Bible, why would someone change it? It’s not just the fact that they deserve that respect, but also is it really that significant that someone would feel the need to change the “she’s” and “he’s” to “it’s.” I guess I just don’t see why someone would want to change the Bible that much anyways, let alone the gender address of an animal or insect.

[True Grit 2]

I believe respect is one of the most important things to have and I believe you should respect every part of life. I don’t like when people show disrespect for no reason. Animals should be referred to as a he or she because that shows more respect than referring to them as an it. I know I wouldn’t want to be called an it and what makes humans have superiority over animals.

[Dead Man Walking 5]

I agree with Chariots of Fire 5, I think that animals were God's gift to us. I think any creature that God created should not be disrespected by being referred to as an "it". I think that the laws for animals being mistreated is great and should be more enforced. There are still many animals in the U.S. and around the world that are being mistreated every day and that is wrong. I think that if there were more organizations like PETA, we could save a lot more animals from being hurt. However, I believe that sometimes PETA can go over the top and not understand that not all animals are mistreated when being raised for beef or other types of meat. I think that if the world, as a whole, had a greater respect for animals there would not be so many endangered species and animals in protection. If we only gave respect to all God's creations, we could make the world a much better place for animals and humans.

[Chariots of Fire 2]

Most of the comments on here are about using "he's" and "she's" as a sign of respect instead of using "it", which I completely agree with, but I also think it makes the reading more comprehendible. I agree with the part of the blog where Professor Hobbins says, "Nor would I trust a field-tester of language who said, “that won’t fly.” That’s what the good bishop Wright said to his sons Orville and Wilbur. It’s fine to look before you leap, but perhaps, just perhaps, the gendering of “ant” would be a nice leap to make." It would make more sense to say “the plane won’t fly.” Giving the object and actual name makes it easier to understand what the person is trying to say. I think that this also goes along with giving animals a proper pronoun. It’s easier to follow along in the Bible when an animal is given a gender instead of a vague name like “it”.

[True Grit 4]

I personally do not like PETA. I think what they promote is a good thing but I think they are very extreme with their tactics. I feel that it is very wrong to hurt animals. Animals are a gift from God and with all things that come from God we should treat them with love and the way they should be treat as such. I do also feel that animals where giving to us from God as a gift for us to use. I think that it is ok if we eat meat and things that come from animals that is why they are there. But I feel that we take advantage of animals a lot and mistreat and misuse them.

[Nell 4]

I neither agree nor disagree with PETA. I do hate the fact that people kill innocent animals because of the over population of the specie and just killing them to kill them. I personally do not think that is right. In the Bible, animals are a gift from God and honestly we should respect animal life just as we respect ours even if they are animals. In the same sense, I would have to agree with True Grit 4 that animals are also given to us for the purpose of use. I think it’s okay to eat meat, but not going to the extreme of just killing animals because you like too. I do think that takes away the purpose of hunting.

[Nell 6]

There are some things about PETA that I do agree with, for instance not using animals for testing all kinds of products and just about any kind of mistreatment of animals in any kind. But there are also things that I do not agree with. I am not a vegetarian and I do not ever plan to be one even though when we eat the animals we are kind of mistreating them. In the Bible it says that animals are a gift from God so we should be treating them like they are a gift. Killing animals just to kill them and mistreat them just because is just wrong and PETA is a good organization to get information out about this and try to get people to stop this treatment. God gave us these animals to use and if we use them in the right ways like for food and to help us do everyday tasks I do not think that PETA can force us not to.

[Praying With Lior 10]

I think PETA is an amazing organization that is rightfully dedicating their lives to animals simply because animals cannot defend themselves in these social issues. It’s nice to know they are not only looking at social issues going on right now, but also historical and biblical issues. To me it just shows how dedicated they are to being the voice to the numerous animals misrepresented in the world.
The issue of changing animals from ‘it(s)’ to ‘he/she/they’ in the Bible would be an amazing step in the right direction for those in supporting animals. The Bible was originally written in bringing importance to all animal life. If you think about it, the Bible is the basis of life for many people. If the Bible’s original context was preserved, then it would show even more so that animals should have rights.

[Shawshank Redemption 3]

Although I am not a vegetarian and I come from a family of hunters and I hunt myself, I do agree with PETA. Animals in slaughter houses are extremely mistreated. My family tries to eat processed meat as little as possible and eat meat that we butcher ourselves in a humane way as often as possible. I know not everyone can butcher their own meat, but I think everyone should at least know where there food is coming from and how it is butchered. Most people ignore the facts about how the animals their food comes from are treated. I think that changing the translation of animals in the Bible from "its" to "he/she" would people realize that animals and the way they are treated are important to God. I think that this would make it harder for people to mistreat animals because instead of thinking of animals as objects, they will think of them as beings like themselves.

[Lior A]

My brother is a strict Vegetarian and proud member of PETA. When he first informed me that he joined the group, I thought he was crazy because I had latched onto the common assumption that PETA members are nonsensical hippies. I also grew up with the notion that animals were put on the Earth as a source of food for humans. However, I was unaware of how the mass production of meat, amongst other modern practices involving animals, requires an obscene amount of cruelty. Partly due to this fact, my viewpoint has certainly changed. I have realized that God may have put animals on Earth as a source of food for humans, but they should be treated as a part of God’s creation. They deserve to be cared for and respected.
As for changing the Bible in order to describe animals with a correct pronoun, I’m not sure how well that would go over. As the entry mentions, our society is very stubborn and the change would not go over well. While we accept gender pronouns for animals in songs and poetry and when talking about household pets, it would be a controversial change to make to one of the most respected texts of the world. On the other hand, I believe it opens up for more thought, discovery, and interpretation for readers of the Bible. I find Proverbs 6 to be an incredibly convincing passage. With the addition of gender description, it opens up a whole new way to discuss what the author was trying to discuss as well as what God demands of and wishes for his children.

[Nell 3]

This blog made me interested as to how many people around the world are actually vegetarian. According to an article I read online around the world the average percent of a population that is vegetarian is about 2.5%. In Israel 8.5% of their population says they are vegetarian. I expected the average to be low, but the 8.5% in Israel made me really think. I have always been a meat eater and said I would never be a vegetarian. I still feel that way, but I wonder why it is that a holy country like Israel has such a higher percentage of vegetarians. That being said I disagree one hundred percent with the treatment of animals in slaughtering farms. I read a book my freshman year of college called Fast Food Nation, and it really opened my eyes to the way fast food restaurants obtain their food. I feel the type of treatment in slaughter farms is absolutely against what the Bible says, which is why I try not to eat that type of meat because I do not want to be a supporter of it.

[Shawshank Redemption 4]

The way I look at the idea of testing products on animals is that if we didn't test on animals, who would we test on? Humans? I am pretty sure people wouldn't want that to happen. I do however agree with Nell 3 on the fact of slaughtering farms. That does seem cruel. This could also fall under the topics of the death penalty and abortion. No one is going to have the right answer. But then I think about it and in regards to Lior A, as humans we need to survive. And I feel like humans are Gods main creation, and if eating animals is what is going to keep us alive then that is what we need to do.

[Dead Man Walking 3]

I believe that the ant should have the respect the other animals do. God talks highly of the ant and how it works so hard with his surrounding ants, just like he talks about the animals and their respectable functions in Job 38-39. Proverbs 12: 10 states “The righteous know the needs of their animals…” All animals are needed and should be treated with respect. I agree with John when he says if the people of that time could see how we treat animals today they would be disgusted. We lost the care that we used to have for these creatures. I believe the ant is just as important and shows us humans how we should interact with the people of the world. PETA is right, I’m not a vegetarian but I do think we should treat all animals with more admiration.

[The Truman Show 5]

While I do not agree with PETA on all their policies, I agree with them on a few things. First as a Bio major I have a great respect for animals. So when I see people disregard their animals or abuse them etc. it makes me sick, because they are miracles of science as well as the Lords power and grace. But we in the US should enact more legislation that gives animals a few more basic rights because they are abused so much more than us humans are. People should listen to PETA more, because they aren't all radicals and they have legit ideas on how to treat animals in today's society.

[chariots of fire 3]

I feel that PETA brought up some good points, and I feel that animals should be treated fairly. I don’t think animals should be tested on because many times animals can be harmed in many of these test and that is not fair to the animals. On the other hand I don’t feel that everybody should be a vegetarian, I eat meat daily and I don’t think that it is wrong. I feel animals should be treated with respect, but I’m sure that some of the meat that I consume the animals that were killed most likely weren’t in the best environment before they were slaughtered.

[Lior 4]

I have never really agreed with PETA's policies. While I do believe that animals should be respected, I don't think that their needs should be above the needs of our fellow humans. It irritates me that many animals in the US are treated better than many unfortunate humans both in this country and around the world.

[The Mission 21]

I believe that PETA has some very good points. Animals still have feelings and a soul. And any creature of God should never be allowed to suffer in a lab and have to endure cruel experiments. But as Lior 4 said, by no means do I think their needs should be above humans. What really upset me was hearing the story about how when there is a court case about the abuse of a child, no one but the lawyers and family members come to attend. But when the court case is regarding the abuse of an animal, the court room is filled with people. That to me is complete wrong.

[Breaker Morant 2]

I agree with what you said about how we are resistant to change. The problem with that is a lot of people trying to change the world are getting discouraged because of the fighting and how closed-minded people are. But as Fredrick Douglass once said, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress". What we need to do as groups of people is to fight this struggle and never give up. Only then we will have a hope to change the world into are more peaceful and wonderful place to live. However not all change is good, so we must watch changes carefully to make sure we are doing things right.
While I am personally against the way PETA goes about trying to change the world, they are still trying. That is more then I can say about most other groups. The one thing we have to keep in mind is where the line is drawn for how we treat animals and other beings in this world. Humans are important yes, but we also have to make room for the other intelligent and capable beings in the world. Just because humans are the only beings to have vocal chords so they can "speak" does not mean that we are above everything we do to animals. Just as we do not torture people, we should not torture animals. But we also must understand the way predators and prey cycles work out. Just as the hare cannot eat with the bobcat, we still hunt for food and sustenance. There are fine lines for everything, and we all need to decide what the line is for us and soon we can come to a mutual agreement about how to treat animals.

[Pulp Fiction 5]

I agree with you when you say you applaud PETA. I like to consider myself a conscientious omnivore, which means I try to make sure the meat I am eating was raised in a humane fashion and lacks hormones or unnecessary antibiotics. I also am for using animals in scientific experimentation, but only to a certain extent. I find it difficult to justify completely eliminating experimenting on animals because thousands of lives have been saved because of the testing. I would argue that without using the animals for testing, we would be much further behind in medicine, not to mention the thousands of lives that would have been lost. Is it humane to use animals in testing experimental drugs? I would say most likely not because we know that we are risking their lives. But I justify it knowing that human lives are being saved at the cost of animal lives. That being said, I believe that cosmetic tests or any other non-medical test should not be used on animals. If human lives will not be saved because of the tests then they should not be done on animals.

I agree with Chariots of Fire 5 when they say that all animals should be referred to as he or she. I agree with this because for one it was how the Bible originally told the stories. I don’t see any reason for the future translators of the Bible to change the entire he or she’s, when referring to animals, to it. I also believe that animals should be treated more fairly than they currently are and therefore should be called he or she. Animals have soles, just like humans do, and therefore it is only fair to at least call them he or she rather than it. By referring to animals as it in the Bible it sends mix messages to me. Several passages throughout the Bible call to treat animals fairly and act as if they are human. That said, by referring to them as it, I feel like the translators are trying to make us think of animals as not equal to humans. All of this leads up to my agreement with the post that we should take the “leap” and gender the animals in the Bible.

[Pulp Fiction 6]

Some of the aspects of PETA make very good sense and make you wonder what you are doing when you kill an animal over something like a new makeup. When it comes to medical things, such as research which can save peoples lives, I believe that using animals as test subjects is accepted by more people because it could save their loved ones. I am no vegetarian, and I hunt as well, so I am obviously no PETA member, but I do support and understand where they are coming from although I am not a sole believer in their ways.

[Pulp Fiction 3]

Through reading the Bible, we have seen how far animal use has come. They were only used as sacrifice, as God intended the world’s people to be vegetarian. Now they are eaten by most people and used as pets and so forth. I don’t agree with the nature of killing the animals go through to be made into our food, but at the same time, I am not going to stop eating meat. As for PETA, I understand where they are coming from, but they do not have any right, nor do any of us really, to change the context of anything in the Bible. We state animals as “it” because there is no real significance in reading the Bible, in knowing the gender of the animal. If we need to know it was a female animal it is stated to us in the form intended.

[Nell 5]

I support some of the ideas of PETA such as in terms of animal abuse, but other than that I am not sold to their cause. Abusing animals is horrible and should not be done, however, at this point we should be more focused on human life. I keep hearing about animal abuse cases where the violator ends up getting more time in jail then a person who murders other human beings. If both the lives of animals and humans are so sacred, then why punish more than the other. I guess it just does not make sense to me. Do not abuse what God has created, for he will judge you judge you harsher than you have judged on his creation. Keep that in mind the next time you are abusing human beings or animals.

[The Mission 5]

I'm a proud vegetarian, and animal rights advocate, but I have do have many issues with PETA. I support many of their causes (against fur, eating meat, abuse, animal testing, etc.) but I am not fond of how they go about doing things. PETA is extreme and they make the whole cause look bad, and the butt of many jokes.
@Nell 5 @The Mission 2 I’m unsure where you have got your information from, but one of the biggest things animal rights groups are working on currently is making stricter laws for animal abuse. So many abusers get a slap on the wrist for the sickening things they do. You can go to the Oshkosh Animal Hospital Facebook and see pictures of a cat recently saved, which was lit on fire and left to die. That person will likely never be found and who knows what they will light on fire next. There’s a strong correlation between animal and human abuse. Every well know serial killer “started” on animals when they were young. There’s so much propaganda aimed at animal rights workers that we hate people, and that’s simply not true. I love humans and animals. Although, when someone lights an animal on fire for fun, or kills a child, my faith in humanity does decline.
From the passages we read in pass, it is very clear that God adores animals, and I’m sure did not intend for animals to be treated in such vial ways. I believe animals are living beings with souls, so I refer to them as he/she. I do not understand why humans are so disrespectful to the beautiful life that God created.

[Dead man walking 4]

Genesis 1:30 states “And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.” To me this says birds and land animals cannot be eaten but it does not say anything about fish or seafood. It claims nothing about beings from the water and this maybe why fishing is seen in the Bible. Interesting because the benefits contain for humans through oils and other nutrients. Another point I should put forward is that our modern day sign for Jesus or faith is a fish. Does anyone know the explain to how we concluded to create the “Jesus fish?”

[Dead Man Walking 6]

The Ethical Treatment of Animal (PETA) is an amazing organization and provides some good points on how animals should be treated. Yes, animals should be treated fairly because they are also a living thing like us. They should not be used for testing in all kinds of products nor there be any mistreatment of animals. On the other hand, I do not agree with all of PETA’s policies. We all need protein in our daily diet for living. One of the sources is from animal’s meat. If we do not kill animals for meat, where would it come from? I think eating meat is not wrong at all. We need to survive. In the Bible, it says that animals are a gift from God to use, but we have to use them in the right ways, such as for food products. Also, changing the translation of animals in the Bible from “it” to “he/she” means that animals and the way they are treated is important to God. The Ethical Treatment of Animal (PETA) points us in the right direction in supporting animals.

[The Mission 3]

I agree with PETA’s views on animals and that they should be treated with respect as we are. Animals can’t speak or tell us when they are hurting. When they are being used for testing in laboratories, they can’t say. “Ouch, this is hurting me. Can you please stop?” If animals had voices, I think it would be harder or even impossible for scientists to test on them. Just because they don’t say anything doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. It just breaks my heart to know that there are animals being harmed in a lab from birth until death. They don’t even know what a good life is like. I wouldn’t go as far as becoming a vegetarian, though. I also agree with above statements that God put animals on Earth to be used wisely and to be respected.

[True Grit 2]

I do believe that PETA is correct about the Bible. The Bible never mentions that God wanted people to eat meat but, I think they are overboard on some of their beliefs. For example, there is nothing wrong with killing and or eating animals. If we did not kill animals their populations would keep increasing and we would all starve because all the animals ate our food. I think it is immoral to cruelly hurt an animal or to kill just for fun. If we eat and use the entire animal there is nothing wrong with it. That is just part of the food chain. PETA, however, never mentions that in the Bible people sacrifice animals for God. Gen 22: 1-19 is an example when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son and when Abraham was going to go through with God’s command God stopped him. Then there was a ram stuck in a tree that Abraham was to use instead. God chose that animal to be sacrificed. PETA never commented on that aspect. They do good things but they do not make compromises. To them their only option is to try to make the world all vegetarians.

[Chariots of Fire 1]

PETA isn’t as good as they seem. They kill animals too. Per year, they tend to kill 85% of the homeless animals entrusted in their care. Then they go and dispose of the bodies by throwing them into a dumpster (you can read the article here: http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-06-23/opinion/17379611_1_peta-s-web-animal-cruelty-dead-animals ). This is something that they are against, yet they do it anyway. How do they expect people to listen to them and respect them if they don’t even live up to their own expectations of the world?

[The Mission 2]

God gives animals to humans to first take care of, and second to enjoy for the benefits they bring. In Genesis God says: “Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28). When God says that we should rule over them, it doesn’t mean we should exploit, waste or despoil them, but rather care and use them in the service of God and man. In class we gave an example of a group of people cutting open the head of monkeys and exposing their brains in order to “learn more” that, to me, is animal cruelty.

God also gives us animals for food: “I give you…all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground everything that has the breath of life in it I give every green plant for food.” (Genesis 1:30). However; I don’t think we should abuse this responsibility. God didn’t give us animals to make them extinct, but to raise some animals for food is perfectly fine with me as long as the animals aren’t mistreated in anyway.

I view zoos as displaying uncommon creatures to parts of the world. They are treated fairly, given medicine when they are sick, and sometimes raised to increase their populations. Are the animals in slavery? It’s a point of argument, but I would have to say no. God’s glory can be seen in the animals that He created, so why not put them on display?

[prayingwithlior1]

I agree with the fact that we should be able to eat animals. When the world was created God made Adam and Eve vegetarians, which makes sense because of their status as a civilization. However, they were put in control over the rest of God’s creation, which eventually lead to us eating animals. In earlier civilizations farming and eating plants were the only way to get by, but as the community grew so did the need for nutrients. I feel people started realizing the benefits of eating animals and it further developed them as a culture.
As a deer hunter I always have respect for the animal I hunt. I never shot at younger deer and rarely will I take a doe (female deer). I only shoot what I need and always eat what I shoot. My respect goes as far as the sport itself and upholding the regulations and holding others to those regulations. Animal testing also seems cruel at times, but they never follow those pictures up with why they were testing that way, or what disease they were trying to kill. I believe God gave us his creation to look over and we would be foolish to not use animals to further our education on life and ways to better the world.

[Nell 2]

Everything has been created in God's image. Therefore, I feel as though animals should be called "he" and "she" as they were when the Bible was first written. It is a clear sign of respect for the animals and for God, as He did create them. Calling an animal "it" takes away much respect from the animal. Technically, humans can be considered animals as well and we as humans are not considered "its." We just need to look at the larger picture here; God created all things and therefore, we each have an importance to Him and should respect one another. Animals are interesting because in the Bible there were often animals that were sacrificed. If they did not have respect for animals, would they really offer them to the Lord? I feel that normally PETA is known for taking things to far; in this situation I fully agree with them. One way PETA is able to get their points across is to go a little bit overboard to make it into the news and have others informed about this.

[Shawshank 4]

I agree entirely with the idea that if believers from the past could travel to this day they would be disgusted at the way animals are treated. Having been a strict vegetarian for five years I agree with a lot of the morals and ideals PETA supports. However, along with quite a few other commenters, I do not appreciate or approve of the rash actions and extremist behaviors PETA participates in. I have never been the type of person to believe one should force their views upon someone else and that is the way PETA strikes me as behaving. In accordance with the bible we should be vegetarians. I also believe in accordance with the bible we have the right to interpretation and personal application. By “personal application” I mean, we have the right to apply the bible to our own lives in such a way we choose. If someone does not want to go as far as being vegetarian to respect animals, they need not. They can respect animals in any way they choose (not abusing them, helping endangered species etc.)

[True Grit 3]

What is the importance of an ox or a sheep being a he or she? What makes the gender of the animals mentioned in the Bible important enough to change the words of the bible? As an employee for the Human Society I do believe that PETAs bottom line is one to be applauded. Animals should be treated with respect and dignity. PETA, in the past, has been known to go a little overboard on some of their "policies," knowing this I rarely agree with their actions. Today, the meat industry is perceived as a slaughter machine, inhumanly treating animals in every meat business. This is not always the case, many humane companies do exist and provide free-range beef or chicken. The choice ours. Our capitalistic ways have seemed to take over our morals and beliefs as a whole.

[breaker morant4]

I completely agree with this post and how the Hebrew translations see the life of an animal. The major corporations that do animal testing and the harvesting of animals don't care how the animals are treated. if there was not organizations like peta the consumers would have no idea how these places treat these animals if there where more places like peta I don't think that there would be half as much animal abuse in this world and people would care how there food was prepared.

[breaker morant 6]

I think that what PETA stands for is good and noble, however, I do not see a point in changing animals to he or she. The bible is a book written for human beings to grow spiritually and morally in a relationship with God. So what is the purpose of changing the animals to a "he" or "she", the whole purpose of the bible is still unchanged, the goals and plans of God is still the same. Animals are important species and need to be taken care of too, as the Bible says, "A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel." (Prov 12:10), so although I do not agreed to change the Bible for animals, they still need to be taken care of too.

[Breaker Morant 1]

I agree and disagree with some of PETA's beliefs. I agree that animals should not be used in lab for testing and I agree with them on their abuse views. What I don't agree with is that it is wrong to kill animals for food. It says in Genesis 1:30 that God gives us the birds, and creatures of the ground, along with plants for food. If we didn't eat animals, the population would grow to a state where it would get out of hand and would be uncontrollable.

I also believe that animals should be referred to by he/she as a sign of respect. They were referred as he/she in the Bible so why should we change that? To me, it is degrading to refer to an animal as an "it", just as it is degrading to a human to refer to someone as and "it."

[The Truman Show 3]

I have nothing against vegetarians or vegans, however, I'm not a fan of PETA. I find it perfectly acceptable to eat meat, as well as raise meat specifically for human consumption. PETA shows animal abuse videos and utilizes scare tactics in an attempt to scare people into vegetarianism and this I do not agree with. I am a deer hunter; PETA would see me as evil. I eat the meat I kill; PETA would see me as evil. I hang my trophies up; PETA would see me as evil. I may use the deer's hide to make leather; PETA would see me as evil. Am I an evil person? Does the Bible see me as an evil person? I sure don't think so. I am a born and raised Wisconsin sportsman and PETA is out to destroy each and every one of us sportsmen.

[Truman Show 4]

I believe you're right in the fact that the Bible agrees with PETA, although it does not agree in all facets. The Bible most certainly agrees with being against the mistreatment of animals, it definitely does not coincide with the "scare tactics" (as Truman Show 3 put it) that PETA uses as their argument. Maybe instead of using those said tactics, they should go to the Bible as their argument against mistreatment of animals. I'm not against the ideals of PETA, but I'm against how they try to push their ideals of anyone they can.

[Dead Man Walking 5]

I agree with what PETA is trying to do almost completely. I think that it is wrong to treat animals so poorly in labs. It is wrong to test drugs and other harmful chemicals on animals that have done nothing to deserve that type of treatment. Although I don’t think that we should test chemicals and other products on animals, I think vegetarianism is an unnecessary practice. There are animals that are being bread solely for the purpose of a food source and they know nothing but that life. Also, meat is needed for a healthy diet to add protein. It would be crazy to expect everyone to stop eating animal products. The world would become overpopulated with the type of animals that people usually eat.

[Dead Man Walking 2]

Even though it talks in the Bible about everyone being vegetarian and not eating animal products, I feel that it isn't a smart thing to do, especially no days. We have conformed to a diet that we need meat to live. We have to eat animal products to get the protein needed to survive. I think it is unnecessary for people to become vegetarian. I understand and agree that the way we treat animals these days for food purposes and animal testing isn't the greatest way to treat animals, but doesn't mean we should stop eating meat and become vegetarians. PETA is a good organization but sometimes I get annoyed with them for different reasons. They mean well but I think they are annoying.

[The Truman Show 5]

PETA is an organization with noble intentions, in our modern livestock production system some of our methods are a little disturbing. I live on a farm and know about the problems with over crowding in producing certain animals for saluter. I would like to clarify to Dead Man Walking 5 that the world would not over populate with animals that we as a society consume. The only reason it seams that we have an abundant supply of meat is because they is factories that have the purpose of raising animals for market. It is a constant flow of slaughter and birth of these animals. It wouldn’t take long at all for our meet supply to dwindle if the factory farms were shut down.

[Praying with Lior 2]

PETA is a non-profit corporation two million members and supporters that claim to be the largest animal rights group in the world. I really like most work done by PETA. A lot of animals need someone to look after them. Their slogan, “animals are not ours to eat, wear experiment on, or use for entertainment” sends a clear and powerful message. I agree with them on every front except the part where animals are not ours to eat. Let’s face it, I love a nice juice steak everyone once in a while and could not image not being able to eat one. I disagree with PETA when is come to animals that are being raised for the sole purpose to provide food for people.

[Breaker Morant 3]

I don't agree with PETA but I do think that God wants us to treat animals with care and respect. I believe that PETA has excellent intentions, but there are really more serious offenses that go on in our society today. Animal abuse is wrong, but I do think that God did not give animals the same moral status as humans. He had people sacrifice animals in the Old Testament. I don't believe in factory farms. I believe that eating animals is morally permissible if the animal has been allowed to live a happy and natural life.