The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-05-07
By REV. LLOYD PUTNAM

(This is . reprint Of an arfi-
Gle provided by the American
Humane Association in keeping
with "Be Kind TO Animals"
Week. May 2 : 81
Does the Christian have obliga-
tons toward the welface of ami
mails? Such a question has been
rarely faced in modern times. Per-
haps this is because of indiffer-
ence, most probably it is because
of the preoccupation of ministers
and laity with other aspects of the
Christian life. 1t would seem clear,
however, that concern for animals
is implicit, if not explicit, in the
Christian faith. On what is this
conclusion based? Let us look.
An intelligent regard for ami
mails is abundantly witnessed to in
the Biblical faith itself. Consider
the Christian view of creation as
set forth in Genesis. The creation
of man is not separated from that
of the earth and the ocean, the
beast of the earth after his kind
and cattle after their kind, and
everything that creepeth upon the
earth after his kind: and God saw
that it was good" (Gen. 1:25). 1t
is because of this unity of creation
that Christians sing, "This is my
Fathers World" The animal is not
viewed as alien to either man or
God. Rather does the Christian see
behind all of animal life the same
God who makes himself known
within the heart and soul of man.
God created man in his own i'm
age as a part - only a part :
of the drama of creation. He also
gave man dominion over the fish
of the sea, and over the fowl of
the air, and over every living
thing that moveth upon the earth"
(Gen. 1929. This is not, however,
to be a brutal dominion. Man is to
delight in all of creation, even as
God beheld that sit was very
good" Man is given the gift of
freedom, but with that goes the
idea of responsibility. He is ans
werable to God for the way that
he uses Gods creation. He is to be
a steward, not a tyrant -.
On the basis of this Biblical view,
man not only has obligations to
his fellowman, because both are
creations of a common God; man
also has obligations to animals, be-
cause they, too, share in that COM
mon creation.
This obligation is explicit in the
Bible itself. In Proverbs we find,
"a righteous man regardeth the
life of his beast" (12:10). In Num-
bers we read of the angel of the
Lord that rebuked cruel Balaam
for shifting the ass three times.
In Deuteronomy we are confront
ed with a law of Moses that for
babe muzzling the OK that treadeth
out the corn. The reason for this
is enlightening. In Biblical times,
a pair of oxen dragged a heavy
sledge over the sheaves that were |
spread out upon the threshing
floor. Prohibiting muzzl ingfot he
floor. Prohibiting muzzling of the
oxen meant that they could eat
some of the stalks.
In the Mosaic law we also find
instructions about lost and injured
animals.
eff thou meet thine enemy's OK
or his ass going astray, thou shalt
surely bring it back to him again."
(Exod. 23:4).
''Thou shalt not see thy brothers
ass or his OK fall down by the way,
and hide thyself from them: thou
shalt surely help him to lift them
up again." (Deut. 22:4).
Even rest is provided for the cat
tie in the same command that pre-
Sents it to us.
"Six days thou shalt do thy work,
and on the seventh day thou shalt
rest; that thine OK and thine ass
may rest, and the son of thy hand
maid, and the stranger, may be re-
freshed." (Exod. 23:1O12).
A good shepherd in Biblical days,
as well as today, was one who
showed real concern for his
flock. He fulfilled his obligations
toward the source of his food and
clothing. Is it any wonder then
that when the New Testament writ
ers tried to find a way of express
ing what Jesus meant to them
they chose the symbol of the shep-
herd and the sheep? To them Je-
sus became ''that great shepherd