Quote:
Originally Posted by thaskalos
I don't think it's appropriate to eat "everything that lives and moves"...do you? You are a cat-lover...NO?
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It's not what I asked you. I asked if it's morally wrong.
And, no, I don't eat feline burgers but I love a good hamburger.
Having said that, it's not morally wrong per se (i.e. sinful) to eat meat. However, I will concede that eating any of the higher animals (nostril-breathing animals with the "breath of life" in them) is not the ideal situation since God never intended, originally, for either man or beats to be carnivores (Gen 1:29-30). But after sin entered the world, God pronounced an 8-fold curse upon the earth, since it would not have been possible for our first parents with their corrupt natures to rule over a perfect creation. This is why every aspect of life here on this fallen planet is characterized by
conflict. One of those curses had to do with the animal kingdom (Gen 3:14). The result of this curse was that many animals became carnivores.
Also, I think there is decent biblical evidence to suggest that the higher animals will inhabit the New Earth. Apparently, these animals have souls, albeit not made in the image of God (Ecc 3:21). And there are two end-time prophecies that tell us that animals will be on the new earth (Isa 11:6-9; 65:25). (It's noteworthy that the second passage includes the detail that the beasts will return to their herbivorous state!) Of course, the animals could be just figurative symbols used to teach the universal reign of
shalom upon the new creation -- a creation that will be conflict-free, as God originally intended. But I have several additional reasons as well for taking these prophecies at face value.
