Einstein, if the killing of the lower animals were the same as the killing of man, that is, morally wrong, could we imagine a God of justice and love looking with favor upon the animal sacrifice Abel offered, at the same time rejecting Cain’s vegetarian offering?
And was not Jehovah well pleased with the sacrifices Noah offered after he left the ark? Did not Jehovah command the Jews to offer many sacrifices of animals and annually to eat the passover lamb? Did he not time and again show his approval of animal sacrifices by sending down fire from heaven to consume them?
Jesus ate the passover lamb. He also ate fish, doing so even after his resurrection. And did he not take a few loaves and fishes and feed many thousands on two occasions, marvelously supplying them with fish? Nor were animals used only for food. Throughout the Scriptures we read of leather being used, for wineskins, for girdles, for sandals, for the covering of the tabernacle. God himself, in the very beginning, provided a covering of skins for Adam and Eve. The lower animals were made for man’s enjoyment, health and comfort. He may use them for beasts of burden and let them provide him with eggs and dairy products as well as meat and leather. They were not made to live forever, as was man, but “born naturally to be caught and destroyed.” - 2 Pet. 2:12.
Mankind ever goes to extremes, doubtless at Satan’s instigation. Thus on the one hand we have the wanton slaying of animals for sport, or the inflicting of terrible sufferings upon dumb brutes in the name of medical science; and on the other hand we have sentimentalists who would put the lower animals on the same level with man and some of whom would even hold out to the brute creation the hopes of a resurrection and everlasting life in heaven. God’s Word condemns cruelty to animals, telling us:
(Proverbs 12:10) The righteous one takes care of his domestic animals, But even the mercy of the wicked is cruel.
But it holds out no hope of everlasting life for them, for that is dependent upon getting to know Jehovah God and Christ Jesus, living a life in harmony with God’s will and confessing the truth to others. The brute creation cannot do these things.
