Why Did God Make Animals So Violent?

[Lou Newton]

Here is an article from RTB that I found interesting. I thought some of you may want to add to the reasons that Hugh Ross gives.

http://www.reasons.org/blogs/todays-...als-so-violent Why Did God Make Animals So Violent?


July 6th, 2016
By Dr. Hugh Ross
Many of you have told me how much you enjoy the brief answers I post to the frequent questions I get on my Facebook and Twitter pages. But many of you have also asked if I could offer somewhat more complete answers that are still easy to share with others. Thus, my intent in my blog is to interleave the articles on new reasons to believe from emerging scientific discoveries with easy-to-share answers to the most frequently asked questions I get on social media. This post is the first of such answers.

Q: Dr. Ross, I have a question about animal violence after horrific stories in the news lately of alligators killing or harming humans. First, do you believe animal violence to be a result of the Fall and something that will be removed if animals exist in Heaven? And, lastly, is there any reason that God couldn't have just created animals to be nonviolent? I can't imagine why animals couldn't have been created to just eat vegetation or not need to eat and get their energy from the sun or something like that. Thank you for your thoughts.

A: Carnivores and parasites are essential for reducing death, disease, and loss of quality of life for the herbivores. That is, given the laws of physics God has chosen for the universe, herbivores (as many field studies affirm) are much worse off in environments where carnivores and parasites do not exist. In my article "Thank God for Whales," I explain how the restoration of the sperm whale population in the oceans increased the population, average body size, and health of giant squid for whom their only predator was the sperm whale. For ecosystems in general I document and explain the essential benefits of carnivores and parasites in my book More Than a Theory.

Note, too, that carnivores kill their prey as quickly and efficiently as possible, which reduces the suffering experienced by their prey. Also, God designed the non-human predators so that they must be selective. They are not equipped to kill the robust and healthy members of their herbivore prey species. Out of necessity their prey are the sick, the injured, the aged, the unwary, and the young offspring of unwary parents. It is this selectivity that helps to enhance the health, robustness, and population of prey species.

For hundreds of millions of years, our planet has been packed with an exquisite balance of herbivores, carnivores, parasites, and detritivores. This abundant and delicate balance of diverse species has killed many animals and thus enriched Earth's crust with quadrillions of tons of valuable biodeposits—limestone, marble, coal, oil, natural gas, gypsum, etc. Thanks to this treasure chest of biodeposits, we humans have launched and sustained a global high-technology civilization. This civilization in turn has enabled a rapid fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20).

In the new creation, there will be no carnivores, parasites, death, disease, suffering, or decay as evil will no longer be possible. The impossibility of evil permits God to design the new creation with different dimensions and different laws of physics. It is those difference that will eliminate the possibility of death and decay. In my book Why the Universe Is the Way It Is I explain why the laws of physics and the space-time dimensions must be exactly the way they are for God to rapidly and efficiently eliminate evil and suffering while at the same time enhancing human freewill capability. Therefore, we have many reasons to thank God for creating carnivores in the present creation and for designing the carnivores to minimize the death and suffering of herbivores.

~~~

Many of you have also asked if I could feature some of the testimonies, kudos, and critiques we receive from people who have been encouraged by Reasons to Believe. Where the testimony, kudos, or critique is brief, I will simply add it to the bottom of a Q&A post, like I am doing here. Where it is longer, I will make it a stand-alone blog post.

Testimony: I recently came to Christianity because I saw one of your videos on YouTube and it gave me a whole new view of things. This was great! It gave answers to some more of my questions. Look forward to learning more from you!

—Michael (Texas)

Subjects: Animals, Animal Death, Carnivores

[Lou Newton]

While Ross is certainly correct about the natural, he ignores the spiritual reason that animals are so dangerous to mankind.

The natural is a sign of the spiritual.

The natural can bring death in the flesh to man. It can do this in many ways. Also the natural can bring suffering to man as anyone who has had poison ivy can testify.

This is to remind man that they do die, and they have little time to give their life to The Lord Jesus.

Or as a very wise man wrote:

Ecclesiastes 7:2

It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart.

It is also to show us that we have an enemy who is trying to destroy us and we should take care to seek Christ for protection.

[Baruch]

While Ross is certainly correct about the natural, he ignores the spiritual reason that animals are so dangerous to mankind.

The natural is a sign of the spiritual.

The natural can bring death in the flesh to man. It can do this in many ways. Also the natural can bring suffering to man as anyone who has had poison ivy can testify.

This is to remind man that they do die, and they have little time to give their life to The Lord Jesus.

Or as a very wise man wrote:

Ecclesiastes 7:2

It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart.

It is also to show us that we have an enemy who is trying to destroy us and we should take care to seek Christ for protection.

Excellent. I also was thinking along those lines as I read the article.

The LORD told the Israelites:

Lev 26:6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

There is a double meaning here, one earthy and one spiritual.

The natural reasoning given by Hugh Ross seems to stop short. Demons are not essential in maintaining a healthy balance. They simply kill, steal and destroy if they are not driven out. Another higher lesson might be applied: a life spent in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost is preferable to man and pleasing to God. A kingdom overrun by evil beasts is a terror to man, and is not what God desires for us. The kingdom of God is within us; the kingdom should not be a home to evil beasts.

[Fisherman]

The Holy Scriptures seem to indicate that God initially created all living things to be herbivores.

"Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so." (Gen. 1:29-30)

The Scriptures also seem to indicate that animals were later given a fear of man as stated in Gen. 9:2-3. "The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything."

Holy Scripture also suggests a definite reversal of Genesis 9 as indicated in Isaiah 11:6-9;

"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

[Lou Newton]

Excellent. I also was thinking along those lines as I read the article.

The LORD told the Israelites:

Lev 26:6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

There is a double meaning here, one earthy and one spiritual.

The natural reasoning given by Hugh Ross seems to stop short. Demons are not essential in maintaining a healthy balance. They simply kill, steal and destroy if they are not driven out. Another higher lesson might be applied: a life spent in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost is preferable to man and pleasing to God. A kingdom overrun by evil beasts is a terror to man, and is not what God desires for us. The kingdom of God is within us; the kingdom should not be a home to evil beasts.

Thanks for the reply Barry.

We did not have cougars and coyotes attacking people when we honored God as a nation. But as the nation discarded Him we started to read of cougars killing people, coyotes attacking children and women, alligators killing children, and even javelina attacking people.

The natural is a sign of the spiritual as you have said.

The far more serious consequence is the nation is being ravished by demonic powers. Deception is everywhere, especially in our churches.

[Lou Newton]

The Holy Scriptures seem to indicate that God initially created all living things to be herbivores.

"Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so." (Gen. 1:29-30)

The Scriptures also seem to indicate that animals were later given a fear of man as stated in Gen. 9:2-3. "The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything."

Holy Scripture also suggests a definite reversal of Genesis 9 as indicated in Isaiah 11:6-9;

"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

Thanks for the reply Fisherman.

"Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so." (Gen. 1:29-30)

I have often wondered about this myself for a long time. But The Lord has not revealed anything further to me.

The Scriptures also seem to indicate that animals were later given a fear of man as stated in Gen. 9:2-3. "The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything."

I used to wonder how The Lord did this. Since animals may witness a human defending himself from an animal, or killing one for food or clothing. But they have short lives and do not have language like men do.

Genesis 9 English Standard Version (ESV)

9 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. ² The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. ³Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.⁴ But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. ⁵ And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

⁶ “Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image.

⁷ And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

We see here that God gave men every moving thing that lives for food. So it seems that it is OK to eat any animal if it is necessary, but all animals may not be good for a long life. It seems that the life span of men was severely shortened by this and/or other changes to the earth.

BUT God did require that any animal or man that took the life of another man be killed.

If an animal kills a man, I think the DNA of that animal should not be passed on to others. That animal should be put to death so it does not breed other animals that also are man killers.

Here is another interesting scripture about animals:

Conquest of Canaan Promised

²⁰ “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. ²¹ Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.

²² “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

²³ “When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, ²⁴ you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces. ²⁵ You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. ²⁶ None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. ²⁷ I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. ²⁸ And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you. ²⁹I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. ³⁰ Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land. ³¹ And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. ³² You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. ³³ They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”


We see that the wild animals would be too much for Israel if God drove all the Canaanites out at once.

BUT the really sad and somber thing it that they were to - make no covenant with them - but now many want to make covenants with the Muslims. ( It is ironic that some of these Muslims are the very same people that God was referring to here.)

More than that - They shall not dwell in your land,

But now we have a leader, that the people elected, that is bringing these very same people into our land. There is already a stiff price we are paying for that.