This is a funny story (copied) :
Our teacher asked what my favorite animal was, and I said, "Fried chicken."
She said I wasn't funny, but she couldn't have been right, because everyone else laughed.
My parents told me to always tell the truth. I did. Fried chicken is my favorite animal. I told my dad what happened, and he said my teacher was probably a member of PETA. He said they love animals very much.
I do, too. Especially chicken, pork and beef. Anyway, my teacher sent me to the principal's office.
I told him what happened, and he laughed, too. Then he told me not to do it again.
The next day in class my teacher asked me what my favorite live animal was. I told her it was chicken. She asked me why, so I told her it was because you could make them into fried chicken.
She sent me back to the principal's office. He laughed, and told me not to do it again.
I don't understand. My parents taught me to be honest, but my teacher doesn't like it when I am.
Today, my teacher asked me to tell her what famous person I admired most. I told her, "Colonel Sanders." Guess where I am now...
Animals are fun and in many ways so very useful. A righteous person cares for his or her animal with diligence and affection. God has given us all things to enjoy! Life is abundant with such blessings. And so, our domestic pets enrich our lives. Even the ones in the wild and in barnyards are objects of huge interest. We'll even travel many miles to introduce our children to them in a zoo.
But commonsense is to prevail. Animals, unlike humans, are not made in the image of God. Not even close. They are also given for our usefulness. They can be for our amusement and as helpers in our work. They are fascinating, made marvelously by the hand of God. They can also be a food source.
Therefore it is alright to eat meat. The Bible says so: "And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things" (Genesis 9:2,3).
Even ancient Israel that DID have food restrictions was told: “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, whatever you desire, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and the deer. Only you shall not eat the blood; you are to pour it out onthe ground like water" (Deut. 12:15,16).
That's pretty clear isn't it? There is indication that Daniel and his friends ate at the King's table, probably including meat, even after the commencement of their time in Babylon when they had insisted that their diet be just vegetables. Conclusion? It's alright to eat meat. It's certainly permitted.
Vegetarianism is not a Biblical teaching. Thank you, Jesus, for eating fish soon after your resurrection.
- dick christen
