It is truly a strange occurrence to see how a vocal portion of our culture is more concerned about “what you eat than who you have sex with.” I forgot where I saw that statement, but it isn’t too much of an overstatement. How often have you reached for this or that food and been told that item is killing you; a statement often accompanied with a smug self-righteous look? In fact, being obsessed with “healthy eating” is a disease called “orthexia nervosa.” While plenty of dietary habits can … [Read more...]
Canine Predator Control Devices: Should We Use them?
M-44s are spring-loaded devices that eject powdered sodium cyanide to kill the animal that pulls it. They were designed for the purpose of controlling canine predators such as coyotes. Unlike other control devices which require the animal to push (e.g. footholds), M-44s require the animal to bite and pull. When the animal bites and pulls, the sodium cyanide is ejected into the animal’s mouth where it can be absorbed into its system usually resulting in death. It’s the biting and pulling … [Read more...]
Dogs—Mankind’s Best Friend?
Readers of my posts know that nature is dangerous. Radical environmentalists who constantly assert that humanity’s relationship with nature would be fine if we would just “work in harmony” is idealistic nonsense to those with jobs in the outdoors. Nature is safe when it is subjected to human service. Consider dogs, domesticated hundreds of years ago, they are now a big part of the lives of many people. But their submissive behavior is often misunderstood as “love.” It doesn’t take long for … [Read more...]
A Gorilla, A Boy, and the Decline of Human Dignity
On May 29, 2016, a 3 or 4 year-old boy (sources differ on his age) was visiting the Cincinnati Zoo with his mother. As boys sometimes do, he got into trouble. In this case big trouble, life threatening trouble. He fell into the enclosure that housed a 450 pound male silverback gorilla named Harambe (for the meaning of Harambe click here). It’s amazing the child survived the 10-foot fall into the enclosure. The water in the enclosure’s moat must have broken his fall. The danger was not over … [Read more...]
Morality-Based Veganism and Cultural Bigotry
Several years ago, I was outside Denver Colorado and noticed a billboard that said, "Why love one and eat the other?" An analogous sign can be found at Mercy for Animals. It shows a picture of a dog and a pig, with the question, why love one and eat the other? It is an ingenious marketing ploy. Exploit the American public’s idolatrous view of their pets in an attempt to exploit their view of fair play and adopt a meatless diet. [NBC New reports 7/12/2015 that Americans will spend more than 60 … [Read more...]
Christianity, Veganism, and Animal Suffering
Last month, I discussed how Christianity cannot impose veganism on its adherents because doing so would violate the freedom we have in Christ as well as our lordship over creation. In other words, humans are superior to animals and thus eating animals is within the bounds of the created order. But I also noted that animal rights is not the only reason employed by anti-meat eaters to support their cause. One of the more emotionally compelling arguments is what can be called the argument from … [Read more...]
Why Christians Don’t Impose Veganism
Veganism is the lifestyle philosophy of people that avoid eating, wearing, or using animal products or their by-products. They don’t eat meat or the products that derive from animals, even when the animal is not killed, such as milk. Now the rationales for adopting this lifestyle vary. Some do it for alleged health benefits, others for supposed environmental reasons, and other still on the basis of some ethical theory about not wanting animals to suffer (cf. Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation). Of … [Read more...]
Think Carefully Before Welcoming Humane Society Policies
Humans should only be eating animals raised under humane conditions. Sounds perfectly innocent doesn’t it? After all who wants to think of animals suffering just so that he/she can have a cheap burger or chicken patty? This is essentially the argument cleverly proffered by Pete Letheby in the article “Farmers team up with the Humane Society on behalf of animals” published in the Fall 2015 edition (p. 24) of Ag in Action by the Lewistown News-Argus (Lewistown, MT). The problem with this article … [Read more...]
Stop the Bear Hunt?
In June of 2015, the Florida Fish and Game Commission approved the hunting of black bears. The hunt took place in late October. Stop the Bear Hunt, an anti-bear hunting protest industry group, provides 4 reasons why the Florida bear hunt is a bad idea. Let’s take a look at each one and see if the Commission’s decision was misguided. Argument 1. The hunt is unnecessary and unwarranted. Stop the Bear Hunt claims that bear numbers have not reached habitat carrying capacity and that killing bears … [Read more...]
California’s Fish and Wildlife Commission Vs The Environment
If I were to ask you, “In your opinion, what state in the continental U.S. best exemplifies a desire to care and preserve the environment on a sustainable level?” How would you answer? Note, I am not asking what state has the best environment as that could be simply a reflection of its population. It’s hard to have pollution when you have few people. Nor am I asking what state you would like to live in. I am asking what state works the hardest on protecting the environment from the perspective … [Read more...]
