Why do animals suffer?

A lot of people find it hard to equate a loving, kind and compassionate God with the cruelty and suffering that is rampant on this planet. What is seen appears contradictory to what we are told in many churches of various denominations. God IS all the above and more. He is also righteous and just, and that is sometimes painful. Read on.....

God has a purpose for all that He has made. He is Holy, perfect in every way. The author of all life. This is something every Christian will eagerly affirm. How then, can Christianity attribute the cruelty of animals to a loving and merciful God? Is it that God only loves Mankind but is oblivious to all else? Does this conform to Holiness?


Of course, the answer is no. He is also a righteous God. We live in a fallen world that is a consequence of sin.


The animal kingdom of the land was created on the sixth day of Creation whereas sea creatures and birds were created on the fifth day. God saw that it was good. He was pleased with it and it was exactly what He wanted. It was perfect. There was no predator/prey relationship. All were called to live according to their kind.


He also created Mankind on the sixth day. The pinnacle of Creation. He made Man in His image. In the image of God, mankind was commanded to rule over* the perfect world that He had called into being and to tend and keep the Garden of Eden.( Genesis 2:15 NKJV.) In naming the animals. Adam would have needed to observe the behaviour and characteristics of each kind of animal in order to give them an appropriate name.


(*That implies ruling with the characteristics of God. In doing this, God is honoured, obeyed and glorified.)


Mankind delighted in what had been given to them. Most of all enjoying His Presence and fellowship. Notice again that God saw that it was good. This contradicts the theory of evolution and the compromise of theistic evolution, for it would not have been good.

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As technology progresses we are seeing more of biomimetics-the copying of designs from God's created world. The optimum design of birds are largely responsible for the development of aircraft. Of course, this necessitates the acknowledgement of a master designer. Our Creator God to whom we are all acountable.

A true story- this swan had been sitting on her nest for a few weeks. She was attacked and mauled after some one had set his dog on her. The swan was injured, and the eggs were left to get cold. The male returned but would not attend to them. Eventually the mother returned and sat on the nest. We prayed for God to take control, for He has total authority and through the Cross of Jesus we have access to His Throne. The swan lived and all but two chicks hatched and grew strong. Such is the compassion of God who cares for all that He has made. A reminder too, of how much more He cares for you-made in His image- for Christ took the punishment for your sin, so that you can be reconciled to Him.

Love can never be a product of evolution. It originates with God who 'so loved the world He gave His only Son' Birds demonstrate that love. Coots tirelessly search for food for their young, are vigilant in protecting them and keeping them safe from danger. They teach them the life skills needed to survive according to their kind. They exercise'tough love' so that they learn well. From them we are reminded that the Word of God is given to us for our benefit and He is the One who teaches us, provides for us and protects us.

THE SUN AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Many sincere scientists who are evaluating evidence that they can see and that can be tested, are increasingly turning away from the theoretical ‘billions of years scenario encouraged by evolutionists. Regarding the sun, this is because the evidence points in the direction of a young sun rather than one that is billions of years old.

The standard model accepted by scientists of this field, is that an ‘old’ star would necessitate having a large, dense nuclear burning core which would be the source of its energy output. On the other hand, the accepted model for a young star would be no, or low density nuclear burning core – called a homogenous star. The source of energy for such a star would be from gravitational contraction. Oscillation for an ‘old’ star would range up to a maximum fundamental radial mode of which would be approximately one hour, and would be significantly longer in a young star.

The evidence that astronomers have evaluated, clearly shows that our sun is a very young homogenous star with no dense nuclear burning core, and that nuclear reactions are not it’s energy source. This is just one bit of evidence that has been confirmed by many other people of their field. There are others, such as the low temperature of the sun’s core and low neutrino flux which together confirms that the energy of our sun comes from a slow gravitational contraction.
The important thing for us regarding climate change is that the temperature at the core is fluctuating rapidly. This of course, affects the temperature of our planet. Rather than Mankind ‘controlling’ climate change, the sun is merely performing the natural laws of nature that God, its Creator, has put in place. We should therefore be more aware of who He is and who we are. A young sun points to the invalidity of evolution over billions of years, but is consistent with the truth of God’s Word that states the act of creation.

The’ instrument’ of creation was Jesus. ‘In these last days He has spoken to us through His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word.’ Hebrews 1: 2-4 NIV.

What should our response be? Caring for this world is from a different perspective. Rather than Man changing the world from the outside, we should allow ourselves to be changed from the inside. Then we would be exercising the mandate of stewardship from the position of service and obedience to God- who is the rightful owner.

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 There are many kinds of gulls and they are considered to be 'common'. Likewise there are many people in the world who are considered to be 'ordinary' and 'common'. This is not a biblical concept but a humanistic one. As birds are not forgotten by God, how much more are we remembered. Christ has died for our sins and no-one is common or ordinary, but unique and special in His sight (Fou formed my inward parts;you covered me in my mother's womb, I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfuly made. Psalm 139:13-14 NKJV)

He adorns birds with their own special identification. He identifies us also. We are created in His Image to enjoy a special relationship with Him. As He provides for the birds, how much more will He provide for us.

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He is extravagant in giving the gift of beauty. Evolution cannot explain this gift or its reciprocate pleasure and appreciation. Beauty in nature reveals the character of God and should lead us to study His Word.

 The peacock feather is made up of a 'digital pattern'. It is impossible to see this as a result of random chance but reveals the skill of a Creator and Designer.

Look at the behaviour patterns of the eagle! when chicks outgrow their nest, they are tipped out and plunge seemingly to their death. Not so-the parent flies underneath and catches them on her wings. Then they are tipped off! She catches them again until they 'get the message' and flap their wings until they fly and soar into the sky. Sometimes God does this to us and we are called to trust Him. 'The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms' Deuteronomy 33:27