Animal Slavery

[Tonus]

This was brought up some time ago by sven: "In the end one of the panelists expressed the view that we have the right to exploit animals, because we have assumed the right to do this."

My point is that the Christian concept of god moves this a step further, because god is not constrained by anything or anyone else.

The gnats should be terrified, and the Bible does say that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. However, some are more akin to the pet cats, and no longer have need for fear.

My point is that the pet cats have every reason to fear, because god is not constrained by anyone or anything else, and is not compelled to treat the pet cat any different than a gnat. Most Christians consider all of humankind to be unworthy of god's consideration; they feel that god's mercy and justice are undeserved and that we can never square the debt we owe god.

The story of Job underscores this: god's boastful description of Job is positively glowing: "there is no one on Earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Yet god has no qualms about removing his protection from Job and allowing him and his family (to say nothing of dozens, if not hundreds of servants and hired hands) to suffer the most awful torments. And when Job understandably assumes that god would explain all in due time, god chastises him for daring to expect anything from god.

God has no reason to be merciful or good to you-- you don't deserve it, and if he decides that you are to be treated like a gnat, it doesn't matter if you are blameless and shun evil. And unlike the human who mistreats animals, there is no one who can possibly stop him if he decides that he just doesn't like you.