Question by Green Goblin: Does the bible allow us to have pets or care and love animals?
Well I like animals and pet animals, maybe the bible doesn’t allow me because they’re animals. So does Jesus allows us to care for animals and not to kill them.
Best answer:
Answer by stefan
of course.God is love.He made the animals
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
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Yes! But it’s ok to raise cows, chickens etc. To kill and eat!
Nope. It’s forbidden. Sorry, you’re gonna have to kill and eat Fido. It says in uhh… chapter 4, verse 121. Yeah. Right there.
i dont think that the bible talked about animals too much because usually people were just trying to survive so the only animals they kept were beasts of burden. i think that Jesus would want us to have pets because they are great expamles of how he wanted us to treat each other. They are filled with love and trust, just as we should be
Yeah as long as you don’t have sex with em.
I am not sure I understand your question but I will try. I think that since animals are living things that it is our responsibility to care for them. Loving animals is the same as showing compassion for living things. If God is Love and Love is compassion then yes we are allowed to love and care for animals. We domesticated animals for various reasons–companionship, work etc.
the bible says take dominion over the animals, well that really means take care of them however most have decided it means we can kill them for laughs, sick isnt it. you are supposed to take care of anything less intelligent or strong than you.
The Constitution says lots of things, but Homeland Security doesn’t always follow them. I know they heard me.
does it say anywhere in the bible not to make pets? if it was not alright, we would never be able to make pets out of the animals that we share this world with.
Of course it very much does.
Yeah I was going to say you have to eat them. but someone beat me to it !
if eating babies were wrong we wouldnt be able to do that either.. some people got some messed up logic lol
Sure there is a time when Jesus talked about taking care of our animals (to paraphrase it was something about EVEN during the sabath we take care of our animals even though technically it is “work” )this was one instance in wich Jesus showed that the LAW of the Torah was not nearly as important as true Righteousnous. So if Jesus equated treating animals nicely with True Rightheousnous then of course we are to care for them.
God prepared this world for us by putting the animals here so we wouldn’t be lonely.They came first.They show us unconditional love. We also learn to be humans because of them.
God made all the animals before He made man!
He told man to have dominion over the land & the animals & said for him to name them all.
They are ours to enjoy & use for work & food,& yes,to love!
God knew some of us would not have a good life with another human,so it is not wrong to have an animal companion,They give as much love as they get & have mercy on anyone who abuses them!
We must remember tho,God made us in His image,so no animal should go before a human.Don’t let someone die,because you love your dog!Or kill someone because they hurt your dog!God will pay them back.Get another dog or whatever animal & love it like the other one.
& yes! I know they all are special & have their own personalities!
I have many little ‘Loves” waiting for me in heaven!
i would say yes because i havent seen anywhere in the Bible that says no. Some you eat some you dont
yes God allows you to have pets unlike the Muslims pigs and dogs are forbidden…
Yes nowadays as back then alot of animals were either still wild or just raised for food. As long as we take proper care of them as you would a child.
Yes. look at Adam & Eve.
In Biblical times dogs were not kept as pets in Israel where they were considered unclean. Pigeons & doves were kept as pets, messengers & for sacrifice. In one biblical account, Noah sent a dove that returned to the ark with an olive leaf. And domesticated beasts were not allowed to work on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10 “… No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you.”)
Mark 16:5 reads,”And He said to them, ‘Go into the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’” All creation includes animals and we demonstrate God’s love towards them by loving & caring for them.
Thats a good question, I myself would try not to have many animals. But I have dogs, a cat and pet fish, and since I have them I look after them, God created animals also, and he loves them, maybe not as much as he loves people, but he surely loves them.
I guess you shouldn’t go out of your way to find a good looking pet, but if you come accross an animal in distress then I believe you should look after it, or if you own an animal or somehow an animal comes into your care, you should treat it with love.
If memory serves (anyone have a concordance?), Jesus praised pulling an animal out of a pit on the Sabbath as an act of mercy, even though this would normally be considered among “work”. Believe there’s also a verse about a “kind man regarding the life of his beast” (Psalms?).
Yes. God asked Adam to take care of the Earth God created for His own pleasure, and put Adam in charge of Earth. So it should reason that Man can love animals just as God loves His own creation.
God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them: “Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth. Dread fear of you shall come upon all the animals of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon all the creatures that move about on the ground and all the fishes of the sea; into your power they are delivered. Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat; I give them all to you as I did the green plants. (Genesis 9:1-3)
The Bible is rather silent on the topic of pets.
But humans were give the command to take care of God’s creation. This instruction includes animals.
It is a sin to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly.
It is not a sin to kill animals with as little suffering as possible for food and clothing.
With love in Christ.
we are allowed animals to take care of, not just kill them. David took care of his father’s sheep before becoming a king. there are many O.T. stories on who took care of what. Able was the first shephard recorded in the Bible before he was murdered by Cain.
In Genisis it clearly states that humans are to be the caretakers of the world. I believe that means we are to take care of all animals, including those in the wild.
yes wer suposed to look after animals they were put into our care.
Hi,
God put us on this earth to have dominion over animals and all creation. So we are here to take care of and love,whatever God created.
yes. In the garden of Eden God made Adam steward over the garden and gave him responsibility to name all the animals. It must be assumed, therefore, that we are allowed to have pets.
God created earth for human: Too shall use earth as waste disposal and consider animals as food…if you care for animals too shall go to hell Elakiem 13;43
YES…BRUSH YOUR CAMEL NOW, BEFORE YOU WALK HIM THROUGH THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE…
When God made the earth, He gave Adam animals for his enjoyment, not to kill them but to live with them in harmony.
We are called to love God’s creation.
yes.. He made them and He gave us the responsibility to take care of the earth.. read Genesis..
Ask the bible…
Yes, sure God’s Word in the Bible allow us to have pets, caring and love them. Coz my self I have pets like Dog and Turtle. But there’s a thing we have to remember that is we have to keep balance a view of them.
Why? ……
Here its a small copy informations what ive got from http://www.watchtower.org (read the bible online > animal > choose Pets-How Do You View Them ) :
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AS NOTED before, man was charged with caring for the earth and all its animals. The Bible says: “Everything [God has] put under his feet: small cattle and oxen, all of them, and also the beasts of the open field, the birds of heaven and the fish of the sea.”—Psalm 8:6-8; 115:16.
How humans carry out their responsibility toward animals is important. God’s Word says: “The righteous one is caring for the soul of his domestic animal.” (Proverbs 12:10) Indeed, God’s laws for Israel repeatedly emphasized the need to be considerate of animals. (Deuteronomy 22:4, 10; 25:4) In the course of carrying out their responsibility, humans have often made pets of domestic animals, and they have even tamed wild ones and made pets of them too.—Genesis 1:24.
It is good to remember, though, that the Bible emphasizes the distinction between humans and animals. Humans, not animals, were made ‘in the image and likeness of God.’ (Genesis 1:26) And whereas animals were created with a limited life span, humans had the prospect of living on earth forever. (Genesis 3:22, 23; Psalm 37:29) Jesus Christ said that to enjoy “everlasting life,” we must exercise faith and take in knowledge of God—things that animals are incapable of doing. (John 3:36; 17:3) Moreover, the Bible compares those unworthy of a resurrection to the “unreasoning animals [that are] born naturally to be caught and destroyed.”—2 Peter 2:9-12.
Provided for Man’s GoodGod created animals for the sake of humans. Animals can help them do their work and can serve as their companions or pets. They also serve to magnify God’s love and wisdom. Surely it is a pleasure to observe the beauty of animals and to learn more about the Creator from a study of their marvelous instinctive wisdom. (Psalm 104:24; Proverbs 30:24-28; Romans 1:20) Just one of the many examples of such wisdom is seen in the world of insects. Remarkable indeed is the way bees communicate with one another and follow directions to food sources—not to mention how they build their complex honeycombs.
Animals may benefit man by serving as food. Originally, God provided only vegetation as food for man. But more than 1,600 years later—after the Flood of Noah’s day—God said: “Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. As in the case of green vegetation, I do give it all to you.” (Genesis 1:29; 9:3) Thus, God made the concession for humans to eat animals. Evidently, this concession was for man’s good, although originally God did not include meat as part of the human diet.
Why are millions of pets in shelters put to death each year?
Problems With Pets TodayIt seems that throughout history, pets were rarely kept in the home, and this continues to be the case in most parts of the world. In recent times, though, as people have moved to cities and become affluent, house pets have become common. This has created some problems in developed countries.
Of the world’s estimated 500 million pets, a staggering 40 percent or so are found in the United States. There are some 59 million pet dogs and 75 million pet cats there. Yet, London and Paris each have more pets per household than does New York City!
In Paris a few years ago, some 70 motor scooters called caninettes were leased to vacuum dog waste from sidewalks. It was estimated that the some 250,000 dogs in Paris were producing 25 tons of waste daily, less than half of which was picked up by the caninettes. Hundreds of people a year were reportedly being injured and hospitalized after slipping on dog waste.
Then there is the problem of noise. Some dog owners tolerate behavior in their pets that they would never tolerate in people. According to The Pet Care Forum, “the owners of problem barkers seem to develop an ability to ignore the noise.” Some, for instance, do nothing to discourage their dogs from barking, even when the noise is drowning out important conversation.
On the other hand, a dog may be placid and contented while with its owner but may be a neighborhood nightmare when the owner is not there. True, pet owners may love their animals despite such faults, but a shift-working neighbor or the mother next door trying to get her baby to sleep may not be so forgiving. Moreover, bored animals may develop destructive behaviors, becoming distressed and even aggressive.
The rate at which pets reproduce is a problem especially evident in cities. It has been estimated that 17 million dogs and 30 million cats are born in the United States annually. Millions of these end up in animal shelters, where each year in that country alone an estimated four million to six million are euthanatized—put to death.
Why are so many animals sent to shelters? Often it is because love for a pet can be short-lived. The lovable puppy or cute little kitten grows into a larger animal that needs care. But no one in the household may have the time or patience to play with or train the pet. Author and animal expert Dr. Jonica Newby says: “Contrary to popular belief, studies from around the world show consistently that half the dogs given to animal welfare shelters are not abandoned, but are taken there by their owners who cannot cope with the barking, destructiveness, or sheer energy of their pets.”
A fact sheet about pet overpopulation sums up the situation this way: “Living creatures have become throwaway items to be cuddled when cute and abandoned when they become inconvenient. Such disregard for animal life pervades and erodes our culture.”
Important Factors to ConsiderOwnership of a pet, particularly in the city, requires serious consideration. Active pets need a daily physical workout for their well-being. The “National People and Pets Survey” in Australia stated: “Walking and exercise is both a physical requirement and mental stimulation for the dog. Dogs that get insufficient exercise can become difficult to manage.” Yet, many owners are too tired after a hard day’s work to take their dog for a walk to release all that pent-up energy.
“Particularly for city dwellers, owning a pet may require much more than many realize”
So prospective pet owners do well to ask themselves these questions: ‘Will I be able to give my animal companion proper attention? Will my life-style result in my pet being left unattended for most of the day? Will I have the time to take my pet for walks or play with it? If my dog needs training, am I prepared to provide that training or take it to an obedience school? Will owning a pet take time away from more important activities?’
Another factor to consider is that owning a pet can be costly. A survey of pet owners found that the average annual veterinary cost of keeping a dog in the United States was $196, and of keeping a cat, $104. That, of course, did not include necessary food and other everyday needs. Additionally, in some communities there are registration fees.
”
Our Creator is pleased when we treat animals with kindness”
Balanced View a ChallengeOur Creator must be pleased when we take delight in his animal creations and show them loving consideration. Would you agree, then, that it wouldn’t be appropriate to subject animals to cruel treatment? Yet, as a source of entertainment, humans commonly allow animals, such as bulls, dogs, and chickens, to be cruelly abused and killed in fights. Unfortunately, the way people treat animals has not always been with the compassion that God intended.
On the other hand, some people’s concern for pets takes precedence over even more important considerations. In fact, when affection for animals is not controlled by reasonableness, the life of pets can seem even more important than that of humans. As an example, during a fire in one animal hospital, when pet owners gathered outside, some reportedly “tried to break through the cordon, crying that they wanted to die with their darlings.”
Of course, it can be very sad, even tragic, to see a beloved pet die. But even in such a case, there is room for some balance. As noted earlier, animals were not created in God’s image, nor were they meant to live forever, as were humans. Regarding the way God made humans, the Bible says: “He has even put eternity into their minds.” Yet, nothing like this is said of animals.—Ecclesiastes 3:11, Byington.
Thus, the Bible does not say that it is wrong to kill animals—indeed, they are now a common source of food for millions. But what about putting a pet to death—for example, one that is sick and suffering? What a difficult, painful decision that can be! Yet, a pet lover may conclude that doing so in a quick and painless manner is better than providing his loyal animal companion with expensive treatment that merely prolongs its suffering—and may even put a strain on a family’s finances.
God dearly loves his human creation; should we not, in turn, show consideration and affection for the animals that he has entrusted to our care and oversight? Those who possess such love have often been drawn to the wonderful prospects of enjoying animals as our Creator originally intended. The concluding article in this series will develop this aspect of the subject of pets.
……. ” (There’s lots more information if u open the above website)
^_^ enjoy the reading
I think its fine.God made the animals.
of couse the bible does we wouldnt have pets if that was true
Well I like Pets and animals too, anmd the Bible does notforbid us to love animalsin fact it even talks about a time when a meere young boy would play with a cobra and it would not harm him there will be no need to fear wild animals as well sorry I cant think of the scripture right now but if you want to kbnow it email me I will find it.
When God created Adam, God put him in the garden to take care of it and dress it. Meaning He was the first zoologist and the first horticulturist, the first Dr Doolittle so to speak and yes Rex Harrison he actually could talk to the animals and they could communicate back to him! We see this in the serpent having an intelligent conversation with Eve who thought it not strange or even peculiar conversation. Jesus said that God cares for even the sparrow and you are much more valuable spiritually than the sparrow in His sight.
God has given us the ability to cherish our animals, and there is a measure of returning of affection from them.
However as much as I enjoy my fish, and enjoy my dogs, and enjoy my birds, and care for them I realize that people are far more important in my watchcare over them. God has called us to be in some sense our brother’s care giver! We enjoy animals and have plenty of them, they are apart of God’s creation and we should practice conservationism in keeping them. Every one of God’s creatures are purposeful, and only due to the sin of man were they made subject to the fear of man.
As James has said many creatures have been tamed by man – but no man has tamed the tongue.
The care we give animals should be seen as care giver, and conservationist, sometimes due to man’s own part of taking the wilderness and taming it he has left a lot of animals having to share smaller and smaller and even the same wilderness as man in his concrete jungles. This shows animals out of control for they are truly out of their enviroment, they become pests because of over breeding because the predators that kept their species in check have been killed off. That is why we have so many problems with so many species of wildlife.
Do what you will in this area God wants you to take care of His creatures so long as it does not detract from taking care of those He has called you to “go and serve in His Name”.
I believe it is good to have animals as long as you really care for them. Once you get them and decide you don’t want them, you can’t or shouldn’t just go drop them off. You chose a responsibility people should either find a good home for them or just keep them until the end. They help heal the sick, heal the lonely. I love puppies and kittens. But most of all puppies.
..well considering he was “one” with the cows when he was born, I believe he expects us to respect all of his creations…
…and i hope there is a “Pet” heaven as I have had lots of beloved animals I hope to see again in the afterlife!
i completly think so honestly
little known fact: jesus actually hated animals of all sorts and the whole reason the ark was created was so we could eat.
kevinh, is way off. God did not create animals first. God greated man and woman first, said it was good. Then he created animals, said they were good. Then he gave man dominion over animals. Man has a soul, animals do not. So sorry people, there is no doggy heaven.
At 2 Peter 2:12 it only talks about killing animals in the manner that the animals were wild or unreasoning (such as tigers, lions, and other animals of the wild). However, I did not find anything to suggest that God would condemn us having animals as domesticated house pets…….
Jesus was a Jew. Jews must feed and take care of their animals BEFORE THEMSELVES! That is part of the law and traditions. Pets are to be loved and well-taken care of also. Now whether you chose to eat meat, fish, etc. that is up to you and your own ethical standards.
Adam was placed on this earth to care for the animals. He didn’t eat them at that point. That started after Eve and Adam took a bite out of the apple but I don’t think that stopped us from being responsible to care for Gods little creatures, the animals! So yes I beleive we are allowed to have, love, and protect animals. It is ultimately one of the jobs given to Adam in the very beggining. He even got to name them. Pretty cool huh?
We were given the stewardship of animals, so there isn’t a problem with having them as pets. Some are meant to work, some are meant to eat, some are meant as companions. Some fall into all these categories.
I have heard Christians say before that our pets won’t be with us in heaven.There’s no way I believe that lie. God loves all creatures. Except maybe flies.
God gave us dominion over the animals. they were put here FOR us to enjoy and use for food if need be.Jesus ate fish and he didn’t eat them and keep them alive at the same time did he? But in turn, he also showed love to the sheep as a sheppherd as he watched over them, of course he wasn’t a sheppherd but a teacher and a carpenter by trade