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By Scott Tibbs, February 22nd, 2004
Misplaced priorities obvious in animal killings
The following letter was in yesterday's Herald-Times:
To the editor:
Don't you see the hypocrisy in your "open letter to a killer?" Killing animals leads to killing "children, elderly, women." On the one hand, it's just a duck. On the other hand, Bloomington is thick with the innocent blood of hundreds children murdered every year under your oblivious eyes. They are the weakest and most helpless of all. Doesn't this wickedness give you any pause at all in taking such a strong position for the rights of a duck? God's word tells us that sparrows are worth pennies and "Yet not one of them is forgotten by God" and that people are "worth more than many sparrows" (Luke 12:6-7). God's word is clear that abortion is so wicked as to be unthinkable (Jeremiah 32:35). It is wrong to have distain for God's creation, and being cruel to animals is evil. But how is it that even in an amoral and progressive town as Bloomington, we can see the social ramifications of indiscriminately killing a duck and not see the wickedness of abortion. "You foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see" (Jeremiah 5:21).
Daniel W. Sparks
Sparks is on target. A disproportionate emphasis is placed on animal abuse in Bloomington. The Herald-Times strongly condemned the killing of a family's pet duck, and there is much outrage over three puppies that were slashed and left to die of starvation and cold in a dumpster. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has offered up to $2,500 "for information leading to the arrest and conviction" of whoever is responsible for this. In 1997, outrage over the case of Olivia the burned cat led to House Majority Leader (and current Bloomington Mayor) Mark Kruzan introducing a bill to increase the penalties for animal cruelty.
But every Thursday in Bloomington, babies are dismembered and killed in ways that would send someone to jail if it were done to an animal. The people who faithfully stand outside Planned Parenthood and protest the slaughter that goes on inside are attacked in the newspaper. The "pro-choice" crowd decries the work of pro-life people to restrict "reproductive choice" through the legislative process.
Sparks shames Bloomington with verses from God's Word. I submit to you another verse that perfectly sums up what is going on here, and around the world:
"Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. -- Romans 1:24-25.
I am not saying that we should not be outraged over cruelty to animals. It is a natural and moral response to be outraged over such incidents. God teaches us to be good stewards of what He has given us, and that certainly forbids cruelty to animals. As humans, we are disgusted when people harm the most defenseless. But how much worse is killing defenseless human beings before they are born?
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