Doesn't God Hold People Accountable for How they mistreat animals?

Question

First here is my example - a few years ago I was outside of the humane society building in Dallas and a dog ran out into the street. There was this one car that SPED UP and purposely ran over and killed that dog and it was entirely preventable. It is hard for me to imagine that God is not going to hold this person accountable for what they did.

sometimes I wonder why people make such a big deal about animal rights, because I really do think that God holds people accountable for how they use/misuse animals, the environment, each other, etc. I honestly don't know that we have to say anything. I don't think people know that they are held accountable for these things but they are. Am I wrong? if so why do you think I'm wrong.

It might be ok to say something about this.

I follow a strict vegetarian diet - no meat - no dairy.

I'm trying to learn more about all this - please don't take offense to my question. - it isn't meant as an insult or anything like that.

Answer 1

Because we can't know for certain I think it would be irresponsible to not holdpeople accountable for what they do in THIS life. Plus, not everyone is religious so it would be a little weird to just get rid of our laws (and being humane to animals IS a law) on the idea tht God will sort it all out in the afterlife. With that logic we should just let murderers and rapists roam the streets. It's not so much about punishing people for what they do. It's about the quailty of life for the victims. If there is a God I would think that He would judge people most harshly for allowing injustices to happen right under our noses and turning a blind eye.

Answer 2

In my belief, God does hold accountable people who mistreat animals. But if you can save that animal, or try to minimize the damage and/or abuse, that would be the best. Animals are mostly innocent in my view, and in the bible it says that we are the stewards of the earth and all it contains. By saying something and standing up for animal rights and speaking out against animal mistreatment of all types, maybe there will be one less dog running into the street to be -purposely- killed by a violent and wicked person. Please think about the cruelty it must take and heartlessness to kill an animal that is not attacking or causing harm. There are some people who stomp innocent kittens as a fetish, while wearing high heels. This is why people need to speak up and do something -before-. I personally put myself in the "paws and hooves" of animals. I wouldn't want to be stomped, purposely run over or harmed in anyway. Although, if a dog or animal is attacking and a danger to others, that is an entirely different story. I am glad you are trying to learn more about this. Those of us that care about innocent animals must do what we can. I equate "not saying anything" to going ahead and openly permitting it. While you can't save the world, you can donate bags of food, money, and/or adopt an animal or stray to help. There's always something you can do, big or small. On the other hand, sometimes you can't prevent a dog from running into a street, or a cat being killed by a vengeful neighbor, or other people and their actions. Do what you can if you can! And always discourage others from being abusive to any animal! (I even save snakes and spiders if they are not poisonous or a danger to me)

Answer 3

I think everyone knows, or at least should know, how slaughterhouses are truly run. When those people perpetuate that violence and inhumane treatment of animals by buying said animal products, I believe they will be judged when the time comes. Same for people who maim and kill and torture animals on purpose ... that is very sick indeed ... I'm sure they will be held accountable.

That's just my personal viewpoint. Like veganconscript said, though we have dominion over animals, that doesn't give us the right to treat them like crap. We are abusing our God given rights, quite literally. My veganism is very closely tied in with my spiritual beliefs. I treat my body as the only one God gave me, and I don't pollute it as much as I can. I try to live on this Earth in peaceful coexistence with all its inhabitants.

Answer 4

'strict vegetarian diet'? you're aloud to day V-E-G-A-N honey. i wanted to become a vegetarian many many times before but each time i keep coming back to what my dad says that's from the Bible anyway - people killed animals all the time for food and God didn't punish them. they offered them up as sacrifices too but those were the REALLY good ones. i DO think it's completely wrong to run over or kill an animal when can be avoided - like a pet. but i support vegans and vegetarians even though i think they're sometimes missing out :)

Answer 5

People who harm Gods creatures out of shear meanest will have to answer for what they do. To law enforcement on occasion and to the ultimate judge as well.
God intended for some animals to be food for others and us, but that doesn't mean we have to treat these food intended animals horrible either. My husband and I have been on both sides of this issue. --Our old neighbors shot our cat just to see if they could hit her. She's 3 legged now. They ran down and killed another cat in their car, and poured acid over the fence onto our small dog. These pets were not pests to these people. They didn't bother the neighbors. These people were simply being mean.
On the other side we have raised animals for food. We kept chickens who provided fresh eggs and then they were killed for meat. There was something purposeful and religious in it that God gave us this animal, we cared for it, treated it kindly, let it reproduce and then it provided for us as well. We have also raised pigs, rabbits, and cattle and the same goes. We don't confine them to small spaces, and deny them food or comfort.----This is how food animals should be treated.
Pets are just little people in fur coats to us.

Answer 6

I don't believe in Personal Theism, I consider myself to be Buddhist (if I must throw theology into then ad Pantheist), but having studied Judaism thoroughly I can tell you that vegetarianism and the humane treatment of animals is a key teaching. Vegetarianism is viewed as the Edenic (and thus ideal) diet. But the Rabbis say, if you must eat meat then do so with as little suffering to the animal as possible. There are many Kashrut (kosher) laws on how to butcher an animal that is going to be eaten.

Answer 7

I do think that God will hold us all responsible for how we treat animals. In Genesis, it clearly states that after God made the animals on the land, in the sea and in the air, He gave humans reign over all of them. Just because humans are to rule over animals, is not an excuse for us to mistreat them.
Because we have the ability to reason, think complex thoughts and feel, we are held responsible for taking care of the animals and treating them with respect.

Answer 8

I believe we are each responsible for our own actions and perhaps once we die we hold ourselves accountable for any negative actions, from being naive or purposefully, that we did while we lived here.

I am not Christian or Jewish, but it does say in genesis first chapter that god gave us dominion over the animals. People think this means god put them on our dinner plate for us and stocked the super markets. If I give my babysitter dominion over my home and my child what does that entitle them too? Governments have dominion over the people they govern, what does that entitle them too? It entitles free will..it doesn't excuse it. We are each still responsible for our actions..if anything in genesis we were meant to be caretakers of the garden earth and the animals within.

It also says very clearly in verses 28-29 I think it is specifically what we are to eat. We are to eat the seeds of herbs (nuts and seeds of plants) and to eat the fruit of trees. It says in 29 that all other creatures of the air, land and sea are to have herb itself as food (plants.)
Meat is used as a poor translation as the Hebrew word it is representing originally meant food.

Many other world religions have dogma about not eating animals or the karma associated with doing such.

I went to Vegas last August, about a year ago now..and my friends offensively ignorant cousin saw a bunny in the road at night and swerved to hit it..screaming and wooing like he was getting off. I went into a panic mode and just put my hands over my ears and shut it out. He barely hit it, probably broke a leg or something maybe its neck..so he turned around to flatten it a second time..He missed that time. I wanted to go back so bad after we got home, but I didn't think I could deal with a maimed animal and it's unlikely he'd have made it that far. That was one of the worst incidents I've ever gone through, so I can relate to the dog.


The truth is people rarely don't know why they are here or who they even are. Eating meat or rather letting go of it is a power loss for most people, it also makes them feel like they are missing out on enjoyment they are 'entitled' too. This is because most people have not self-actualized themselves and rely on creature comforts for total satisfaction. Many people without there unhealthy diets would become severely depressed and rage filled - I've dealt with people as described before.

Don't get me wrong, food is very pleasurable, but the awful meat and dairy diet American's eat is a disaster. They can't appreciate real food, because they have been conditioned all their life to think food isn't good unless it has animal or dairy of some sort in it. I know this because I (as most vegs/vegans) was born an omnivore and was just as naive up till a few years ago.

Answer 9

...look at it this way, do you think someone who shoots and kills another person in cold blood should be able to just walk away from the scene, never serve a day in prison?

Or how about someone who molests a child. Think they should be left to their own devices and your children?

I think when anyone does anything that is obviously morally and legally wrong, yeah, society should punish them - HERE, IN THIS LIFE - not everyone believes the same ideas about religion and the afterlife, so, good look getting society to just say 'yeah, God will deal with him in a few years.'

Answer 10

As with any "sin", God will hold people accountable.

However, for those who believe in the Bible, He talks about eating meat (with exceptions in some cases) which shows that he doesn't hold meat eating as wrong. Plus, if he did he probably wouldn't make other animals eat meat.

Keep in mind, however, that if people are TRULY penitent, and believe in God, they will be forgiven.