The Suffering of Animals (The Problem of Evil and pain) (6)

[1] The Suffering of Animals

• The suffering of animals raises challenging moral and theological questions.
• Unlike humans, animals do not possess moral awareness or the ability to reflect on suffering. Yet their pain is real, visible, and disturbing.
• Christianity does not ignore this issue. The Bible presents a rich vision of God’s love for all creation, including animals, and provides guidance on how we are to understand and respond to their suffering.

God’s Care for Animals in Scripture

• The Bible affirms that animals are part of God's good creation. Genesis 1:31: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” This includes animals.
• God provides for the needs of animals: Psalm 104:10–21 describes God as the One who gives drink to wild animals, provides trees for birds to nest in, and sets rhythms of night and day for their survival.
• Matthew 10:29: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.” Jesus affirms God’s providence even over small birds.
• Jonah 4:11: God expresses concern not only for the people of Nineveh but also “many animals.”
• These verses show that God values and cares deeply for animals. They are not disposable or forgotten in His plan.

Why Do Animals Suffer?

• Animal suffering includes injury, starvation, disease, predation, and pain caused by human actions. Why would a good God allow these?
• The Effects of the Fall Extend to All Creation. Human sin corrupted not only the moral order but also the natural world.
• Romans 8:20–22: “For the creation was subjected to frustration... We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”
• Animals are part of this creation and share in its “groaning.” Their suffering is linked to humanity’s fall.
• Genesis 3 does not mention animals directly, but the curses on the ground and life include all creatures under man’s dominion.
• Predation and Natural Harm as Part of the Ecosystem
• Predation is part of the natural order that maintains ecological balance.
• Lions hunt gazelles to control overpopulation and maintain healthy herds.
• This system, while involving suffering, supports the survival of species and biodiversity.
• Some theologians argue that predation and death existed before the fall; others suggest it became more violent after the fall. In either case, it is currently part of the functioning of nature.
• Animals experience pain as a warning mechanism, just as humans do. Pain protects animals from further harm for instance, by avoiding fire or danger.
• Even though animals cannot reflect on suffering abstractly, their responses show pain’s biological role.
• We Cannot Understand All of God's Purposes. Some aspects of animal suffering remain mysterious.
• Isaiah 55:8–9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
• God's wisdom and purpose are far beyond human understanding. What appears cruel to us may serve a higher purpose in His design.
• Job 38–41 describes how God cares for wild and predatory animals. He does not explain the why of suffering but reveals that He governs nature with sovereign wisdom.

Human Responsibility for Animal Suffering

• God gave humans the role of stewards over creation: Genesis 1:28: “Fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish. the birds. and every living creature.”
• Stewardship is not domination for exploitation, but care with compassion and justice.
• Proverbs 12:10: “The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.”

Examples of Human-Caused Suffering

• Deforestation: Destroys habitats and leads to species extinction.
• Industrial farming: Often treats animals as mere products, leading to cruel confinement and pain.
• Poaching and pollution: Threaten ecosystems and cause immense animal suffering.
• Plastic waste: Causes death among sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals.

Christian Ethical Responsibility

• Christians are called to reflect God’s love and mercy in all creation:
• Supporting animal welfare, ethical farming, wildlife conservation.
• Avoiding unnecessary harm such as choosing cruelty-free products or reducing environmental harm.
• Christian groups involved in animal protection act as a witness to God's compassion.

Hope for the Restoration of Creation

• Christian theology offers hope that animal suffering is not the final word. Just as humanity awaits redemption, so does all creation.
• Romans 8:21: “The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”
• Isaiah 11:6–9 offers a poetic vision of peace among animals: “The wolf will live with the lamb. The lion will eat straw like the ox. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain.”
• This points to a restored creation, no longer groaning, no longer divided by predation and death.
• Colossians 1:19–20: “Through [Jesus], God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood.”
• Jesus’ death and resurrection do not only redeem humanity but will ultimately heal the whole cosmos including the animal world.

Summery

• Animal suffering is real and painful, but it does not fall outside of God's knowledge or care.
• Scripture shows God's ongoing concern for even the smallest creatures.
• Human sin contributes to animal suffering, but God calls believers to mercy, stewardship, and responsibility.
• There is deep and ultimate hope: God will restore creation, wipe away every tear, and usher in a new heaven and new earth where all creatures live in peace.

[1] Nature Red in Tooth and Claw: Theism and the Problem of Animal Suffering, Michael J. Murray