From the Old Testament to the New Testament, the Bible contains numerous references to living beings other than humans. Animals, for example, are first mentioned in the book of Genesis and also appear in other parts of Scripture. Since biblical times, awareness of animals and their treatment has increased. With the recent growth of animal rights movements, it might be useful to consider whether the Bible could be used as a source to show support for contemporary animal rights campaigns. It is important to examine the Bible in more depth on this topic because it is a relevant text that many people consider to be true in their lives today. Because the book of Genesis talks at length about animals and their creation, I will examine whether this specific book fits with the idea of ​​animal rights. Since animal rights can include a multitude of viewpoints, I will focus specifically on animal rights in the sense of promoting animal welfare, minimizing undue animal suffering at the hands of humans and protection against the mistreatment of animals by humans. humans. Based on this narrower scope, I claim that the book of Genesis from the Old Testament of the Bible does not infringe on animal rights after careful consideration of the term "dominion", as well as the order vegetarianism and its revocation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay At the beginning of life, in chapter 1 of the book of Genesis, God creates a peaceful relationship between humans and animals. Speaking of the human diet, God says: “See, I have given you every plant that bears seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree that has seed in its fruit; you will have them for your food” (Gen 1:29). The diet God prescribes here is representative of vegetarianism. At this point in the book of Genesis, humans and animals can meet their dietary needs by eating only plants. Because animals are not mentioned here, God implies that they are forbidden for consumption. These lines from Genesis suggest “a paradisiacal state of existence” (Linzey 228) without “any trace of violence between or among different species.” As a result, God creates an environment in which animals are free to live without having to face the suffering associated with human consumption. The fundamental idea of ​​animal rights is the minimization of the fact that animals must face suffering from humans during their lives. Accordingly, the vegetarian diet of Genesis 1 supports the idea of ​​animal rights. We see that from creation itself, God has intended to build a world where the well-being of every creature is taken care of. Although the teaching of vegetarianism at creation shows support for animal rights, there is an argument that the hierarchy of humans is above animals. harms animal welfare. Just before talking about diet, God says, “Let us make mankind in our image, after our likeness; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over every wild beast of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26 ). God reiterates this point by telling humans to “have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28). The idea that animals have statusinferior to that of humans is also reinforced by the fact that Adam gives names to animals (Genesis 2:19). Researchers have argued that such an act reinforces the dominance that humans exert over animals since “Naming = defining and controlling.” With God's discussion of domination, it seems that humans are in control of everything and can do whatever they want with the animal species mentioned. Biblical scholar Ryan Patrick Mclaughlin mentions that the word domination has “a violent and military connotation” (Mclaughlin 149). Although traditional interpretations of the term "dominance" appear to hinder animal welfare, researchers have introduced different ways of interpreting the word. One such interpretation is that God gives dominion to humans in order to "bring order out of chaos and to bring blessing and goodness to the world, not tyrannical mastery." It is also important to examine the word “dominion” in the context of the peace promoted by the commandment of vegetarianism in the verses that follow. Thus, God's decision to give humans control over animals was not intended to undermine the welfare of animals, but to promote the mutual protection of all. God trusts that humans can rule the lands with power to create a better world not only for them, but also for the animals. Furthermore, although God's granting of dominion to humans allows them to use animals as necessary for practical purposes, it does not permit the ruthless exploitation and abuse of animals. Indeed, it is important to keep in mind that “all creatures are creatures of God and recipients of divine concern” (Preece and Fraser 258). So when God allows humans to use animals for their benefit with the introduction of human domination, the animals' welfare is not completely neglected since God does not lose His concern for them. Because God cares about all creatures, He believes that the best way to promote the prosperity of animals and humans is to give humans dominion with which humans can create a blessed environment. Because God's intention to promote animal welfare and prevent undue animal suffering is not lost in these verses, animal rights are still not compromised in the book of Genesis. God ultimately abrogates the commandment of a vegetarian lifestyle later in the book of Genesis, but this does not diminish the support for animal rights in the text. After a devastating flood on earth, God made a covenant with Noah. God’s words are: “Everything that moves and lives will be your food; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything” (Gen 9:3). Although this verse clearly indicates that humans now have the ability to kill animals for food, it is important to examine this reversal of God's command of vegetarianism in Genesis 1 in the context of the verses that follow. God declares: “For your own blood I will certainly require an account: of every animal I will require it, and of human beings, every one for the blood of another, I will require an account for human life” (Genesis 9:5 ). This verse suggests that God's intention is not that the now permitted act of consuming animals encourages the merciless destruction of animal life. Rather, the word “calculation” shows that God wants meat consumption to be responsible and controlled. Humans should “remember that the life you kill does not belong to you – it belongs to God” and that “for every life you kill, you are personally responsible to God.” Even if the consumption of meat is now authorized, 9 : 9)..