We treat animals just as we like. We are naming them and thus we have dominion over them (Gen 1, 26).
Let me make this very clear using the example of one animal: the rabbit.
The rabbit is
- a cartoon figure on TV
- sitting in a cage and having medical experiments performed on
- jumping out of a hat in the circus
- a soft toy animal children like to cuddle with
- bringing joy to many children as a pet
- eating the flowers in our garden, which is a nuisance
- delicious when roasted in the oven for the Easter celebrations
- sometimes confused with the Easter Bunny
However, all this is always the same animal.
The rabbit is what we want it to be.
When celebrating Thanksgiving, we remember that God gave names to the animals, and he gave them their value.
(c) Pfarrerin Reinhild Widdig, Nathanaelgemeinde Köln-Bilderstöckchen