Humanity: The Lost Moral Being Pt. 2

I’m neither an animal rights activist nor an extreme environmentalist – but I do know people who could be labeled as such. Many times I’ve found myself biting my tongue while listening to these people go on and on about how much smarter the animals are than humans, or that animals were God’s favorite creation and we were simply created as caretakers. Of course, the reason I bit my tongue was because arguing with these people is both infuriating and a waste of time.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love animals, but I take a slightly different view of them. Animals are not moral beings; they don’t understand the difference between right and wrong. Although an important part of creation, humanity was the crowning glory of God’s creation here on Earth. In a sense, they are smarter than us because they fully trusted God and weren’t led astray by temptation – albeit that was mostly because they’re not moral beings – but they have never forgotten their Creator.

Of course, that doesn’t give us the right to abuse, mistreat, or hunt the animals simply for sport. For anyone who has been an Adventist for even a short while, the term “stewardship” should be familiar. Unfortunately, most churches focus on the money aspect of stewardship and forget the rest of it.

“God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.’ Then God said, ‘I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” (Gen 1:28-29, NET)

After the creation was complete, God gave the earth to Adam and Eve to govern, care for, and protect and my personal belief is that that role of protector and care-taker – although changed – was not revoked at the fall. Part of our stewardship toward God is to continue to care for the world and creatures around us.

And why do I believe this, you might be asking. Because it’s our fault that the earth is as it is. Because humanity is the only moral being here on Earth, EVERYTHING changed and became sinful because of our choices, not because of their own choices.


"Everything is under fixed laws, which cannot be disregarded. But while everything in nature is governed by natural laws, man alone, of all that inhabits the earth, is amenable to moral law. (PP 52) ...So long as Adam remained loyal to Heaven, all nature was in subjection to him. But when he rebelled against the divine law, the inferior creatures were in rebellion against his rule." (PP 59).


It is our fault that plants and animals die and struggle to survive. It is our fault that the earth is facing global warming. EVERYTHING is our fault. Not only did we subject this planet and all its inhabitants to sin, but we have forgotten our God-given duty to care for all life - flora, fauna, human - that resides upon this planet.