Is Squirrel hunting sinful ?

[follower of Christ]

Is Squirrel hunting sinful ?

 

[justvisiting]

Well, if you feel guilty, it is for you.
I used to hunt gophers. There are a few times that I actually felt sick for hurting an animal for sport. They were in someones field...
Honestly, when I have been right in front of an animal that was shot...it was really kind of repulsive. I'm not a vegetarian, but I actually do look forward to the time...when the lion lays down with the lamb.
Not trying to make any meat eaters feel guilty. The Bible says the animal gives it's life for you. We should always give thanks to God though.

 

[jasoncran]

i dont beleive in unessary killing of animals.

jason

 

[justvisiting]

Glad to hear that Jason
I think if most of us knew how well animals communicate, experience emotion, etc. We might treat them better.
Unfortunately...I'm not ready to give up meat yet.

 

[jasoncran]

Glad to hear that Jason
I think if most of us knew how well animals communicate, experience emotion, etc. We might treat them better.
Unfortunately...I'm not ready to give up meat yet.

no.i'm not one of those vegans that believe one is unpure if you eat meat, yet can kill a baby.

my dog , in the avatar, is like my daughter follow me everywhere, it has to be petted by me in the morning and it loves me when i give it treats.

jason

 

[JoJo]

I think it depends on the motives of the hunter. Is he hunting for food, or is he hunting for recreation? I'm sure I'll catch a lot of flack for this, but I don't believe hunting strictly for recreation is a good thing. JMO

 

[justvisiting]

Jason
Well, this has been an interesting discussion. I didn't even notice your dog until now.

You're right JoJo. It should just be for necessity. That's more my opinion too.

 

[handy]

Living out here in the middle of nowhere Idaho, we have a lot of hunters around. Most of the people on my side of the family hunt. However, I don't think I know of anyone who hunts just for the "fun" of it. The folks I know hunt for meat to put on the table, or hunt marmots and whistle pigs because they can ruin a field and they hunt rattlesnake, cougars and wolves because of the danger they present to the folks and livestock.

IMHO, to hunt for "fun" or "sport" or to hang a trophy on the wall is just wrong. But, hunting for food, even if it's squirrel, is OK.

I'm not ready to turn vegetarian either, and God did give us the animals to eat after the Flood. But I'll be glad as well when the lion lays down with the lamb.

 

[Nick]

Living out here in the middle of nowhere Idaho, we have a lot of hunters around. Most of the people on my side of the family hunt. However, I don't think I know of anyone who hunts just for the "fun" of it. The folks I know hunt for meat to put on the table, or hunt marmots and whistle pigs because they can ruin a field and they hunt rattlesnake, cougars and wolves because of the danger they present to the folks and livestock.

IMHO, to hunt for "fun" or "sport" or to hang a trophy on the wall is just wrong. But, hunting for food, even if it's squirrel, is OK.

I'm not ready to turn vegetarian either, and God did give us the animals to eat after the Flood. But I'll be glad as well when the lion lays down with the lamb.

Right with ya Dora!

 

[follower of Christ]

But, hunting for food, even if it's squirrel, is OK.

By the way, I do hunt and I do eat what I hunt unless I take it and its obviously diseased or something, in which case it needed to be taken out of circulation anyway so that it doesnt affect other animals.

I dont like the idea of wasting animals, but they do have to be kept in check in many cases.
Deer here in my home state have exploded and are starting to do a lot of damage to crops this year from what Ive been reading.
Back in my wifes home state black bear tripled their territory in just a couple years. My father in law lives in a neighborhood where a lot of small children play in the edge of the woods and he's been having a problem with black bear coming into his yard at night.
Im personally more interested in the safety of our children than in worrying about another hunter taking this bear and not eating it to keep their numbers down in areas where they need to be.

Hunting isnt just about eating or taking trophies...those who actually hunt understand this fact. Its also about keeping populations in check which also contributes to helping control the spread of disease in those populations.

 

[unclejed]

Killing any animal is no sin, what is in your heart may well be. If you want to kill an animal to be mean, that may be a sin. Remember, God said He gave man dominion over all the animals.
Definition;Main Entry: do·min·ion
Pronunciation: \də-ˈmi-nyən\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English dominioun, from Middle French dominion, modification of Latin dominium, from dominus
Date: 14th century
1 : domain
2 : supreme authority : sovereignty
3 plural : an order of angels  see celestial hierarchy
4 often capitalized : a self-governing nation of the Commonwealth of Nations other than the United Kingdom that acknowledges the British monarch as chief of state
5 : absolute ownership
Definition 2 and 5 apply here.

 

[justvisiting]

Killing any animal is no sin, what is in your heart may well be. If you want to kill an animal to be mean, that may be a sin. Remember, God said He gave man dominion over all the animals.

I think you hit the corrux of the matter. God looks on the heart, no matter what we do.
Num 22:21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
Num 22:22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
Num 22:23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
Num 22:24 But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
Num 22:25 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
Num 22:26 And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
Num 22:27 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
Num 22:28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
Num 22:29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
Num 22:30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.
Num 22:31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
Num 22:32 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
Num 22:33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
Num 22:34 And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
I LOVE STORIES LIKE THIS

 

[Lewis]

The Bible say's that a righteous man regards the life of his beast.
And the book of Revelation say's that God will destroy them that destroy the earth. If you are laying down bear rugs, and hanging elk heads on your home library and living room walls, and you did this for sport, and not for food, you sin.

 

[Armor of God]

The short answer is no.

I have no issues with shooting animals for any of the following reasons:

- To provide food
- To mount and preserve the animal as a trophy
- To cut down on nuisance animals that are harmful to other species, destroying property, or ruining crops

I draw the line at shooting animals just for target practice.

 

[Lewis]

The short answer is no.

I have no issues with shooting animals for any of the following reasons:

- To provide food
- To mount and preserve the animal as a trophy
- To cut down on nuisance animals that are harmful to other species, destroying property, or ruining crops

I draw the line at shooting animals just for target practice.

God did not create animals to be killed for sport.

 

[justvisiting]

[quote="Armor of God":ex96f2lt]The short answer is no.

I have no issues with shooting animals for any of the following reasons:

- To provide food
- To mount and preserve the animal as a trophy
- To cut down on nuisance animals that are harmful to other species, destroying property, or ruining crops

I draw the line at shooting animals just for target practice.

God did not create animals to be killed for sport.[/quote:ex96f2lt]
I agree with you Lewis. I hate to say it...but I used to be guilty of that. Shooting magpies, etc.
I don't do it any more.
I feel better about it now. If you think about it. We are taking a living creature. a marvel of God's engineering...and just wasting it for fun. That's why I quit.

 

[Sakari]

Is squirrel hunting sinful? There's a papal precedent showing it is not. We have a borough in Finland whose coat of arms bears four squirrels on red background. They are there to remind us of pope Nicholas V who in 1329 banned the whole parish due to their unwillingness to pay four squirrel skins as taxes. Why they declined remains unknown.

 

[justvisiting]

Is squirrel hunting sinful? There's a papal precedent showing it is not. We have a borough in Finland whose coat of arms bears four squirrels on red background. They are there to remind us of pope Nicholas V who in 1329 banned the whole parish due to their unwillingness to pay four squirrel skins as taxes. Why they declined remains unknown.

God has given us dominion over the animals. I don't argue that. As for whether some Pope said it was okay or necessary. I put no stock in them anyway.
I live by my conscience before God...and I don't feel right about killing animals for sport or fun.
They are a gift of God to the earth. There is no need to abuse our privileges. I still eat meat though.
As I stated earlier...I do look forward to the time, when not only we...but the animals live in peace toward one another...the lion lays down with the lamb.
That definitely does not happen until after the Lord returns.

 

[Nick]

Actually FoC, you reminded me of the Kangaroo problem here in Australia. It's gotten so bad that the numbers of Kangaroo might have even out-numbered the human population (at 21 million). The authorities keep on developing new ways of killing them, so we can kill more faster. I don't really have a problem with that, as the kangarro population is out of control, and it needs to be more controlled, for a number of reasons, however I'd like to see more of the Kangaroos being used for meat, just like lamb etc. Apparantly it's really good meat, my father's tried some.

 

[jasoncran]

Actually FoC, you reminded me of the Kangaroo problem here in Australia. It's gotten so bad that the numbers of Kangaroo might have even out-numbered the human population (at 21 million). The authorities keep on developing new ways of killing them, so we can kill more faster. I don't really have a problem with that, as the kangarro population is out of control, and it needs to be more controlled, for a number of reasons, however I'd like to see more of the Kangaroos being used for meat, just like lamb etc. Apparantly it's really good meat, my father's tried some.

culling a heard to save the species as whole isnt sin nor evil.