make way for "non-human persons"?
Lauren Merritt recently pointed me to a post from Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a prominent theologian and writer in his own right. The post is titled "NewsNote: Make Way for 'Non-Human Persons'?", and draws a faith-informed distinction between humans and even highly intelligent animals like whales and dolphins, while at the same time demonstrating a genuine admiration for those animals.
It also touches somewhat on the question we've been asking this week, "What about conflicts between animal and human welfare?" Mohler describes having been blown away by watching humpback whales "cavorting off the coast of Hawaii," and seeing more in their carousing than just instinct: "I find it very hard to believe that they are not having a bit of fun." Beyond their majestic presence, he knows just how developed these whales are, mentally and socially. He praises God for their existence, and "want(s) them to thrive and survive and show the glory of God in every sea and ocean."
Mohler goes on to advocate for them, but with a qualified motivation:
... I support an end to all commercial whale fishing because it is no longer necessary and because these animals are or at some point have been threatened with extinction. My point is this — whales are magnificent creatures that I desire to protect and admire, but they are not human beings. Any confusion about this does not raise whales to a new status. Instead, confusion about the distinction between humans and animals serves to threaten human dignity.
I tend to echo Dr. Mohler's concern, and especially his desire to defend the unique human quality of being made in the image of God, which is a biblically-rooted foundation in Christian theology. Christians, including those who have a hard time understanding how the Bible has much to say about animals in the first place, but also those of us who advocate on behalf of animals from a biblical perspective, should be concerned to hear about animals being put on the same plane as humans. Not only does it compromise the witness of Scripture, but ironically it also undermines our cause in the long run, because only as God's unique image-bearers and stewards can we ever hope to fully engage the redemption and care of God's creatures as He designed us to.
That said, Mohler questions asigning "personhood" to animals, as opposed to "personality" which he readily agrees animals posess. But I think there's something to be said for seeing animals, as I believe God does (Luke 12:6), as individual beings with an individual raison d'etre, before their creator and before us as stewards of His creatures (thanks to my friend Matt Halteman for helping me articulate this). It is possible to draw more attention to the individual nature and dignity of animals (which after all is a core part of not one sparrow's mission), and still not see them as human beings.
(photo courtesy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Wikimedia Commons)
August 3, 2010
Reader Comments (2)
Totally agree with this post. Though many would think it's harsh and speciest, the Bible makes the right distinctions between different entities in the created order. Animals aren't human beings, but neither are they objects, understanding and living between these two distortions is difficult but what we need to do for a peaceful, right functioning world.
Thank you for the response, Mark, and very well said - Ben