Do Animals Sacrifice For Us?

As I was doing a little bit of reading this morning, I came across an article that got me thinking about the nature and meaning of sacrifice. It was written by Christian author Rachel Marie Stone, and it was entitled, "The Animals That Sacrifice For Us." And as I read it, I wondered - do animals really sacrifice for us? I can think of three scenarios in which we might suggest that an animal has sacrificed for us:

1) a family pet that gives its life in defense of its home or a family member
2) a police or army dog on duty
3) animals that we eat

From time to time I've heard all three of these referred to as "sacrifices" by our animals. But do any of them really count as sacrifices? I really don't think so. Animals can "be" sacrifices. The Old Testament is clear enough on that - but it's us making the sacrifice if we use them that way. The animal is something that's of value to us and we're giving it up for a purpose. But I honestly don't think that an animal can "make" a sacrifice for us. We can sacrifice an animal, but an animal can't sacrifice itself.

Now, before animal lovers take me on - I do love animals. I have a dog. And for that matter two birds. I believe those family pets feel emotion. They display joy and excitement and happiness when I or any member of the family come home after being away. They can equally display sadness and even what seems to be depression at times. So I'm not suggesting that my pets don't love me or that your pets don't love you. Not at all. I believe there's an emotional bond between humans and the animals that live with us. But I'm not sure that any of the above scenarios represent the kind of "love" that results in a "sacrifice."

Surely a sacrifice has to be a conscious act for it to be a sacrifice. We have to understand what it is that we're willing to give up in order for it to be a sacrifice. Now, it's true that I don't know what exactly goes on in an animal's brain, but I don't think they're consciously thinking of making a sacrifice in any of the above scenarios. In the first, there's an instinctual act to defend the home or the pack. Does the animal think through the consequences of doing so, or does it just do it? In the second, these animals are trained to do certain things, but do they really understand that the consequence of doing the things they've been trained to do might result in them taking a bullet or stepping on a land mine? Or do they just do what they've been trained to do? The third is even more problematic. Do animals raised for food (in sometimes abhorrent circumstances) have any idea that they're going to be slaughtered so that we can eat them or do they just live out their sometimes miserable existence day by day? In any of the three scenarios, is there a conscious thought process going on in the animal's mind that says "I have decided that I'm willing to give my life for you?" I doubt it.

Suggesting that animals "sacrifice" for us seems to me to be almost a guilt response on humanity's part. We feel better about animals dying for us (in whatever circumstances) if we romanticize the animal's death by sub-consciously at least thinking the animal was doing it willingly and with a full understanding that it's giving its life. But the animal really (in my opinion anyway) doesn't have that level of understanding, and if we start to think that it does, we also cheapen the very notion of sacrifice.

Our animals may well love us on an emotional level (I believe they do) but I would suggest that the concept of a sacrifice isn't based on an emotional understanding of love. Jesus would have used the word "agape" - a knowingly self-sacrificing love that willingly risks everything for the sake of the beloved. While there may be in the Christian world different interpretations of the reason and purpose of the crucifixion of Jesus, the biblical account makes clear that Jesus understood that his words and actions would likely lead to his death and that he willingly made that sacrifice in the belief that it would benefit others. At least that's how I read the Gospels. As I said, there may be different understandings among Christians of how Jesus' death benefited us, but there seems no doubt to me that Jesus believed that his death would benefit us. He had thought it through. He understood the potential consequences of his actions. Thus, Jesus made a real sacrifice. The cow that's slaughtered in a slaughter house, or the dog that steps on a land mine or takes a bullet or gets killed defending its family or its home isn't going through the same rational thought process, understanding what might happen.

I'm grateful for the animals whose lives in one way or another or for one purpose or another are taken for our benefit. And I'm sorry it has to happen. The story of Creation in Genesis assumes that if the world were as God intended it to be there would be no killing - not of humans, and not even of animals for food. After all, the instructions given to humanity were found in Genesis 1:29-30:

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground - everything that has the breath of life in it - I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

I'm just noting that meat was apparently not the original idea for food. I'm not arguing in favour of veganism or vegetarianism. Neither am I criticizing them. They're ethical choices. There are certain foods I refuse to eat based on ethical choices, but I do eat some meats. After all, Peter was told in Acts 10:13 that he was allowed to "kill and eat" in spite of the law. So, eating meat is allowed according to the New Testament.

Having said that, let's understand that the animals we eat aren't "making" a sacrifice. They're just being killed. And the police and army dogs and watchdogs aren't sacrificing for us. They're just dying. The word "just" isn't meant to suggest that what they're doing isn't important or that we shouldn't be grateful for it. It's to point out that to consider it a "sacrifice" is to cheapen the concept of the sacrifice made by someone who knows exactly what it is that they're risking - someone like Jesus, for example.