Showing posts with label RenewAmerica.com. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RenewAmerica.com. Show all posts

26 February 2010

Practical matters from Scripture: What should be done with Tilikum?

Bryan Fischer at RenewAmerica.com has a great idea. Let's apply scripture to everyday life.

Take the recent, tragic incident at SeaWorld in Olando, where a trainer was killed by an orca, for example. It wouldn't have happened if we paid attention to scripture.

Mr. Fischer says that God's instructions on such matters are clearly laid out in Exodus 21:28-29.

So let's take a look at these verses.

If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. Exodus 21:28

Well, I'm not sure that this verse applies directly to orcas, but I like the way Bryan is thinking. So let's stay with him on this.

Exodus 21:28 says that if someone is killed by an ox, then we must stone the ox to death.

Which means, I guess, that we should stone Tilikum to death.

This brings up some practical problems, though, doesn't it? How can we can stone an orca to death? I guess Mr. Fischer thinks we should try.

But however we kill Tilikum, we can't eat him afterward. Oh, and the owner is to be considered blameless.

On to verse 29.

But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death. Exodus 21:29

This verse makes things much more interesting, especially since this was not the first time someone was "gored" by Tilikum.

If we follow the Bible on this, we not only have find a way to stone Tilikum, we also have to kill his owner (or owners), as well.

Yeah, the the folks at Sea World should have followed the Bible.

Or maybe we should just stop using large predators as entertainment.