The Nature

Our understanding of the nature of animals has been interfered with by the adversary through literature and movies to which my generation has been heavily exposed.

When I lived in the mountains in northern Italy (2009) I realised the older people lacked the tendency towards the sentimental anthropomorphism that pervades in today's Western culture. Perhaps it was because they had not been exposed to the propaganda - televisions were rare in the mountains, traditionally poorer areas, even up to the 1970's and much of the population was "semi-illiterate", speaking dialect among themselves and so reading little more than a sports newspaper in the bar.

Walt Disney (DYODD) populated our homes with talking animals. They were charming and we were charmed (a practice of witchcraft)

I think the Bible teaches us that animals are dumb beasts; they cannot reason. They are empathetic sometimes. Perhaps they exhibit instinctive behaviours that mimic emotional expression. Also, those animals that care for their young must be empathetic, for their very survival. I now think that it is dangerous to invest animals with human properties, even in our mind.

Today, we have animals as pets, but the practice was unheard of in older times. The idea of keeping a dog for anything other than gun work, farm work, guard duties and so on was seen as an affectation. Wealthy ladies, I was told, started to want a lap dog that they could pet. I suppose they'd seen them on the movies. And so dogs were gradually brought into the heart of the home as companions.

In the Bible, dogs are not recommended for this purpose at all. They are seen as scavengers, licking up the blood of various ill begotten souls or even their own vomit (which dogs will indeed do of course).

Animals have a spiritual nature, and we can enter into communication with it, but I think that is extremely hazardous and I would not personally do it. I know many new age pagans who get into these practices, but even as an ex dog owner and lover, after coming to Christ I prefer to keep things separate.

In the UK, I have not so far seen any veal for sale. I'd like to ask the butcher, but I think it might not be readily available. Its loss is due to cries of cruelty, because of the "stalled ox".

The fatted calf, which is on sale in Italy, is rightly considered the very finest of meats.

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith

When I first read this I thought the hatred may be related to the "cruelty", so I used it to reassure a vegan I was frequenting at the time instead of setting her straight.

Mind you, no one likes getting set straight, man or woman, because they like it just the way they are. Their chosen way. A man may be persuaded (and he may not), but only some external event or circumstance can change a woman's course. She cannot be persuaded by reason nor logic, she scoffs at them as imposters.
There is armor to pierce, and only the spirit has that power.