Is cruelty to animals referred to anywhere in the Bible as a sin?
God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them: “Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth. Dread fear of you shall come upon all the animals of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon all the creatures that move about on the ground and all the fishes of the sea; into your power they are delivered. Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat; I give them all to you as I did the green plants. (Genesis 9:1-3) The Catholic Church teaches: + It is a sin to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. + It is not a sin to kill animals with as little suffering as possible for food, clothing, and the health and safety of humans. + Medical and scientific experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice if it remains within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving of human lives. For more information, see Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 2415-2418 and following:
