Have We All Gone a Little Ape?
When it's between a gorilla and a child, who do we value more?
Recently here in Cincinnati, a very sad tragedy occurred. While at the zoo, a little boy fell into a gorilla’s pen, which ended with the gorilla being killed. It was a judgment call by the zoo officials to kill the gorilla in order to save the child. This all caused a big stir with the animal rights’ organization, and people gathered outside the zoo in protest. They felt the gorilla should have been saved.
The gorilla story has been repeated over and over again on every major news network. And in case you have been living in a cave, and have not seen the story, it was also plastered all over Facebook and the Internet.
No matter what your views are about this latest incident, I am wondering: Have we gone a little ape? Where is outcry for the countless babies aborted on a daily basis? Here are some stats for you: Just this year in the US, over half a million unborn babies have been murdered so far. Take a look at this abortion clock. Every time an abortion occurs, the clock changes. That is one human life gone! Since it became legal to murder an unborn baby in 1973, there have been a staggering 59 million abortions . . . and counting. While this is going on, the loss of one gorilla has a nationwide outcry.
A Facebook friend of mine made this comment: “They're not animal lovers but animal worshipers." As Romans 1 states, “They no longer worship the Creator but the creation, turning animals and the earth into idols.” His comment is not far from the truth. In Romans 1:25, Paul explained: “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.”
God does place great value on animals! Jesus said: “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet, not one of them is forgotten by God” (Luke 12:6). However, He went on to say: “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Luke 12:7, emphasis added).
Clearly God places great value on the animals that He created, because not one is lost without Him knowing about it. And He commands us to care for them. In Proverbs 12:10, we are instructed: “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.”
There is an order of importance. In Psalm 8:4-8, David wondered: “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas." Is our order of what we place as important a little upside down?
While the loss of the ape is important and very sad, what about the unborn babies who are being killed? Should the outcry be there for them to stop this mass murdering? Perhaps we have gone a little ape when an unborn baby or a child in danger is less important than a gorilla.
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Janet Treadway
Janet Treadway was born in Washington, D.C., but was raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. She started attending the Church of God with her mother at the age of 14 along with her twin brother, Jim.
She was baptized at the age of 19 in 1974. She has been involved in various activities, such as serving as the managing editor of UCG’s first teen magazine UsTeens, which was distributed worldwide and published in English and Spanish.
Janet’s first love is writing. She has contributed many articles in various publications such as Vertical Thought, Virtual Christian Magazine, United News and others. Her article “Take Action, Your Life May Depend on It” is also featured in the reprint “The Cycle of Abuse.” Janet draws from her own life’s experiences and challenges when she writes and is motivated to give readers hope that God will see them through anything.
Janet has worked in the home office of the United Church of God since 1998. She is married to Charles Treadway and has four children, David, Michelle, Michael and Josh, as well as six grandchildren and two granddogs, Jo Jo and Vinny.
