Is it wrong for people to hunt animals for sport?

Dear Reader,

It is not hard to see that our culture has changed a lot over the past few decades. This has caused many people to question the actions of previous generations. One example is the treatment of animals. In today's society, there are many animal rights groups, such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who claim that it is morally wrong to hunt and kill animals. Is there any truth to this? No, there simply is not. In the Bible, we read about several examples of animals being hunted and killed for the benefit of mankind. David killed both a lion and a bear to protect his father's property (1 Samuel 17:35). Esau hunted game to bring some to his father to eat (Genesis 27:5). Jesus commanded Peter to catch a fish with a hook and get money out of its mouth to pay the temple tax (Matthew 17:27). God himself supplied animal skin to Adam and Eve to wear (Genesis 3:21). Hunting and fishing have provided many benefits to mankind throughout the years. They have also provided many benefits to animals, since hunting and fishing are important wildlife management tools. Scriptures do not say that hunting and fishing are immoral. In fact, the Bible encourages hunting and fishing. The false idea that hunting is immoral has risen from animal rights groups who base their opinions on emotion (and often evolution) and not the Bible.

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