toldailytopic: Is lying to an animal immoral?

glorydaz

Well-known member
You deceive them. Make them understand something that isn't true. Animals can understand things we tell them, and animals put their trust in us.

I don't think it's immoral to lie to an animal unless the end result is immoral... Like, you can shake the leash to tell the dog you're going for a walk when you're actually going to the vet, but that's fine; there's not really much way to explain to them it's in their best interest. We can only communicate with them to a point. But if you're tricking them into like, going to the dogfights, that's getting immoral. If the intent of the deceit is to use an animal's trust in you as their caretaker to hurt them unnecessarily, I think that starts getting immoral.

Yeah, I hate to see people who call their dogs all sweet like and then they beat them half to death. That's just plain evil. Course, if the dog had just bitten your baby and the only way you could lay hands on him.......well, sometimes extreme actions require extreme measures. I love my dogs, but sometimes I've had to give them quite a lickin' for their own good. Poor things.
 

sky.

BANNED
Banned
:think: Unusual Question. One has to be able to reason to understand the concept of lying, something that the animal kingdom altogether lacks. There is a qualitative difference between humans and animals, not just quantitative. They are made in the image of God, enabling them to understand concepts such as lying. An animal, even a dolphin is not going to understand that you told it a lie. Animals live for procreation and eating. Smarter ones enjoy play. They are not emotionally impacted by moral concepts such as lying. Banjo the dog only knows you didn't put out his doggie dish. He doesn't know you promised to do it and didn't. Lying to an animal-loopy, but not immoral.

No, animals are not made in the image of God. They do not have an eternal soul that is why God allowed them to be used as a sacrifice.
 
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Dena

New member
How exactly does one 'lie' to an animal?

:confused:

This is what I am wondering. Are we talking about verbal lies? I cannot lie to a dog. I can say "hey, if you're good we'll go to Alaska" when I don't really meant it but the dog has no clue what I have just said and really doesn't care. I can't see where this is particular wrong. I would imagine the human is just trying to amuse themselves by having a conversation with a pet that doesn't understand.

If I signed to an ape that he could have such and such if he completed a task and I had no intention of giving him that item ~ yes, that would be wrong. The ape knows what I am saying, knows what I am offering and understands. That just makes me a liar.
 

sky.

BANNED
Banned
Another question one has to ask is if lying to an animal is immoral do we need to ask God for forgiveness of it.

"Here rat (who has invaded my home) is a box of goodies".
 

The Berean

Well-known member
Hmmm...:think:

Farside+Tutored.jpg
 

Traditio

BANNED
Banned
Yes, and yes. On various levels, to varying degrees. Unfortunately, I think most of it is out of your realm of comprehension.

Oh. Well if I've offended you, then I am sorry to have done so. I don't think that I've set out to do so. :idunno:
 

IMJerusha

New member
What's up Knight? That seems like a goofy question; how does one lie to an animal?

Very carefully! :chuckle:

Maybe it should be thought of like the tree comment. If a tree falls in the forest but no one is around to hear, does it make a sound? Basically, it doesn't matter what the condition/position of any animal is. It doesn't change the fact that a lie was issued. Kind of like what Yeshua said about it not being what goes into a person that makes them unclean but rather what comes out of them. Nevermind who or what it's directed at.
 

lightbringer

TOL Subscriber
What does "quite a lickin" mean? Hoping for the best interpretation here.

:confused: Back when I was a kid and I heard some one say they were going to give me a licking it meant that they were about to beat me....I would assume that it means the same for a pet/animal?

I guess by changing the words (licking/beating) it made it sound as if they weren't abusing a child. Funny how some don't want to accept that they may be doing something brutal to a child but do it any way by softening the words. Such fond memory's of childhood.
 
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