Old Testament Animal Sacrifice from a Vegan Perspective

So this isn't exactly about dogs but I figure I'll put the animal musings on this Blog.

In my BSF study we are reading Leviticus. Anyone who knows the Bible knows this is probably one of the toughest books for an animal-loving person. As I read about all the sacrifice of perfect, innocent animals - the brutal killing, ripping apart of bodies, splashing of blood and burning of heads - I found myself becoming furiously angry, then feeling guilty for being so angry about the death of the animals, since traditional Christian teaching implies that animals are below us and not worth our respect or worry.

Then I realized, oh my God, we SHOULD be FURIOUS! That is exactly God's point here with all the death! It should INFURIATE people that such sweet, innocent creatures were completely mutilated to atone for the sins of A******s.

Because that is how you get a tiny peek into what it took for God to do this to Christ, His Son/Himself (read my other Blog about how God committed suicide for us).

I just cannot wrap my mind around that. The closest I've got is the simply unthinkable idea of this happening to my beloved pitbull and jindo - and just tiptoeing around the edge of that thought puts me dangerously close to flipping in rage. For human parents, if you feel like being masochistic, think of your babies in that position.

And for God, it was His Son/Himself. You can't get more sacrificial than that. It's inconceivable. And as an almost-vegan I REALLY, get how AWFUL those OT sacrifices were, and appreciate Christ that much more coming and putting Himself on the altar not only for us but for the animals.

So today we are free from that miserable endless murder of innocents, because of Christ's ultimate, end-all and be-all sacrifice (read my other Blog as to WHY sacrifice is necessary in the first place). We don't have to hurt (or eat) animals anymore. Yet look what we do to them anyway in labs, factory farms, behind closed doors ...