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The Everyday Hunter
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Mission: Hunter
Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison (Genesis 27:3, KJV).
God is pro-hunting. That's right, and he has some things to say about the chase. The Bible presents hunting in a positive light. History, science and common sense also inform us about the role hunting plays in the natural world God created.
"Mission: Hunter" is grounded in the moral rightness of hunting from a Christian point of view. It's a blog that addresses hunting topics through the lens of theology for the woods and for hunters who pursue deer and other wildlife in its native habitat,
The Bible does not support the idea (popular with many today) that hunting is immoral or sinful. Hunting is moral, positive, and right for a Christian believer to do. The history of hunting goes back to the days of Noah (Genesis 9:2-3). In the New Testament it was God who told Peter, one of Jesus' closest disciples, to "Kill and eat" (Acts 10:13). Since God permitted the eating of animals, His word on the subject has never changed.
In my mission to pursue Christ, hunting is a platform for sharing the gospel through writing and speaking — Mission: Hunter!
Theological Truth #7 – Whether we enjoy success, or face criticism, one mark of a Christian is humility. The controversy over Sister John Paul's buck has subsided, life goes on, and one vital lesson comes to the front. Her students watched and learned how she handled criticism. Many of these young people are hunters themselves and wanted to defend her, but she considered silence far better. The truth in that is that the battle is not ours – the battle is the Lord’s. These stu
Theological Truth #6 – Hunting Is Not a Substitute for Worship. Benedictine Sister John Paul Bauer, who is a hunter, prays the Rosary in her treestand. It's a form of personal worship, but she understands that a personal act of piety is not a substitute for worshiping with others. Sister JP is only one of many hunters who think about our Creator while hunting, but making her treestand a place of worship does not make her treestand a church. Praying the Rosary is simply her wa
Theological Truth #5 – Pious people do not avoid life Many people think people who are pious avoid the hard issues of life. They think a nun or other people serving in religious vocations want to stay far away from suffering. We have a common phrase for that -- "so heavenly minded to be no earthly good." Often, the truth is just the opposite – many people are so earthly minded they seldom do any heavenly good. Usually people of piety are involved in the nitty-gritty of life.
Theological Truth #4 – God's compassion is primarily toward man. The God Christians worship has compassion. Compassion means different things to different people, and compassion comes in many forms. Some of those who say they have compassion for animals do very little for animals. They are sometimes walking contradictions – they have emotional feelings for animals, while they engage in practical behaviors that harm animals and participate unknowingly in activities that cause
Theological Truth #3 – Man Is a Steward over the Animal Kingdom Some criticisms of hunters come from the wrong answer to the question, "Who's in charge of the animal kingdom?" It's a question that underlies many of the attacks on hunters. Those who oppose hunting seem to think that man is not a part of nature. This third theological truth about hunting says that in the Christian view of the world, man has been put in charge of the animals, to care for them and to make sure bo
Theological Truth #2 – “Reverence for Life” is not a Christian Belief Isn't all life sacred? It is a creation of God, so in a sense, yes it is sacred. We do not kill wantonly. We do not kill without a sense of the value of the life being taken. In fact, in the Old Testament the Hebrew people were commanded to kill for sacrifices precisely because life had value. Because God commanded his people to kill for sacrifices, some people think of God as bloodthirsty, but that is not
If you read many hunting stories on the Internet last year, you might have read about a Catholic nun, Sister John Paul Bauer of St. Marys, PA, who shot a nice buck on opening day. Sister JP has taken lots of criticism for it, as you may know. You might even have some questions. "How can a pious person kill an innocent animal?" Well, you don't have to not be a nun to be a legitimate, moral hunter. Nuns can be hunters, just like auto mechanics and attorneys. Lots of hunters, n
This Sunday, November 27, I'll be speaking at the morning service of First Wesleyan Church in Bradford, PA. Really looking forward to it. I was in Bradford today at radio station WESB to be interviewed for the event. It's going to be fun. I'll be speaking on the theology of hunting, and sharing some lessons from a woman in St. Marys, PA, who shot a nice buck last season. She happens to be a Roman Catholic nun, and many people thought heaven would forbid a pious nun from killi
