In the Jan. 24 Readers” Views, a writer states that the Fourth Commandment, “Thou shall not kill,” applies to animals. She herself demonstrates how misunderstood and twisted the meaning of the Bible can become.
Any honest, scholarly rigorous study would show that the use of the word “kill” is a weak English translation for the Greek word for “murder” meaning “premeditated homicide.” Webster”s Dictionary defines “premeditated” as “done with willful, deliberate forethought; planned in advance,” and defines “homicide as “the killing of one human being by another.” The Christ (which by the way translates “the Anointed”) himself says “Thou shall commit no murder,” Matthew 19:18.
Further, the Bible clearly states that clean animals, and birds can be used for people”s food, and yes, deer and others with their “split hooves” are clean animals.
The letter may be, at its best, an attempt to twist the truth of the Bible to push for personal social and political agenda, or, at its very worst, a totally false teaching.
Keith A. Imel
Kelseyville
