Animal pain vs. human pain, physiology, and God

I recently found an excellent material in regards to the pain issue and how man/animals mentally process pain. Most of the information appears to come from an article by Dr. James D. Rose, Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, titled "Do Fish Feel Pain?," In Fisherman, December, 1999.


Here it is:

Animal pain and God

http://www.doesgodexist.org/JanFeb01/Anima...ueltyOfGod.html


Here is the article by Dr. Rose alluded to before:

Do Fish Feel Pain?
By Dr. James D. Rose, University of Wyoming
http://www.cotrout.org/do_fish_feel_pain.htm


I also offer:

Debating the question of whether or not fish feel pain
http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2005/03/01/93486.php

Can animals feel pain? by Lynne U Sneddon
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/pain/microsite/culture2.html





Here are the previous articles I cited in another thread that are more general articles on the subject of animal pain and the existence of God:


How Will Lions Eat Straw Like the Ox?
http://www.rae.org/catlover.html

Does the savagery of predation in nature show that God either isn't, or at least isn't good-hearted? Part 1
http://www.christian-thinktank.com/pred1.html

Does the savagery of predation in nature show that God either isn't, or at least isn't good-hearted? Part 2
http://www.christian-thinktank.com/pred3.html

First Thoughts on an “Animal Theodicy”
http://www.kingsley.vic.edu.au/glenobrien/Animaltheodicy.htm

Lions and the Bible
http://www.adam.com.au/bstett/BLions87.htm

ADDENDUM


Someone recently posed some questions to me regarding this subject. I did some additional research.

Here is what I found:


RE: WHY DID GOD CREATE MOSQUITOS

I lived in NY for most of my life. However, when I moved to MN, the land of 10,000 lakes, I wondered a few times more why God created the mosquito. It was a mystery to me.

Now if I wanted to be a wise guy I would say God made mosquitos to make flies look good. (I just found this joke while research the question of mosquitos/God. ).


But here is a more sober answer:

I believe that the Torah shows signs of definite divine inspiration when it comes to the animal kingdom.

I cite the work done by John Hopkins researcher, David Macht:

Mosaic Dietary Code Shows Divine Intelligence
http://www.christian-forum.net/index.php?showtopic=579


So the question should be does the Torah give any clues regarding the existence of the mosquito? I believe it does.



Here is what the Torah says:




QUOTE
Gen 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou [art] cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:


Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.


Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.



Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life;


Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;


Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return.


Please note: It appears as if only female mosquitos draw blood and male mosquitos feed on nectar from flowers (see: http://www.msun.edu/stuaffairs/health/westnile.htm ).


Please note: It appears as if only female mosquitos draw blood and male mosquitos feed on nectar from flowers (see: http://www.msun.edu/stuaffairs/health/westnile.htm ).


SNAKES HAD LEGS?


First here is something interesting about the above verses:


QUOTE
In 1997 a fossilized snake was discovered with fully developed hind legs, confirming the biblical account in Genesis that snakes originally had legs.

taken from: http://www.pytlik.com/observe/deliverus/word-03.html





SNAKES EAT DIRT?

Here is another interesting thing about those verses:

Snakes do east dust! by Carl Wieland
http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v10/i4/snakes.asp

I also cite:


QUOTE
Speaking of the "tasting" ability of snakes, Dr. William R. Teska, a biology professor at Furman University who specializes in snakes informed me that snakes "taste" both dirt and air to navigate.

taken from: http://www.tektonics.org/parody/babinski1.html





Although I do not agree with all of this websites commentary here is another take on the matter:

Is Genesis Wrong About Snakes Eating Dirt? James Patrick Holding
http://www.tektonics.org/qt/snakedirt.html





So it appears as if nature definitely did change after the fall given the serpent/thistle verses.


Although I am not a Seventh Day Adventist and think there theology is errant in many places, here is solution based on some additional information I just found and it appears on a Adventist website:


QUOTE
Then suddenly after 30 years I realised the mosquito was probably like that New Zealand bird. The mosquito's stinger was probably used to extract its food from a plant -- a plant we've now made extinct. Without its food supply, the mosquito started stinging animals to get their blood as an alternate food supply.

taken from: http://www.tagnet.org/adventist.fm/articles/mossie.htm






Re: flies

Why did God make flies?
http://www.discoverymagazine.com/digger/d93dd/d9309dda.html


Here is another take on this matter:



QUOTE
As to why God made flies we could only surmise since we are not told, but this we do know that maggots are the larva of the fly and these play a major role in disposing decaying matter. They are a part of nature's disposal system. Maggots along with buzzards help get rid of decaying carcasses which aids the environment by preventing pollution and spread of diseases.
http://www.studythebible.com/question/topics/god.htm






This of course raises the question of whether animals died before the fall of man. Did they? I don't know.


Here is a person who did considerable research on the question "Why did God make flies?:



QUOTE
I like to use the essay "Why God Made Flies" by Richard Conniff, as an illustration of this. The idea for the essay arose from watching a fly buzz around a glass of beer. From there, Conniff interviewed biologists and researched American history in order to not only answer his thesis but also to present a varied and wide-ranging paper.

taken from: http://writing.fsu.edu/fyw/tguide/p3/part3f.htm







If one wants to order his essay and find out the various purposes of flies you can go here:

http://www.ablongman.com/catalog/academic/...224-TOC,00.html

(I have not read his essay and if it endorses the macroevolutionary hypothesis I do not endorse his views on this matter. See: Evidence for creationism at: http://www.christian-forum.net/index.php?showtopic=180 )




RE: Viruses/bacteria

I do not have specialized knowledge on viruses but here is a man I have corresponded with who has 3 PHDs:


Did God Make Pathogenic Viruses? Jerry Bergman, Ph.D.
http://www.trueorigin.org/virus.asp



RE: protist/fungi

I am guessing the same scenario given in the virus/bacteria commentary




RE: predators (sabre tooth tiger, T-Rex, etc


See previously given information in this thread