No doubt many of you are aware of the SeaWorld tragedy last month where, during a live performance, a killer whale jumped out of the water and pulled a female trainer into the tank.  According to eyewitness accounts, the 12,000-pound beast shook Dawn Brancheau so violently that she died as a result of the trauma.  “Tilikum”, as the whale is known, had to be lured into a smaller tank before Ms. Brancheau could be pulled from the whale’s jaws.

According to spokesmen for SeaWorld, the park has no intention of euthanizing the whale.  In this decision the park has sent a message of extraordinary significance: animal life is no less valuable than human life.  Never mind the fact that video confirms eyewitness accounts of the incident and that this marks the third death with which “Tilly” has been associated, the whale will not only live, but will also perform again.

Because our notions of justice, human and animal life, the existence of the soul, and most of all, God, have been so degraded by a western culture that has slipped its moorings, what I say next will be jarring to some of you—

The whale should have been dead by the end of day on which the incident occurred.

From a biblical perspective, human life is infinitely more valuable than that of an animal because man is made in the image of God.  It is why the Mosaic Law directed that animals causing harm to people should be immediately destroyed.  It is this concept of human dignity and significance that has informed our culture for millennia, but is now being discarded.  Yes, we now live in a country where you can kill your unborn child with taxpayer assistance and go to jail and face hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for killing an eagle.

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.” (Romans 1:25)  When did the Apostle Paul write that?  Was it in the first century or last month?