The critic though might not be entirely satisfied with my response to the arguments against hunting for the Christian in my previous entry. There are several more arguments to be considered that Christians who oppose hunting make.
Some argue that hunting is an example of the vice of greed. Look to history and we can see example after example of species being over-hunted to the point of extinction. It is only by bringing significant pressure to bear, and with the use of the coercive power of the state, that these excesses can be mitigated. Christians are called to be stewards of creation. Therefore, they should be among those who seek bring pressure to bear against hunting, and advocate for strong laws, to mitigate against the excesses of those who do hunt. They therefore should not be hunting themselves.
Furthermore, there are those who argue that hunting is destructive. Christians are not called to be destructive of nature, but to nurture it and preserve it. Therefore, they argue, Christians should not hunt. Some argue that hunting is offensive to God. It is self evident, after all, that God loves his creation, and his creatures. Deer are smart, but even if they weren't, they would still be loved by God. They are beautiful. Therefore respect for God's creation means having respect for the deer. Ho can we respect them and hunt them? Aren't the two goals mutually exclusive? Therefore, Christians ought not hunt.
But the truth is that it is hunters (and re-population efforts supported by them) that brought White Tail deer back to my area of the country after they were virtually extinct. Since hunting and tagging have started, populations continue to thrive. If hunting contributes to a healthy population, how can it be wrong for a Christian to do so? It is not greed to participate in an activity that helps us steward creation and bring populations back from the brink and then keep them at sustainable levels, nor is it destructive to do so.
Anyone who hunts a species to extinction or takes more than they legally are allowed to take is indeed guilty of the vice of greed. Yet tag systems take care of this problem, and in fact enable hunters to harvest deer in a responsible sustainable way that benefits the entire herd. I am not saying the government necessarily needs to be involved. I can easily imagine private agencies (akin to accrediting agencies for example) taking over the task of regulating our herds of game and doing a better (and cheaper!) job. Yet, so long as we work with the legitimate authority to make sure we are not over-harvesting, we are, in fact, doing the herd a service by keeping populations sustainable given their amount of habitat. Therefore, hunting legally is not greed.
Responsible hunting makes for a healthier deer herd, not the opposite, and therefore responsible hunting is not destructive.
If it is true that responsible hunting keeps herds sustainable, and healthy, then the dual goals of respecting the deer, and hunting them, are not mutually exclusive. Since we can hunt, and respect God's creation, hunting is not disrespectful of His creation.
Therefore the Christian hunter can pray as Father Pacwa suggests:
Prayer for honest hunt
Lord, may I make an honest count of game, respecting the legal limits of game in order to preserve the balance of life and death among the animals. May I so love the truth that I always give an honest recounting of the hunting stories while keeping them interesting to my friends. May I also listen to my friends’ stories with enjoyment and without envy.
Prayer against selfishness
Lord, I do not need to take every animal in the forest, nor must I take the best or nothing. Guide me to seek the best and to accept what I get. May I never take more than my limit and let me always help maintain the balance of nature in relationship to the environment and the numbers of animals there. Keep me aware of the needs and desires of other hunters while I always try to hunt at my own best skill.
Father Mitch Pacwa
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