Beatin' Dogs and Spankin' Kids

Is it OK to put a man in prison for killing a dog?

Is it OK to penalize a person by law for spanking their kids?

Certainly the case could be made for either side, but really only one opinion matters, that's the opinion of God.

Proverbs 22:15 (New King James Version)

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.

Would the animal rights activists have us chastise King David for cruelty to animals?

2 Samuel 8:4

David took from him one thousand chariots, seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Also David hamstrung all the chariot horses, except that he spared enough of them for one hundred chariots.

In case you don't know what hamstrung means....

tr.v. ham·strung (-strng), ham·string·ing, ham·strings
1. To cut the hamstring of (an animal or a person) and thereby cripple.
2. To destroy or hinder the efficiency of; frustrate: "These worthwhile books are often hamstrung by unimaginative formats and inaccurate art" Don Lessem.

Society in general was aware that these horses were under the dominion of man. It is David's decision what to do with the horses. Was it the wisest choice? Maybe not. Should he go to prison for it? Well, world history would be drastically different today if he had.

BTJ

P.S. Check out the article "Human Rights are for Human Beings" for further reading.