What “does not nature itself even teach us” (I Corinthians 11:14)?

[Mike Waters]

I remember a while back, when I was ill, that I had pitched a bed in my downstairs conservatory so that I could look out over my garden.

One day whilst I was thinking how lovely nature was, a ‘homing’ pigeon landed exhausted in my garden and my cat must have thought it was his birthday.
For the next hour or so the cat had the time of his life chasing the exhausted pigeon round the garden, catching it and tearing off, first one wing, then letting it go until it caught it again, and then tearing away at the second.
It repeated this ‘delight’ time and time again, tearing away at different bits until the pigeon finally gave up the ghost, at which time, with no more excitement coming from the ‘chase’, the cat slouched away.

And so I ask, bearing in mind the incredible acts of ‘cruelty’ which abound in ‘nature’, exactly what is it that such ‘cruelty’ teaches us?
We call it cruelty in human terms, but is it really ‘cruelty’ when nature seems to revolve around similar 'cat and mouse acts' happening on a continuous basis?

In such incidents, what really is it that “nature itself even teaches us”?

I’m sure you’ve all got thoughts which I'd like to hear, many of which may well be based around “The fall of man, the curse, and our ultimate redemption” ..... and maybe other aspects of life.

 

[Windmillcharge]

That we have a sence of ' right and wrong' that we think that suffering even in animals is wrong tells us that the world, that ' mother nature ' is imperfect.
This linked to what we see in people and know of ourselves tells us that sin is real and that there is a need for redemption.

 

[Cooper]

I know this might sound harsh, but me thinks maybe the pigeon was near the end of its days. A female dog will do the same if one of its litter is not fully fit. It happens throughout the animal kingdom.

 

[Cooper]

1Co 11:13-15 TLV Judge for yourselves—is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? (14) Doesn’t the natural order of things teach you—if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace for him; (15) but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory, for her hair was given to her as a covering.

About long hair. This is Corinth also known as "Sin City." The temple prostitutes had their heads shaved, so their short hair was an open shame to them. Conversely, for that reason, a woman's long hair was a glory to her.

Now imagine a man with long hair and see if you get my drift.

Now we come to the issue of women having their heads covered in church. The reason for that was because the rich women wore their jewellery in their hair. They were showing off. Now imagine how the poor women would feel. So Paul said for women to cover their heads in church and then all would be equal in the sight of God.

 

[Mike Waters]

I know this might sound harsh, but me thinks maybe the pigeon was near the end of its days. A female dog will do the same if one of its litter is not fully fit. It happens throughout the animal kingdom.

Very true.
When I used to live riverside in Wroxham I particularly noticed it with lame ducks being abandoned.
And BTW welcome to CB from another relatively new member (and a Brit to boot).

 

[Invisibilis]

I know this might sound harsh, but me thinks maybe the pigeon was near the end of its days. A female dog will do the same if one of its litter is not fully fit. It happens throughout the animal kingdom.

That is not necessarily so.

I have seen a greedy chick always stealing the food out of the weakest chick. Also seen the stronger chick push out the weaker chick from the nest, so it can have all the food for itself. The parents were stressed to have lost the weaker chick.

My partner and I sold a litter of German Shepherd (GS) pups. A year later we heard that one of the GS dogs, a female, was regularly beaten by a family member. One of the family asked us to take the dog back. When we went to pick up the dog, called Hun, we discovered that her muzzle was wired shut. The explanation was that the abuser did this because Hun, when she gave birth to a litter, killed all the pups.

We took Hun back home and cared for her until she died from old age. Hun was a dear soul, but whenever she was restricted in any way, such as being put on a chain, she was prepared to attack any man that got near her. But as soon as you take her off the chain, she was peaceful and happy even towards to man she just previously wanted to attack. So we figured that Hun killed the pups to prevent them being cruelly mistreated by the abusing family member.

We also discovered that whenever she would go on heat, she would produce milk. She would find animal toys and other small items to take to her cot and pull them in towards her breasts as if to feed them. She really was a loving dog. Then a few years latter, a neighbor's GS had pups, but her milk was no good for the pups. So we invited these pups to Hun. Within a few days, Hun produced swollen mammary glands full of milk and started feeding the pups. Hun was a great wet nurse and mother to the pups.

So, what I am saying, is that animals do have their reasons which humans may not understand. Also, some animal are mentally disordered _ just like humans are. Not all animals, and humans, are sound in mind.
To get a better understanding of an animal is to think like them. To many animal owners expect the animal to think like a human. The most intelligent dogs often resemble the average intelligence of a 3-4 year old human. They have feelings, reasoning, cunning, love, anger, depression, fear, etc. If you talk to them from your heart, they can understand your intent, often better than humans.

 

[Cooper]

That is beautiful invisible, I have tears in my eyes.