>The Federal Ethics Committee in Geneva has submitted a report on the dignity of plants. According to a press release, the report “condemned the decapitation of flowers without reason, among other sins.”
According to the members of the committee, plants deserve respect and killing them arbitrarily was morally wrong, except when it comes to saving human life.
A few members of the committee objected to genetic engineering of plants since such action infringes on the plant’s “moral value.”
I believe Christians should be good stewards of God’s creation, but the view proposed by this committee is going too far. Consider “the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven” (Luke 12:28 NET), do they have the moral capacity to say to humans that to use them as fuel for the fire is a sin against them?
We kill trees to make paper, we kill corn to make fuel for cars, we kill soy to make soap for human consumption, and we decapitate roses to make our wives happy.
If allowing plants to die without reason is a sin, should we rescue plants when they are being scorched by the hot sun (Mark 4:6)? Should we try to save plants when they are being killed by other plants (Luke 8:7)? The grass will always wither and the flowers will always fade when the wind of the Lord blows upon them (Isaiah 40:7) and there is nothing we can do about that.
We recognize the dignity of human life and work hard to preserve it. We recognize the worth of animals and abhor animal cruelty. We also appreciate the value of plants because they are part of God’s beautiful creation. However, there is a difference between humans, animals, and plants. Enjoying the beauty of the lilies of the field is one of the joys God has given to his creatures. And picking one of them for their beauty and enjoyment is not a sin against the Creator, much less a sin against the plant.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament 
>Claude,While I realize that the historical Christian response is not the same as that of Jains, who ostensibly value all life equally, but it seems like there is value to life per se, including plants. I think there is also a meaningful distinction between killing and letting die which should be borne in mind for ethical decisions. Also, I would be remiss if I did not point out that humans are animals.-JAK
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>Justin,Christians value all life because they believe that life is a gift from the Creator. Those who appreciate God’s creation also know they are stewards of that creation.However, I do not believe that plants are moral beings. They do not have the capacity for moral decision. Thus, to pick flower for enjoyment cannot be considered a sin againt the flower.Thank you for visiting my web page.Claude MariottiniClaude Mariottini
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>Claude,Is it your contention that non-human animals are moral beings?-JAK
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>Hello,I have a query that perhaps you could answer if you don’t mind?When was the Book of David dropped from issues of the Bible?I am particularly referring to the creation of Eve story that told of the first woman being named Lilith.I would really appreciate an answer to this if you know it.Jac
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>Justin,I apologize for the delay in answering your comment. I am on sabbatical and was out of the office last week.I do not believe that animals are moral beings. Animals cannot make a distinction between good and evil and between right and wrong. Only humans can.Claude Mariottini
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>Jac,I apologize for the delay in answering your comment. I am on sabbatical and was out of the office last week. Here are the answers to your questions:1. There is no Book of David that was removed from the Bible. I am not familiar with any pseudo epigraphic book by that name.2. That the first woman was named Lilith is only a legend. This legend appears in several rabbinic books. In the Old Testament Lilith appears as a night demon.I hope to write a post on Lilith in a month or so. Maybe at that time I can provide some additional answers to your question.Thank you for visiting my blog.Claude Mariottini
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>Claude,No apologies necessary; thank you so much for responding at all.Re: animals and moral worth: Of course, you realize that humans are animals. I suppose you could make the case that humans are a special class amongst animals that can make moral decisions, but you would have a sticky widget indeed if you were discussing babies or the mentally handicapped as making moral decisions. Clearly, they are still human, but if their moral worth is predicated on their ability to make moral decisions, it would seem like they are humans who do not belong in this special class of animals, right? A similar moral calculus might also apply to someone in a coma or vegetative state, as well.-JAK
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>Justin,You have a point with your observations about babies, people in comma, people with mental disability, and those who are in a vegetative state.Although I chose not to make this point in my response to your comment, what makes humans different from animals and plants is that, from a biblical perspective, only humans are created in the image and likeness of God. That alone makes human beings unique because they are more than animals, they are spiritual beings. Babies, people in comma, people with mental disability, and those who are in a vegetative state are still people created in the image and likeness of God.Another difference is that animals and plants are given to humans for food. This make humans distinct from animals and plants.Not many people want to accept the biblical view of the uniqueness of human beings since people believe that evolution is the default understanding for the beginning of life. Once we leave God out of the picture, there is no difference between humans and insects.Claude Mariottini
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>Claude,That makes your position much more clear. Thank you for your time.-JAKP.S. – I know that this is kind of a waste of a post, but I figured it would be more rude to let your response go unacknowledged.
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