Wild Beasts | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Oct 10, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 39.

Wild Beasts.

A statistical paper on India, recently issued, shows that in 1904 there were killed in that country by snakes and wild beasts, 24,034 persons. Of these, 21,880 deaths were by snake-bites; 796 by tigers, 393 by leopards, and the rest by other animals. The number of cattle killed was 48,482. The other side of the account shows that 65,146 snakes and 16,121 wild animals were killed. The suffering of the people of India by snakebite is largely the result of their false worship. Especially in the past, many of the people regarded snakes as sacred, and would not kill one on any account. A missionary of the Salvation Army who lived for several years in native style among the Hindus, found a large serpent in his bungalo one day and unceremoniously killed it. He soon found out that he had aroused the superstition of his neighbors almost to the danger point, because he had slain one of their deities. But they calmed down when they found that no vengeance from the gods fell upon him, and no disaster befell the community. The harboring of 'the serpent' in any form is sure to beget evil, and to worship false gods of any kind must end in disaster. How much better to worship Him who gave His own life to save men's lives. Read Rev. 6:8, last clause.