The Spirit of Noah is Alive in Migrating Birds
Summary: Geese migrate thousands of miles through harsh weather to lay eggs and ensure their species survives, yet some are shot for sport, not necessity. The article condemns such killing as inhumane and argues that humans must restrain their destructive impulses toward wildlife. Drawing on the story of Noah’s flood, it suggests a moral warning against harming animals and criticizes religious beliefs that justify domination over nature. It also links human greed to ecological collapse, citing severe losses in marine life, and urges people to spare migratory birds and choose compassion.
The Long Trial of Migration
During their fall migration from North to South, geese travel thousands of miles, enduring the wintry North so they can lay eggs, hatch their young, and survive.
There is a documentary film about their journey, Winged Migration, which shows how they face the worst storms and dangers, flying through freezing winds, across rough and inhospitable oceans, and over snow-clad mountains—only to reach the U.S. coast, where a few people with long rifles shoot them down as if it were target practice.
When Survival Becomes Target Practice
They seem to enjoy it and take pride in their marksmanship. They show no sign of remorse or guilt for the violence they inflict on unsuspecting birds. It is easier to shoot when birds fly in a flock; even if a shooter misses his aim, he is likely to hit another.
It is not that those people are hungry or need the meat of migrating birds to satisfy their hunger. It appears, rather, that they do it for fun—an opportunity to prove their hunting skills or brag about their catch. This is not an argument about whether one should be allowed to keep guns; that is an entirely different matter, with its own justifications for and against.
This is about the need to show humanity—to understand how amazing and mysterious the ways of migratory birds are, and how important it is for us to support their passage with appreciation and compassion. We have destroyed enough wildlife. It is time to draw the line and restrain the hunting spirit in us. At the very least, we must do it for the future of the Earth and the future of humanity.
Noah’s Ark and the Moral of Mercy
When I watch such incidents, I cannot help wondering why the Biblical God of the Old Testament wanted to end the human race on earth but spared the birds and animals. According to the legend, God was so angered by human wickedness that he decided to destroy them all by unleashing a great flood. He appeared to Noah in a dream and instructed him to build a huge ship and carry all the birds and animals with him to safety. He also told him to ensure that his children would not marry or produce any more children; if they did, he should sacrifice the newborn and prevent any further possibility of the human race continuing.
Eventually, as we know, when the floods came, Noah carried the birds and animals onto the huge ship he had built for that purpose, along with his family. Along the way, one of his sons disobeyed the instruction and impregnated his wife. Noah wanted to kill his grandchildren as per God’s orders, but compassion overcame him and he spared them. Thereby, by disobeying God at his discretion, he saved humanity. So goes the story.
We do not know whether it is a true story. However, an important moral is hidden in it: God does not like humans killing animals. If he had to choose between humans and animals, he would probably choose the latter, since they do less damage to the world and display far less wickedness.
Considering how many people take to hunting and treat it as a sport rather than a necessity, the message of Noah’s legend has evidently left little impact on them, even though they practice their faith with great zeal.
Many of them believe in end-of-the-world predictions and eagerly await the world’s destruction, yet care little about the lives of other living beings, because it is deeply ingrained in their minds that there will be no resurrection for animals, since they believe animals do not possess souls.
The Abrahamic religions are, in large part, responsible for the destruction of Nature on earth, since their beliefs give people a license to kill animals—for hunting, for fun, or for food.
During their colonial occupation, the British wiped out much of the wildlife in the forests of India. They repeated the same in Africa and elsewhere, as did other European powers that held colonies.
Nature’s Breaking Point—and Our Choice
The indiscriminate destruction of life, both on land and in the seas, continued unabated after the Second World War, and it goes on even today. While we are not sure of any positive gains from the destruction of wildlife, on the negative side we certainly know that it endangers life on earth and disrupts the ecosystems vital to our own survival.
Human beings cannot extinguish all other life forms and expect to live alone. The earth is like a ship on the waters of existence: you cannot poke holes in it and expect to survive. The oceans have lost nearly 60% of their marine life.
Whatever remains may not last long, as our greed and appetite remain unabated. When the oceans lose their living wealth, they cannot support life. They become polluted beyond repair and eventually turn lifeless and inhospitable to human existence.
Symbolically, migratory birds represent the will, determination, and tenacity of Noah. In their frail bodies, they cross oceans for thousands of miles to ensure that their species and progeny survive and that their existence continues.
Truly, each migratory bird is a flying ship—an ark—that carries life in its little body for thousands of miles to distant shores, preserving life and ensuring the continuity of its species.
Let us not kill them as if we were starving for food. For our consumption, we can raise farm animals and birds in whatever numbers we need; we have the knowledge and technology. Therefore, let us spare those beautiful creations of God. We should not kill animals or birds that are Nature’s children and God’s wonderful creations. Let us stop being soulless hunters and start being human.