> God is The Creator. God is Life-giver.
>
> Our world is part of that Creation.
>
> Why is it that a world was created in which a life sustains
> itself only by feeding on another life?
[see the major new piece on Predation in Nature...]
Couple of points here:
1. God hasn't told us much about WHY the universe is the way it is...so, in these kinds of matters, we are speculating (e.g. guessing!) altogether
2. We do know that the biblical definition of 'life' has two components in it: (1) "breath" (Gen 1.30: And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground -- everything that has the breath of life in it -- I give every green plant for food." ) and (2) "blood" (Lev 17.11: For the life of a creature is in the blood)...ACCORDINGLY, materials things without breath/some type of blood are NOT alive (e.g. plants)
3. Originally, before evil and its consequences came into our history, humans and animals were strictly vegetarian (Gen 1.30ff); after the Flood, mankind was given this additional source of protein (Gen 8), but he was ONLY allowed to eat it when the BLOOD WAS DRAINED OUT OF IT...humans were NOT allowed to 'feed on the life'--only on the body. (this MAY have been a short-term need to compensate for the loss of the UV filter that the water canopy 'above the earth' provided. When the 'heavens broke up' and the water poured down, the thermal blanket that made the earth a sweet and temperate and shielded 'greenhouse' was gone. Perhaps this necessitated additional protein? (speculation, remember)
4. At the end of history, when we get a new heavens and earth, and the lion lays down with the lamb, we may be restored to this original condition.
5. Purely spiritual beings (i.e. God and angels) are alive, but do not consume ANYTHING (although they apparently can eat if they so choose--Gen 18)
6. In spite of our lack of data, we do have reason to believe that God cares for his creatures, and that He--as the true decider of our lifespans--makes good and loving decisions about us AND the animal world (Ps 36.6; Ps 104)
7. God DOES value human life above animal life. According to Jesus, we are worth more than sparrows (Mt 10 and parallels), and more valuable than sheep (Mt 12.12)...
Hope this data is of some use to you...
glenn