What is a bat?

Question

Okay, this is a stupid question, but, is bat considered a bird?

Paco2004 · Accepted Answer

I, as a Buddhist, believe the bat is not a bird but a mammal, but, if you are a Christian, you might be allowed to believe the bat is a bird, because the Holy Bible classifies the bat as a bird you cannot eat.

"These, moreover, you shall detest among the birds; they are abhorrent, not to be eaten: the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard, and the kite and the falcon in its kind, every raven in its kind, and the ostrich and the owl and the sea gull and the hawk in its kind, and the little owl and the cormorant and the great owl, and the white owl and the pelican and the carrion vulture, and the stork, the heron in its kinds, and the hoopoe, and the bat." (Leviticus 11)

paco

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I guess it's a question of definitions. Here's a little more discussion, from http://www.carm.org/diff/Lev_11_19.htm

The Bible is not meant to be a scientific description of modern biological categories. Instead, it is often written from the perspective of what we see. In other words, it makes generic categorizations. In this case, the bat is categorized as a bird because like birds, it flies and is similar in size to most birds. If we did not know that it was a mammal, it would be natural to call it a bird. To the Hebrew of ancient times, calling it a bird was perfectly logical. But, in modern times with our science of being able to categorize animal species, we know that the bat is actually a mammal and not a bird.
Also, we must be aware that it is modern science that has a different classification system than ancient times. To the ancients, creatures such as a bat were considered birds since they categorized all flying animals as birds. If that is the category that they used, then they were correct. (although ostriches don't fly - Clive) It is not an error. It is a difference of categorization procedures. The critic has imposed upon the ancient text a modern system of categorization and then said that the Bible is wrong. (However, Paco didn't say it was wrong)

Best wishes, Clive

What is a bat?

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