{"id":37437,"date":"2025-09-01T13:24:49","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T18:24:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/?p=37437"},"modified":"2025-10-02T13:44:59","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T18:44:59","slug":"does-evil-behavior-in-the-animal-kingdom-disprove-creation-by-a-good-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/does-evil-behavior-in-the-animal-kingdom-disprove-creation-by-a-good-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Does \u201cEvil\u201d Behavior in the Animal Kingdom Disprove Creation by a Good God?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

According to Darwinian evolution, all species evolved from previous species, beginning with a single-celled organism. As new species emerged, \u201csurvival of the fittest\u201d took over\u2014the selfish tooth-and-claw battle for survival. Morality, according to naturalistic evolutionists, is a purely human <\/strong>construct.1<\/sup><\/a> It did not (and could not) have evolved from non-living substances. It only exists in the minds of humans, and right and wrong are purely man\u2019s opinion. Right and wrong, therefore, did not exist<\/strong> until humans created them. There is no objective right and wrong that is above humanity. Murder, rape, theft, kidnapping\u2014all \u201cimmoral\u201d behavior cannot be said to be inherently wrong if Darwinian evolution is true. Biblical creationists, of course, argue that objective<\/strong> morality does, in fact, exist and that it is defined by God<\/strong>, not humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naturalistic evolutionists sometimes respond by arguing that, while evolution (namely, \u201csurvival of the fittest\u201d) can explain natural evil,2<\/sup><\/a> if an all-good God designed the Universe, why would there be cases of \u201cnatural\/biological evil\u201d\u2014that is, \u201cevil\u201d practices in the non-human world? Many creatures do seemingly terrible things. Oxford University evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins highlighted that, \u201cThe total amount of suffering per year in the natural world is beyond all decent contemplation. During the minute it takes me to compose this sentence, thousands of animals are being eaten alive; others are running for their lives, whimpering with fear; others are being slowly devoured from within by rasping parasites; thousands of all kinds are dying of starvation, thirst and disease.\u201d3<\/sup><\/a> The late Harvard paleontologist, Stephen Jay Gould, stated, \u201cIf God is benevolent and the Creation displays his \u2018power, wisdom and goodness,\u2019 then why are we surrounded with pain, suffering, and apparently senseless cruelty in the animal world?\u201d4<\/sup><\/a> Animals do things that humans would consider barbaric and wicked. In the case of certain microorganisms (e.g., phagocytes), sometimes their only function seems to be to do terrible things to other living things. That seems to be all they were designed<\/strong> to do! The sea otter sometimes rapes-to-death juvenile harbor seals. The female black widow spider engages in sexual cannibalism, eating the male black widow after mating. The Emerald cockroach wasp stings a cockroach and implants an egg in it. The cockroach then stays alive as the wasp hatches and eats its way out of the cockroach. In some instances, mother bears, felines, canids, primates, various rodents, insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds have all been known to eat their offspring. Many primates engage in homosexual behavior. Venom and poison exist; viruses and diseases exist. How can the Creator be good if He designed such creatures? And why would He then proceed to call such behavior \u201cevil\u201d when humans engage in the same things, considering the fact that He actually designed other living things to do those very things? Is not such behavior hypocritical? How do creationists explain \u201cnatural evil\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, keep in mind that, according to Scripture, the Earth and its inhabitants are not the same today as they were originally, when God made them. Women go through more pain in childbirth (5:293:16). Plants have changed (Genesis 3:17-18). Animals have changed: all land creatures were originally created to eat only plants, for instance, according to Genesis 1:29-30. The injection of thorns and thistles among plants (Genesis 3:17-18) no doubt affected the dietary behaviors of animals. \u201cThe serpent\u201d was cursed to crawl on its belly (Genesis 3:14), possibly referring to all serpents, not merely Eve\u2019s unique tempter. Humans could no longer live forever by having access to the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:19,22). What has happened to effect such seemingly negative changes? Why does \u201cnatural evil\u201d exist in the animal kingdom?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five Reasonable Explanations for \u201cNatural Evil\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1) Genetic Degeneration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Creation biologists are well aware of so-called biological \u201cevil\u201d5<\/sup><\/a> and spend time studying it as well as presenting and writing about it in Bible-based, peer-reviewed science journals and conferences, tracking down what could be going on in each case.6<\/sup><\/a> In some cases, such behaviors are the result of genetic degeneration\u2014that is, a creature\u2019s genome mutating over time, causing the creature no longer to behave in the exact manner it was designed by God to behave (e.g., sickle-cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, the Ebola virus7<\/sup><\/a>, and venom).8<\/sup><\/a> The Universe is decaying in keeping with the Second Law of Thermodynamics\u2014the genome included.9<\/sup><\/a> As the psalmist said, the Universe and the Earth are growing old like a garment (Psalm 102:25-26). They are changing and degenerating. Genetic entropy could have changed the behaviors of various creatures over time from the ways they were originally created to behave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Habitat Displacement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In some cases, such behavior could be the result of creatures being displaced from the ideal environment they were designed to inhabit, causing them to behave differently\u2014to react differently to their new environment than they would in their original habitat.10<\/sup><\/a> Perhaps their original environment no longer exists. The Flood, a natural disaster, or even human activity, could have destroyed their originally designed ecosystem. Perhaps over time a creature was forced to migrate to a different habitat in search of food. If the creature\u2019s new habitat had other stimuli than those of its designed habitat (e.g., different climate, animals, or plants), the creature would naturally respond differently. Once again, animals are not exactly the same as they were when they were created and placed on the Earth. When Genesis 9:2 states that, after the Flood, animals would begin to fear humans, Moses may have been alluding to the impact that the radically different post-Flood Earth would have on animals. After all, \u201cthe world that then existed [i.e., before the Flood\u2014JM] perished<\/strong>, being flooded with water\u201d (2 Peter 3:6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) Offspring Diversification<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In some cases, seemingly natural evil could come about due to diversification. This explanation refers to the change that has occurred in animal varieties as they have diversified over time due, for example, to the genetic potential that God built into the genomes of all living creatures (e.g., Genesis 30:37-39). In other words, in some cases, God did not directly create an animal initially with the behaviors that we witness today. Instead, as living creatures of the Earth have reproduced within their kinds (Genesis 1:24), new varieties within the originally created designs have emerged (e.g., domestic dogs came from wolves, and dozens of domestic dog breeds have since come from the original domestic dogs). As breeding occurs, new behaviors sometimes accompany the new varieties (e.g., compare the innate behavioral differences between dogs such as Pit bulls and Labradors).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4) Human Disobedience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In many cases, examples of \u201cnatural evil\u201d could point back to what occurred in Genesis 3. According to verses 17-19, Adam\u2019s sin in the Garden of Eden caused God to punish man by directly cursing the Earth in a way that created difficulty for Adam in providing for his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Then to Adam He said, \u201cBecause you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, \u2018You shall not eat of it\u2019: Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Eating, which was once easy\u2014reaching up and grabbing fruit from trees\u2014would now require sweat. The ground across the planet was apparently then populated with thorns and thistles due to God\u2019s cursing it (see Genesis 5:29)11<\/sup><\/a>, possibly affecting the diets of animals, since many plants would have become difficult to eat. Again, \u201cthe serpent\u201d was forced to move on its belly. Genesis 6:12 could be referring, in part, to changes in the animal kingdom initiated by the curse: by the time of the Flood \u201call flesh had corrupted their way on the Earth\u201d\u2014which, according to verse 19, may be referring to animals as well as humans. Whether they negatively changed because of God\u2019s activity in the curse or due to their interactions with humans (e.g., from special breeding or mistreatment), human disobedience has no doubt been at the root of many cases of \u201cbiological evil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who could know, other than God, what all was directly affected by the curse He brought about on the Earth due to the sin of Adam and Eve? Who could know, besides God, what changes He directly initiated in \u201cevery beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea\u201d after the Flood, causing them to \u201cfear\u201d and \u201cdread\u201d humans (Genesis 9:2)? Were genetic \u201cswitches\u201d flipped by God that activated or deactivated certain genes that affected animal behavior? Were certain epigenetic behaviors initiated? Regardless, punishment for the wicked behavior in which all men participate (Romans 3:23) is loving,12<\/sup><\/a> just,13<\/sup><\/a> and even helpful (e.g., Hebrews 12:5-11; Psalm 119:6714<\/sup><\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5) Original Design<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Creationists also do not deny the possibility that, in some cases, a supposed \u201cevil\u201d behavior among the animals could come down to original design. In fact, in one way or another\u2014be it due to God directly cursing the Earth as fair punishment on men or the indirect effects of His actions (or inactions) in the past (e.g., by creating\/allowing entropy\/degeneration and diversification, and causing\/allowing displacement)\u2014God is in some way \u201cresponsible\u201d for \u201cnatural evil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what is \u201cevil\u201d? Who defines what constitutes \u201cevil,\u201d and is \u201cnatural evil\u201d really \u201cmoral evil\u201d in that sense? From a biblical perspective, what is considered \u201cevil\u201d or \u201cgood\u201d is defined by God (and only God) and, in essence, their definitions come down to disobedience or obedience to God\u2019s instructions, respectively.15<\/sup><\/a> One may not like God\u2019s definition of \u201cevil,\u201d but one cannot charge Him with evil actions unless those actions are defined as evil by God. Is \u201cnatural evil\u201d really \u201cevil\u201d in God\u2019s sight?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Murder<\/strong> is moral \u201cevil\u201d in God\u2019s sight\u2014He defines it to be so (e.g., Galatians 5:21). However, killing<\/strong> is not inherently wrong.16<\/sup><\/a> It is wrong when it involves the murder of a human, but it is not wrong when it involves human death carried out by man (or God) as God-endorsed capital punishment.17<\/sup><\/a> Killing is not evil when it is enacted on animals by humans for food (Genesis 9:3; Acts 10:13), clothing (note that God, Himself, used animal skin to make clothes for Adam and Eve\u2014Genesis 3:21) or, before the Christian age, sacrifice. Nor is it moral evil in God\u2019s sight when animals kill one another<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As evidence that animals killing other animals is not inherently \u201cevil\u201d in God\u2019s sight, consider the fact that animals apparently were able to die from the beginning (e.g., from killing one another)\u2014before the first sin.18<\/sup><\/a> Since only those who ate from the Tree of Life could live forever (Genesis 3:22-24), all those who did not partake would eventually die. Animals\u2019 ability to die was apparently part of God\u2019s original design. So, some creatures could have been designed to do things to other living creatures that humans cannot do since, unlike animals, humans are moral<\/strong> creatures made in the image of God<\/strong> (Genesis 1:26-27).19<\/sup><\/a> Unlike evolutionary thinking, humans are different. We are not merely \u201cnaked apes.\u201d Humans have been given commands by God that animals were not given\u2014commands that, if disobeyed, are defined by God as \u201cevil.\u201d Animals were not created with souls20<\/sup><\/a> or free will and, therefore, are not capable of engaging in evil behavior in the way humans can. Animals are no more accountable to God for their instinctual behavior than would be a malfunctioning robot. Animals will not be in hell, in spite of the fact that they \u201cmurder\u201d and \u201cfornicate\u201d regularly. The fact that humans were made in the image of God, having souls, free will, and a sense of right and wrong, instead of mere instinct, makes humans of \u201cmore value\u201d than the animals, as Jesus highlighted in Matthew 6:26-30, Matthew 10:31, and Matthew 12:12. Bottom line: \u201cnatural evil\u201d is not really moral evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But why<\/strong> might God have intentionally designed<\/strong> some creatures to behave in ways that would be evil if humans did the same things? First, obviously, if an animal was actually designed<\/strong> to behave a certain way, it would be purposeful<\/strong> to God. So, there would be a good reason for it. When we consider that the purpose of the Universe is to provide a place that would be ideal for preparing human souls for the afterlife<\/em>,21<\/sup><\/a> it opens our minds to possible reasons for those God-engineered designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example: is it true that seeing certain behaviors in the animal kingdom can be instructive<\/strong> to humans? Whether a behavior serves as a warning to humans about what a society can look like if we fail to rise above the carnal instincts of the animals, an inspiration to humans about how to behave to have a better life, or an incessant prompt causing us to long for and pursue entrance into that Land where there is no pain, tears, darkness, or death (Revelation 21:4,25), animal behavior can be instructive to humans. No wonder that, repeatedly throughout Scripture, God encourages us to look at His creation to see things He wants us to learn (e.g., Psalm 111:2; Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20)\u2014from Job 38-41 to Proverbs 30 to Jesus\u2019 teachings in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, and dozens of other examples.22<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bottom line: there are reasonable explanations for so called \u201cnatural evil\u201d in the animal kingdom that prove God is not guilty of moral evil\u2014nor are animals. Humans, on the other hand, are<\/strong> guilty of real evil (Romans 3:23), and there are real consequences for that behavior. Attempting to sidestep that truth and reject God, by erroneously charging Him with immoral or hypocritical behavior, will not save a person from his inevitable fate. The payment for moral evil is physical and spiritual death (Romans 5:12)\u2014the eternal separation from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; 2 Thessalonians 1:9) of all humans who fail to take advantage of God\u2019s gift of life, granted only to those who are in Christ<\/strong> (Romans 6:23). Are you in Christ?23<\/sup><\/a> Contact us at Apologetics Press if we can help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Endnotes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1<\/sup><\/a> Charles Darwin (1958), The Autobiography of Charles Darwin<\/em>, ed. Nora Barlow (New York: W.W. Norton), p. 94; Richard Dawkins (2006), The God Delusion<\/em> (New York: Houghton Mifflin), p. 301; William Provine (1998), \u201cEvolution: Free Will and Punishment and Meaning in Life,\u201d http:\/\/eeb.bio.utk.edu\/darwin\/DarwinDayProvineAddress.htm; Richard Dawkins (1989), The Selfish Gene <\/em>(Oxford: Oxford University Press), pp. 2-3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2<\/sup><\/a> In truth, evolution cannot explain the origin of living creatures at all, much less cases of \u201cnatural evil\u201d within the animal kingdom. See Jeff Miller (2017), Science vs. Evolution<\/em> (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press); Jeff Miller (2024), \u201c4 Reasons to Believe Evolution Is Not True,\u201d Reason & Revelation<\/em>, 44[8]:2-11, August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3<\/sup><\/a> Richard Dawkins (1995), River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life<\/em> (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson), pp. 131-132.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4<\/sup><\/a> Stephen Jay Gould (1982), \u201cNonmoral Nature,\u201d Natural History<\/em>, 91[2]:19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5<\/sup><\/a> Todd Charles Wood and Megan J. Murray (2003), Understanding the Pattern of Life<\/em> (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman), pp. 154-167; Paul Garner (2009), The New Creationism <\/em>(Louisville, KY: Evangelical Press), pp. 161-162; Kurt P. Wise (2002), Faith, Form, and Time<\/em> (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman), pp. 161-162,166; Kurt P. Wise (2018), Devotional Biology: Learning to Worship the Creator of Organisms<\/em> (Nashville, TN: Compass Classroom), pp. 109-114.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6<\/sup><\/a> E.g., J. Francis (2022), \u201cA Creationist Perspective of the Human Virome and Origin of Viral Pathology,\u201d Journal of Creation Theology and Science Series B: Life Sciences<\/em>, 12:1-10; A.S. Rhodes, M.G. Wentley, and J.D. Blaschke (2020), \u201cEvidence for a Recent Transition into Parasitism within four Phyla of Marine Animals,\u201d Journal of Creation Theology and Science Series B: Life Sciences<\/em>, 10:1-8; M.G. Wentley, A.S. Rhodes, and J.D. Blaschke (2020), \u201cCommunity, Autonomy, and the Emergence of Parasitism,\u201d Journal of Creation Theology and Science Series B: Life Sciences<\/em>, 10:1-8; J. Blaschke (2018), \u201cToward a Young-Earth Model of Parasite Evolution,\u201d Journal of Creation Theology and Science Series B: Life Sciences<\/em>, 8:1-5; J. Blaschke (2014), \u201cAncestral State Reconstruction as a New Method for Identifying Baramins of Pathogens and Parasites,\u201d Journal of Creation Theology and Science Series B: Life Sciences<\/em>, 4:23-30; Joseph W. Francis and Todd C. Wood (2013), \u201cA Creationist Perspective on the Origin of Pathogenic Vibrio Cholerae and Vibrio Cholerae Toxin (CT),\u201d Proceedings of the International Conference on Creationism<\/em>, Vol. 7, Article 29; Joseph W. Francis (2003), \u201cThe Organosubstrate of Life: A Creationist Perspective of Microbes and Viruses,\u201d Proceedings of the International Conference on Creationism<\/em>, Vol. 5, Article 40.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7<\/sup><\/a> Wood and Murray, p. 162.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8<\/sup><\/a> Garner, p. 161; Jeffrey P. Tomkins (2015), \u201cSnake Venom, Genetic Entropy, and Adam\u2019s Curse,\u201d Acts & Facts<\/em>, https:\/\/www.icr.org\/article\/snake-venom-genetic-entropy-adams-curse<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9<\/sup><\/a> J.C. Sanford (2008), Genetic Entropy & the Mystery of the Genome<\/em> (Waterloo, NY: FMS Publications).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10<\/sup><\/a> E.g., gut bacteria (Garner, p. 161).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11<\/sup><\/a> Is it possible that the rest of the Earth outside of the Garden was already populated with thorns, thistles, and other negative aspects and that Adam and Eve simply did not have to experience those effects since they were in the Garden (i.e., that the \u201ccurse\u201d was merely their being forced from the Garden to experience those effects)? Genesis 3:17 explicitly states that the ground was cursed by God due to the sin of Adam and Eve (not because of its original created state). Genesis 5:29 further verifies the fact that God actually changed the nature of the Earth in the curse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12<\/sup><\/a> Eric Lyons (2008), \u201cIs Punishing Evildoers Unloving?\u201d R&R Resources<\/em>, 7[10]:37R-40R, October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13<\/sup><\/a> Eric Lyons (2021), \u201cHow Can a Loving God Send Souls to Hell?\u201d Apologetics Press, https:\/\/www.apologeticspress.org\/how-can-a-loving-god-send-souls-to-hell\/.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14<\/sup><\/a> See also Proverbs 23:13-14; 2 Chronicles 33:12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15<\/sup><\/a> E.g., 2 Kings 17:13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

16<\/sup><\/a> Kyle Butt (2009), \u201cKilling, Murder, and the Bible,\u201d Apologetics Press, https:\/\/www.apologeticspress.org\/killing-murder-and-the-bible-2794\/.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

17<\/sup><\/a> Dave Miller (2012), \u201cGod and Capital Punishment,\u201d Reason & Revelation<\/em>, 32[7]:62-71, July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18<\/sup><\/a> Jeff Miller (2016), \u201cCould There Have Been Any Death Before the Fall?\u201d Reason & Revelation<\/em>, 36[8]:74-80, August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19<\/sup><\/a> Eric Lyons and Bert Thompson (2002), \u201cIn the \u2018Image and Likeness of God\u2019 [Part II],\u201d Reason & Revelation<\/em>, 22[4]:25-31, April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

20<\/sup><\/a> Bert Thompson and Sam Estabrook (1999), \u201cDo Animals Have Souls?\u201d Reason & Revelation<\/em>, 19:89-92, December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

21<\/sup><\/a> Dave Miller (2016), \u201cWhy People Suffer [Part I],\u201d Reason & Revelation<\/em>, 36[1]:2-11, January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

22<\/sup><\/a> Jeff Miller (2025), \u201cStudying Science from a Biblical Perspective,\u201d Reason & Revelation<\/em>, 45[1]:2-5, January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

23<\/sup><\/a> See Kyle Butt (2006), \u201cIn Christ,\u201d Apologetics Press, https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/in-christ-1982\/<\/a>, as well as the 13-lesson series of short videos, \u201cSalvation Matters,\u201d on the Apologetics Press website for an introductory study of the subject.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

According to Darwinian evolution, all species evolved from previous species, beginning with a single-celled organism. As new species emerged, \u201csurvival of the fittest\u201d took over\u2014the selfish tooth-and-claw battle for survival. Morality, according to naturalistic evolutionists, is a purely human construct.1 It did not (and could not) have evolved from non-living substances. It only exists in… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":37396,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[733],"kids-category":[],"people":[286],"bible-book":[],"language":[168],"age-group":[172,173],"publication":[248],"class_list":["post-37437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-misc","tag-crparticle","people-jeff-miller-phd","language-english","age-group-teens","age-group-adults","publication-reason-revelation"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Evil-Animal-Behavior-JM-02.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37437"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37437\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37449,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37437\/revisions\/37449"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37437"},{"taxonomy":"kids-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kids-category?post=37437"},{"taxonomy":"people","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/people?post=37437"},{"taxonomy":"bible-book","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible-book?post=37437"},{"taxonomy":"language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/language?post=37437"},{"taxonomy":"age-group","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/age-group?post=37437"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=37437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}