The Cape Buffalo is among the most lethal and dangerous animals known to humans. In fact, Cape Buffalos kill more humans in Africa than any other animal. They are enormous, weighing 1.5 tons, almost two meters high and three meters long. If threatened they will charge you at 35 miles per hour and slice you in half with razor sharp horns. Its nickname in Africa is the Black Death.
It is unwise to attempt to interact with a Cape Buffalo. Many hunters and photographers have met untimely deaths by getting too close to these murderous creatures. Any attempt to domesticate a Cape Buffalo will end in death, probably for your entire neighborhood.
So why then does the Epistle of James claim that humans can tame (and have tamed) the Cape Buffalo? According to James 3:7, “For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species.” In other words, there is no animal on the planet that has not been and cannot be subdued to the point of domestication.
To be fair this verse seems a little out of place. James 3 is about how the tongue can be used to corrupt men. Suddenly, for no apparent reason James suddenly says “But we can use our tongue to tame animals; that’s cool. Just don’t try to corrupt man.”
Anyway, I digress. There are more species of animals than we can count that cannot be tamed, domesticated, or humanly socialized under any circumstances. Even where we see extremely dangerous animals such as lions and elephants in circuses, they are not tamed. They are responding to negative reinforcement, and have numerous times snapped and killed scores of people.
If you trust the bible, go out and try it. Try to tame a Cape Buffalo, a Kodiak Bear, an Asian Cobra, a Great White Shark, a Hyena, or a Wild Boar. I guarantee you that, despite James 3:7, your tongue will be useless against the viciousness of these incredible killing machines. You’ll either be dead or maimed.
Obviously the bible wasn’t written by zoologists. James has absolutely no idea how animals behave.
The Atheist Papers 
My brother owns a herd of domesticated cattle.
But he only lets his domesticated cat into the house or yard.
Consequently, James’ statement remains truthful.
Domestication does not mean we must hug our cape buffalo.
Your brother owns cattle? So what. Tell him to try to domesticate or tame a Cape Buffalo. Try herding it to slaughter. Your only option is to shoot it in the face because, when threatened, the Cape Buffalo is anything but tame. And it has zero patience for human beings. Enclosing relatively docile bovines is not the same as taming absolutely insane and unpredictable African land beasts.
Rayan,
Cows are also a rambunctious lot.
Nobody said it was easy.
You’re obviously a city boy and have never been outdone by our cow brothers and sisters.
Right. And because city boy Rayan Zehn is an expert in ancient Hebrew farm husbandry we should all burn our Bibles.
I appreciate this new atheist angle of attack against the Bible but it is as ridiculous as all the rest.
Ancient people did what they needed to do to survive.
They were a lot tougher than we moderns are today and their resourcefulness should not be underestimated.
So that’s from where Superman comes? By the way, what does ‘city boy’ have to do with anything? Who says I’m from the city? Perhaps I’m from the mountainous suburbs of Southern Beirut.