10 REASONS FOR CHURCH LEADERS TO CARE ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE 

 “Pain is pain, whether it is inflicted on man or beast, and the creature that suffers from it, whether man or beast, being sensible of the misery of it while it lasts, suffers Evil.”

                                                          ~  Rev. Humphrey Primatt, A Dissertationon the Duty of Mercy and the Sin of Cruelty to Brute Animals (1776)

       
      Animal welfare as a theological concern is generally disregarded in Christian churches.  When we ignore the suffering of animals, however, we ignore human suffering and Christian development, as well.  In today’s world, where so many animals suffer as never before, understanding the connections between human problems and animal welfare is increasingly essential in addressing congregational needs.  If we are serious about social justice, world hunger, immigration, deforestation, climate change, environmental stewardship, bringing the kingdom of God, or living into the image of God, we must care about animal welfare. With that in mind, I propose, as a start, the following list of reasons why understanding the issues central to animal welfare – and in particular factory farming – is critical to a Christian understanding of how humans are called to live in relation to God. 
 
            1. Factory farming disproportionately affects vulnerable populations.

     Factory farming is not only horrific for the animals, the laborers in these facilities and in the high speed slaughterhouses they supply do work that is difficult, dangerous, and poorly paid.  As Food Is Power explains:

A large percentage of factory farm workers are people of color including migrant workers from Mexico and other parts of Latin America. . . . An unknown percentage of full-time and part-time workers are undocumented. Employers find undocumented workers to be ideal recruits because they are less likely to complain about low wages and hazardous working conditions.

Sustainable Table has this to say about conditions workers might complain about:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DOMINION IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; 

ensure justice for those being crushed.
                                                                           Prov.31:8, New Living Translation

      

             One year ago today, I made my first post on this blog, wherein I observed, "While there is virtually no area of human life where we may not say 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Rom. 3:23), in perhaps no arena is there greater ignorance of sin than in our relations with animals, to whom we rarely give a thought."  I explained, "It is my hope that in learning to fulfill the responsibility given to us at the creation to treat animals with mercy and compassion on God’s behalf, we can not only make the world a better place for animals, but we can become more fully human as God intended us to be, growing into God's image and drawing closer to Him as we care for what is His."  Here is a link to that first post.   What Is This Blog All About?

              That remains my hope and my prayer.  Thanks to all of you who have checked in throughout the past year.  I hope you will continue to read these posts and that you will find in them something you can use to help make the world a better place for the other creatures of God with whom we share this planet and in so doing, grow in your own walk of faith.  

           Meanwhile, don't forget to check out this week's new post, On The Loss Of A Pet, as well.  

Photo credit: David Wye

ON THE LOSS OF A PET

Loving God, you brought this beloved animal into the life of N. [and N.] to share kindness, joy, and faithful companionship: Receive our thanks and praise for the

community between your animals and your people, and all the ways in which we bless each other’s lives; in your goodness, Blessed Creator, hear our prayer.

                                          ~   From the Service At The Loss Of A Beloved Animal, Episcopal Church

              In a recent edition of Christianity Today’s blog, Her-meneutics, Karen Swallow Prior offers a beautiful reflection on the loss of a pet.  I have had the honor of meeting Prior at events hosted by the Human Society of the United States Faith Outreach Department and I follow her on Twitter (@LoveLifeLitGod).  I am very grateful for such an eloquent and heartfelt voice for animals in the Christian community.  Nevertheless, I must take issue with a portion of what she says.  (For a related post, see Praying For Pets.)

            Prior opens her reflection recounting a time when, just days after having lost a pet, she had to travel to a conference, where she was still so overcome with grief she could not eat.  She writes:

If I had been mourning the death of a person, my life would have been understandably put on hold. I wouldn’t have been expected to go to work the day following her death. I could have cancelled my trip.

. . .

When a family member dies, the bereft are offered sympathy, support, and condolences, from meals and visits, to cards and flowers, to the funeral service, burial, and beyond. Not so when the family member that dies is a pet.

When we mourn the loss of a pet, we mourn alone.

Then, although acknowledging that the love we feel for our pets is very real, as is the loss we suffer when they are gone, she says, “I’m not going to argue that it should be otherwise.  Nor will I argue that the death of a pet should be treated with the same moral, emotional, or social weight as the death of a person. It should not.”  Here is where I take issue with Prior.  I think we enter deep waters here, and need proceed carefully, both pastorally and theologically.