Favorite Quotes Update

I hope you have taken the opportunity to check out my Favorite Quotes page, which collects quotes from a variety of people ranging from St. Francis of Assisi, to Albert Schweitzer, to Desmond Tutu, to Immanuel Kant and many more on the issue of Christianity or ethics and our treatment of animals.  I have just updated the page with some quotes from the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.  The quotes are from the Operation Noah Annual Lecture in 2009 regarding climate change.  The full text of his remarks, which are well worth reading, is here. 

My hope with the Favorite Quotes page is not only to provide inspiration, but to illustrate that this connection between faith and care for the animals is one that has been shared by a wide range of writers, theologians, and clergy.  In raising these issues, we stand in august company. 

In the meantime, here are quotes I have added to my page:

The creation stories of Genesis 1 and 2 see the creation of humanity as quite specifically the creation of an agent, a person, who can care for and protect the animal world, reflecting the care of God himself who enjoys the goodness of what he has made.

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The image of Noah summoning the creatures to the ark may also be meant to recall God bringing the animals to Adam so that they can be named (Gen.2.19): once on the scene, humanity has to establish its relationship with the animal world, a relationship in which meaning is given to the whole world of living things through the human reflection of God’s sustaining care. 

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The one thing we should not imagine is that God’s covenant means that we have a blank cheque where the created world is concerned. The text points up that God’s promise has immediate and specific implications about how we behave towards all living beings, human and non-human. It is not a recipe for complacency or passivity.

Photo copied from Operation Noah page linked above

Admin Note

It was brought to my attention that my comment function was not working.  I believe I have fixed the issue.  If you tried to comment earlier and were not able to, or thought you commented and did not receive a reply (because I didn't see your comment), my apologies.  I am always eager to hear readers' thoughts. 

Praying For Pets - Part Two

       My cat is dying.  Puck is 17 years old.  We brought him home when he was 8.  I adopted him from a friend who simply didn’t want him anymore and I was afraid of what might have happened to him if I didn’t take him.  I didn’t want to him be left in a shelter.  It was, sadly, the end of the friendship because I couldn’t understand how anyone could be so genuinely happy to “get rid of him,” like a broken old bookcase that cluttered the basement.  No harsh words were spoken; there was no “break,” I just found myself less interested in spending time with her.

Puck when we first brought him home

      Puck is a great cat.  He is cuddly and affectionate and purrs a lot.  I like to think that he is as happy that he came to live with us as we are to have him.  He knows how to stand his ground, though. When we brought home our 50-pound dog (also 8 at the time we brought him home), Puck wasted no time in telling Patrick (the dog) who was boss.  Patrick, who had cat siblings in a previous home, understood this going in, and we’ve had no trouble.  Last year, a neighbor’s dog wandered into our weekend place when we left a door open.  That dog is probably 60 pounds, young, and full of energy (and as sweet as he can be).  Puck followed him around the house meowing, cornered him, and smacked him a couple of times.  The poor dog fled the house and has not even ventured into our yard again (which we are sorry about).  Puck is also very jealous.  If you are paying attention to Jasmine (our other cat) or Patrick or electronics or reading material of any kind, Puck will be sure to head butt his way into the action, making sure that he is the center of attention.  Then he purrs.

Puck enjoys some lap time

      The day before Thanksgiving, Puck was diagnosed with large cell granular lymphoma. He was yellow with jaundice and his liver was severely compromised. The prognosis was bleak indeed, and we were told that without treatment, he might live 2-4 weeks; with treatment, maybe 4-8 weeks.  We wrestled with the options, but decided to try the first dose of the recommended treatment to see how he responded, then go from there.  I also reached out to many of my animal and theology friends and asked them to pray for Puck, and to pray that my husband and I would know how to make the right decisions for him.  We could not bring ourselves to think about celebrating Christmas, because we expected it would be a very sad time. 

 

       But Puck surprised us all, especially the vets. 

David Clough North American Speaking Tour - A Must Attend!

If you have followed this blog at all, you know that David Clough is one of my heroes.  His On Animals, Vol. I: Systematic Theology formed the basis of several posts on this blog.  Now he is on tour to discuss On Animals Vol II: Christian Ethics.  I am so exited that I’m going to hear him twice! At Christ Church Rockville, MD on Sunday, Feb 3, at the adult forum and at the Dean’s forum at my alma mater, Wesley Theological Seminary in DC on Tuesday, Feb 5 at noon. Both events are free and open to the public. 

If you are not in DC, his North American tour schedule can be found at www.becreaturekind.org/on-animals-north-america-speaking-tour.

If you have any interest in what Christian ethics have to say about our relationships with animals, please find a speaking engagement near you to attend! You will be leave enlightened, informed, and perhaps even inspired.

David Clough