tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19261715898781648442024-03-12T20:07:35.379-04:00Dominion In The Image of GodScripture, Animals, and the Way We Live
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-14684912746288379722023-03-20T14:34:00.000-04:002023-03-20T14:34:52.069-04:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"> Loving Our Neighbors</h2><h2 style="text-align: center;">The Intersection of Faith, Human Well-being, and Our Relationships with Animals</h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAdD-3BitFh4CPZOmAFFztsv3BptdMj8tInsA5kiyD-e01LrlhIo83B8CeC6MK9NJ8Mb1qrFnw-o-WKKUYfdY7hfQeeJ7-nFWPaHJcuna55VKkph0nyw0O9_E2SxbQcVYyi6Sf3_Em98YrdzTCKFPKXKQAatOELS7K4bBogMSIXgsQp7UJx5D-ayF4w/s555/peaceable-kingdom-cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="508" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAdD-3BitFh4CPZOmAFFztsv3BptdMj8tInsA5kiyD-e01LrlhIo83B8CeC6MK9NJ8Mb1qrFnw-o-WKKUYfdY7hfQeeJ7-nFWPaHJcuna55VKkph0nyw0O9_E2SxbQcVYyi6Sf3_Em98YrdzTCKFPKXKQAatOELS7K4bBogMSIXgsQp7UJx5D-ayF4w/s320/peaceable-kingdom-cropped.jpg" width="293" /></a></div></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>It has been some time since I have posted anything here, but I do hope to get back to it before too long. In the meantime, I wanted to share some links to a series of talks I did in February at St. Alban's Church in Washington, DC. In these talks, I hoped to introduce the idea that our own well-being is inexorably bound with the well-being of our fellow creatures, and that our mistreatment of animals has led to significant human harms, including being a major contributor to climate change, air and water pollution, environmental justice, worker exploitation, personal and public health concerns, and confronting us with serious ethical and theological challenges. To me, none of this should be surprising. If you have read any of the earlier posts in this blog, then you likely know that it is my view that our creation God's image is a <i>job description</i>, imposing on humans the obligation to reflect God's loving kindness and mercy outward toward the rest of creation, and in particular to our fellow creatures of God. We should not be surprised if, when we fail so utterly at this first commission given to us - a commission thoroughly enmeshed with what it means to be human - that things do not go well for us. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>This four-part series touches only briefly on so many important topics, with the hope of encouraging wider discussion within the parish about things that we might do differently - as individuals and as a parish. Part One introduces how human relations to animals, in particular the animals raised for food, has caused so many problems for humans. Part Two considers what scripture has to say about animals and their place in God's creation. Part Three looks at animal sentience, and Part Four looks at how we are actually treating the animals and what we can do differently. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Each part occasioned good and thoughtful discussion. Most gratifying to me were comments after part one, from folks grateful to <i>finally</i> be hearing these issues raised in the church. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Here are the links. I hope you find them useful, and I would be delighted to hear you comments. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Thank you. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2f1FFXyYpM&list=PLZ79KJab2KVutHWiCNnJ1DbIogFDY8DaF&index=15" target="_blank">Part One: How Our Treatment of Animals Impacts Us</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzdYLEdO_iI&list=PLZ79KJab2KVutHWiCNnJ1DbIogFDY8DaF&index=16" target="_blank">Part Two: Animals and Scripture </a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8zxtkCn2v8&list=PLZ79KJab2KVutHWiCNnJ1DbIogFDY8DaF&index=18" target="_blank">Part Three: Who Are the Animals?</a> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hX7-bEmXbo&list=PLZ79KJab2KVutHWiCNnJ1DbIogFDY8DaF&index=17" target="_blank">Part Four: How Do We Treat The Animals? And What Can We Do Differently? </a><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-26476851261023349922019-01-18T13:59:00.000-05:002019-01-18T13:59:17.665-05:00Favorite Quotes UpdateI hope you have taken the opportunity to check out my <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/p/favorite-quotes.html" target="_blank">Favorite Quotes</a> 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 <a href="http://operationnoah.org/resources/operation-noah-annual-lecture-2009-rowan-williams/" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
In the meantime, here are quotes I have added to my page:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">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.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">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.<i> </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">---------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"> 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.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdB1nMyrKQsDu9krG-pLaxnYU9yRfrbWmjtdhhHJzlcxO-Yw8LbJxkAcv8ku32HZT4nlQkiB4BTj7Kcyi1REkpB8N1EDguBYTQzbMjQbO39koHydXDop6nKRpflDB3fIZinQS_uVbdP0GC/s1600/Archbishop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="513" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdB1nMyrKQsDu9krG-pLaxnYU9yRfrbWmjtdhhHJzlcxO-Yw8LbJxkAcv8ku32HZT4nlQkiB4BTj7Kcyi1REkpB8N1EDguBYTQzbMjQbO39koHydXDop6nKRpflDB3fIZinQS_uVbdP0GC/s320/Archbishop.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo copied from Operation Noah page linked above</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-1069976429097234602019-01-11T14:38:00.000-05:002019-01-11T14:38:16.504-05:00Admin NoteIt 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. Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-28381709402167512142019-01-10T12:49:00.001-05:002019-01-11T14:41:21.258-05:00Praying For Pets - Part Two<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="375">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hashtag"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Unresolved Mention"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My cat is dying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Puck is 17 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We brought him home when he was 8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want to him be
left in a shelter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was, sadly, the
end of the friendship because I couldn’t understand how anyone could be so
genuinely <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">happy</i> to “get rid of him,”
like a broken old bookcase that cluttered the basement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No harsh words were spoken; there was no “break,”
I just found myself less interested in spending time with her.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-faweSP7YmOo8g5uVtfvzKepV1ivlyv-MB1mHBEC-HOfnNtuAk8PdY6o7shmVdIBU_VRLPmU9yTZzg_VHOUfehjKzOwTyVHw93hNj1psSzuIT6QhA9ZokDM0cRbg6WBSihPXOyJVSytqc/s1600/iphone+May+2015+031++edited-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1559" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-faweSP7YmOo8g5uVtfvzKepV1ivlyv-MB1mHBEC-HOfnNtuAk8PdY6o7shmVdIBU_VRLPmU9yTZzg_VHOUfehjKzOwTyVHw93hNj1psSzuIT6QhA9ZokDM0cRbg6WBSihPXOyJVSytqc/s320/iphone+May+2015+031++edited-+Copy.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puck when we first brought him home</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Puck is a great cat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is cuddly and affectionate and purrs a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to think that he is as happy that he
came to live with us as we are to have him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Patrick, who had cat siblings in a previous home, understood this going
in, and we’ve had no trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year,
a neighbor’s dog wandered into our weekend place when we left a door open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That dog is probably 60 pounds, young, and
full of energy (and as sweet as he can be).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Puck followed him around the house meowing, cornered him, and smacked
him a couple of times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The poor dog fled
the house and has not even ventured into our yard again (which we are sorry
about).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Puck is also very jealous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">he</i> is the center of attention. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then he purrs.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbvYf7xOxqCBRfSCr_bMRUGxHajk_sEtpHI2_EBp3oaXwQceeTpKy9UhICVjzWKlhP9Qz2qXwzYWTfUXdXsPRapBZFJzlNYbJC4AEhLGclSBLc1VyXGGV7An87V3FNDQBNDMRcpPqNHAW/s1600/iphone+May+2015+021+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1343" data-original-width="1536" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbvYf7xOxqCBRfSCr_bMRUGxHajk_sEtpHI2_EBp3oaXwQceeTpKy9UhICVjzWKlhP9Qz2qXwzYWTfUXdXsPRapBZFJzlNYbJC4AEhLGclSBLc1VyXGGV7An87V3FNDQBNDMRcpPqNHAW/s320/iphone+May+2015+021+edited.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puck enjoys some lap time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could not
bring ourselves to think about celebrating Christmas, because we expected it
would be a very sad time. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
But Puck surprised us all,
especially the vets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<a name='more'></a>He responded well
to the first treatment, and even better to the second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His blood work showed his liver function had
returned to normal; he was eating and gaining weight; and his personality was
showing through again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was able to go
three weeks before his next vet visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We knew this was temporary, but it was so much more than we had dared to
hope that were over the moon!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to
our weekend place and celebrated Christmas and the New Year with no tree, no
decorations, and no gifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We felt like
the Whos down in Whoville (with apologies to Dr. Seuss).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christmas came after all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we were grateful. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOa5rT-7rFygo1mH-ucAObSKq57oz21dTd-HheSWep7PYkBqzcyNqUp9mnuFdjGtRXlgiOcDMUFpst6bquKUVOy6e8i2JSRfu0AO1r3j8k0kAo28SvL0AL5tdTJvFCHaSu3ObNgROxQpo/s1600/iphone+May+2015+168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOa5rT-7rFygo1mH-ucAObSKq57oz21dTd-HheSWep7PYkBqzcyNqUp9mnuFdjGtRXlgiOcDMUFpst6bquKUVOy6e8i2JSRfu0AO1r3j8k0kAo28SvL0AL5tdTJvFCHaSu3ObNgROxQpo/s320/iphone+May+2015+168.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puck and his "sister" help with repotting plants</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But Puck’s most recent visit to
the vet tells us the cancer is doing its evil work again, and his liver function
is down (but not nearly as bad as it was when he was diagnosed). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We tried a different drug and we’ll go back
next week to see how he is and make some new decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe he has some surprises yet in store for
us; maybe not. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe we have several
weeks or even another month or two with him; maybe not. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now, he is still purring, still eating,
and still in charge of the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
is enough for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We remain
grateful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I will reach out again to
my animal and theology friends and ask for renewed prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Did earlier prayers play any role
in Puck’s surprising, odds-beating (if short lived) remission?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who can say? But I know I place more faith in
prayer than in coincidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that
if I hadn’t asked for prayers for him, I would have felt that I had not done
everything for his health and happiness that I could have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I know that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I</i> felt better knowing those prayers were being said and that I had
at my disposal a wonderful and supportive community who understand that Puck is
not “just a cat.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is one of my
babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A member of my family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love him and his loss will be
profound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt – and feel – supported
and lifted up by that community, and it will help make the loss, when it comes,
easier to bear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Some years ago, I did a post for
this blog called “<a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/10/prayingfor-pets-trulyi-tell-you-unless.html" target="_blank">Praying for Pets</a>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (Another related earlier post is "<a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2014/09/on-loss-of-pet-loving-god-youbrought.html" target="_blank">On The Loss Of A Pet</a>.") </span>In
that post, I reflected on the fact that a presenter at a church service observed
that “we pray more often for pets” at the children’s service than at the adult
service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my post, I wondered why we
don’t pray more (or at all) for pets in adult services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope you will click through to read that
post again, but I’m copying here just a short a portion:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 31.5pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When our pets are sick, where else
should we turn for comfort and hope, but to God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they are facing surgery or have been
hurt in an accident or are suffering from illness or anxiety, why would we not
ask God’s blessing upon them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scripture
tells us that God created and loves the animals and that not one sparrow falls
without Him. (Matt. 10:29).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God loves
our pets as much as we do; He knows their suffering and He cares about their
well-being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 31.5pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think another reason we don’t pray for pets
in church is that, as adults, we don’t like to acknowledge how much our pets
mean to us, for fear that other people will think we are silly or trivial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So when they are sick, we are hesitant to
admit how worried we are, or when they pass away, we are hesitant to admit how
grief-stricken we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, the lack
of pastoral care when a pet is lost is a significant gap in the church,
although some faith communities are taking steps to recognize the reality of
this kind of loss and grief. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 31.5pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
fact is that pets are important parts of our lives, whether we are children or
adults.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The relationships we form with
them are real, as is the joy they bring us, the love we feel for them, and the
loss we know when they are gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
is nothing silly or trivial about this kind of love – it makes us more
human.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I am fortunate to have a
community and resources to help me process this illness and the inevitable loss
in a faithful, supported, way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know people
will not look at me sideways when I grieve this loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So few of us have that in our faith
communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More churches are waking up
to this need, but it is still a small number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We should feel as free to put our pets’ names on the church prayer list
as our parents’ names.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span id="goog_1285989667"></span><span id="goog_1285989668"></span> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_gpdxaN1DPGZNvTIXAZXf1xRPA6baPJhx5LPJRpnt7d9KB9tEpYZkAsv3dCtN_j9tlFA9CgwPUBh93WvLEaVu7QXDxaPwrzsHxdEFM7P6aAEvONvDcxXT8RBAHXcaic_4sLwseoFpnQd/s1600/iphone+May+2015+068.editedjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1141" data-original-width="1600" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_gpdxaN1DPGZNvTIXAZXf1xRPA6baPJhx5LPJRpnt7d9KB9tEpYZkAsv3dCtN_j9tlFA9CgwPUBh93WvLEaVu7QXDxaPwrzsHxdEFM7P6aAEvONvDcxXT8RBAHXcaic_4sLwseoFpnQd/s320/iphone+May+2015+068.editedjpg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puck admires his rugged good looks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For the many, many Christians who
feel they have nowhere to turn in anxiety or grief for their pets, for those
who indeed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">would</i> be looked down upon
as silly or trivial if they made such a prayer request, I hope at least you
have an online community and resources – either through this blog and its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dominionintheimage/" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> or one of the many others that have been created to acknowledge and
support the place of our pets – and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i>
animals -- in our theology, in our compassion, and in our Christian mercy. (In
particular, <a href="https://shepherdingcreation.com/" target="_blank">Shepherding All God’s Creatures</a> has a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/notonesparrowPrayer/" target="_blank">Facebook Group</a> dedicated to
praying for companion and other animals.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Know at least that God hears you, and He loves
you, and He loves your pets - and you should feel free to pray with gusto for
their well being and for your own comfort in time of need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I will continue to pray not only
for Puck and my other pets, but also for the Christian community, that we might
open our eyes to this pressing pastoral need, and to our obligations as
creatures in the image of God to care for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i>
God’s creatures with mercy and compassion. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsJ_Tq-4850e1Job7f3MMnY6ciUF-iX2cmXcKBUob9ntAgIdrslGigjY2QP_ZU8MB_nTPF2_xKl9z2-K4fRUJXrqy6e72AhIXmpTfhrhyphenhyphen05azGQxl_IQseUunrvxAM9weNonygZz1is-e/s1600/iphone+May+2015+388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsJ_Tq-4850e1Job7f3MMnY6ciUF-iX2cmXcKBUob9ntAgIdrslGigjY2QP_ZU8MB_nTPF2_xKl9z2-K4fRUJXrqy6e72AhIXmpTfhrhyphenhyphen05azGQxl_IQseUunrvxAM9weNonygZz1is-e/s320/iphone+May+2015+388.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-46998660549095695882019-01-04T17:36:00.001-05:002019-01-04T17:36:32.487-05:00David Clough North American Speaking Tour - A Must Attend!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi969LJEM0IiMWJRnCKw7fK447JgetUDH5Y5sCBvlIAZr2aZ_91ZgqWdGdUDLzSZ6drrQ-HEF91O0g7WrZ3q5LuhMPXVzJmct_zPHz7qfT04npJINYt8lNsQShu-NM67i72moduQq0WSZuL/s1600/On+Animals+cover+v2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="852" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi969LJEM0IiMWJRnCKw7fK447JgetUDH5Y5sCBvlIAZr2aZ_91ZgqWdGdUDLzSZ6drrQ-HEF91O0g7WrZ3q5LuhMPXVzJmct_zPHz7qfT04npJINYt8lNsQShu-NM67i72moduQq0WSZuL/s320/On+Animals+cover+v2.png" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
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. <span data-offset-key="921kt-0-0"><span data-text="true">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. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-offset-key="921kt-0-0"><span data-text="true"><span><span data-offset-key="bckpt-0-0"><span data-text="true">If you are not in DC, his North American tour schedule can be found at <a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/on-animals-north-america-speaking-tour.">www.becreaturekind.org/on-animals-north-america-speaking-tour.</a></span></span></span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-offset-key="921kt-0-0"><span data-text="true">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.</span></span><span></span><br />
<div data-contents="true">
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="4odae" data-offset-key="dgubb-0-0">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiJ1F_PRUb-9IiGmdfy_QpINnwraP-Iu6i8TC2TBXs6VLgq0_bc_IU-tblvOOHcJI_0NLfsyOqSZDe2VVE0BXcmqcYhTBda87nh5-r7SEF0J-WvYXd7Ngu7uCHHEUjlBq7VxO032-E8Rm/s1600/David+photo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiJ1F_PRUb-9IiGmdfy_QpINnwraP-Iu6i8TC2TBXs6VLgq0_bc_IU-tblvOOHcJI_0NLfsyOqSZDe2VVE0BXcmqcYhTBda87nh5-r7SEF0J-WvYXd7Ngu7uCHHEUjlBq7VxO032-E8Rm/s200/David+photo.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Clough</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="dgubb-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="dgubb-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="4odae" data-offset-key="bckpt-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="bckpt-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="bckpt-0-0"><span data-text="true"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-10122904715629838312018-12-27T18:28:00.000-05:002018-12-27T18:29:27.177-05:00Animals, Advent, and the O Antiphons<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHwEKcs2cH01FMNZsrUtNowlbZNBUOe8IimmLDgx9tUCW3VdKfXJ3YRWJFJ75lduUClDs3nHLdiK0m6aVbKP1MAmiz12LDTu1qF6hgbPjDFOBXyDO2fQ0qAqpgU5Z2QyqZh7Qm2qyaVzs/s1600/IMG_1339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHwEKcs2cH01FMNZsrUtNowlbZNBUOe8IimmLDgx9tUCW3VdKfXJ3YRWJFJ75lduUClDs3nHLdiK0m6aVbKP1MAmiz12LDTu1qF6hgbPjDFOBXyDO2fQ0qAqpgU5Z2QyqZh7Qm2qyaVzs/s320/IMG_1339.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
There are at least two things I love to do in Advent. One is to pray the O Antiphons, and the other is to visit at least one of venues near me that has an international nativity display. The O Antiphons always help to ground me through the close of Advent. They keep me focused on the true meaning of Christmas - the coming of Christ - through the hubbub of preparations and celebrations that, while wonderful and rewarding in their own ways, are nevertheless a distraction from the hope of the season.<br />
<br />
The international nativity displays always fascinate me. I love to see how different cultures around the world have interpreted the nativity story. I especially love the ones that are set, not in the ancient middle east, but in the culture that created the nativity. It reminds us, I think, that Christ came not just once, long ago, but comes to each of us every day, right where and as we are, if only we will let Him. I love to see the different materials used, the different levels of detail included, the differing degrees of reverence and whimsy, and - of course - the different animals that show up in the manger! Christ is the savior of the world, near and far, with <i>all</i> its creatures. No one culture or species can make an exclusive claim on God's all-encompassing saving grace. <br />
<br />
This year, with the animals in mind, I posted daily reflections on the O Antiphons on the Dominion In The Image of God Facebook Page. I've collected them here and added some photos of nativity scenes from around the world. Some of the nativity scenes are mine but most are from an exhibit at the Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints near Washington, DC. While Advent is over and the "official" time for praying the O Antiphons is over for this holiday season, it is still Christmas until January 6, and there is never a wrong time to remind ourselves of our need for God's saving mercy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGPRDIC-hZKa4KNkpp1UAhNAKzIi6kwI8_pwvVPTQ3Zf6iv3xOk_SDcvCbRmvswON-c4C7ER7IrYsCCvOKZz1n5aD6po-AJpYwy53hrKwFvbwsMlDik0YtVMWAD96qJFm9yGXHpqZo1lU/s1600/IMG_1297+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGPRDIC-hZKa4KNkpp1UAhNAKzIi6kwI8_pwvVPTQ3Zf6iv3xOk_SDcvCbRmvswON-c4C7ER7IrYsCCvOKZz1n5aD6po-AJpYwy53hrKwFvbwsMlDik0YtVMWAD96qJFm9yGXHpqZo1lU/s320/IMG_1297+edited.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<br />
<b>December 17</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">O Wisdom, O holy Word of God,</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care:</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Come and show your people the way to salvation.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
We see here that “strong yet tender care” is the way that God governs
creation, and that is the model we, created in His image, are to follow
as we exercise the weighty responsibility of our dominion over God’s
creatures. Strength and tenderness work in partnership. Strength and
tenderness are the way of wisdom. Strength and tenderness will bring us
to the way of salvation. There is no room for domination or
exploitation in God’s dominion; nor should there be in ours.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRz8ndO0PGnKo7_51B5QmZ1iVH8ZTnKf6ax9h3rjtuVKk5ncrHUWn1fQ13Yw_xP1sksNrgAxCUtOgI1l_nygiDSA03dYzWtOB2fCgsjtTDMsOdn63HMjN7DPnivKiUp0qvf5FyQEJNOOI/s1600/IMG_1308+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRz8ndO0PGnKo7_51B5QmZ1iVH8ZTnKf6ax9h3rjtuVKk5ncrHUWn1fQ13Yw_xP1sksNrgAxCUtOgI1l_nygiDSA03dYzWtOB2fCgsjtTDMsOdn63HMjN7DPnivKiUp0qvf5FyQEJNOOI/s320/IMG_1308+edited.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>December 18</b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>O Sacred Lord of ancient Israel,</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush,</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain:<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> Come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
There are many instances in which the holy law requires mercy and
compassion toward animals. Most prominent is the Commandment to keep the
Sabbath. That command expressly includes the animals, who, like human
masters and servants, are to have a day of rest. Without rest for the
animals, the Sabbath is not “holy.” Where is the rest for our animals
in factory farms, animal testing labs, puppy mills, fur farms, and other
settings?<br />
<br />
Come, O ancient Lord of Israël, and set us free, and set the animals free from human abuse.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIp5fQuCNLlqX6S4HIO4z7xm7jHYQBy1I4svMUmHyW0i3l12oHrroJ-qvbV-xICBiKXt0VlT-K1iK1JzQCr7y2NLqs7wD28KsgHDDy7pr8jmNYC2laSWlxHYIV_lSktHwr9y9HEnW7QZEK/s1600/IMG_0210+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1558" data-original-width="1600" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIp5fQuCNLlqX6S4HIO4z7xm7jHYQBy1I4svMUmHyW0i3l12oHrroJ-qvbV-xICBiKXt0VlT-K1iK1JzQCr7y2NLqs7wD28KsgHDDy7pr8jmNYC2laSWlxHYIV_lSktHwr9y9HEnW7QZEK/s320/IMG_0210+edited.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>December 19</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">O Root of Jesse, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; </span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. </span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The Root of Jesse, raised up as a majestic sign, before whom rulers are silent and nations bow, help us, as humans, to see the others in your creation. Help us to recognize that we are not all that matters, that before you we are as insignificant as the grass, and that, therefore, we have no standing to disregard any other creature you have made.<br />
<br />
Come, O Root of Jesse, grant us humility, that as we beseech your aid, we may offer our aid to our fellow creatures, giving them comfort and succor instead of fear and pain. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirr-ARPu3BHk7mdNeCPq-qqYF6KpfmyxHNEyuiD9jxnAZodzauJx0MmvPtkLx7NPDoz_EbjdF6M8qY2nejfdMxMTcEvYegMR3I2C5FKHS0qf-hf4ucvxqVTwC3S0FhydHNIPaIuriL9KHI/s1600/IMG_0207+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1324" data-original-width="1600" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirr-ARPu3BHk7mdNeCPq-qqYF6KpfmyxHNEyuiD9jxnAZodzauJx0MmvPtkLx7NPDoz_EbjdF6M8qY2nejfdMxMTcEvYegMR3I2C5FKHS0qf-hf4ucvxqVTwC3S0FhydHNIPaIuriL9KHI/s320/IMG_0207+edited.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>December 20</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;">O<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Key of David, O royal Power of Israel, </span></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">controlling at your will the gate of heaven:</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Come, break down the prison walls of death </span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death;</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">and lead your captive people into freedom.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
It seems to me that the factory farming and intensive confinement that
is at the heart of modern meat production are indeed for the animals
“prison walls of death for those who dwell in (often quite literal)
darkness and the (always literal) shadow of death.” In these systems our
animals endure a kind of living death, in anticipation of the actual
death of the slaughterhouse. They are not able to be the creatures God
created them to be, nor to know any of the joy of his creation, but are
born, live, and die in misery, all because of human avarice, gluttony,
hubris, and vanity.<br />
<br />
Come, set the animals free from the dungeons humans
have created for them, O Key of David, and set the humans free from our
sins that are the cause of such misery, that we may go forth and sin no
more, learning that your creation, in its abundance, includes more than
enough for all, if we only stop abusing your gifts; and learning,
too, that we will all — human and non-human alike — share in your
abundant life everlasting because you, who control the gates of heaven,
have created us all and love us all.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-iuFvAY52wXunIcXKEAeZpTp6Aqp004EgALBscHd5jGdD4rm7mrj9xZ7WkS23ZX51vOkzNcqvX3ROIesPDcQDh_feS3iECP8h3uEyweyUuxhADINqSdhmzQbwAqY_i3WVf3Cfn_vk8a2/s1600/IMG_1341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-iuFvAY52wXunIcXKEAeZpTp6Aqp004EgALBscHd5jGdD4rm7mrj9xZ7WkS23ZX51vOkzNcqvX3ROIesPDcQDh_feS3iECP8h3uEyweyUuxhADINqSdhmzQbwAqY_i3WVf3Cfn_vk8a2/s320/IMG_1341.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>December 21</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
The animals are in sore need of the sun of justice, as they suffer in
so many settings, with so few to speak on their behalf. Death from
human hands is seemingly never far from them, be it at the
slaughterhouse, from a hunter’s gun, loss of habitat, or some other
cause. But let us spare a prayer, as well, for those who DO speak for
the animals: for advocates and rescue workers, and park rangers, and
veterinarians who often risk their lives to help animals, and who work
tirelessly, seeking to brighten the darkness and the shadow of death
that results from human cruelty.<br />
<br />
Come, O Radiant Dawn, shine on
the animals and those who work on their behalf, give them the hope of
justice and surround them with your love.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdw90Y6-22xpBO4Is1sG4j_CWYWZqNqFc8yTZHKyalLiSSCs74bgFclTKYzL2gZ7Lqx6wlq7iabY1BQY3BUhoxRAatoGd9BSI6-kY_GUo8AHmqX5MEmr1Yfd6loJrGESyqGP7MJ41GJte/s1600/IMG_1309+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1591" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdw90Y6-22xpBO4Is1sG4j_CWYWZqNqFc8yTZHKyalLiSSCs74bgFclTKYzL2gZ7Lqx6wlq7iabY1BQY3BUhoxRAatoGd9BSI6-kY_GUo8AHmqX5MEmr1Yfd6loJrGESyqGP7MJ41GJte/s320/IMG_1309+edited.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>December 22</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart;</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>O Keystone of the mighty arch of man:</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.”</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
To this I can only add that the King of all nations is the joy of all
His creatures’ hearts. The Psalms (among other scriptures) tell us that
the animals praise God and look to Him for protection and provision, and
that God, who called them “good” when He created them, loves and cares
for them.<br />
<br />
Come and save every creature you fashioned from the dust.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQFtYvbayHZckCHE79-fmuItcGdAB7bfRqLCMJelG1ZMsohxzJXWqtrGUDm6Ru70ZKH-lcRZdnaKTzOeTAME_pWZyNL8_yOx2Up6WLHgDNK-DFcimL0LO96GeeBl7FkAZMcHwZzOE6xky/s1600/IMG_1317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQFtYvbayHZckCHE79-fmuItcGdAB7bfRqLCMJelG1ZMsohxzJXWqtrGUDm6Ru70ZKH-lcRZdnaKTzOeTAME_pWZyNL8_yOx2Up6WLHgDNK-DFcimL0LO96GeeBl7FkAZMcHwZzOE6xky/s320/IMG_1317.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>December 23</b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver,</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">desire of the nations, Savior of all people: </span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Come and set us free, Lord our God.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
O Savior of all creation and all creatures, who came down from heaven
and was made “sarx”, which means “flesh,” the same stuff of which humans
and other sentient creatures are made, for whom all creation groans in
anticipation,<br />
<br />
Come, Emmanuel, and set us free. Show us how much we have
in common with other peoples and other creatures, that we might more
easily love them and thereby fulfill your will.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXslEoTF3eADfaCaXytFisfNqgegWnw4uodPvggIyzTWT86Fn_s3A3sPiz65uGkaIF-noeztybz-AKdAuO8g1I8he69a6YCcNZ5k4L0dg6J8NJaX-HXlF-0HTnj8qM9L8rd8q791fvHBbr/s1600/IMG_1326.+editedjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1600" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXslEoTF3eADfaCaXytFisfNqgegWnw4uodPvggIyzTWT86Fn_s3A3sPiz65uGkaIF-noeztybz-AKdAuO8g1I8he69a6YCcNZ5k4L0dg6J8NJaX-HXlF-0HTnj8qM9L8rd8q791fvHBbr/s320/IMG_1326.+editedjpg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas season, a meaningful epiphany, and a very blessed new year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM6ge_M-d5DOwFpHpgpKfvAeNC4pRT0FSoMn8nL_YDkFqXBOUkSDLTyJ3npYM8XUjeR1xcOaOmuuWuV4Wshgc2Ac6XLO3Us3aLJNycs41QM8mhZkCjDDO89_f16TP2Yno5sSv3X_t3XAjP/s1600/IMG_1329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM6ge_M-d5DOwFpHpgpKfvAeNC4pRT0FSoMn8nL_YDkFqXBOUkSDLTyJ3npYM8XUjeR1xcOaOmuuWuV4Wshgc2Ac6XLO3Us3aLJNycs41QM8mhZkCjDDO89_f16TP2Yno5sSv3X_t3XAjP/s200/IMG_1329.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUm65rbzLHgVlRBa6GHBnmKVLnVKKTBmZ648TmubpOO_TwkzM34OYO1gtQrhs1T2S7lUZRW40T5zKtGD6OVc9ZNP2a7XuRP-cDAYDGcdn0hyphenhyphenWdAT4JQ1U6SjQeZ7HOdeBzBznGaY-PLVs/s1600/IMG_1331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUm65rbzLHgVlRBa6GHBnmKVLnVKKTBmZ648TmubpOO_TwkzM34OYO1gtQrhs1T2S7lUZRW40T5zKtGD6OVc9ZNP2a7XuRP-cDAYDGcdn0hyphenhyphenWdAT4JQ1U6SjQeZ7HOdeBzBznGaY-PLVs/s200/IMG_1331.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHOC5X8sMzqQdLQt3R_L0dMmPdY5jahkq1vQBsFgDHVt3Ew5kjNxI8UVyKs7Uh2yj5ErMzsWO0ip5NFqaq11rMVVI2mY2KYZfeYkUYfFgZt6VZq4mhkgGF8W1wOvlrob_QUhwNkG5cDXU/s1600/IMG_1314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHOC5X8sMzqQdLQt3R_L0dMmPdY5jahkq1vQBsFgDHVt3Ew5kjNxI8UVyKs7Uh2yj5ErMzsWO0ip5NFqaq11rMVVI2mY2KYZfeYkUYfFgZt6VZq4mhkgGF8W1wOvlrob_QUhwNkG5cDXU/s200/IMG_1314.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzHErzo1SFDTrgUwJBOWvHfAi5uqv9kzFGPIqhlKOkCgqg-TJ3AhbgASa0whqnvsEmnpnyb7tVCD25KZjZ1p_nQodFDv-pY9hbg2v-HUOA-v10LzTOFm8T4aONwhdeI1ydRsgCv7mfgIC/s1600/IMG_1325edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1600" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzHErzo1SFDTrgUwJBOWvHfAi5uqv9kzFGPIqhlKOkCgqg-TJ3AhbgASa0whqnvsEmnpnyb7tVCD25KZjZ1p_nQodFDv-pY9hbg2v-HUOA-v10LzTOFm8T4aONwhdeI1ydRsgCv7mfgIC/s320/IMG_1325edited.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-81766135579507758712018-10-05T09:41:00.000-04:002018-10-05T18:06:52.024-04:00 Why Caring About Animals Is Central To What It Means To Follow Christ<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="375">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hashtag"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Unresolved Mention"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
Recently, I was invited to speak at the adult forum at Christ Episcopal Church in Rockville, MD. I was, of course, delighted to accept. I very much enjoyed the hour, and hope that the congregation did, as well. I'm sharing below a copy of my remarks. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HiTGppeXc6ndiHrOb_KiTehE1bqq1kOBlU9kilRHgRK2l_YFW54AKmrcYtCDR5SY693-Qlz9B3HI45scuTmuRtv03JVMV6U0MczpYpE608QnTfwnLLBHrA0RdmrJxok2-_fLEjWbv4my/s1600/CEC-Exterior-1440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="1440" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HiTGppeXc6ndiHrOb_KiTehE1bqq1kOBlU9kilRHgRK2l_YFW54AKmrcYtCDR5SY693-Qlz9B3HI45scuTmuRtv03JVMV6U0MczpYpE608QnTfwnLLBHrA0RdmrJxok2-_fLEjWbv4my/s320/CEC-Exterior-1440.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Episcopal Church, Rockville, MD</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
Dominion In The Image Of God –</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
Why Caring About Animals Is Central To What
It Means To Follow Christ</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
Remarks at Christ Episcopal Church,
Rockville, MD</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
September 30, 2018</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
Good morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you for inviting me here to talk with
you, and thank you for the work the St. Francis Flock is doing in raising the
issue of animal welfare as a Christian concern, and thank you for your support
of this important work, Rev. Simpson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
is a lot that I could talk about today, but given our limited time, I thought I
would try to lay out what I think are the foundational concepts for a theology
of animal welfare, and then answer any questions the group may have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
I want to start
with what might strike you as a fairly startling proposition:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that caring for animals is not just an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">appropriate</i> Christian concern, I believe
it is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fundamental</i> to what it means to
be human, what it means to be created in God’s image, and what it means to
carry out God’s will on earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
support that idea, I want to focus on the creation stories, which form the
foundation of our understanding of our place as humans in God’s creation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Specifically, I want to focus on the idea that
we are created in God’s image and given dominion over the animals. That’s an
idea that traditionally has been used to excuse exploitation of animals, but I
think it is telling something very different indeed – and something that goes
beyond what many mean when they use the word “stewardship” in place of dominion.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
So let’s look at
Genesis 1:26:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then God said, “Let us
make humankind in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the
cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping
thing that creeps upon the earth.” (NRSV)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
To start out, I
want to point out that how we view what it means to be created in the image of
God almost defines how our dominion is to be exercised, because these two ideas
are so closely linked in scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, the NIV says that we are created in God’s image <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so that</i> we can rule over the animals. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
So, what does it
mean to be created in God’s image? Because Scripture says that only humans are
created in the image of God, and because it is phrase so rarely used in
scripture, from the early church onwards, most philosophers and theologians
considering this idea have tried to identify something makes humans different
from other animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answers have been
varied, but generally have focused on the ability to reason and the free will
to make decisions. These theories have also posited that because humans alone
are created in God’s image, humans are special and more valuable than the rest
of creation, and that the rest of creation, animals included, exist for purpose
of serving human needs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that means,
that our dominion – our power – over the animals can be exercised virtually
without restriction, as long as it is to human benefit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
The problem is that
these are philosophical perspectives, not biblical ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The early church fathers who helped to develop
these ideas were heavily influenced by Greek philosophy, which was dominant in
the culture at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This idea of
greater and lesser creatures, with the lesser existing to serve the needs of
the greater is from Aristotle, not scripture.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
In the creation
stories, God creates all the creatures and pronounces each of them good before
humans are created, so their value to God cannot depend solely on their
relationship to humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only that,
but all the creatures are created with the same “nephesh chayah” as
humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This phrase basically refers to
a kind of animating spirit, or living soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our bibles translate this as living creature when it is used in
connection with the animals and living being for humans, but in the Hebrew it
is the same thing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The creation stories
also tell us that both humans and animals were only given plants to eat. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
Looking beyond the
creation stories, scripture also tells us that God covenants with the animals
(Gen. 9:9-17 and Hosea 2:18), that the animals praise God (Psalms, e.g., 33,
50, 104, 150), and that God loves and cares for them (Psalms, Job, Numbers
22:28-33, Jonah 4:11, Matthew 10:29).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The laws of Israel require care for animals (e.g., Deut. 22:6-7
prohibits taking a mother bird from her young; Deut. 22:10 prohibits yoking an
ox and a donkey together, Deut. 25:4 prohibits muzzling an ox while it is
treading out the grain).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the Ten
Commandments require that animals be given rest on the Sabbath (Ex. 23:12
includes animals in the Sabbath “so that your ox and your donkey may have
relief”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Romans, Paul tells us that the
whole creation, including the animals, “groans” with anticipation for the new
creation (Romans 8:19-23), and in that new creation, Isaiah and Hosea tell us
that animals and humans will once again live in harmony (Isaiah 11:26, Hosea
2:18), just as they did in Eden, which means, once again we will not be eating
each other. That is a very different vision of creation than Aristotle’s
pyramid, isn’t it? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
This scriptural
view of animals in creation is more in keeping with what science is teaching us
now about who the animals are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Study
after study has demonstrate that we have egregiously underestimated the
animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Animals are now known to reason
and make decisions, to plan for the future, to have strong personal
relationships with friends and family, to make personal sacrifices for the good
of other creatures, and to have unique personalities. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can be optimistic or pessimistic, and
that can depend on their surroundings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In short, animals do all kinds of things we used to think were uniquely
human. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Jonathan Balcomb puts it, they
are not just alive, they have lives.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[1]</span></span></span></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Identification of some unique
characteristic to set us apart remains elusive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
So, where does
that leave us as creatures uniquely created in God’s image?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
In recent decades,
OT scholars have begun to reexamine what it means to be created in God’s image
in the context of the scriptures and in the context of the ancient cultures in
which they were written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is now
nearly unanimously agreed by them that to be created in God’s likeness and
image was intended to convey the idea that we are created with the power and
purpose to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">reflect</i> God’s image, God’s
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">character</i>, into the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is similar to the practice of ancient
rulers, who would often place statues in areas of their realm they couldn’t get
to personally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those images were
intended to remind people who their ruler was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
So, being created
in God’s image does not convey <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">status</i>,
it imposes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">responsibility</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
And this changes
everything in our understanding of dominion, doesn’t it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly, the other creatures are not created
to meet our needs; instead, we are charged with reflecting the mercy and love
of God to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are to “attest to and
enact” God’s character (Brueggeman) for the animals.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[2]</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
And this makes
sense, doesn’t it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is consistent
with the whole of scripture:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wherever
God gives power He gives responsibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Think of all the prophets warning the kings of Israel that they were
incurring wrath because they were neglecting the widow and the orphan. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To look at dominion as unrestricted power is
to disregard this fundamental teaching of scripture. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
I argue that our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">value </i>comes from the fact that we are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">loved</i> by God – just like all the other creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">importance
</i>(not status) comes from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">responsibilities</i>
we have been given, which means we had better be serious about fulfilling
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
But let’s pause a
moment to notice that our exercise of dominion goes expressly to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">animals</i>, not species, not natural
resources, not the earth, not the environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To the animals – whom God knows as individuals, just as He does you and
me – not one sparrow falls without the Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, we have obligations to care for the environment that
scripture speaks to eloquently, but we are created in God’s image so that we
can have dominion over the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">animals</i> –
it is a particular responsibility, because unlike species and resources and
environments, animals are not just live, they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have lives</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can suffer
and they can rejoice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not just
stewards protecting a resource, we are representatives, reflecting love and
compassion and mercy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
So, how do
we exercise our dominion so as to we reflect God’s image?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can get a hint by looking at the perfect
image of God, Jesus Christ, who, Paul tells us, “did not count equality with
God a thing to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave …
and … humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on
a cross.” (Philippians 2:3-8).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to
be clear here that I am not saying we need to die for the animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in light of that teaching, it rings a
little hollow, doesn’t it, to say that we can disregard the animals because
humans alone are created in God’s image? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
When we seek to
reflect God’s image, we cannot stand on value or status or importance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, as Christians, we know that those
who would be first must be the servants of all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, if we wish to stand on our unique place as creatures in the image of
God, we need to recognize that as a call to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">serve</i>
those we might otherwise view as “less than,” and that means making choices
with their benefit in mind rather than our own. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
I also want to be
clear here that I am not saying we should disregard human problems to care for
the animals. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are commanded to love
our human neighbors. But I don’t think it’s a contest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I think that when we care for
animals we are usually also caring for humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Consider some examples: </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>when we nurture compassion and humanity, we can
prevent violence against both humans and animals, because studies show those
are linked; </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>when we change our diets so as not to support
factory farming, we stop underwriting cruelty to animals, massive sources of
pollution, overuse of antibiotics which threatens public health, and terrible
working conditions for humans that often result in PTSD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>When we care for the planet we care not just for
the animals’ habitat, but for our own;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Of course there are times when our
needs will conflict the animals’ needs, or when an individual animal’s needs
will conflict with the species’ needs, or one species’ needs will conflict with
the needs of another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if we can just
start with areas of mutual benefit, the world would be a much better place for
animals. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, when we come to areas of
conflicting needs, we will be better able to take <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> relevant interests into account to make the most ethical
choices. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
In addition, apart
from these areas of overlapping interests, there a so many daily choices we can
make to help animals that take no resources whatsoever away from efforts to
help humans, either in time or money, as we will see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
So, what can we do
for the animals? The good news is that there is something everyone can do and
every step in the right direction is a step to be celebrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
The first step is
to become educated about who the animals are how we mistreat them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are constantly learning new things about
the sentience of all manner of animals and the ways we make them suffer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do think and reason, they experience a
wide range of emotions, they form important relationships, they grieve the loss
of those companions, and they feel pain – even fish, and crabs, and lobsters,
and even some insects, have been shown to feel and remember and seek to avoid
pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They suffer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
So, read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learn about the creatures with whom we share
God’s goodness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, learn about the
ways we exploit the animals so you will know how to modify your own behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learn about fur farms and puppy mills and circuses
and animal testing and trophy hunting and – most importantly – factory farming,
which causes more suffering to by far the largest number of animals every year,
by many billions in fact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
Then decide what
to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Support your local shelter; have
a towel drive at the church; include pet food in food deliveries to the poor or
shut-ins; adopt your next pet and make a commitment to that animal for life;
buy cruelty-free cosmetics and cleaning products; don’t buy products with fur –
even fur trim; give up leather; most of all, change your diet. Think about
meatless Mondays, or vegan until six, a vegan Lent or Advent; or other ways to
reduce animal products in your diet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are lots of resources to help with this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
Maybe even
consider giving up animal products altogether.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is really easier than you think; it is healthier than you think; and
it makes every meal an opportunity to praise God, to help His kingdom come, to
help His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, and to live more fully
into that image in which we are created. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxilWu_7HQdXI1fGuKpga8rScZaXe-CTmiNR9yc85a90b9La5TU3XwBg_kDZboNdBrB2rHkp8rqDeiIRbevnbzfPILaSRKtRuX-b9u0MzPZ6JihL0vd5DYbnI74wtDYdVdyvGQbjMekli9/s1600/729px-Gamboling_lamboling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="729" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxilWu_7HQdXI1fGuKpga8rScZaXe-CTmiNR9yc85a90b9La5TU3XwBg_kDZboNdBrB2rHkp8rqDeiIRbevnbzfPILaSRKtRuX-b9u0MzPZ6JihL0vd5DYbnI74wtDYdVdyvGQbjMekli9/s320/729px-Gamboling_lamboling.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1926171589878164844#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a> Balcombe, Jonathan. <i>Second
Nature: The Inner Lives of Animals </i>(New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), p.
53.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1926171589878164844#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a> Brueggemann, Walter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Reverberations of Faith: A Theological
Handbook of Old Testament Themes </i>(Louisville: West Minster John Knox Press,
2002), p. 106.</div>
</div>
</div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-11547878189863127372018-08-13T06:02:00.002-04:002018-08-13T22:25:20.923-04:00More On Image And Value<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="375">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hashtag"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Unresolved Mention"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">More On
Image And Value</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 9.0pt;">Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility,
regard others as better than yourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of
others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let the same mind be in you that
was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count
equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the
form of a slave, being born in human likeness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to
the point of death – even death on a cross.</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philippians 2:3-8</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tR-9-ozI4mUIYQLWJn7Rq594MElNhd70C8QauBP7VR0X-iVVWUNiwLuIy_xaFEjOMgyziuJVIYPIkI5hQe4am-MvaPx6VItmYXqYNMC9mzlBJH1iBCzL3ZTmk2GAn7mJGbB28OtZDSxt/s1600/Herz_Jesu_Kirche_Wien_Margareten_%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tR-9-ozI4mUIYQLWJn7Rq594MElNhd70C8QauBP7VR0X-iVVWUNiwLuIy_xaFEjOMgyziuJVIYPIkI5hQe4am-MvaPx6VItmYXqYNMC9mzlBJH1iBCzL3ZTmk2GAn7mJGbB28OtZDSxt/s320/Herz_Jesu_Kirche_Wien_Margareten_%25286%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/08/09/southern-baptists-posted-a-video-opposing-animal-cruelty-and-then-profusely-apologized-for-it/?utm_term=.cc81e3e0a78d&wpisrc=nl_faith&wpmm=1" target="_blank">The article linked here</a> breaks my
heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not the excellent analysis
and questions raised by the author, Bernie Belvedere, that break my heart, but the
actions of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty
Commission in pulling down and apologizing for posting a video regarding our
obligations to care for animals. What a lost opportunity for animals, and for
the church!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a misunderstanding of our
role as creatures in God’s image! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According
to the article, the concerns arose because the message of the video was
interpreted by some as suggesting that humans and non-human animals are of
equal value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is the transcript, as
reported in the article:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">“Nonhuman animals, though obviously not as
important as human animals, merit our serious attention. They’re also
vulnerable. They’re also voiceless. They also are pushed to the margins because
they’re inconvenient, interestingly just like prenatal children are. And
there’s a growing number of people who are pro-life in that they’re
antiabortion, but also pro-life in that they want to stand up for the dignity
of nonhuman animals.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The bruhaha arose because some
believed this language, by bringing the issue of abortion into the discussion,
created a false equivalency between humans and animals and obscured the unique
distinction between humans and other animals:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>that humans alone are created in the image of God:<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1926171589878164844#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">James N. Anderson, a professor of theology and
philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary, explained it this way: “On a
biblical view, there’s a categorical — an essential — distinction between
humans and animals grounded in the idea of the image of God, which speaks to
the uniqueness and sacredness of human life as opposed to any other form of
life.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">With all
due deference, I profoundly disagree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
do not believe that our creation in the </span></div>
<a name='more'></a>image of God makes human life more
“sacred” than the lives of other animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/11/on-image-and-value-god-saw-everything.html" target="_blank">I’ve written about this before</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (and <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2015/01/on-human-value-children-and-polar-bears.html" target="_blank">here</a>). </span>Scholars tell us that our creation in the image of God goes to our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">function</i> in creation – we are here to
represent God; to show the rest of creation what God is like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a job description, not a status
indicator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we are more “important,”
it is because we have the most important job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are unique indeed, in that we are given unparalleled power over the
creation, and unparalleled responsibility to go with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While the idea of human value stemming
from our creation in God’s image runs deep within the Christian tradition,
particularly in the writings of Aquinas and Augustine, other ideas also run
deep within at least the Protestant tradition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Luther, for example, argued that humans lost the image of God through
sin, and Calvin argued that the image of God was to be understood vocationally,
requiring us to reflect the Creator, which in turn requires us to always turn
toward God. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If we want to know what it means to be
created in the image of God, we need only to look at the true image:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Paul expresses it this way in his letter to the Philippians: Christ “did
not count equality with God a thing to be exploited, but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philippians
2:6-7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If that is true, then how is
possible for humans to tout their purported special status as creatures in the
image of God to justify being less mindful, less merciful, less compassionate
to other creatures?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where in Scripture
does God bestow power and authority for purposes of exploitation of the weak
and powerless?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who would be first must
be last, and servants of all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our fellow creatures may not have been
created in the image of God, but they were created by God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God loves them, covenants with them, and
protects them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nonhuman animals have
value because they are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">loved</i> by God
and in relationship with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we
claim the image of God, we should love and value what God loves and
values.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God gave the animals into our especial
care: “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so that</i> they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the
sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures
that move along the ground.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gen. 1:26
(NIV) (emphasis added).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Caring for the
animals as God would care for them is foundational to what it means to be human,
and it is fundamental to what it means to be created in the image of God. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tpBeFN1hErY5viO50xAX9xN7l6ivkcpihfntwF_UQB7cuknctKv5A5jdg5b_CT10T7uF9gzGfGs-cBxVFVPWEKcF2TyuXdSHSx7uY55WTbXglrfEOnE5b609qyImZi5pCCEIdLoVDg55/s1600/Hicks_The_Peacable_Kingdom_DMA_1973-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tpBeFN1hErY5viO50xAX9xN7l6ivkcpihfntwF_UQB7cuknctKv5A5jdg5b_CT10T7uF9gzGfGs-cBxVFVPWEKcF2TyuXdSHSx7uY55WTbXglrfEOnE5b609qyImZi5pCCEIdLoVDg55/s200/Hicks_The_Peacable_Kingdom_DMA_1973-5.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark." Gen. 9:9-10.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As Mr. Belvedere notes, animals suffer
when they are treated cruelly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
suffering matters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It matters to God
because he loves them; and it should matter to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does human life matter more?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does human suffering matter more?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t need to answer those questions because
caring for humans, caring for God’s other animals, and caring for the rest of
creation is most often the same thing, or at the very least, not inconsistent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, for example, factory farming is causing
unimaginable suffering for animals, unhealthy conditions for the humans who
work in them and/or live nearby, and extensive environmental damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By caring for one of these pieces, we care
for them all. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you believe that
opposing abortion is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the</i> most
important moral issue of our time, look at the work of Charlie Camosy,
discussed in the article. He is both an outspoken opponent of abortion and
an effective advocate for animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His body of work
demonstrates that it is possible to do both well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no need to choose one over the
other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 27.0pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00rCxGvI6EKrspwDW5uMjwqlFQG1kwiDzOd4741bT_zdGBL-EApFSBTbGH2yKcF6-XXwRr0VuSSErGzYZl1O02cJ-VZBzTT9rTN5HAtMT1WJF8Z_MiNFN0fpEC98Fk-i2HAqVlciPIKMK/s1600/Type_C_Orcas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="896" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00rCxGvI6EKrspwDW5uMjwqlFQG1kwiDzOd4741bT_zdGBL-EApFSBTbGH2yKcF6-XXwRr0VuSSErGzYZl1O02cJ-VZBzTT9rTN5HAtMT1WJF8Z_MiNFN0fpEC98Fk-i2HAqVlciPIKMK/s200/Type_C_Orcas.jpg" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?" Jonah 4:11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In responding those who believe animal
suffering is unimportant, I would ask, was Christ more important than
humans?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did he stand on his rights? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>R.C. Sproul has said, “When we sin as
the image bearers of God, we are saying to the whole creation, to all of nature
under our dominion, to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field: ‘This
is how God is. This is how your Creator behaves. Look in the mirror; look at
us, and you will see the character of God Almighty.’”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cardinal John Henry Newman has observed, “Cruelty
to animals is as if man did not love God.” And St. John Chrysostom teaches, “<span style="color: black;">The saints are exceedingly loving and gentle to mankind,
and even to brute beasts ... Surely we ought to show them [animals] great
kindness and gentleness for many reasons, but, above all, because they are of
the same origin as ourselves.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We do not diminish our unique place as
humans when we recognize our obligations to animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not even diminish that place when we
speak of both human life and the lives of other animals as requiring our urgent
moral attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, we live into
the calling given us at the creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
caring for the animals, we reflect God’s true nature; and by so doing we can only
become more fully human, and perhaps, by the grace of God, also more capable of
recognizing our obligations to our fellow humans. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mr. Belvedere concludes with these
important questions:</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">I’m left with numerous questions about how
evangelicals, some of whom see animal rights as a totally unimportant issue,
should approach this subject. For example, if causing needless animal suffering
is a moral wrong, where does that leave hunting for sport? Where does that
leave participation in a system of factory-farm-produced meats operationally
dependent on subjecting animals to intense pain and suffering? These are
uncomfortable questions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">They are
indeed uncomfortable questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He notes
that, as humans, we have the capacity to think them through carefully. I would
suggest that we when we do so, we should not use the lens of what is profitable,
what we like to do, what our traditions are, or what might have been enjoyable
– or even necessary for survival – for our ancestors. Rather, we should use the
lens of the one who did not count equality with God a thing to be exploited,
but gave up everything to die on a cross for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This</i>
is the image in which we are created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is the model we are to follow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In light of this, is it really so much to ask that we refrain from
engaging in or supporting manifest cruelty to God’s other creatures?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHo_2fZcvm3IRVccOg3a_0FfUx6dgmShsCpRhHn1PLASZ_DetHmGJxgQ8PLY39By8oaoyQ0U0kIoMc7-f8Ot_tOZC2UOpgoK6ganaY1dA1GOqsUOqxeQQAUcObDQkt7clTLGluoZrCF25/s1600/Chickens+from+Wash+Post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="982" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHo_2fZcvm3IRVccOg3a_0FfUx6dgmShsCpRhHn1PLASZ_DetHmGJxgQ8PLY39By8oaoyQ0U0kIoMc7-f8Ot_tOZC2UOpgoK6ganaY1dA1GOqsUOqxeQQAUcObDQkt7clTLGluoZrCF25/s200/Chickens+from+Wash+Post.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBolnMYXTIGfESc9GKQpCiozbRuqXh3K-BPfgfwhB49CmIBbuGG2F9Cvg-B2dzqob2IqPUpOwrbn7Tu4MDvDIGwRzOzH5719zqXA6hzHKcc1t6hQDu3TNKFD_qVPzT1m1JYzdEuZpJSKl7/s1600/Pig+on+the+way+to+slaughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="887" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBolnMYXTIGfESc9GKQpCiozbRuqXh3K-BPfgfwhB49CmIBbuGG2F9Cvg-B2dzqob2IqPUpOwrbn7Tu4MDvDIGwRzOzH5719zqXA6hzHKcc1t6hQDu3TNKFD_qVPzT1m1JYzdEuZpJSKl7/s200/Pig+on+the+way+to+slaughter.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLj1U7lMVY-JcxgjwonOgUpzgssXiG3C890m6h6uI-YzdqNvQFFxQcjup8ShXxsHdpWazSvFjIdaVrB4CSO3jJ30Ui64IMakY4VV3VBpiwSrZyi9jiijin4QgDbx82DV9SxVwD938k0Cp/s1600/jesus+the+good+shepherd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="782" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLj1U7lMVY-JcxgjwonOgUpzgssXiG3C890m6h6uI-YzdqNvQFFxQcjup8ShXxsHdpWazSvFjIdaVrB4CSO3jJ30Ui64IMakY4VV3VBpiwSrZyi9jiijin4QgDbx82DV9SxVwD938k0Cp/s200/jesus+the+good+shepherd.jpg" width="167" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 9.0pt;">"We may pretend
to what religion we please, but cruelty is atheism. <br />
We may make our boast of Christianity; but cruelty is infidelity. </span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 9.0pt;">We may trust to our
orthodoxy; but cruelty is the worst of heresies."<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Rev. Humphrey Primatt.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A Dissertation on the Duty of Mercy and <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sin of Cruelty to Brute Animals (1776)</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 27.0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1926171589878164844#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 8.0pt;">It seems to me that the language used goes
out of its way <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> to blur that
distinction, expressly stating that animals are not as important as
humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-22731062622479081912018-04-08T14:47:00.000-04:002018-04-08T14:50:46.851-04:00It's been some time since I've posted here, as my schedule now makes it hard for me to find time to write. I hope to fix that soon and get back to regular posting. In the meantime, here is a guest blog I wrote for the amazing people at CreatureKind. Many thanks for the opportunity!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what" target="_blank">http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what </a><br />
<br />
<div id="canvas">
<br />
<section class="clear" data-collection-id="5865a05714fd83ac4f0fe619" data-content-field="main-content" data-edit-main-image="Banner" id="page" role="main" style="min-height: auto; opacity: 1;">
<div class="article-wrapper" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1523212473728_91">
<br />
<article class="hentry category-guest-author tag-usda tag-organic-farming tag-regulations tag-animal-welfare tag-farmed-animal-welfare tag-christians-and-farmed-animals author-sarah-king post-type-text" data-item-id="5ac6506a6d2a73caade612d4" id="article-5ac6506a6d2a73caade612d4">
<header id="yui_3_17_2_1_1523212473728_323">
<h1 class="entry-title" data-content-field="title" itemprop="headline">
<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what">New Animal Welfare Standards for Organic Meat and Dairy Products Are Withdrawn. Now What?</a>
</h1>
<div class="meta" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1523212473728_322">
</div>
<div class="meta" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1523212473728_322">
<span class="date"><time class="published dt-published" datetime="2018-04-05" itemprop="datePublished" pubdate="">April 5, 2018</time></span>
</div>
</header>
<div class="body entry-content" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1523212473728_90">
<div class="sqs-layout sqs-grid-12 columns-12" data-layout-label="Post Body" data-type="item" data-updated-on="1522947804911" id="item-5ac6506a6d2a73caade612d4">
<div class="row sqs-row" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1523212473728_89">
<div class="col sqs-col-12 span-12" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1523212473728_88">
<div class="sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html" data-block-type="2" id="block-96a9d816625bb3693adf">
<div class="sqs-block-content">
by Lois Godfrey Wye<br />
<br />
On
January 19, 2017, the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a
final rule imposing new requirements on suppliers of organic meats and
dairy products. The new rule set certain standards for animal care, to
“create[] greater consistency in organic livestock and poultry practice
standards” and “to assure consumers that organically produced products
meet a consistent and uniform standard.”<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftn1">[1]</a>
The effective date of the regulations was repeatedly delayed, however,
and on March 13, 2018, the USDA announced it was withdrawing the
rule. No new standards for animal care will be required for organic meat
or dairy products. Why did the agency change its mind? And what does it
mean for us, as Christians who care about how animals in our food
supply are treated?</div>
</div>
<div class="sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html" data-block-type="2" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1522946071177_38356">
<div class="sqs-block-content">
<h2>
<a name='more'></a></h2>
<h2>
The Rule </h2>
First,
let’s take a quick look at what the regulations would—and would
not—have done. Kitty Block, Acting CEO of the Humane Society of the
United States, summarized the requirements this way in her blog, A
Humane Nation:<br />
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
[The regulations]
encompassed an array of housing, husbandry, and management standards,
standards that consumers expect when they buy organic products. The rule
prohibited cruel practices like “tail docking” of cattle and
transporting animals too sick or injured to endure the journey. The rule
also ensured that animals raised under the standard could not be
tightly confined, and it set minimum indoor and outdoor space
requirements for egg-laying chickens. Importantly, the rule closed a
loophole in current regulations that allow large poultry companies to
skirt the law and use screened-in porches to satisfy “outdoor access”
requirements.<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftn2">[2]</a></div>
<br />
Gene
Baur, of Farm Sanctuary, however, points out that even these
protections were “minimal,” that many cruel practices would have been
permitted, and “and ultimately, animals raised for organic
certification, like other animals exploited for food, are treated more
like commodities than like living feeling animals . . . The updated
organic rule limits some of the abuses routinely endured by farm
animals, but it still places commercial interests above ethical
considerations.”<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftn3">[3]</a><br />
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
What Happened?</h2>
So
why are these improvements, minimal or otherwise, not going into
effect? After the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, the new
administration wanted to review the rule, so it delayed the
implementation date, and took public comment on whether or not the
regulations should be withdrawn. Public comments overwhelmingly favored
allowing the regulations to go into effect—by a margin of 63,000
comments supporting the rule to 50 comments opposing it<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftn4">[4]</a>—but
the USDA determined, after reexamining the statute under which the
regulations had been issued, that it did not have legal authority to
impose requirements regarding animal care. Instead, the agency believes
its authority is limited to restricting use of chemicals or synthetic
substances in feed, nontherapeutic use of medications, and similar
activities for organically-produced meats and dairy products. It also
believes that the costs and benefits of the regulations had been
inaccurately calculated and that the costs of the regulations outweighed
the benefits.<br />
<br />
In assessing the benefits of the regulation, the
agency did not consider benefits to the animals themselves, which it
called “speculative.”<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftn5">[5]</a> The
issue is addressed only in the context of economic benefits, and the
agency observed that “it is uncertain that organic farmers and consumers
would see positive impacts from implementation of the OLPP rule. The
assertion that the OLPP final rule would result in economic benefits
from healthier animals is not supported by information or research
linking outdoor access on pasture or vegetation to improved economic
outcomes for producers.”<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftn6">[6]</a> Consideration of what may or may not be humane treatment does not appear to have entered into the calculus.<br />
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
A Christian Response</h2>
It
is, of course, heartbreaking to lose an opportunity for real
improvement in the way at least some of the animals in our food system
are treated. But, without debating the correctness of the agency’s
decision, what does this mean for us, as Christians who care about
animals?<br />
<br />
First, as Christians, we do not have the luxury of
giving up hope. Writing this on Holy Saturday, I think of the words of
Fr. James Martin, “We are called to the wait of the Christian, which is
called hope. It is an active waiting; it knows that, even in the worst
of situations, even in the darkest times, God is powerfully at work,
even if we cannot see it clearly right now.”<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftn7">[7]</a> Because
hope is an “active waiting,” we can and must continue to work for
change and to support animal welfare improvements whenever the
opportunity presents itself. This is the work of caring for God’s
creation and bringing God’s kingdom nearer.<br />
<br />
Second, even as we
continue to work for institutional change to benefit animals, both the
rule and its roll back underscore the limitations of that process. As
Gene Baur explained, the rule “still place[d] commercial interests above
ethical considerations,” and the animals were still seen as commodities
rather than living beings. While the rule would have meant definite
improvement for some animals in the food system, they were limited
changes for a limited number of animals. We cannot depend on Caesar to
implement our ethics for us. Many organic farmers who supported this
rule did so because of consumer demand for a reliable organic label that
would provide assurance of certain standards.<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftn8">[8]</a>
This is a testament to the importance of personal choices in driving
change. Our choices and our behavior matter—not just to us, but to those
around us. We need to live our ethics.<br />
<br />
If we choose to eat meat
or dairy products, we have to do the research to find suppliers who meet
our ethical requirements. That means we need to know what food labels
really mean—which can be a challenge, because they are often misleading.<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftn9">[9]</a> It
also means we need to look past the labels to find out whatever we can
about the brand. We are responsible for our choices, and we cannot pass
the implications of our actions on others.<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftn10">[10]</a><br />
<br />
It
also means that—whether we choose to eat meat and dairy products or
not—we have an opportunity for education. We can make sure that people
who do so choose are aware that “organic” does not mean “humane,” and if
they are concerned about animal welfare, they, too, need to understand
labels and suppliers. There is a great deal of misunderstanding among
consumers, and if we have lost an opportunity to see some industry-wide
standards implemented and clarity in labeling, we have not lost the
opportunity to continue to speak out to our friends, our families, and
others to help them understand what labels mean—and what they do not
mean.<br />
<br />
For Christians, loss is never defeat, and as we live in
hope and gratitude, we will continue to seek ways to bring the Kingdom
nearer. <br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html" data-block-type="2" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1522946071177_31635">
<div class="sqs-block-content">
<i></i><br />
<h2>
References</h2>
<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftnref1">[1]</a> <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/01/19/2017-00888/national-organic-program-nop-organic-livestock-and-poultry-practices">82 Federal Register 7042 (Jan 19, 2017).</a><br />
<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftnref2">[2]</a> <a href="https://blog.humanesociety.org/2018/03/breaking-news-usda-abandons-rule-higher-welfare-standards-animals-raised-organics-label.html?credit=blog_post_062917_id9092">A Humane Nation</a>, March 13, 2018.<br />
<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftnref3">[3]</a> Farm Sanctuary, Compassionate Communities Campaign, <a href="https://ccc.farmsanctuary.org/organic-standards-draw-ire/">Modest Organic Farm Animal Welfare Standards Draw Ire of Agribusiness</a>, undated, <a href="https://ccc.farmsanctuary.org/organic-standards-draw-ire/">https://ccc.farmsanctuary.org/organic-standards-draw-ire/</a>.<br />
<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftnref4">[4]</a> <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/03/13/2018-05029/national-organic-program-nop-organic-livestock-and-poultry-practices">83 Federal Register 10775 (March 13, 2018)</a>.<br />
<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftnref5">[5]</a> 83 Federal Register 10779. <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2018-05029/p-56">https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2018-05029/p-56</a><br />
<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftnref6">[6]</a> <i>Id.</i><br />
<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftnref7">[7]</a> <a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/04/15/father-james-martin-holy-saturday-teaches-christians-right-way-wait"><i>Father James Martin: Holy Saturday Teaches Us The Right Way to Wait</i></a>, America, The Jesuit Review, April 15, 2017, <a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/04/15/father-james-martin-holy-saturday-teaches-christians-right-way-wait">https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/04/15/father-james-martin-holy-saturday-teaches-christians-right-way-wait</a>.<br />
<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftnref8">[8]</a> 83 Federal Register 10779.<br />
<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftnref9">[9]</a> The Animal Welfare Institute has this helpful <a href="https://awionline.org/content/consumers-guide-food-labels-and-animal-welfare">guide</a>.<br />
<a href="http://www.becreaturekind.org/blog-posts/2018/4/5/new-animal-welfare-standards-for-organic-meat-and-dairy-products-are-withdrawn-now-what#_ftnref10">[10]</a> There is a confession of sin used in the Episcopal Church which asks forgiveness for “the evil done on our behalf.” <i>Enriching our Worship, </i>p. 56. Reprinted <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stcolumbasmaine/posts/499669426761028">here</a>. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stcolumbasmaine/posts/499669426761028">https://www.facebook.com/stcolumbasmaine/posts/499669426761028</a>
I cannot say this without thinking of animals on factory farms, fur
farms, in labs or circuses, or other places so terrible for them for the
supposed benefit of humans. </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</article></div>
</section></div>
<br />
<div class="comments-content" style="opacity: 1;">
<br />
<section id="comments"><br /><div class="comment-list " id="yui_3_17_2_1_1523212473728_313">
</div>
</section></div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-21825419915755530522016-11-25T07:51:00.000-05:002016-11-25T07:52:58.011-05:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">GIVING THANKS – FOR COMPASSION</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">A light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John 1:5</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I once heard a description of
heaven and hell that has stayed with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have no idea of its origins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
goes like this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In hell, there is a
great banquet laid, with all of the most wonderful food that you can imagine,
and everyone is gathered around the table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But no one is eating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They cannot
feed themselves because their arms don’t bend at the elbow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are eternally tempted but unable to
enjoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In heaven, the same feast is
laid, and everyone is gathered around the table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are laughing and talking and eating and
enjoying themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their arms don’t
bend at the elbow either, but instead of worrying about feeding themselves,
everyone is feeding their neighbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So it is in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we are concerned about ourselves, and
whether we have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">our share</i> (whatever
that might be) and whether it is as much as the folks next door have, we are
doomed to unhappiness, to dissatisfaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When we only give of our leftovers, after we have “enough,” there is
never “enough.” But when look to others, when we see their need and offer to
them something of ourselves, a listening ear, a meal, a spare coat, some labor
to fix the house, some time together, a place to stay, a refuge from the storm,
financial help, then we know our own blessings, and the blessings of
fellowship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the prayer attributed to
St. Francis teaches us, “It is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning
that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1PYrJ0JzGTnIR5b3Bvh_x05XkTfqEsUIJClG2_SqnPtEs77K5KFKZU3e-AZ_9YD4R2HpKp74Ng5t5dI3UWe0M2P7PE80fNcr8-UBnm0jDY17hlg8PQvH0tj1mmHQS6iYkalzNanvDkTK/s1600/Rembrandt+Good+Samaritan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1PYrJ0JzGTnIR5b3Bvh_x05XkTfqEsUIJClG2_SqnPtEs77K5KFKZU3e-AZ_9YD4R2HpKp74Ng5t5dI3UWe0M2P7PE80fNcr8-UBnm0jDY17hlg8PQvH0tj1mmHQS6iYkalzNanvDkTK/s320/Rembrandt+Good+Samaritan.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rembrandt, The Good Samaritan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I was recently at a church
service in support of a church that had been the victim of a hate crime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The local community came out in force to
support this church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sanctuary was filled
with hand-made signs of love and support, there were flowers on the steps, and
the sanctuary was full of people of different faiths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was church indeed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the service, on the way out, I was
chatting with a Jewish woman who had come with her family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thanked her for coming and for showing
interfaith support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Of course,” she
said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I wish, instead of focusing on
diversity, when we talk about multi-culturalism, we would focus on community
and on what we have in common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are
all here together on the same journey.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wise words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as it is with our fellow humans, so it is
with our fellow creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I attended a
Thanksgiving feast this year at a nearby sanctuary for farm animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The event featured a great feast for the
resident turkeys (the chickens and a goat also joined in), followed by a vegan
pot luck dinner attended by hundreds of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The tables were groaning with delicious and compassionate food to be
shared (a precursor of heaven, perhaps).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here, too, we focused on commonality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The staff of the sanctuary talked about each of the turkeys, telling us
their history and their personalities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The turkeys and other animals at the sanctuary, like humans, know pain
and fear, they know contentment and fellowship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They, too, are on the same journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When we, as humans, recognize that shared life, that shared <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nephesh</i>, it brings us joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PKQnr1gZpNnY_hFa8X19cibc1Np_G5vcBWPxS7UGfW_driON6J3zets4bfhdlQzbTdSD3t9whIYzcOWYI8lAzTGkuncgo0JztICQaKN-eX34nhRyP1gr9KawdwMEyNCCzeHxPhLXcO-u/s1600/Hicks_The_Peacable_Kingdom_DMA_1973-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PKQnr1gZpNnY_hFa8X19cibc1Np_G5vcBWPxS7UGfW_driON6J3zets4bfhdlQzbTdSD3t9whIYzcOWYI8lAzTGkuncgo0JztICQaKN-eX34nhRyP1gr9KawdwMEyNCCzeHxPhLXcO-u/s320/Hicks_The_Peacable_Kingdom_DMA_1973-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hicks, The Peaceable Kingdom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>St. Francis also said, <span style="color: black;">“If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures
from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who deal likewise
with their fellow men.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, too, I
think, when we learn to show compassion and pity to God’s creatures, when we
see what we have in common with them, so we will learn to deal likewise with
our fellow humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our relationships
with animals, we have the opportunity to exercise our moral muscles for
compassion or cruelty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must decide,
and we must be aware that how we decide is likely to have a broader impact than
we might imagine. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In a world that can sometimes
seem overcome with fear, suspicion, anger, cruelty, and division, I am
profoundly grateful for those lights shining in the darkness who reach out in
love and support to help their fellow creatures – human and non-human – through
difficult times <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> for those who
stay to celebrate the good times. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joy
longs for companionship, just as pain does. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am grateful for those who find and respond
to the things we all have in common: the desire to feel safe and to be
loved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am grateful for those who light
the path for the rest of us, and I pray for a heart to follow them on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkS2jFWdO5UCFB_2TXWkRyBk0OitQXS_qshgBWZzIyJv83ZxRVWTB7edR59IQab1mE7DXx34bO4bn9C9n6-UlZgHFIGeXGSCxkLJWb482LrtS6Nnu304ML0NhtnKK-XaIA7v-j8fKEclV2/s1600/candle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkS2jFWdO5UCFB_2TXWkRyBk0OitQXS_qshgBWZzIyJv83ZxRVWTB7edR59IQab1mE7DXx34bO4bn9C9n6-UlZgHFIGeXGSCxkLJWb482LrtS6Nnu304ML0NhtnKK-XaIA7v-j8fKEclV2/s320/candle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Anne Lamotte, in her book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stitches</i>, notes that Ram Dass “said that
ultimately we’re all just walking each other home.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The journey is so much better together: with
friends, neighbors, and strangers, people with two feet and four, those with wings
or fins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Lord God made us all, and
loves us all, and it is only when we are all working together, in support and
fellowship, bearing each other’s burdens, that He calls us “very good.”
(Genesis 1:31).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wishing you the blessings of love
and companionship during this holiday season and for the whole journey
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-66452656911503287852016-04-07T19:34:00.000-04:002016-04-26T06:40:51.373-04:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">AN OPEN LETTER IN GRATITUDE</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">TO THE MOST REVEREND MICHAEL CURRY, </span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">"I do not want the
Church to support animals simply to conform to secular pressure, rather I want
the Church to see that its <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">own</span>
Gospel requires opposition to cruelty."</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>~Andrew Linzey<i>, Creatures of the Same God </i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Dear Bishop Curry:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I do not mind
telling you that as someone who tries to work for justice and compassion within
the Christian community in general and the Episcopal Church in particular, I am
often discouraged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But on the eve of
Easter this year, I was blessed to be in attendance at the Washington National
Cathedral to take part in the Easter Vigil and to hear <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfAR8Enzvhw" target="_blank">your wonderful and heartening sermon</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your words have
refreshed me and offered me encouragement, and for that I am grateful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>You spoke of us, a
followers of Jesus, being Why Not People in a Why Weary World; of Christians –
even Episcopalians – needing to press on with new ideas in both the Christian
and secular communities to make the world a better place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In world beaten down and made weary by
seemingly intractable injustice, we, as followers of the risen Lord, are to
hold on to hope, to continue to ask “why not” for a better world. You asked,
and recalled others who asked: </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> a world where children do not go to bed hungry?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> a world where we are all the children of God and we treat
each other as God’s human family?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> scientific truth and knowledge instead of intractable
fundamentalism? </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> an empire that is better and more noble instead of one
trading in human flesh?<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[1]</span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> a world where women and girls are given equal access to
education?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why
Not People dream of new possibilities and know that all things are possible
with God, despite all evidence to the contrary in a Why Weary World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, refreshed and encouraged, I will ask:</span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> a church that recognizes the science that tells us that
animals are sentient, that they know fear and pain as well as joy and
contentment, and that they are capable of full and meaningful lives? (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">E.g</i>., Bekoff, Marc. <i>The Emotional
Lives of Animals.</i> Novato: New World Library, 2007, and <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/p/resources.html" target="_blank">numerous otherbooks</a>.)</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> a church that is awake to unspeakable cruelties of factory
farming and the unending misery it causes the animals we call food? (See, e.g.,
information at<a href="http://www.farmsanctuary.org/learn/factory-farming/" target="_blank"> Farm Sanctuary</a>,
and <a href="http://www.mercyforanimals.org/the-problem" target="_blank">Mercy For Animals</a>)</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> a church that understands the connections between that misery
and the misery factory farms also cause to the humans who work within those
systems and the often economically challenged communities where they are
located? (Summary of resources <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2014/09/10-reasons-for-church-leaders-to-care.html" target="_blank">here</a> )
</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> a church that understands that animal agriculture is one of
the largest contributors to global climate change? (See<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2014/09/10-reasons-for-church-leaders-to-care.html" target="_blank"> here</a> and <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/health/diet-fitness/vegan-eating-would-slash-cut-food-s-global-warming-emissions-n542886" target="_blank">here</a>.)</span>
</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> a church aware of the fact that resources used to grow grain
for animals raised for food could be used to grow grain for hungry people
throughout the world? (See <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2014/09/10-reasons-for-church-leaders-to-care.html" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">.</span>)</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> a church that works to end laboratory testing on animals, fur
and leather as fashion statements, and other forms of animal cruelty?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> a church that recognizes that animals have inherent value and
were not created for human ends; that God created, cares for, and covenants
with the animals, and calls them “good” wholly apart from their relationships
with humans? (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">E.g.</i>, Gen. 1:24-25, 9:9-17,
Hos. 2:18<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> a church alive to the first call given to us as humans at the
creation, when we were created in the image of God: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to reflect</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">God’s dominion of
mercy and compassion</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to the animals</i>?
(Gen. 1:26) (<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Exp<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">lained more fully <span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">in</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/09/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html" target="_blank">this discussion</a>.)
</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> a church that recognizes that the power we were given at creation,
like all power described in scripture, was given not so that we could exploit
those at our mercy, but so that we might care for them, and that the misuse of
power has consequences? </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> <span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Why not</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> a church that can say, with Matthew Scully: “When a man’s
love of finery clouds his moral judgment, that is vanity. When he lets a
demanding palate make his moral choices, that is gluttony. When he ascribes
divine will to his own whims, that is pride. And when he gets angry at being
reminded of animal suffering that his own daily choices might help avoid, that
is moral cowardice.” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dominion: The Power
of Man, The Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy</i>); and with Cardinal
John Henry Newman: “Cruelty to animals is as if man did not love God.” (<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Sermon Notes, 1849-1878</span></i> (Longmans,
Green & Co, 1913), p. 113.); and with <a href="https://www.edgarsmission.org.au/" target="_blank">Edgars' Mission</a> and <a href="http://www.farmsanctuary.org/" target="_blank">Farm Sanctuary</a>: “If you can live well
without harming others, why wouldn’t you?”</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">In
a world so steeped in cruelty to animals that we can no longer even see it,
this is a big ask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we live now in a
world where animals raised for food are treated with a cruelty once
unimaginable and where the environmental and social justice implications of
these systems demand attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also
live in a world where there are an unprecedented number and variety of
plant-based food available, most more cheaply and more healthfully than meat
and dairy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nor is there any longer any
excuse to wear animal skins or test products on animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alternatives are readily available to us,
making our cruelty unnecessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">We
also live in a world where science will no longer allow us to close our eyes to
the suffering we cause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Animals are not
automatons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do not operate only on
instinct.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Science recognizes that
animals - mammals, birds, even fish – are sentient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They know pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They know fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They know grief and loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And mostly they know these emotions because
of how we, created by God to care for them, treat them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely this is sin; surely we can do better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Changes can be made - more easily than most people would <span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">expect</span> - step by step; but first
we have to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">see</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">talk about</i> the problem.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">In
your sermon, you told of how Sojourner Truth encouraged Fredrick Douglas when
he thought the fight to end slavery in the United States might have been lost, when
Abraham Lincoln said that his objective was to preserve the Union and his
decision regarding what to do about slavery would depend on what would save the
Union.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sojourner Truth took Douglas by
the arm and asked, “Fredrick, is God dead?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If not, then get up and fight!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Alleluia!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christ is risen! God is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>dead; hope remains and love will have the last word!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will keep fighting and keep praying for a
church that will speak out to help bring <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i>
of God’s creatures to the dream of flourishing that God intends for us all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Thank
you for the encouragement you have provided to me and for your obvious and
infectious belief that a better world is possible with God. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In gratitude
for your leadership –</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lois Godfrey Wye</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dominion In The Image Of God</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.dominionintheimage.com/">www.dominionintheimage.com</a>
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAYVICv5Tag6e427PZ2VytjCwGPQ1bJOAvz8QVr7DnhLUhdOLzu6Nn7mjZ91QX4O3cWRJBmPPEI-nUnMFWFpBhhC0TODtFsD4ySYyeyvaMzZXjlm-yqS0VkB_VCrStRTws-Ij_rqbhQr-/s1600/Hicks_The_Peacable_Kingdom_DMA_1973-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAYVICv5Tag6e427PZ2VytjCwGPQ1bJOAvz8QVr7DnhLUhdOLzu6Nn7mjZ91QX4O3cWRJBmPPEI-nUnMFWFpBhhC0TODtFsD4ySYyeyvaMzZXjlm-yqS0VkB_VCrStRTws-Ij_rqbhQr-/s320/Hicks_The_Peacable_Kingdom_DMA_1973-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hicks, The Peaceable Kingdom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[1]</span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">This was a reference to noted abolitionist
<a href="http://www.humanesociety.org/news/profile/2007/william_wilberforce_021607.html" target="_blank">William Wilberforce</a>, who was also one of the first activists for the reform of
animal welfare laws in England and co-founder, with an Anglican priest by the
name of Arthur Broome, of the world’s oldest anti-cruelty society, the Society
for the Protection of Animals.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-4880178803328565442016-02-18T09:44:00.003-05:002016-02-18T09:44:41.612-05:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">ANIMALS IN THE BOOK OF JONAH</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">“And should I not be
concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a
hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their
left, and also many animals?”</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>~ Jonah
4:11</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ve been wanting to write about the Book of Jonah for
some time now, and it is fitting that I am finally able to do so during the
season of Lent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jonah’s story is
deceptively simple, and with its action and adventure and animals and (some
would say) fanciful elements, it is a favorite for teaching children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we begin to dig into the story, however,
we find that it is a profound story of faith, repentance, forgiveness, and the
limitless nature of God’s love and care for all that He has made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No wonder it is a staple of Jewish services
on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yom Kipper</i>, the Day of Atonement, <span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">perhaps</span> the holiest day of the Jewish year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Most of us remember the “whale” (which is never called
a whale in scripture, but is identified in scripture as a “great fish”), but the
Book of Jonah, not unlike the city of Nineveh, is filled with many animals.<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> (</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">For brevity, this post assumes familiarity
with the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The book is only four chapters
long, however, and is worth re-reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">)</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The great fish is provided by God to save
Jonah; the fish returns Jonah to the dry land in faithful response to the word
of God (in contrast to Jonah’s unfaithful response to God’s call); the animals
in the city of Nineveh participate in the fast and wear sackcloth; they are
called upon by the king to cry mightily to God and to turn from their ways; a
worm follows God’s instructions to remove Jonah’s shady vine, and the animals
of the city are expressly identified as creatures of God’s concern in the closing
words of the book.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6nKV2KqIHM_rU0ll0zBl4A3AWMjZp29mgATUJ4C4UCVyGUvO4L5LpuIuvd9N0M32Ome6MaddDQucNRBkzik5nQ-vfskrNp4tCY8AtuWkh2PbUx4TZbNgnoXaIPgFGPy_UBhDADSFN-bV/s1600/Type_C_Orcas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6nKV2KqIHM_rU0ll0zBl4A3AWMjZp29mgATUJ4C4UCVyGUvO4L5LpuIuvd9N0M32Ome6MaddDQucNRBkzik5nQ-vfskrNp4tCY8AtuWkh2PbUx4TZbNgnoXaIPgFGPy_UBhDADSFN-bV/s320/Type_C_Orcas.jpg" width="238" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The story of Jonah is impossible without the
animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They move the action<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">;</span> from
scene to scene the animals are there, doing God’s work, crying out to the Lord,
receiving His mercy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also
underscore some of the central themes of the book, including faith, repentance,
and the all-encompassing love of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
deserve, but rarely receive, our thoughtful attention.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One of the central themes of the Book of Jonah is that
God’s mercy and compassion cannot be confined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God loves people – and nations – we don’t want Him to love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jonah did not want to go Nineveh to preach
because Jonah did not want God to forgive the city (various reasons for this
have been suggested by the commentaries).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This story teaches us we cannot control God’s forgiveness to suit our
own purposes and we cannot box God’s love in to our families, our tribe, our nation – or our species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The animals
are right there with the pagans, repenting and being forgiven and receiving
mercy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jonah may not want the human
inhabitants to receive that mercy, in part perhaps because their repentance would
reflect poorly on Israel’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lack</i> of
repentance.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">1</span>]</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We</i>
may not want to notice or talk about God’s compassion for the cattle and other
animals in the city in part because it reflects poorly on our own lack of
compassion <span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">for</span> the same kinds of animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But God’s compassion extends further than ours, even to our enemies and
our animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Another lesson
is that God is in relationship with the animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He appoints the animals to tasks and they
fulfill them; He speaks to the animals and they obey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michael J. Gilmore, in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eden’s Other Residents</i>, looks at places in scripture where humans,
God, and animals interact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of the Jonah
story, he says that God uses the fish, not only to save Jonah from the sea, but
as the place where Jonah could at last come to terms with God’s word: “In
effect, God ‘speaks’ to his human prophet through the fish and the consequences
are enormous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God speaks to Nineveh’s
many residents, animals among them, in consequence of this triadic
encounter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We often refer to Jonah as a
reluctant prophet, but perhaps we ought to shift our emphasis and acknowledge
the great fish as a willing and obedient one” (p. 7).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Regarding the
animals of Nineveh joining in the fast, Gilmour says, “This is a remarkable
example of humans and animals engaging their creator together.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quoting Richard Bauckham, he argues that the
Israelites were intended to take this mutual repentance seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“These animals were part of the human world
and shared, to some extent at least, its relationship with God” (p. 131).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>David Clough makes a similar point in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On Animals, Vol. I: Systematic Theology,</i>
noting that animals in the Book of Jonah share with humans in responding to
God’s word and enjoying God’s blessing (p. 38).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jonah tells us that animals share with us a creaturely existence in
relationship with and in response to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Indeed, Jonah tells us that sometimes the animals are more faith<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">ful than humans and that we have <span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">something to learn from them.</span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOZ5FiBd7jmlr4Y6rtZpWIE5ce-KhgcJwFMtUxeVxTDDVxqkwNNo1wsrWTqf3kNx6wm-aoSPSjxWkqBgPjUnxCz745wOualreuxitt_nZWgVF_5GBVQVtkLcor5KxQLK84CfvLai4AI9d/s1600/jonah-and-the-whale-marble-fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOZ5FiBd7jmlr4Y6rtZpWIE5ce-KhgcJwFMtUxeVxTDDVxqkwNNo1wsrWTqf3kNx6wm-aoSPSjxWkqBgPjUnxCz745wOualreuxitt_nZWgVF_5GBVQVtkLcor5KxQLK84CfvLai4AI9d/s320/jonah-and-the-whale-marble-fb.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Yet <span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">a</span>nother lesson
is that God cares about what happens to animals, and he cares when they suffer
due to our bad behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even more
traditional commentaries (that is, those not specifically focused on animal
theology) must acknowledge that this story requires us to take seriously God’s
care and concern for animals, although they seem to do so reluctantly, in a context that
suggests the animals are merely automatons, responding without choice to God’s
call, or are included in the story to achieve human ends, or are provided as
much for comic relief as for any other purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Phyllis
Tribble, for example, in her explication of the Book of Jonah in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, Vol.
V</i>, states, “Yahweh controls the fish” (p. 647).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The text, however, suggests something
different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scripture says that God
“provided” a fish to swallow Jonah and that “the Lord spoke to the fish, and it
spewed Jonah out upon the dry land” (1:17, 2:10).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the first may suggest a passive
relationship, the second suggests a relationship of call and response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tribble does go on to address the “ecology”
of Jonah in some detail, and there acknowledges that the king of Nineveh, who
includes the animals in the call to repentance, treats the animals “on a par
with human beings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The intent is not
ridicule, but respect, not parody, but pathos. Nineveh cares for its animals”
(p. 647).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Addressing the final passage
of the book, she says, “in issues of life and death, the animals of Nineveh
matter alongside the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On this
strong ecological note, the book ends” (p. 648).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not clear whether Tribble believes the
animals matter simply because they are part of an ecosystem or whether she
recognizes them as sentient beings who matter in and of themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But she does acknowledge, and even
emphasize, the value of these creatures to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOdPPEGErAfV1iPIq34Bc1t8252nXISkfjU2WkgtLjPm2rJM1c-63uJ5C-ZEJM4aXjsU3m-ftz7rrNXxim0FqIysynzX-3PyKm-4hjtfCZqnzYPpbmKDBO6veoDHPj0sXhkiHE6MXLlVv/s1600/View_of_ancient_Nineveh%252C_Description_de_L%2527Universe_%2528Alain_Manesson_Mallet%252C_1683%2529++public+domain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOdPPEGErAfV1iPIq34Bc1t8252nXISkfjU2WkgtLjPm2rJM1c-63uJ5C-ZEJM4aXjsU3m-ftz7rrNXxim0FqIysynzX-3PyKm-4hjtfCZqnzYPpbmKDBO6veoDHPj0sXhkiHE6MXLlVv/s320/View_of_ancient_Nineveh%252C_Description_de_L%2527Universe_%2528Alain_Manesson_Mallet%252C_1683%2529++public+domain.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Ancient Nineveh</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The New Oxford
Annotated Bible clearly groups the fish with the wind, the sea, and the plant
in addressing the “ecology” of the Book of Jonah, noting that all these
elements are “obedient agents of God’s purpose” (p. 1322 Hebrew Bible).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because the animals are lumped with
non-sentient parts of creation, presumably the suggestion is that they
passively obedient, not active agents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The notes also suggest that the inclusion of the animals in the city’s
repentance is “intentionally humorous,” but acknowledges that this part of the
story “makes a serious point: Mercy is not restricted to God’s human creations”
(p. 1324 Hebrew Bible).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Some Jewish
commentaries suggest the animals are included only because of impact on
humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The animals were to fast so as
to cause their owners more grief and the royal animals were to wear sackcloth
because it would bring greater humility to the king. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Twelve Prophets: Jonah, </i>p. 126.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>But,
others acknowledge the animals as valuable in themselves: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harav David Feinstein</i> points out that God’s compassion extends to
all His creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As God said in
silencing the angels who wished to sing His praises after the Egyptians drowned
in the Sea of Reeds: ‘My handiwork is drowning in the sea and you presume to
sing praise?” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Twelve Prophets:
Jonah,</i> p. 141), and speaking of the animals in the city who were spared:
“Certainly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">they</i> were innocent and
deserving of compassion” (p. 143). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The Book of
Jonah has a great deal to teach us about obedience to God’s call, trust in God’s
word, repentance, second chances, and the all-encompassing breadth of God’s
love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us, in this Lenten season,
reflect on what Jonah teaches us about the love of God for his creatures, the
animals, and let us learn from the inhabitants of Nineveh the meaning of repentance. Then, let us use these lessons to repent for our lack of compassion<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> and our failure to <span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">value God's <span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">other cre<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">atures a<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">s He does. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7j1Ma4V20uk1pbHJhAYfUGMieRSZqH4liyyHZAf00mQndrTe0FazN1ibOxWnH3i0TM13kh4dwGa_fXXMdSOvumbVwK-MYvySROHdmetI357kil0xN-XHK77x5yEPpMEPAVIQnDPGHmNj/s1600/Dairy_cow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7j1Ma4V20uk1pbHJhAYfUGMieRSZqH4liyyHZAf00mQndrTe0FazN1ibOxWnH3i0TM13kh4dwGa_fXXMdSOvumbVwK-MYvySROHdmetI357kil0xN-XHK77x5yEPpMEPAVIQnDPGHmNj/s320/Dairy_cow.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">1</span>]</span></span></span></span> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 9.0pt;">See</span></i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 9.0pt;">The Twelve Prophets: Jonah,
A New Translation With Commentary Anthologized From Talmudic, Midrashic, and
Rabbinic Sources</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 9.0pt;">,
Rabbis Nosson Scherman/Meir Zlotowitz, General Editors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Artscroll Tenach Series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mesorah Publications, Ltd., 1994.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-73930085618988645792015-12-28T06:53:00.000-05:002016-01-01T20:03:20.115-05:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">REFLECTION ON THE INCARNATION</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">The Word became flesh and
dwelt among us.</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>~ John 1:14</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“And while they were there, the time came for her to
give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them
in the inn.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke 2:6-7. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love this verse of Scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the traditional image of the nativity,
with Christ in the manger, Mary and Joseph keeping close watch over Him, magi
offering their gifts, shepherds approaching, and sheep, oxen, cows, donkeys,
and camels calmly looking on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, at
the very start of the story of Christ, the animals take their place among the
witnesses of God made flesh, among the first to be blessed by the presence of
Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story starts with the Word
of God in the presence not just of humans of low and great estate, but also in
the presence of a variety of animals. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK9gqQFdMmPXB0MFk_k_kR_yXcyF5rG6lGp-u1QoGBX5uGyidiqAcb0Tgm0avXH_eCQiLcu_U6G4kjV0dOrqU1aWEZ5p4zAQrQsxMIsm8UtNlq4xwD1k4E2qGuU9Fe-YmmFAlyAyKfvGO/s1600/Weihnachtskrippe_2008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK9gqQFdMmPXB0MFk_k_kR_yXcyF5rG6lGp-u1QoGBX5uGyidiqAcb0Tgm0avXH_eCQiLcu_U6G4kjV0dOrqU1aWEZ5p4zAQrQsxMIsm8UtNlq4xwD1k4E2qGuU9Fe-YmmFAlyAyKfvGO/s320/Weihnachtskrippe_2008.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Of course scripture doesn’t actually tell us that any animals
were present in the stable at the time of Christ’s birth, but there is no
disputing that Christ makes his initial appearance as flesh in a place where
animals live; his crib is a trough where the animals feed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Long-standing tradition has the animals firmly
in place (nor, it seems to me, is there any reason to think the animals were
not present in this, their dwelling place). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There is symmetry here: the beginning of Christ’s life
is with animals while angels herald His arrival in song, and the beginning of
Christ’s ministry is with animals while angels tend to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also foreshadowing here: He rides
into Jerusalem on a donkey in His moment of triumph, and it is as a sacrificial
lamb that Christ goes to the cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
we have but eyes to see, Christ’s life in flesh, while human in form, is
intertwined from beginning to end with the animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXye3Q1TWy8ngL6-eTkBO8uXmZgC5pp85UXMyspGkR_wQdU4eSph95o-tDrtmKCLhuMOdqIIoDySZIs1DdEG_RWN4dumlKLyRJ2qgazwJ_WCQuBo5vuFD1cgUjVaHNtVvCCkzZWKxM_ZPD/s1600/Pres%25C3%25A9pio_no_Santu%25C3%25A1rio_de_F%25C3%25A1tima.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXye3Q1TWy8ngL6-eTkBO8uXmZgC5pp85UXMyspGkR_wQdU4eSph95o-tDrtmKCLhuMOdqIIoDySZIs1DdEG_RWN4dumlKLyRJ2qgazwJ_WCQuBo5vuFD1cgUjVaHNtVvCCkzZWKxM_ZPD/s320/Pres%25C3%25A9pio_no_Santu%25C3%25A1rio_de_F%25C3%25A1tima.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So it should come as no surprise, really, to think of
the implications of the incarnation as being far-reaching enough to encompass
those very animals who are with Him at so many pivotal moments of His
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The church’s focus has
traditionally been on the fact of Christ’s human form; indeed, for much of its
history, the emphasis has been on Christ’s male human form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, in the Nicene Creed, we recite that “<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">For
us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit
was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churches choosing more inclusive language,
will often say, “For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by
the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became human.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, while it is true that Christ was both
male and human, the gospel tells us more broadly that Christ became <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">flesh</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Greek word in the Gospel of John is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sarx</i>, a word that refers to both human and non-human animal
flesh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>David Clough has explained, </span></b>“God
became a Jew rather than a Gentile, a man rather than a woman, an inhabitant of
Palestine rather than one of South America, a creature alive in the first
century AD rather than the twenty-first, a human being rather than a dog” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On Animals</i>, p. 83).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not suppose, however, that God’s saving
work is restricted to Jews, to men, to Palestinians, or to those alive in the
first century AD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no reason,
therefore, to suppose it is restricted to human beings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is particularly true in view of the
breadth of the language of the gospel (“the Word became flesh”) and </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in view of scripture’s insistence on
the cosmic significance of work of Christ, who rules over "all things" (</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Ephesians 1:9-10 and 1:22, Hebrews 1:2-3, 1 Corinthians 8:6,
John 1:3)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and for whom the whole creation "waits with eager longing" (Romans 8:18).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus</span><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">, as Clough explains, </span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The fundamental New Testament
assertion concerning the incarnation, therefore, is not that God became a
member of the species <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Homo sapiens</i>,
but that God took on flesh, the stuff of living creatures” (p.85). (I discuss
Clough’s views more extensively in <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-heart-of-matter-animals-and.html" target="_blank">this earlier post</a>.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">William Greenway, in
his book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For The Love Of All Creatures:
The Story of Grace in Genesis</i>, posits the incarnation as reaching so far as
to encompass even that most sinful of all creatures, the creatures therefore
furthest from God: humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“In thus
proclaiming divinity’s most intimate unifying embrace of the furthermost limit
of creation, humans, the doctrine of the incarnation proclaims that all the
rest of creation, which is relatively near, lies within the all-encompassing
embrace of divine grace” (p. 96).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daniel
K. Miller, in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Animal Ethics and Theology:
The Lens of the Good Samaritan</i>, reflecting on John’s pronouncement that the
Word became flesh and dwelt among us, assures us that “by drawing near to
animal life in this way, Christ’s incarnation and resurrection provide the
basis for our own drawing near to animals as neighbor” (p. 96).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaahEe5DxWVtLu7rm8Gw1K3PooH3E-IlhppHoNSfQKCTnemFy9aGXasqAOY1ch45vNKWmdZIBPNp-wCfr6POQxJeJERFPCnpI4ikeARH1g8fVl6CyPlp7VTqjPl2nUi40GyLUCjYbeYFx/s1600/StWendelKrippeMissionshaus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaahEe5DxWVtLu7rm8Gw1K3PooH3E-IlhppHoNSfQKCTnemFy9aGXasqAOY1ch45vNKWmdZIBPNp-wCfr6POQxJeJERFPCnpI4ikeARH1g8fVl6CyPlp7VTqjPl2nUi40GyLUCjYbeYFx/s320/StWendelKrippeMissionshaus.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
is, in the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, “a kind of theological folly</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> to suppose that God has made the entire
world just for human beings, or to suppose that God is interested in only one
of the millions of species that inhabit God’s good earth” or, I would add, to
suppose that God’s incarnation matters only to humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During this Christmas season, let us celebrate the
extraordinary love of God in Christ, let us recognize the depth, breadth, and
extravagance of this love, which reaches to all of creation, and which will not
let even one sparrow fall without Him (Matt. 10:29).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us stand near the manger in wonder,
together with the sheep and the oxen, and let us seek to love and care for what
He loves and cares for, in gratitude for the love and care we have received.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Merry Christmas. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4lrzO60Qxj605KUou50XM4MJMa0taX3yWb0VBgIQlQzePDYO9kRYXwzdS7a1toWb2_fEJaCTnatPPYN5ys86Yqv4Mc8Tend2R5MeLFmHsXS0t9PRHsx4-uyrZqphhCRisVD34WNhm9K9/s1600/Jasmine+in+the+tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4lrzO60Qxj605KUou50XM4MJMa0taX3yWb0VBgIQlQzePDYO9kRYXwzdS7a1toWb2_fEJaCTnatPPYN5ys86Yqv4Mc8Tend2R5MeLFmHsXS0t9PRHsx4-uyrZqphhCRisVD34WNhm9K9/s320/Jasmine+in+the+tree.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: x-small;">Photo credits:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: x-small;">All creche photos via Wikimedia Commons, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: x-small;">1. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;">"Weihnachtskrippe
2008" by L.Kenzel - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;">2. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;">"Presépio
no Santuário de Fátima" by No machine-readable author provided. Juntas
assumed (based on copyright claims). Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;">3. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;">"StWendelKrippeMissionshaus"
by Lokilech - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0</span> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;">Cat in<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> Christmas tree is my own photo.</span> </span></span></span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"></span></div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-89558474967966891352015-11-25T13:47:00.000-05:002015-11-25T13:47:10.059-05:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">REFLECTIONS ON THANKSGIVING, 2015</span></b><span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">“Cruelty to animals is as if man
did not love God.”<br />
</span></i><span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>~ Cardinal John Henry Newman</i> </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thanksgiving
is a difficult time for vegans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We love
a good feast with family and friends as much as the next person, but the great fuss made over the
turkey is hard to take.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know that
more than <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/21/living/thanksgiving-by-the-numbers/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">46</span> million birds will die</a> for Thanksgiving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know that nearly all of them come from
<a href="http://www.farmsanctuary.org/learn/factory-farming/turkeys-used-for-meat/" target="_blank">factory farms</a>, where they have been bred to be mere caricatures of the birds
God created, with breasts so big they cannot mate naturally and with such a
fast growth rate that they often suffer serious leg and joint problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have often had their beaks and toes cut
off without anesthesia to keep them from harming other birds due to the
overcrowded, stressful, and dirty conditions in which they live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know that as birds, under US law, they are
not even afforded the minimal protections of the Humane Methods of Slaughter
Act in the slaughter process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we
know that the slaughter process is terrifying and often badly done, resulting
in significant suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know that
year after year, <a href="http://www.butterballabuse.com/" target="_blank">investigations</a> of turkey farms have revealed horrific
treatment of these gentle birds, even when they are supposed to have been “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/11/24/whole-foods-thanksgiving-turkeys-endure-horrific-conditions-at-calif-farm-animal-rights-activists-say/" target="_blank">humanely raised</a>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";"></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">We also know that turkeys, when allowed to li<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">ve in peace, are intelligent, social, affectionat<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">e birds<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">, that they are loved by the God who created them, and that their suffering matters</span>. </span></span></span></span></span>It
is extremely difficult for us to understand, therefore, how participating in<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";"> </span>cruelty toward them
can in any way, shape, or form be related to giving thanks to God for His great
mercies toward us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqV0Mzphx3JUMhkMgwImnGgZ-OTU8v8AHLoEpfFnLeGOIbeUkjVpLz2Oh3ke33k7PL48tm5eXz0789PN8PFJPM8BkAARhsCQWlP5MpAxuuvaJYHjEHxOCFGpOEln-yT5rPgdlJgv2DEmK/s1600/Wild_turkey_eastern_us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqV0Mzphx3JUMhkMgwImnGgZ-OTU8v8AHLoEpfFnLeGOIbeUkjVpLz2Oh3ke33k7PL48tm5eXz0789PN8PFJPM8BkAARhsCQWlP5MpAxuuvaJYHjEHxOCFGpOEln-yT5rPgdlJgv2DEmK/s200/Wild_turkey_eastern_us.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">Wil<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">d turkey</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheClo0QwvywYgQQruFjnfrLr57hoqBVJsH9X8oeCHPRUB8QWfDTMBC6M04hIixl0qy166hLhCyAFYtuJZNnycPs8hmpFTV6HVRS-VeJ89uQsUxWTAWpPfjXoOJYyUM9PFtibhTbvy6eDRa/s1600/Butterball_Turkey+Mercy+for+Animals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheClo0QwvywYgQQruFjnfrLr57hoqBVJsH9X8oeCHPRUB8QWfDTMBC6M04hIixl0qy166hLhCyAFYtuJZNnycPs8hmpFTV6HVRS-VeJ89uQsUxWTAWpPfjXoOJYyUM9PFtibhTbvy6eDRa/s200/Butterball_Turkey+Mercy+for+Animals.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butterball turkey, photo by Mercy For Animals</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> Making
it harder still is the fun made of the whole thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cartoon turkeys use anthropomorphism to make light of a turkey’s desire to live<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";"> - o<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">r even to suggest they are eager to participate in the Thanksgiving "fun." Presidential <span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">"pardons" of turkeys celebrate <span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">lightheartedly the saving of two lives while drawing <span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">a veil over the millions not so lucky. All this "fun" </span></span></span></span></span>allows our culture to entirely disregard real
turkeys’ actual desire to live, to be free from fear and discomfort, and to
know companionship and contentment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
actions anesthetize people entirely from the cruelty of our actions as we
prepare to gather around the table <span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">to</span> talk about the many mercies <span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">they</span> have received. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Many <span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">vegans</span> then have to face a gathering centered on a dead turkey, while our family
and friends<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";"> chuc<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">kle indulgently at</span></span> our desire to not to participate in cruelty <span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">- or wo<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">rse<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">,</span></span></span> are
easily offended if we “spoil the fun” or “get on our high horse” by saying no
thank you to much the food on offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But <span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">Thanksgiving</span>, precisely because it is so centered on eating meat, can
offer an opportunity to open discussion about food choices (although, sitting at the dinner table is probably not the most diplomatic time to do so<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">, I hasten to add!</span>). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One way
we can do that without “spoiling the fun” in the days and weeks before the holid<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">ay<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";"> is</span></span> to talk about what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we</i> plan to eat and share recipes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all the talk of turkeys and food this
time of year, other opportunities tend to pop up, too. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a conversation with a colleague several
weeks ago in which he talked about reading a story to his small daughter about
a family that goes to a farm to visit the turkey they are going to eat at
Thanksgiving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happily, in the end the
family decides not to eat the bird, which my colleague advised was a good thing
because his daughter was very upset about the idea of the turkey in the story
being killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked him what he
planned to tell her when turkey appeared on their Thanksgiving table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talked about how children learn where meat
comes from and I pointed out to him that - especially for a sensitive child who
loves animals like his daughter - teaching them about meat is the first time we
teach them not to be compassionate, that it is appropriate to make others
suffer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I never thought about it that
way,” he said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope that a small seed
might have been planted.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vU9trRsHeDrwvq0fLvw2VO9DKjETzxOSgKRbLm8hE6QTZatKToaVLHTOL4ffOJQnlZv-0EKlB2YcIWMTAxu4MmJ2E73pfS1snpQ0A_bvl7b7co5akjh6eq0vSxQWxrQUWxVWfgx1Zo2J/s1600/tofu3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vU9trRsHeDrwvq0fLvw2VO9DKjETzxOSgKRbLm8hE6QTZatKToaVLHTOL4ffOJQnlZv-0EKlB2YcIWMTAxu4MmJ2E73pfS1snpQ0A_bvl7b7co5akjh6eq0vSxQWxrQUWxVWfgx1Zo2J/s320/tofu3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recipe at onegreenplanet.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
can also celebrate the joy of recognizing other animals, including turkeys, as
individuals by participating in events at farm sanctuaries, which often have
<a href="http://www.farmsanctuary.org/events/celebration-for-the-turkeys/" target="_blank">gatherngs</a> open to the public this time of year where turkeys are the
guests of honor and given special meals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is refreshing and restorative to join in these activities and to be
surrounded by other people who recognize the value of our fellow creatures, and
to see that at least <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">some</i> of these
animals are able to enjoy the life they deserve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can even <a href="http://www.farmsanctuary.org/giving/adopt-a-turkey/" target="_blank">“adopt” a turkey</a> from places like
Farm Sanctuary and tell our friends about our special bird to help them begin
to consider turkeys as individuals.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally,
this year especially, we can be thankful for all the progress being made on
behalf of animals by so many organizations and dedicated people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gestation grates and battery cages are well
on their way to the dustbin of history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Meat consumption in the US is declining. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shelter adoptions and spay/neuter rates are up
and puppy mills are closing down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Several cities have banned circuses with wild animal acts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vegan food is easier to find than ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">, indeed,</span> a very long way to go for animals,
but we have <span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">made a very good start on the journey</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWePSe1b88KqAPVjtxzmztRfXrWrFxVlmkiMkBK70jJJCA4w7xfouW5gU3lgbwv9E6I3LAWYNunhQMUgO30p8g5H6uJdVOQRprdWqyWV11kWfKVRPSv4gceuwLyWe_mts-65GyqtfH66HZ/s1600/IMG_2241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWePSe1b88KqAPVjtxzmztRfXrWrFxVlmkiMkBK70jJJCA4w7xfouW5gU3lgbwv9E6I3LAWYNunhQMUgO30p8g5H6uJdVOQRprdWqyWV11kWfKVRPSv4gceuwLyWe_mts-65GyqtfH66HZ/s320/IMG_2241.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">Photo<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";"> by Ken Godfrey</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
am extremely grateful to God for the people along the way who helped to open my
eyes to the cruelty I was supporting and who have helped me find - and continue
to find - new ways of being in the world that allow me to live the way I want
to live - the way I believe God intends us all to live<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">:</span> with compassion toward
all other creatures, with the ability to contribute to their flourishing rather
than their suffering, and with eyes to see the wonder of who they are and what
they have to teach me just by being who they were created to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
only wish that even one of those people had been someone within the faith
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The idea that we are to live,
insofar as we are able, with compassion and mercy and that we are to show grace
to those around us where we can seems to me so fundamental to who we are
created to be and how we are intended to live and move in the world (and <span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">therefore so foundational to the teachings of Christianity)</span> that I
cannot help but remain dumbfounded at the silence of the church on this
subject. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is Gene Bauer from Farm
Sanctuary who taught me to ask, “If you can live well without harming others,
why wouldn’t you?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is truly a loss
when th<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">ose in the</span> secu<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">lar </span>community have more to teach us about living life graciously and mercifully than those inside the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, my
prayer will continue to be that the eyes and the ears of the church will be
opened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is good work being done on this front by
many, including sever<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";">al scholars and</span> authors, and for that I am also grateful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps next year I will be giving thanks for
movement on this issue from the pulpit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="fb-root">
</div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><br />
<div class="fb-video" data-allowfullscreen="1" data-href="/AnimalsAustralia/videos/vb.32799215298/10154320547305299/?type=3">
<div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">
<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AnimalsAustralia/videos/10154320547305299/">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AnimalsAustralia/videos/10154320547305299/">You've got a friend in me</a><br />
This man LOVES Turkey ( ... and Turkey loves him) <3<br />
Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AnimalsAustralia/">Animals Australia</a> on Thursday, November 19, 2015</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-11984592487640652972015-10-19T09:55:00.001-04:002015-10-19T17:58:44.673-04:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">ARE YOU A GOOD WITCH, OR A BAD WITCH?</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“I’m not a witch at
all!”</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>~</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Dorothy, The Wizard of
Oz</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">With Halloween just around the corner, witches are
making their annual appearances in decorations, costumes, advertisements, and
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In traditional lore, before our
modern sensibilities had tamed witches and made them sources of Halloween fun,
they were quite frightening because of their unknown powers; it seemed they
might bring harm in ways communities were unable to predict or defend. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we humans have powers of our own, and,
like witches, we wield our power in frightening ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOjFzjv9E-UZwyzhOqq0YfcftH2EUuWrIuMfIc0Y52pI9DV08fwfkajyXBPjSRpFSnYjWC6a-xba8L5Ym7Bap_YzblO2XFSSZQjZ6z2avO1VOTMJb1hSgpa4lPviw9JOH65Sg4Q0IZGge/s1600/wicked+witch+of+the+west.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOjFzjv9E-UZwyzhOqq0YfcftH2EUuWrIuMfIc0Y52pI9DV08fwfkajyXBPjSRpFSnYjWC6a-xba8L5Ym7Bap_YzblO2XFSSZQjZ6z2avO1VOTMJb1hSgpa4lPviw9JOH65Sg4Q0IZGge/s320/wicked+witch+of+the+west.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Since my last post, I’ve been thinking a lot
about power. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The choices we make
regarding how to use our power, as I’ve written<a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/09/what-do-animals-have-to-do-with.html" target="_blank"> before</a>, say much about who we
are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2015/09/reflections-on-confession-of-sin-god-of.html" target="_blank">last post</a> I observed, “When
we insist on our ‘greater value’ over the animals and the presumed benefits
that attach to such an exalted position, we misunderstand the nature of power
and we oppose God’s will for how we are to live and move in the world.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some recent events have had me reflecting on
the right use of power, and its relationship to our creation in God’s image,
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">One such event was the launch of the Every
Living Thing initiative, which I was very fortunate to attend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an effort by the evangelical community,
in cooperation with the Humane Society of the United States Faith Outreach
Department, to develop and disseminate an evangelical statement on human
obligations to animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an
extremely encouraging statement, underscoring our human responsibilities to
care for our fellow sentient creatures with mercy and compassion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I urge you to take a look at it <a href="http://www.everylivingthing.com/sign-the-statement/" target="_blank">here</a>, as well
as at the explanatory essays that accompany it, available through a link on the bottom of the
same page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Confession:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t yet had the opportunity to read the
essays myself.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the launch, two
points made by various speakers struck me in particular, and they are also
reflected in the statement itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
is an insistence on humans as unique in creation and of greater value than
other animals; the other is the underscoring of animals as given to us as food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look forward to working my way through the
essays to see how they expand on these two ideas, which are, of course, based
on scripture, but which need to be handled with great care if they are to be
consistent with a larger message of scripture, which is that power is given for
the benefit of the powerless, not the powerful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhnF2Cw0VB9mYt4vRd2kQF8TnwMHeZsdksqggQ2q-oawtNUASzOXeXKlUL0ZjyIFNdUsyfCe3D8cE_kBrrQpb3nWnlHNR4an-m1oFiC57qXJRjuMXEDog2pKtHbyCZhYktr-KO91GLtOD/s1600/FEMA_-_194_-_Photograph_by_Dave_Saville_taken_on_09-23-1999_in_North_Carolina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhnF2Cw0VB9mYt4vRd2kQF8TnwMHeZsdksqggQ2q-oawtNUASzOXeXKlUL0ZjyIFNdUsyfCe3D8cE_kBrrQpb3nWnlHNR4an-m1oFiC57qXJRjuMXEDog2pKtHbyCZhYktr-KO91GLtOD/s320/FEMA_-_194_-_Photograph_by_Dave_Saville_taken_on_09-23-1999_in_North_Carolina.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of compassionate use of power</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Our creation in the image of God, the
All-Powerful One, is the source of both our “uniqueness” and our power.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One speaker at the launch said during
informal remarks that he affirms the uniqueness of humans not just in degree,
but in kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t have a chance to
follow up with him, but I wanted to ask what he believes that difference “in
kind” is, and what its implications might be for our role and status in
creation.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, I wonder if his understanding that humans are different from the animals “in kind” matters in some way
in his view of how we are to value animals; does it give us rights, or impose on us
obligations? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are questions worth
pondering because the insistence on humans as different from and superior to
animals has been used as justification for a great deal of suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shall, indeed, be interested to see how the
essays in support of the evangelical statement address this issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Another context in which our power over animals recently
presented itself to me was in regard to a <a href="http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/elephants-may-have-a-specific-alarm-call-for-human" target="_blank">recent article</a> about a study of
African elephants and their ability to communicate with one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The article posits the idea of “language”
among the elephants, stating among other things, that the elephants appear to
have a specific “word” for potential danger from human beings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other studies have addressed potential
language among birds, and even different dialects among the same species of
bird from different geographic areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crows
also have a specific indicator for danger from humans – and they will teach
each other and their young which specific humans are to be feared. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder what it says about us as humans that
when we learn about what animals are “saying,” it is that humans are to be
feared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkRk3oVOOz4oE4ZFRdOB86v1afLeNF97500etHXhy7EzETzFqdNaXjkacvXz8bCcJVbPXgawbXr_YqCckWPtP28EewqOAWNkou2N2qgLchNR10ZWN2K93osYTdZRL2zcBxB0YVFumHRtr/s1600/Rambo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkRk3oVOOz4oE4ZFRdOB86v1afLeNF97500etHXhy7EzETzFqdNaXjkacvXz8bCcJVbPXgawbXr_YqCckWPtP28EewqOAWNkou2N2qgLchNR10ZWN2K93osYTdZRL2zcBxB0YVFumHRtr/s320/Rambo.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">If you saw my Facebook post about the elephant
study, you know that it immediately brought to my mind the passage from the
post-flood story in Genesis, in which God tells Noah that “the fear and dread”
of humans will be on all the other creatures of the earth from this time
forward – the time when animals are “given into the hands” of humans, and
humans are allowed for the first time to eat animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Genesis 9:2).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have, in this scene, gone from caretakers
to hunters and destroyers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have
failed in the first task given to us at creation, to reflect the image of God -
the character of self-sacrificing love - to the rest of creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has always struck me as one of the
saddest passages in the Bible, representing a true breach in the fabric of
creation and an irretrievable (for now) loss of fellowship among all
creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So long as the animals fear
us, and so long as we view them as food, we do indeed live in a broken
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I note that it is immediately
after permitting this brokenness that God reaffirms His own commitment to
continued fellowship with the animals, covenanting with them (as well as with
humans), never again to destroy the earth with a flood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Genesis
9:9-10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is faithful where humans
fall short. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">So, speaking only for myself, notwithstanding
the many fine statements in the Every Living Thing initiative, I was sorry that
it so clearly affirms the use of animals for food. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me, this seems to affirm our broken
state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have been happier if it had
acknowledged our permission to use animals for food, but urged Christians to live
now as though the Kingdom of God were “at hand,” and, reflecting God’s
character through the loving sacrifice of a “right” (which turns out not to be
much of a sacrifice at all), choose a diet closer to that given us at creation,
a diet based on plants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps the
essays get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I have written before </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">(<a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/09/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html" target="_blank">here</a> and<a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/09/dominion-and-power-part-two-i-will-give.html" target="_blank"> here</a>)</span> about the obligations that
come with power, and I have <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/11/on-image-and-value-god-saw-everything.html" target="_blank">expressed my view </a>that our creation in God’s image
is not a matter of how we were made, but is instead a vocation, a call to
reflect God’s character in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What makes humans unique is that we are given the ability (the power) to perform that
task. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have unparalleled power in the world
–power that can build up or destroy; power that can heal or kill; power that
can give or take; power that can be used for the benefit of others, or for our
own benefit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scripture has a great deal
to say about how we are to wield power in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to me that no theology of creation care or animal
welfare is complete without taking those lessons into account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Bruce Birch has said, it is as
representatives of God that we are given power in the world.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Wizard of Oz</i>, the Munchkins initially feared Dorothy because she appeared to have
awesome power when she landed in Munchkinland, killing the Wicked Witch of the
East with her house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Munchkins
wanted to know whether she would use her power to help them or to terrorize them.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?”
asked Glenda, the Good Witch of the North.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dorothy of course, had no idea of
her power:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Why, I’m not a witch at
all!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of us don’t realize the power
we wield, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t recognize
that we are exercising power every time we choose what to eat or what to wear
or what entertainment to support or what products to buy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are not neutral decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They may not cause a house to fall on anyone,
but they are life and death decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When we make these choices, we need to ask ourselves whom we are
representing when we exercise our power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Are we bringing the Kingdom of God, or are we living in brokenness?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">We must ask ourselves, are we a good witch, or a
bad witch? </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMZoAeh0TDl8kTIBAZ9VwRhMBH2Xz630HDe4J61lzy_Una9hqYe_CLVCtf9M19zosjbGE4jZq1PPyXRO4FuEYDC_lgKV6GZWjjXld-u4bL6ZoOuXB-PI6bGt_j0YTMlq-6uZiEwK0ie8T/s1600/Vegan+Witches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMZoAeh0TDl8kTIBAZ9VwRhMBH2Xz630HDe4J61lzy_Una9hqYe_CLVCtf9M19zosjbGE4jZq1PPyXRO4FuEYDC_lgKV6GZWjjXld-u4bL6ZoOuXB-PI6bGt_j0YTMlq-6uZiEwK0ie8T/s320/Vegan+Witches.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span></span></span> As I discussed in<a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/11/on-image-and-value-god-saw-everything.html" target="_blank"> this earlier post</a>, however, I don’t know that it is a source of greater human value than
other animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe our value comes
from the fact that we, like other animals, are loved by God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span></span></span> See these two earlier posts (<a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/10/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none_11.html" target="_blank">here</a> and<a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/10/image-of-god-we-cannotbe-human-without.html" target="_blank"> here</a>)
for a discussion of traditional views of what it means to be created in the image of God and how and why a different modern consensus is arising. </div>
</div>
<div id="ftn3" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -9.0pt;">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Birch, Bruce C. <i>Let Justice Roll Down: The Old Testament,
Ethics, and Christian Life.</i> Louisville: West Minster/John Knox Press, 1991,
pp. 88-89.</span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-58053954637088938822015-09-21T07:56:00.000-04:002015-09-21T07:58:23.340-04:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">REFLECTIONS ON THE CONFESSION OF SIN</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
God of all mercy,</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
We confess that we have sinned against
you, </div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
Opposing your will in our lives.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
We have denied your goodness in each
other, in ourselves,</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
And in the world you have created.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
We repent of the evil that enslaves us,</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
The evil we have done,</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
And the evil done on our behalf.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
Forgive, restore, and strengthen us</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
Through our Savior Jesus Christ,</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
That we may abide in your love</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
And serve only your will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
Amen.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am coming across this
confession of sin more frequently in worship lately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">1 </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It caught my attention the very first time I
said it because of the repentance for “evil done on our behalf,” which strikes
me as a very apt description of our societal treatment of animals who are not
our pets. If only, I find myself thinking, those saying the confession had the
vaguest idea that there was anything to confess in regard to their diet, their
wardrobe, or their entertainment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
line continues to pull at me each time I see or hear this confession, but it
seems to me there is a great deal more here that relates to animals worth
reflecting on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“God of all mercy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s start here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the God to whom we pray when we say
this confession.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We start that way
because it is the very nature of confession to recognize that we are in need of
mercy and forgiveness for a wrong done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Can we ask for mercy if we are unwilling to show it to those in our
power who have done no wrong? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FlfQ0zxsu-WHDiJ503JPmAMpBoYxKTViCTTF_BRJLml8p7jkdelsTZ0AJ8eISQq5hXF6RZoNLheIJAL3NQ1H2U9o_u0299EWVC5ktU6nWqiYrL8JbAagErEHJvsh3-xshQxm42XnRgl5/s1600/The+Prodigal+Son+Salvator+Rosa%252C+1651-55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FlfQ0zxsu-WHDiJ503JPmAMpBoYxKTViCTTF_BRJLml8p7jkdelsTZ0AJ8eISQq5hXF6RZoNLheIJAL3NQ1H2U9o_u0299EWVC5ktU6nWqiYrL8JbAagErEHJvsh3-xshQxm42XnRgl5/s320/The+Prodigal+Son+Salvator+Rosa%252C+1651-55.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Prodigal Son, Salvator Rosa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We have sinned against
you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we support or ignore
mistreatment of God’s creatures, we sin not only against those creatures, but
against the One who made them, cares for them, covenants with them, and
entrusted them to our care.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Opposing your will in
our lives.” The creation stories in Genesis, and so many other aspects of
scripture, tell us that it is God’s will that we care for his non-human animals
as He would – that we reflect His loving, sacrificial image to the
creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we insist on our “greater
value” over the animals and the presumed benefits that attach to such an
exalted position, we misunderstand the nature of power and we oppose God’s will for how we are to live and move in the
world. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We have denied your
goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Among the “others” here whose goodness we
have denied are our fellow sentient creatures of God; including those to whom
we rarely give a thought, like those who wind up on our dinner plates, or on
our backs or our feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are not
automatons; they want to live; they know fear and pain as well as happiness and
contentment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They form relationships and
like to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They, like us, are
dependent on God’s mercy and they carry with them God’s goodness. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgmO4sojHin_-w_edjK_TCby3I8XjlcEqYJdEUnllx95gjhNVKMe6zz9EYnydtIRxNGW4qDTa18pPOem77aRPgDOeyEP26a2WFTpbjX7jnJLsqpzmP_fCNfBpN10L60_ac4LPo3cMuGay/s1600/AnimaltestingMonkeyCovance2+public+domain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgmO4sojHin_-w_edjK_TCby3I8XjlcEqYJdEUnllx95gjhNVKMe6zz9EYnydtIRxNGW4qDTa18pPOem77aRPgDOeyEP26a2WFTpbjX7jnJLsqpzmP_fCNfBpN10L60_ac4LPo3cMuGay/s320/AnimaltestingMonkeyCovance2+public+domain.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We repent of the evil
that enslaves us.” Ours is a world so conditioned to viewing animals as means
to human ends, or pests to be exterminated, that we are not even aware of it;
nor are we aware of the colossal impact we could have if we would just make a
few changes in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we are
(righty) horrified at learning of the cruelty of Asian dog meat markets, and express
our dismay during a dinner of pork chops and potatoes au gratin, we are unaware
of the irony. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to make a conscious
effort to free ourselves from participating in animal cruelty, and it is a
journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So pervasive is the
exploitation of animals in our food, clothing, cleaning supplies, make-up and
other personal products, entertainment – even the sources of our pets – that it
requires an effort to see what we are doing, and to understand we can do
better. Fortunately, there are many resources to help us.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj686LRS94Q7P832Y6p5uSLqVuDZB5s0-1mfFCwOW3lvdshyWpM4OJzXcz_B6wLctUFeZepqp6-otosPEqwJvKz4Amwed8SuVqHSRy8_0QL-7f_JFOLPLurAbn4dATIhCVl1eL22hv0nI0g/s1600/1+Meat_packages_in_a_Roman_supermarket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj686LRS94Q7P832Y6p5uSLqVuDZB5s0-1mfFCwOW3lvdshyWpM4OJzXcz_B6wLctUFeZepqp6-otosPEqwJvKz4Amwed8SuVqHSRy8_0QL-7f_JFOLPLurAbn4dATIhCVl1eL22hv0nI0g/s320/1+Meat_packages_in_a_Roman_supermarket.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We repent of “the evil
we have done.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because most animal abuse
is institutionalized and far removed from our eyes, and because we are
conditioned to want the things that come from animal abuse, we are all
participants, although most of us are unaware. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We repent of “the evil
done on our behalf.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we do no more than learn about the misery of factory farms (meat, eggs, and dairy), animal transport, and slaughterhouses
-- for both humans and the animals we call food -- this line will leave us
barely able to breathe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Forgive, restore, and
strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love
and serve only your will.” If we will reflect on Christ’s message of mercy,
compassion, and loving sacrifice, if we will “have this mind in us that was also
in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5), we will find that the more we are able to
extricate ourselves from these systems of cruelty, the more closely we can
abide in the love of God and live according to His will.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It is a journey, and we
all are in need of confession and forgiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I pray each day for God to help me continue to move in the direction of
compassion and mercy for my fellow humans and all my fellow creatures. I also pray that the church will help us all understand these lessons.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADPeahsLRrBwjxEXWSeyNY_QYmNr_26U0dWjSOZGxTWn_RVot84NMXXGEYY6pWDhq0OIW5A21Mc8Cb_swOscsZBSNi_i5zk4BDff8r-AVOy4FFjkMmuZapVchiu1ffeLW6jpbWdLd7M0M/s1600/Herz_Jesu_Kirche_Wien_Margareten_%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADPeahsLRrBwjxEXWSeyNY_QYmNr_26U0dWjSOZGxTWn_RVot84NMXXGEYY6pWDhq0OIW5A21Mc8Cb_swOscsZBSNi_i5zk4BDff8r-AVOy4FFjkMmuZapVchiu1ffeLW6jpbWdLd7M0M/s320/Herz_Jesu_Kirche_Wien_Margareten_%25286%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
1. This confession is not in the<i> Book of Common Prayer</i>, but is found in another Episcopal worship guide, <i>Enriching Our Worship</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-3433334381000460222015-09-10T08:29:00.000-04:002015-09-11T06:51:43.275-04:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A NEW CREATION FOR THE ANIMALS, </b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">OR, DO ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN?</b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, </i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
. . .</i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They
will not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; </i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For
the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the
sea.</i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~</span> Isaiah 11:6, 9</i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Before my forced
blogging hiatus as a result of a broken wrist, I was blogging my way through David
Clough’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On Animals, Volume 1: Systematic
Theology</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although it has been some time
since my last post on the topic, there is but one chapter left and I think it
is time to let the last shoe drop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you
know if you read those previous posts, I cannot recommend this book highly
enough; it provides a very thoughtful and wide-ranging discussion of the place
of animals – and humans – in Christian theology, considering our modern
understanding of animal nature together with a careful reading of scripture and Christian tradition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Clough,
taking animal welfare seriously is simply a matter of living in accordance with
what Christians have always believed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am especially grateful for Clough’s emphasis on animal welfare as “a vital theological
task,” which touches on nearly every element of what it means to be a Christian,
and for the way he consistently urges us to look at and understand animals in
new ways, asking us to appreciate their complexity, their individuality, and
their place in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Previous posts
in this series are <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-vital-theological-task-i-agree-with.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Vital Theological Task</i></a>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2014/11/all-creatures-of-our-godand-king.html" target="_blank">All Creatures of Our God and King</a>, <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2014/11/onhumans-and-other-animals-moreon.html" target="_blank">On Humans and Other Animals</a>, <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-heart-of-matter-animals-and.html" target="_blank">The Heart of the Matter</a>, </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2015/01/do-animals-sin-thelord-regretted-that.html" target="_blank">Do Animals Sin?</a> </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also a discussion with the author
himself, <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2014/12/in-conversation-q-with-david-clough.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Q&A With David Clough</i></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This post will look at Part III of Clough’s
book, asking whether animals will be redeemed together with humans.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmics7ZzlKmqqiH0dMYFebRvci5TqfPmu_m1pmvChtscUamvLujvQ5MfZyfrQAaUusk7l6N0q1SzCO4TRpnukWFb02xRGS2wbHf8Vhk-ADAllz7EYDrPTs1ryIBQjKnK3GJFfbYRI56Kz/s1600/Stained+Glass+Window+Pam+Lennard+Detail.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmics7ZzlKmqqiH0dMYFebRvci5TqfPmu_m1pmvChtscUamvLujvQ5MfZyfrQAaUusk7l6N0q1SzCO4TRpnukWFb02xRGS2wbHf8Vhk-ADAllz7EYDrPTs1ryIBQjKnK3GJFfbYRI56Kz/s320/Stained+Glass+Window+Pam+Lennard+Detail.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Taking up first the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">scope</i> of redemption, Clough begins with
John Wesley’s sermon <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The General Deliverance</i>,
in which Wesley seeks to reconcile God’s concern for all His creatures with the
animal suffering so evident in the world. Although Wesley believes that only
humans are capable of being in communication with and obeying God, he
nevertheless concludes that God will redeem <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i>
of creation, including the animals, and that they, too, “shall be delivered
from the bondage of corruption into glorious liberty” (quoted on p. 135).
Wesley relies on Paul’s statements in Romans 8 that all of creation awaits
redemption and the promise in the final chapter of Revelation that God will
wipe away every tear, which he notes is not limited to humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Wesley, this conclusion is necessary in
recognition of God’s justice, which would not let so much innocent suffering go
unrecompensed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wesley also hopes that
understanding God’s mercy toward animals will encourage Christians to likewise
be merciful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Clough contrasts
Wesley’s conclusion to those of Ren<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">é</span>
Descartes, who famously concluded that animals are incapable of thought or
feelings, and merely acted on instinct.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Descartes
believed that if animals had thoughts, they would have immortal souls, and if
some animals had souls, then all must, “and many of them such as oysters and
sponges are too imperfect for this to be credible” (quoted on p. 137); in
addition, with so many immortal souls, “the coin of individual worth is
instantly devalued by a massive flooding of the market” (id.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Clough considers various
responses to Descartes, in particular John Hildrop’s statement that what God
had reason to create, He has reason to redeem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clough notes that the alternative, that some or all non-human animals are created by God, but
not intended for life with Him, would mean that many or most of God’s creatures
“were intended by God to be the scenery or supporting players for the
redemption of the other creatures in which God is really interested” (p.
144).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The preceding chapters in Clough’s
book make clear that this is not a plausible reading of scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“[F]or Christian doctrine to be coherent, we
cannot afford for creation, reconciliation, and redemption to be disjoint, but
instead must see them together as a single divine act of graciousness by God
toward all that is” (p. 144).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbtdH3GRFZV68LzFZPjeC2OvauQK5AEYiLio4HeHuO8HJOWkYo8ABSl0aJcklzNz2PMv6G9s4XCK_-b_UIHjzdjY7dbM_l9NQW27U9CW4gHyFTOVjMH8gq4KzCraFvs8h4KeD7Uwv7ch3/s1600/Melozzo_da_Forl%25C3%25AC_-_Angel_with_a_Lamb_as_a_Symbol_of_Christ%2527s_Sacrifice_-_WGA14787.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbtdH3GRFZV68LzFZPjeC2OvauQK5AEYiLio4HeHuO8HJOWkYo8ABSl0aJcklzNz2PMv6G9s4XCK_-b_UIHjzdjY7dbM_l9NQW27U9CW4gHyFTOVjMH8gq4KzCraFvs8h4KeD7Uwv7ch3/s320/Melozzo_da_Forl%25C3%25AC_-_Angel_with_a_Lamb_as_a_Symbol_of_Christ%2527s_Sacrifice_-_WGA14787.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Clough also considers early
church tradition, as expounded by Irenaeus, Origen and Gregory of Nyssa,
holding that all things will be gathered up in Christ. Thus, “considering the
place of non-human animals in God’s work of redemption is not a novel
concern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, the hope that the whole
of creation will be restored, liberated, and redeemed is present in the Old and
New Testaments and in patristic teaching, as well as being represented in more
recent theological discussions” (p. 152).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Clough ends Part III of
his book with a look at the “shape of redeemed living,” considering the
passages from Isaiah and other scriptures that tell us of all the animals
living peaceably together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He notes that
the “biblical visions of harmony between creatures as characteristic of their
redemption are echoed in Christian accounts of the relationship between saints
and non-human animals” (p. 157).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He then
addresses various objections that have been raised to such a vision, such as
whether a leopard can still be a leopard if it does not hunt, or whether there
could be “wilderness” in a new creation where God dwells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, Clough argues that we can look forward
to substantial transformation in a new creation – this must be so even if it were only humans that needed to live peaceably
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Therefore we must not limit our vision of what is possible for all creatures. </span>Moreover, we must maintain a
sense of mystery about the new creation and trust God to work things according
to His will; not restraining God’s work to what we think is possible.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJ2nbgobKBADwmzQnPu9feXO5xu5d_ZPUBcQ0avTJSWskvKDhFdRw1vJ3WU193nXsXENWIUxVLj8q2w4jOpjRXtwdV8MOzOZ4tNvCmP2c4PcKfpYhrtSd_0KjWTB8ZGlkuy7TmCvUKGxV/s1600/Lion+and+fawn.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJ2nbgobKBADwmzQnPu9feXO5xu5d_ZPUBcQ0avTJSWskvKDhFdRw1vJ3WU193nXsXENWIUxVLj8q2w4jOpjRXtwdV8MOzOZ4tNvCmP2c4PcKfpYhrtSd_0KjWTB8ZGlkuy7TmCvUKGxV/s320/Lion+and+fawn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Importantly, Clough ends
the chapter with the reminder that thinking about the redeemed creation is more
than simply speculation about what might be in the future, but it has
implications for how we are to live today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is consideration of how God intends things to be ordered, and that
requires us to order our own lives accordingly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clough promises to address this in Volume II, holding out for us a more
immediate future hope for good things to come.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On Animals, Volume I</i> is an important book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It walks us through basic Christian doctrines
to show us that what we have always said we believe about Christianity requires
us to include animals in our theological thinking and in living out our
faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While humans’ flawed
understanding of animal nature and of the place of humans in creation as a
whole may have excused at least some of the church’s previous disregard for
animals, science – and a more complete reading of scripture – tell us we can no
longer justify blind anthropocentrism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The rest of creation, including the animals, exists for its own sake and
for the glory of God; not for the benefit of humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Followers of the Lamb of God need to be alert
to our role as caretakers of God’s good creation and God’s sentient creatures
and we need to be mindful of the many ways we impact animal lives – even when
it is inconvenient for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look
forward eagerly to Volume II, to see how Clough guides through considering our
ethical obligations to our fellow creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
I want to close this post with this exhortation from
Clough’s conclusion to his fellow theologians: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 31.5pt; margin-top: 0in;">
[W]e live
alongside these other animal creatures, employ them for our own purposes with
little regard for their well-being, and threaten their environments through our
activities, making species extinct through thoughtless neglect or deliberate
action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christian theologians therefore
have a responsibility to be attentive to where other animals belong in their
theological work, to resist the simplistic and inaccurate received formulations
of human exceptionalism that manifest an inexcusable ignorance of the lives of
other creatures and to seek new ways of representing the relations of our
animal neighbours with God and ourselves. (p.173)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 31.5pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In short, animals matter; they matter to God and they should matter to
us, and it is the job of our Christian teachers and leaders to help us
understand this and live accordingly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Given that God did not merely establish the world for our own
convenience, but wills the flourishing of all God’s creatures, we must ask what
this might mean for the appropriateness of Christian uses of other animals for
food, clothing, labour, research, entertainment, companions and for our
responsibilities to non-human animals that live beyond relationships of
domestication” (p. 176).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To which I say, “Amen.”<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cpGjl5jfkavB3NglgPPsqdTNFQxgLxNJPn9hiEjsuV-mlIcqoe6WSRcLPn3ne49qUvXqdo6y3Q43A1h6GPnA0F_77ENVH5J-DH4SObueBT5bGXmOv3Ux0iHA0LNie64xcO0Vq5b7ZtSN/s1600/IMG_0354.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cpGjl5jfkavB3NglgPPsqdTNFQxgLxNJPn9hiEjsuV-mlIcqoe6WSRcLPn3ne49qUvXqdo6y3Q43A1h6GPnA0F_77ENVH5J-DH4SObueBT5bGXmOv3Ux0iHA0LNie64xcO0Vq5b7ZtSN/s320/IMG_0354.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Credits:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Stained glass: Pam Lennard</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Angel with a Lamb as a Symbol of Christ's Sacrifice, Melozzo da Forli</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Lion and fawn: unknown</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Deer: my own photo in my back yard </span> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-85159839046796384652015-08-22T15:53:00.000-04:002015-08-22T15:55:19.023-04:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ANGER
MANAGEMENT & TRUE CONFESSIONS</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Do not let any
unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, </span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">But only what is helpful
for building up others according to their needs,</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">That it may benefit
those who listen.</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Ephesians 4:29</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ll start right off with the
confession:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been feeling a lot of
anger lately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mostly it has to do with a
ridiculous series of events related to my work involving (in my view) a serious
injustice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of particular significance
for this blog, my anger and lack of patience are spilling out of the workplace,
and making me angry and impatient about things relating to animals <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> the lack of things I see and hear
from the church relating to animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
can people continue to do X, I stomp about wondering, and why won’t the church
speak up about Y?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now, my clients are excited that I
am angry at work because they want me to fight for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I worry about being, shall we say, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">too</i> truthful about my views with the
wrong people, with unhelpful repercussions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Similarly, when I think about how to convince the church of the
importance of engaging on the topics of animal suffering and how human
responsibility for that suffering impacts us theologically, I worry these days about
being a little too forthcoming; I forget that what seems utterly self-evident
to me now never occurred to me at all until just a few years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unmanaged anger is almost never constructive,
and usually hurts us more than the object of our fury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkB-EJ7Y4gHeUfxaCxbepNlCsUyQdwcBHp6WWRDhYk_GU_7efQSddHMdc9nrAnJ8uDS_n51S7nXGLjXg7lYc-PZfx0PY-Khc815AxACRbLskDpiQudY0xBQRkepOf9NhlwC_4RB042lzHS/s1600/royalty-free-anger-clipart-illustration-1044923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkB-EJ7Y4gHeUfxaCxbepNlCsUyQdwcBHp6WWRDhYk_GU_7efQSddHMdc9nrAnJ8uDS_n51S7nXGLjXg7lYc-PZfx0PY-Khc815AxACRbLskDpiQudY0xBQRkepOf9NhlwC_4RB042lzHS/s200/royalty-free-anger-clipart-illustration-1044923.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So it was a great blessing to me on
a recent Sunday at the National Cathedral to hear the Rev. Cannon Gina Campbell
preach about anger, using the day’s reading from Ephesians 4:26-35. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expect I am not alone in dealing with anger
regarding how we, as a society, treat animals; nor am I likely the one one
dealing with frustration, at a minimum, that we don’t hear more (or anything)
about it from the pulpit, with the result that big game hunters quote the Bible
to defend their slaughter of innocents, Christians respond to vegans with the
quip, “God gave us the animals to eat; that’s what dominion means,” and
churches see no harm in holding pig wrestling contests or giving away chicks
covered in dye for Easter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anger is a
two-edged sword; it can move us to constructive action or to destructive
name-calling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learning how to channel
and manage anger is key to effective advocacy as well as Christian living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As usual, scripture is helpful here and
Ephesians has much to teach us about living in community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rev. Campbell explains how.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The full text of her sermon is <a href="http://cathedral.org/worship/sermonTexts/gcc20150809.shtml" target="_blank">here</a>; I
commend it to your attention.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Anger has power; the potential to
destroy love, to kill relationships, and every lovely thing. An ill-timed word
or a malicious act can break even the strongest bond,” she said; yet, anger is
not all bad: “Anger arises as an invitation to—and the energy for—action. God
intends truthful anger for healing, unity, and newness.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But how do we get past the anger that
destroys to the anger that heals? The first step is learning to recognize when
our “pithy comebacks” are maybe not what God intends:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Any inclination to use our anger to serve
self-interest, to soothe injured pride, to support personal peevishness, calls
us to mature in prayer, in humility, in truth; lest we grieve the Spirit of
God.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rev. Campbell reminds us that Paul
urges us to speak the truth, responsibly rather than self-indulgently: “That
means no denying or repressing our anger. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No ‘just getting it off our chest’ or ‘letting
it all out’ without discerning thought, concern for facts, examining our part
in things. No going passive with our aggression.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And finally, “To use our anger in life-giving
ways requires awareness and thoughtfulness. We of the clenched fists, the
pounding pulse, the pumping adrenaline, seek in our prayer to choose a fight
worthy of God.”</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3xP6tFDLFo6x3HIeI_Qli0BlwpsRZrpQiq3Pok0dBTOwBd6Xz1x03AEwEfYQ1XCpcjdhv0TJNGN6FF6vfS3RSWc071ZBvqE8Ga5KEvCrfce7EwIL1k8G4imFkqQOd7caDgwyrslfDlXw/s1600/Pig+on+the+way+to+slaughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3xP6tFDLFo6x3HIeI_Qli0BlwpsRZrpQiq3Pok0dBTOwBd6Xz1x03AEwEfYQ1XCpcjdhv0TJNGN6FF6vfS3RSWc071ZBvqE8Ga5KEvCrfce7EwIL1k8G4imFkqQOd7caDgwyrslfDlXw/s320/Pig+on+the+way+to+slaughter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I believe that the fight to end
factory farming and animal testing and puppy mills and fur farms and animals as
circus props, collectors’ items, or other objects of human adornment or amusement is “a
fight worthy of God.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also believe, as
Professor David Clough has so eloquently said, “The animal question is a
properly theological one in the sense that it raises and illuminates issues
concerning the adequacy and coherence of Christian doctrine in the areas of
trinity, creation, covenant, incarnation, atonement, eschatology, Christology,
pneumatology, and beyond.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On Animals, Vol. I, Systematic Theology</i>).
Professor William Greenway put it this way in a <a href="http://eerdword.com/2015/08/18/five-questions-with-william-greenway/" target="_blank">recent interview:</a> "I argue
that awakening to love not only for all people, but also for all creatures, is
an essential aspect of awakening to the grace of God. Love for all creatures is
not marginal, some sort of theological add-on, but is intrinsic to faithful
understanding of divine grace." <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
believe a right and compassionate relationship with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> animals is fundamental to who we are created to be, and as long
as we are silent on these issues as people of God, then we are failing in
fundamental ways and we will pay a personal and a community price for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, having been called from my stew
of irritation and impatience, having been reminded to breathe, to pray, and to
put down my weapons, I will seek ways to be constructive at work and in the
Christian community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will remember
that the work situation will pass, whether my view prevails or not, and that
the struggle for justice – whether for humans or animals - can take
generations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While my heart breaks for
the misery of animals suffering needlessly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">today</i>
for human pride, greed, and gluttony, I will take heart in the considerable
progress being made by secular animal activists, the remarkable number of books
relating to animals and theology that have recently been published, and the
increasing awareness among theological scholars of the issue of animal welfare.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In time, surely, it will percolate to the
pews and the pulpits from the streets and the scholarly writings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, what we are talking about,
although thoroughly grounded in traditional Christian scripture and theology
and with a long history of quiet voices within the church, really is a new
perspective – one that requires real change in people’s behaviors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will take time for this perspective to
gain traction, and forcing change at too great a speed, I work hard to
remember, is to risk pushing our communities even further away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rev. Campbell said, “Paul’s desire for life
as God’s beloved community proves all that matters: a life as a new creation in
Christ made possible in our baptism, a life as one people—one body—forever
bound, forever joined, one to another; a life quickened by the Holy Spirit,
rooted in a common ethic, marked by kindness, tenderness, forgiveness, and
love.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day, soon, I hope, that
“common ethic, marked by kindness, tenderness, forgiveness, and love” will
extend to the animals, who were commended to our care at creation and who are
so utterly at our mercy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYukGMRx7YFN6qhUqffZQeJSne4fSM6lP5jGvYFnlbfmgNp1E4yfKUOEXgf2j1NfyFfDLspnwN0H4CkKzpk35pWRDn-ee3nYrSqqXP45UDmQNH-dOIJ-unnU9AcazTklhsG0xs3u7UB7IC/s1600/seals9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYukGMRx7YFN6qhUqffZQeJSne4fSM6lP5jGvYFnlbfmgNp1E4yfKUOEXgf2j1NfyFfDLspnwN0H4CkKzpk35pWRDn-ee3nYrSqqXP45UDmQNH-dOIJ-unnU9AcazTklhsG0xs3u7UB7IC/s200/seals9.jpg" width="170" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the meantime, here is a
Franciscan blessing to urge us on our way (with a few edits to remind us that
all our fellow animals, like us, suffer pain, fear, and loneliness and long for
freedom, companionship, peace, and joy, and that they, too, deserve justice):</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 40.5pt; margin-right: 63.0pt; margin-top: 5.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">May God
bless us with <i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">discomfort</span></i> at
easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live
deep within our hearts.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 40.5pt; margin-right: 63.0pt; margin-top: 5.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">May God
bless us with <i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">anger</span></i> at
injustice, oppression, and exploitation of [any of God’s creatures], so that we
may work for justice, freedom, and peace.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 40.5pt; margin-right: 63.0pt; margin-top: 5.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">May God
bless us with <i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">tears</span></i> to shed
for those who suffer from pain, rejection, hunger, and war, so that we may
reach out our hands to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 40.5pt; margin-right: 63.0pt; margin-top: 5.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">And may
God bless us with enough <i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">foolishness</span></i>
to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what
others claim cannot be done, to bring justice and kindness to all [God’s
creatures]. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9M9byeBuxlpyhJy3FB8-J4xThPfFmI3zgkhe9Us9yfSpZw-KXdGhyJzeEsRUGD8A-fBqceZOb5IKYxL6_iJo4cSmEDhQGESQLnNjPl4ytuOJMbGGRKd8Zk8Hp0f9_Loibrwl4cC_jZVNZ/s1600/Warthogs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9M9byeBuxlpyhJy3FB8-J4xThPfFmI3zgkhe9Us9yfSpZw-KXdGhyJzeEsRUGD8A-fBqceZOb5IKYxL6_iJo4cSmEDhQGESQLnNjPl4ytuOJMbGGRKd8Zk8Hp0f9_Loibrwl4cC_jZVNZ/s1600/Warthogs.JPG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo credits:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Anger illustration by Ron Leishman</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Seal: Humane Society of the United States</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Warthogs: David Wye </span></div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">I have given countless copies of
Matthew Scully’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dominion: The Power Of
Man, The Suffering Of Animals, And The Call To Mercy</i> to clergy because for
a long time it was (in my view) easily the most powerful book out there on animal welfare
from a Christian perspective. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More
recently, I donated a copy of David Clough’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On Animals, Volume I: Systematic Theology</i> to my seminary. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now there are so many really excellent books on
animals and theology, I could go bankrupt stocking the shelves of clergy I meet
with good reading material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may
also recall from <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2014/12/in-conversation-q-with-david-clough.html" target="_blank">a few posts ago</a> that David Clough reports a growing
interest in academia on the subject of animals as a subject of theological
inquiry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And speaking of new books, I
have updated my <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/p/resources.html" target="_blank">Resources</a> page to add<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>some recent publications on Animals and Theology as well as a new book
on animal sentience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must confess I
haven’t yet read all the new additions, but I wanted to let people know they
are out there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-43170676576389625082015-08-09T13:14:00.000-04:002015-08-09T13:14:35.642-04:00<div style="text-align: center;">
Thank you, <a href="http://sarx.org.uk/" target="_blank">Sarx</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I just wanted to share this link to Sarx.com, another site addressing animals and theology. They were kind enough to ask me about how I came to understand animal welfare as a theological matter. <a href="http://sarx.org.uk/testimonies/who-is-my-neighbour-lois-godfrey-wye/#more-483" target="_blank">Here</a> is my reply. While you are there, check out some of the other great stories and resources on their page. </div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-84193064956831669672015-08-04T23:01:00.000-04:002015-08-04T23:01:21.274-04:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I AM
CECIL</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the
shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who deal likewise with their
fellow men.” </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>~<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>St. Francis of Assisi</span></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6a9iuVXS3xHYTOT11ZWU6iES4hnE6YbMAEuCWsfISRdvE7-gMvpilFKk2lPVPFehhElztMPI3ec5iIDSa8WywEmRzNBvpdCgEHiKXVEcs6D_D_fuc538tDHVUxZ4k_a1XlAUPA60QS6E/s1600/Cecil_the_lion_at_Hwange_National_Park_%25284516560206%2529%253B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6a9iuVXS3xHYTOT11ZWU6iES4hnE6YbMAEuCWsfISRdvE7-gMvpilFKk2lPVPFehhElztMPI3ec5iIDSa8WywEmRzNBvpdCgEHiKXVEcs6D_D_fuc538tDHVUxZ4k_a1XlAUPA60QS6E/s320/Cecil_the_lion_at_Hwange_National_Park_%25284516560206%2529%253B.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">We have
all heard a great deal about Cecil, the lion in Zimbabwe who was killed by an
American dentist on safari.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cecil was
not just any lion; he was a lion being tracked by researchers inside a national
park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was well known for his
magnificent black mane and he was a favorite with locals and tourists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nor was this just any hunting
expedition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a guaranteed kill
outing and it is reported that Cecil, who, popular as he was, had become
accustomed to humans, was intentionally lured outside the protections of the
park with an animal carcass so that he could be “legally” killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was not just any kill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cecil was shot with an arrow, which failed to
kill him, and he suffered for upwards of 40 hours – nearly two days - before he
was finally found and killed with a shotgun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was then skinned and decapitated so the American, who had paid more
than $50,000 for the privilege, could have his trophy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
is so much about this to be outraged over – and many people and nations have
been outraged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is now a proposal
in the senate to ban the import of animal trophies not just to animals on the
endangered species list, but to those proposed for listing as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Botswana has banned sport hunting and
exporting of wild animals, including lions, from the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Several airlines are now refusing to carry trophy animals. </span>This tragedy has, at least, put a spotlight
on this terrible “sport” and some good will result. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
is this a Christian concern?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The secular
world is moving on this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does the church
need to do anything?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absolutely.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>First,
it is a sad thing when the secular world leads the way for followers of the
Prince of Peace in condemning acts of cruelty to God’s creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should be leaders; we should be showing
the world what it means to love God and neighbor, not taking notes from our
surrounding culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Second,
as Humphrey Primatt pointed out more than two hundred years ago, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“When we reflect upon the shocking barbarities, and see the brutal
rage exercised by the most worthless of men, without controul of Law, and
without reproof from the Pulpit, we are almost tempted to draw this inference,
that Cruelty cannot be a sin.”<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have to ask ourselves, who do want to be, and
who do we hold ourselves out to be, as people of God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it right to remain silent in the face of
cold-heartedness?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> This is not just about
Cecil, and it is not just about lions, and it is not even just about trophy
hunting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is about who we are as human
beings, and who we seek to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
about the human capacity to look a fellow creature in the eye, to watch it with
its family or herd or group, and to say, “I think it would be fun to kill that.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not, “that animal is threat to me, my family,
my livelihood;” not “that animal is sick or in pain;” not “I need to feed my
family;” just, “I think it would be fun to take innocent life.” How can this
possibly be consistent with scripture?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMa7vP4LS3HOt9804A7krWjaf8FZH7Tgzq3x9fHazNeEZwPKh6l7x46rGCafkgpigH0bcsTE3DfzzCntuXonup3joDnRYyd-i4QgHmrzKE22VW23mJk7FG_SB7pxxo48l9MlLHebYJHnUF/s1600/Rembrandt_The+Raising+of+the+Cross+public+domain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMa7vP4LS3HOt9804A7krWjaf8FZH7Tgzq3x9fHazNeEZwPKh6l7x46rGCafkgpigH0bcsTE3DfzzCntuXonup3joDnRYyd-i4QgHmrzKE22VW23mJk7FG_SB7pxxo48l9MlLHebYJHnUF/s320/Rembrandt_The+Raising+of+the+Cross+public+domain.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Matthew Scully
has a chilling chapter in his book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dominion:
The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy</i>, in which
he describes a convention of Safari Club International, where the opportunity
to kill virtually any animal can be arranged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He describes Christian groups who gather there for prayer with their
camouflage-covered Bibles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Here is what Wayne Pacelle had to
say recently about Safari Club International<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> in a <a href="http://blog.humanesociety.org/wayne/2015/07/cecil-lion-killed-by-trophy-hunter.html?credit=blog_post_073115_idhome-page" target="_blank">recent blog</a>:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .75in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The lion is one of
Safari Club International’s Africa Big Five, along with elephants, rhinos,
leopards, and Cape buffalo, and the idea of killing each of them motivates
thousands of wealthy people to do it. It’s one of more than 30 hunting
achievement and “inner circle” awards you can get if you become a member of
Safari Club – including Cats of the World, Bears of the World, and Antlered
Game of North America. If you win all of the awards, and there are plenty
people who do, you have to shoot more than 320 different species and subspecies
of large animals. In the process, you spend millions of dollars, in
addition to spilling an awful lot of blood and spreading a lot of death.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .75in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">How is this consistent with anything
that Jesus taught?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How is this
reflective of love, compassion, mercy, the Kingdom of God, or the exercise of
power for the benefit of the powerless? Is this really acceptable for the
people of God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when we harden our
hearts to idea of causing harm to animals – for fun! - we are very close to
hardening our hearts to the idea of causing harm to humans, and to closing our
eyes to humans in need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet,<a href="http://www.wfsb.com/story/29695099/defiant-huntress-posts-pictures-of-kills-to-facebook" target="_blank"> hunters
like </a></span><a href="http://www.wfsb.com/story/29695099/defiant-huntress-posts-pictures-of-kills-to-facebook" target="_blank">Sabrina Corgatelli of Idaho</a>, who proudly posts pictures of herself
on Facebook with her “kills,” defends herself by quoting the Bible.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHAV4BTXJttiK_ZruFnihSgEO1D2VkVWcNHJ1k9P6YVFcAWKsA2eZIAlfqMtK22864yqaFBKO9G6KUd0hguZJuPoKtqKGfxYBdabkhiufYHO-HjvfboKLBLR1WYLdGXlSMlCPotjuBDsT/s1600/camouflage+Bible+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHAV4BTXJttiK_ZruFnihSgEO1D2VkVWcNHJ1k9P6YVFcAWKsA2eZIAlfqMtK22864yqaFBKO9G6KUd0hguZJuPoKtqKGfxYBdabkhiufYHO-HjvfboKLBLR1WYLdGXlSMlCPotjuBDsT/s200/camouflage+Bible+2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We cannot blame
the hunters with their camouflage-covered Bibles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No one
has told them that there is anything inconsistent with their faith in what they
are doing.</i> No one has pointed out that “dominion” does not mean ruthless
exploitation, or that the animals weren’t put here for human purposes, or that “species
management” is not all that is relevant in dealing with animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are constantly re-affirmed in their
understanding of trophy hunting as “sport” and of animals as objects for
collection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> From the perspective of those engaged in these activities, i</span>t is a proud
tradition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Full stop. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKodd1Kw__1E3KodD3tpQovDkKsfT9DG6vXlBwwIEZiHLSygk3TP_eKSJhMcE5xN4H7isSvp-qS3k43-hi1lhLNmaWkuFc3IlLVmD1DfBqnCXfj3Ax1cB7ZPkusiQwvHpWiyjphHoLXq26/s1600/Hunting+Rifle+public+domain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="50" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKodd1Kw__1E3KodD3tpQovDkKsfT9DG6vXlBwwIEZiHLSygk3TP_eKSJhMcE5xN4H7isSvp-qS3k43-hi1lhLNmaWkuFc3IlLVmD1DfBqnCXfj3Ax1cB7ZPkusiQwvHpWiyjphHoLXq26/s200/Hunting+Rifle+public+domain.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">This, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i>, is where the church <i>must</i> step in, to present a new viewpoint,
to remind us that Christ died for all of creation, to ask us consider all this blood
and death, and the orphans left behind, and the millions spent on
self-indulgence, through the lens of Christ; to put verses like those quoted by the "huntress" into context; and to talk about how we are all
creatures of and before the same God, how hardness of heart toward the animals
changes who we are as human beings and makes it easier to develop a hard heart
toward humans in need, and how, finally, we must show mercy as we ask for
mercy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Some
will say these hunters are “conservationists,” helping to manage unwieldy
animal populations; some will say they are “philanthropists,” because their
money provides jobs and supports communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’m
sorry, but I don’t buy it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For herds and
prides that have outgrown the small plots we still allow animals to roam, there
are other ways to manage populations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Certainly, population management cannot justify the killing of a member
of a species whose population is dwindling so fast it may soon be considered
endangered, such as a lion (not to mention rhinos, who are in even more
danger).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nor does it justify the
breeding of these creatures for the sole purpose of making them available to
“sportsmen” to kill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are also
other ways to raise money – including non-lethal safaris, where people shoot
with cameras. In 2002, Scully pointed out that Kenya prohibits sport hunting, but has "by far the the highest tourism revenues" in Africa. (<i>Dominion</i>, p. 68)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If those who spend
millions to kill innocent animals cared about animal conservation or the
welfare of the African communities, there are ways to achieve these goals other
than blood sport that are more constructive and more consistent with who we are
called to be as caretakers of God’s creation and of each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are, no doubt, circumstances where an
individual animal poses real threats to a human community that may need to be
dealt with lethally, but even those are not an occasion for “sport.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
for what is “legal” and what is “ethical,” there is no question that some
trophy hunters feel an obligation to play by the rules, while others lure
animals out of protected areas, or hunt in protected areas, or put the
challenge of a bow and arrow kill over the suffering of the victim, or use any
number of other underhanded means to achieve their goals, and it is important,
I think, to recognize the difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nevertheless, just because something is legal, that does not mean it is
ethical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it certainly doesn’t mean
it is consistent with Christian teaching. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Is
there something for the church to do? Yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The church can preach the teachings of scripture regarding the value of <i>all</i>
of God’s creatures, wholly apart from their interactions with humans; the
church can explain that the right exercise of power is to be helpful, not
exploitative; the church can speak of our “common creatureliness” with the
animals; and the church can remind us that, created in His image, we are called
to reflect God’s love, mercy, and compassion to the whole world, even to “game.” </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> The church needs to do this not only for the Cecils of the world, but for those who seek to follow Christ.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4J-ylsR8iAew6LZF7JS-4Wx-rkR_QLLlbfVLDN-ENxj2boFTl-oxkuoBsl3os_d928E4d38TBmt0ecBtAh4e2wYoIpkLslkLmtp4gbfxt-8vx2wPanZ1hlLlTflCB49NT7nJmXJxxL-BC/s1600/Giraffes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4J-ylsR8iAew6LZF7JS-4Wx-rkR_QLLlbfVLDN-ENxj2boFTl-oxkuoBsl3os_d928E4d38TBmt0ecBtAh4e2wYoIpkLslkLmtp4gbfxt-8vx2wPanZ1hlLlTflCB49NT7nJmXJxxL-BC/s320/Giraffes.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: x-small; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Photo credits: </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: x-small; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Cecil the Lion by Daughter#3 [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Wikimedia Commons </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Raising of the Cross Rembrandt</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bible and rifle, public domain</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Giraffes by David Wye </span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Primatt, Humphrey. "A Dissertation on the Duty of Mercy
and the Sin of Cruelty to Brute Animals." <i>Google Books.</i> 1776, pp.
24-25.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-6126149848989284352015-07-12T18:38:00.000-04:002015-07-13T08:33:12.403-04:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WHAT
THE POPE DIDN’T SAY</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Clearly, the Bible has
no place for a tyrannical anthropocentrism </span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">unconcerned for other
creatures.</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Pope Francis, Laudato
Si, #68</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There have been a great many
articles and blog posts about the recent papal encyclical tackling
environmental stewardship, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Laudato Si </i>(or Praise Be),
from Pope Francis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The animal welfare
community has joined the chorus, touting the many statements supporting a
Christian concern for animals as a dramatic step forward for animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without wanting to rain on anyone’s parade,
and while recognizing that there is much in the encyclical for those of us who
care about animals as theological matter to be excited about, I was both
surprised and disappointed by what the Pope did not say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The encyclical gives us cause for hope as a
theological community at the same time that it underscores how far was have to
go and how much work there is yet to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtgBv9ecouGYUXEvWP51Tobn8IIlo8BCByCPGZh4V3V7URcK0zuU_DR9imeL4ulOxMxRopAspz3Twh4HKvIrwP7hOU8vM2a6ZWBXGCQI8IVOqdSkIsMNkicTPHSLfTsLj7mfyG6mTSlZx/s1600/Pope_Francis_Malacanang_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtgBv9ecouGYUXEvWP51Tobn8IIlo8BCByCPGZh4V3V7URcK0zuU_DR9imeL4ulOxMxRopAspz3Twh4HKvIrwP7hOU8vM2a6ZWBXGCQI8IVOqdSkIsMNkicTPHSLfTsLj7mfyG6mTSlZx/s320/Pope_Francis_Malacanang_9.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The Pope has underscored, strengthened, and
perhaps expanded church teaching on human responsibility for the environment,
including animals, and he has made a strong showing that human welfare and the
welfare of the environment are closely intertwined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the process he made important statements
regarding how Roman Catholics, at a minimum, should understand other living
beings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has provided us with good,
strong tools to use in building theological arguments about how we should treat
the animals we encounter on a daily basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But he has not used those tools to make the arguments himself, and he
has not provided guidance on how what he has said should impact our relationships
with animals. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For example, in nearly two hundred
pages discussing climate change, pollution of air and water, the need to care
for the poor, the morality of purchasing decisions, and the importance of
individual actions, there is not one word about factory farming or dietary choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Factory farming has a dramatic impact on all
of these issues, and we will not be successful in addressing several
environmental issues (in particular climate change) or in improving
environmental justice for the poor if we do not acknowledge this fact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Pope has not been shy about calling out
specific economic and other practices he considers problematic, nor has he been
shy about urging individuals to increase recycling and reduce energy consumption.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find it baffling that he would be silent
about this issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In fact, the only specific individual action in
regard to animals that he called out is the wearing of fur of endangered
species. (#123)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even this tends to
suggest that the wearing of fur generally is not objectionable; it is only
problematic when the fur comes from an endangered species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not such good news, if you are a fox or a
mink.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9x6rD1CQZbykppD6HS42lDc33SyvoYsBKAv7AvG7TwMwaPJUId-6gLx04xCI1Lrm5yKV-zXtdJQA0Lu_T3mhj7sIIfn_i9cYQrjPKuOeJqF-EQtoVlO0L58aSuij2r1ai-awz_icaLbGL/s1600/fox_+photo+by+Gary+Lehman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9x6rD1CQZbykppD6HS42lDc33SyvoYsBKAv7AvG7TwMwaPJUId-6gLx04xCI1Lrm5yKV-zXtdJQA0Lu_T3mhj7sIIfn_i9cYQrjPKuOeJqF-EQtoVlO0L58aSuij2r1ai-awz_icaLbGL/s320/fox_+photo+by+Gary+Lehman.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And this underscores my own
impression of the document generally, as it relates to animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like so many others writing about the
environment, the Pope seems in many (but not all)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cases to conflate animals with “nature” and “the
environment,” without much attention to the fact that animals are each unique
individuals, and we need to care about the well-being of each one of them, not
just survival of species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, for
example, in #66, he says the creation stories in the Bible “suggest that human
life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships:
with God, with our neighbour and with the earth itself.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not at all clear how relationships with
animals fits into this triad, but I would argue that the creation stories
clearly identify our relationships with the animals as fundamental, that those
relationships are intertwined with the ones the Pope has identified, and that
those relationships need to be specifically called out as a fourth element for
our reflection.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The Pope also discusses at length how Christians
have misunderstood the “dominion” given to humans over “the earth” as a
relationship allowing exploitation when it should be understood as a
responsibility and a care-giving role. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While of course I agree with this as a general
matter, scripture uses the word “dominion” expressly in relation to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">animals</i> and the Pope doesn’t address
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He even cites Genesis 1:28 (“<span class="text">And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and
multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing
that moveth upon the earth.</span>) in discussing dominion over “the earth.”
#67.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would argue that we need to expressly
recognize that the responsibilities he speaks of apply to the animals as
separate and in many ways different from (but related to) the responsibilities
we owe “the earth.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I have criticized other creation
care theologians for failing to distinguish sentient animals from “nature,” and
for setting forth a theology of care for the earth without addressing how their
conclusions relate to animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same
critique can be made of many Old Testament scholars who have argued that our
creation in the image of God is a vocation to represent God to the rest of
creation; they, likewise, have failed to address what this might mean for how
we treat animals today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think there
are certain statements in Laudito Si that bring the Pope nearer the mark in
calling out what is owed to animals, but overall, my copy of the document is
pockmarked with comments such as “where do the animals fit in this argument,”
and “this would be a good place to talk about factory farming,” “what about
animals in labs,” “what about the impact of factory farms on rural
neighborhoods and the poor who work there.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I am also uncomfortable with
the Pope’s emphasis on human exceptionalism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The idea that humans are unique and superior to the rest of creation has
caused much sin and must be handled with care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although the Pope stresses throughout that the human place in creation brings
with it significant responsibilities rather than rights, a balance between our
unique creation in God’s image with our “common creatureliness” with the other
animals (see <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2014/02/common-creatureliness-creation-care-and.html" target="_blank">Richard Baukham</a>) would be helpful in underscoring that we, like
they, are creatures, not Creator; and we, like they, are dependent on the mercy
of others.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2sN-i5iBfhh14RITmBUXYhi-yg1UoNR8BA0K1d96wq-27Md08bjjjtCvTvQydmALIoDcjVaXSO-6chZ2Fm1igVCQyuvprWscvywXaDm3I1bXtUPMMWomRJ_B5hCD3TK-SFoL39yiOhDM/s1600/Hog_confinement_barn_interior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2sN-i5iBfhh14RITmBUXYhi-yg1UoNR8BA0K1d96wq-27Md08bjjjtCvTvQydmALIoDcjVaXSO-6chZ2Fm1igVCQyuvprWscvywXaDm3I1bXtUPMMWomRJ_B5hCD3TK-SFoL39yiOhDM/s320/Hog_confinement_barn_interior.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Notwithstanding these criticisms,
I don’t want to overlook the helpful and encouraging statements in the
encyclical, and there are many, that have gotten the animal welfare world
rightly excited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will highlight below
just a few of my favorite quotations, and then I will close with some thoughts
about how the encyclical shows us that we, as animal advocates in faith
communities, still have much work to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It is not enough, however, to think of different
species merely as potential “resources” to be exploited, while overlooking the
fact that they have value in themselves. #32</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Together with our obligation to use the earth’s
goods responsibly, we are called to recognize that other living beings have a
value of their own in God’s eyes. #62</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">We have only one heart and the same wretchedness
that leads us to mistreat an animal will not be long in showing itself in our
relationships with other people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>#92</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Every act of cruelty towards any creature is ‘contrary
to human dignity.’ #92</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Purchasing is always a moral – and not simply
economic – act. #206</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="A2"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><span class="A2"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Living our vocation to
be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not
an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience. #217</span></span><span class="A2"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: -23.0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="A2"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><span class="A2"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Eucharist joins heaven and earth; it
embraces and penetrates all creation. #236</span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-right: -23.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default" style="line-height: 200%; margin-right: -23.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="A2"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">These
statements and others like them, together with the overall themes in the encyclical
regarding the interrelationships of all forms of life, and of all issues of
social justice, are a strong resource for all Christians who are also animal advocates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Nevertheless, it </span>remains for us, as advocates, to draw the
conclusions in regard to animals that so many others have failed to draw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to be express, intentional, and specific about applying
these teachings to animals and pointing out the ways we treat animals
in our culture that do not comport with what we say we believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to help the church take its head out
of the sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Andrew Lindsey has said,
“</span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
do not want the Church to support animals simply to conform to secular
pressure, rather I want the Church to see that its <i>own</i> Gospel requires
opposition to cruelty.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="line-height: 200%; margin-right: -23.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">We are making progress, but we have a long road ahead. Happily, there are those who are leading the way. Here is
an excellent example how to do this work, from Bruce Friedrich, director of policy for Farm
Sanctuary: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Listen To <a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0710-friedrich-catholic-animal-rights-20150710-story.html" target="_blank">The Pope: Don’t Cause Animals To Suffer Or Die Needlessly</a>. </i>We need to make these same points, and other like them, in our own church communities until we hear our church leaders take up the message. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo credit: Fox photo by Gary Lehman</span></i></span></div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span></span></span> In January and February of
2014, I posted a four-part discussion about creation care theologies that
address this very issue, including<a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2014/01/whales-are-not-trees-creation-care-and.html" target="_blank"> this one</a>, which argues for just such a
fourth dimension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can find all four
parts through the archives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-65942036071029277142015-05-14T21:46:00.001-04:002015-05-14T21:49:24.235-04:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AND THE SECOND IS LIKE
UNTO IT</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Master, which
is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the first and great
commandment. And the second <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">is</span>
like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On these two commandments hang all the law
and the prophets.</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew 22:36-40 (KJV)</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">But wishing
to justify himself, <span style="font-size: small;">he</span> said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Luke 10:29 (NAS)</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">I don’t think it stirs much controversy to say that we
cannot claim to love God if we do not love our neighbor, or to say that loving
our neighbor does not mean that we have nice, warm feelings about that neighbor
or even that we think highly of him or her; rather it is to say that we are
willing to reach out to help
when that person is in need or that – at the barest minimum – we refrain from
treating him or her with cruelty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
to say that we have a responsibility for that person’s well-being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Scripture, both the old and new testaments, makes clear
that this is a central tenant of the Judeo-Christian faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christ calls it the second great commandment,
likens it to loving God, and says that on it (and on loving God) depend the
rest of the scriptures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because we can’t
really get around this requirement, since ancient times we have instead been trying to ease its burden by limiting the definition of
“neighbor.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7uWTJ_gizi9t5Zo5m66ApTjYUbQViXPooWHh-I4TTSP6YA61J6hdAV2B9nOP3AnR1og7vw19lDmiE3nylhrb8vT6xRZVPaJVa1LAmsd64wFyMUJnfLEjyVrcA4-P_8g6kNxvQvy_-8nV/s1600/JesusPharisees+Gustav+Dore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7uWTJ_gizi9t5Zo5m66ApTjYUbQViXPooWHh-I4TTSP6YA61J6hdAV2B9nOP3AnR1og7vw19lDmiE3nylhrb8vT6xRZVPaJVa1LAmsd64wFyMUJnfLEjyVrcA4-P_8g6kNxvQvy_-8nV/s320/JesusPharisees+Gustav+Dore.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesus with the Pharisees - Gustav Dore</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus tells us this will not do. By way of answering the question posed by the lawyer in Luke's gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the
Good Samaritan, which
shows us that the one who does God’s will is the one who reaches out to those in
need without stopping to ask whether they are “neighbors.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">actions</i>
reveal whether we love God, and we are called to respond to those in need without stopping to ask whether they are those to whom we have an obligation. As R. Allen Culpepper explains in his
commentary on this passage of Luke in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume IX</i>, the
parable instructs us to do away with boundaries and with only doing good for
those who can return the favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is
no checklist of things we must do and another of things we must not do to gain
eternal life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Instead, </span>“[e]ternal life – the life
of the age to come – is that quality of life characterized by showing mercy for
those in need, regardless of their race, religion, or region [or, I would add,
species] – and with no thought of reward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mercy sees only need and responds with compassion” (p. 230). <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzs2DGq5nkueqhw0hKRI9OM0bdgRvcDQT1Kkig6lxhiLLh1gZSAdV0iiSQCJ52WxH6vSHXFS9u6Ru21E3p9tz3xdv3ImiwHoqXQUddm4YM0YqwD9x2nKulR0GVsK1MGIPrcztQvajFWlA/s1600/Rembrandt+Good+Samaritan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzs2DGq5nkueqhw0hKRI9OM0bdgRvcDQT1Kkig6lxhiLLh1gZSAdV0iiSQCJ52WxH6vSHXFS9u6Ru21E3p9tz3xdv3ImiwHoqXQUddm4YM0YqwD9x2nKulR0GVsK1MGIPrcztQvajFWlA/s320/Rembrandt+Good+Samaritan.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Good Samaritan - Rembrandt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">So we
need to be alert when we read Aquinas, who, in </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Summa Theologica</i><span style="line-height: 200%;"> writes</span>,
“…the love of charity extends to none but God and our neighbor .”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is the first hint that something is
about to go awry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“None but” is limiting
language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“None but” misses the point of
the parable of the Good Samaritan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“None
but” seeks to draw the circle of neighborly obligation tight, and limit its
demands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"None but" seeks to justify
itself, with the lawyer in Luke’s gospel, by identifying precisely those to whom
we owe obligations and those to whom we owe nothing. Jesus has told us that
this is not good enough. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Aquinas completes his thought this way, “But the word neighbor
cannot be extended to irrational creatures, since they have no fellowship with
man in the rational life.” There, it is done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nonhuman animals are outside the circle of obligation, so Aquinas can
conclude, “Therefore charity does not extend to irrational creatures.”<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Aquinas, those passages of Scripture that
“seem to forbid us to be cruel to brute animals” do so only because of the
danger that in being cruel to animals, one may become cruel to human
beings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, “it is not wrong for
man to make use of [animals], either by killing them or in any other way
whatever.”<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, Aquinas justifies cruelty to
animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are not our neighbors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">I have
written before about the historic majority view of the church on animals
(for example, <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/10/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none_11.html" target="_blank">here</a>), as well as the persistent minority voice that has
sought to remind us that kindness toward our fellow creatures and holiness have
always gone hand in hand (for example, <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/10/minority-report-part-one-animals-and.html" target="_blank">here</a>,<a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/11/minorityreport-part-two-john-wesley-and.html" target="_blank"> here</a>, and<a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/11/minority-report-partthree-animals.html" target="_blank"> here</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an important topic, and one that bears
revisiting, because the notion that Christianity imposes on us no obligations
for animal wellbeing is as deeply ingrained as it is deeply mistaken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aquinas <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>remains a very influential theologian, but on
this point, we must acknowledge that he, and others who seek to justify human
behavior by excluding animals from our circle of responsibility, are
wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-UCW67FtIqhquuFxbU9mKt-ueF7SxfnIMlUYkK6zW6P5i-Yr1sofXhbn6EfGdZrAbXvMtB-TBJW5CLAOz9TsoJu2syhvkdWbA5dUHOZ1TGnIQFdXlfMRzmNrfboFA26QUYI7yQekny2D/s1600/St-thomas-aquinas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-UCW67FtIqhquuFxbU9mKt-ueF7SxfnIMlUYkK6zW6P5i-Yr1sofXhbn6EfGdZrAbXvMtB-TBJW5CLAOz9TsoJu2syhvkdWbA5dUHOZ1TGnIQFdXlfMRzmNrfboFA26QUYI7yQekny2D/s320/St-thomas-aquinas.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Thomas Aquinas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">Aquinas is wrong both theologically and scientifically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He is wrong theologically because, as I have suggested above, he turns
the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves, and Jesus’ parable of the Good
Samaritan, on their heads, making of them limitations on obligation instead of
a widespread call to love in action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
simply misses the point, and plays the role of the lawyer, seeking to justify
himself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">He is
also wrong theologically in a broader sense because he does not recognize the
place of animals in scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
apparently does not give value to those verses that tell us that God loves the
animals, he calls them “good” wholly apart from their relationship with humans,
he covenants with them, he cares for them, and he will give them peace in His
kingdom.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">He is
wrong scientifically because we know now that animals are not “irrational;” we
know that they have complex thoughts and emotions and very rich lives filled
with happiness and sorrow; they remember the past and they plan for the future;
they solve complex problems and form deep and abiding relationships with others
of their own and other species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See
these earlier posts for discussions of animal intelligence and emotions (<a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/12/askthe-aninmals-and-they-will-tell-you.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2013/12/ask-animals-and-they-will-tell-you-look.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2014/01/ask-animals-and-will-tell-you-look-at.html" target="_blank">here</a>,
and <a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2014/01/ask-animals-and-they-will-tell-youpart.html" target="_blank">here</a>). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">It is
time to recognize that we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> have
fellowship with our fellow creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
share the same breath of life (<i>nephesh</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">see</i>
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Gen. 1:21, 24; 2:7, 19<span style="line-height: 200%;">),
the same Creator, and the same planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We, like they, are dependent on that Creator’s goodness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">The
animals are indeed our neighbors, and if we love God, we will love them and
take responsibility for their wellbeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If we do that, we will change the world. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoBJXVVnoSMJwuFzYJQ8dNIxCYsUPPzbOmq-dSOf-a-_24Y0-Ceg1VppMJDkXFgnYWhqbLTuqMNOhAVtjzwdaswggzJnFvKktTiVWx9lksdC5asukQbVPGJK_cLvm7_8WSW2P33bhxoyy/s1600/Esther+the+Wonder+Pig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoBJXVVnoSMJwuFzYJQ8dNIxCYsUPPzbOmq-dSOf-a-_24Y0-Ceg1VppMJDkXFgnYWhqbLTuqMNOhAVtjzwdaswggzJnFvKktTiVWx9lksdC5asukQbVPGJK_cLvm7_8WSW2P33bhxoyy/s320/Esther+the+Wonder+Pig.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Esther the Wonder Pig </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span></span></span> Thomas Aquinas, ‘Summa
Theologica’ in Fathers of the English Dominican Providence (trs) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas</i>
(New York: Benzinger Bros., 1918) quoted in Linzey & Clarke, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Animal Rights</i>, 104. </div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span></span></span> Thomas Aquinas, ‘Summa
Contra Gentiles’ in Anton C. Pegis (tr.) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Basic
Writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas</i> (new York: Random House, 1945) vol. II,
quoted in Linzey & Clarke, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Animal
Rights</i>, 10.</div>
</div>
</div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-34089832913229856022015-04-20T21:00:00.000-04:002015-04-20T21:07:35.899-04:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
WE ARE PHARAOH
AND PHARISEE<br />
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery has
established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been
reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s body may show forth in their lives what
they profess by their faith; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.</i><br />
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~</span> Collect of the Day, Second Sunday of Easter, </i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Book of Common Prayer,
p. 172-73</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As Christians observe
the Great Fifty Days of Easter, it is time to reflect on the work that Christ
has done for us on the Cross, giving us new life, reconciling us with God, and showing
us what it means to be created in the image of God and how power and status are
rightly used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an opportunity, too,
to consider where <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we</i> fit into Easter
story and its antecedent, the Exodus story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In both of these stories, God breaks into the history of the world to
free those who are prisoners and to help those who are unable to help
themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I think most of us, if
we imagine ourselves in the Exodus story, imagine we are among the Israelites,
laboring and yearning for freedom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
we hear the Easter story, and the gospel stories generally, we like to think of
ourselves as among the disciples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
both cases, we are among the chosen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
be sure, both the Israelites and the disciples are flawed in their ability to
hear what God is telling them and to do His will, and we identify with those
shortcomings and struggles, but they are, nevertheless, the ones in
relationship with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
But in many ways Christians today are more closely
aligned with Pharaoh and the Pharisees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We do not hear the cries of those we oppress; we believe we are entitled
to oppress certain others because of our God-like status as bearers of God’s
image; and we believe that our particular status before God means we do not
need to be concerned with those not in our favored group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Pharaoh and Pharisee, if we do not open
our eyes, our ears, and our hearts, we will pay a price. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
In the Exodus story, Moses seeks freedom for his people,
but Pharaoh refuses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moses returns time
and again, each time warning of a new plague if Pharaoh will not free the
Hebrews. Pharaoh, however, hardens his heart and the plagues come, each one
worse than the last. Pharaoh would not hear the cries of the Israelites, and he
would not let them go, both because he benefitted from their misery and because
he did not believe their misery mattered. He let greed, vanity, and pride rule
his heart. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, the entire nation
of Egypt and Pharaoh himself suffered great devastation because of that greed,
vanity, and pride, and Pharaoh learned he was not so powerful after all.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjka5cknW-tJjcV37m511P2yc0GpPEmcXPLk5K4Ui2dzZ2sAGkicFP-kTZs2WNxqhGmLuRQey0qMjp9Tirx1qehvzyCBcAolYK9Roa3rn2H-jhQdfhuaZYFMIVwThSo4WLuFYlkp8683MXL/s1600/Tissot_Moses_Speaks_to_Pharaoh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjka5cknW-tJjcV37m511P2yc0GpPEmcXPLk5K4Ui2dzZ2sAGkicFP-kTZs2WNxqhGmLuRQey0qMjp9Tirx1qehvzyCBcAolYK9Roa3rn2H-jhQdfhuaZYFMIVwThSo4WLuFYlkp8683MXL/s1600/Tissot_Moses_Speaks_to_Pharaoh.jpg" height="210" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tissot, Moses Speaks to Pharaoh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Today, we Christians are like Pharaoh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will not hear the cries of God’s creatures
in factory farms, circuses, labs, canned hunts, steel leg traps, puppy mills,
or other places of misery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We harden our
hearts because we benefit from the misery of the animals and the animals’
misery does not matter to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We let
greed, vanity, and pride harden our hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, just as Moses warned Pharaoh of plagues to come if Pharaoh would
not show mercy to those in his power, so we are now being warned by doctors and
scientists of plagues coming our way if we do not cease our merciless
exploitation of others. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are just some
of the “plagues” we are bringing on ourselves, in particular through our
failure to demand an end to factory farming: </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Obesity</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Heart disease</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Diabetes</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Certain cancers</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Antibiotic-resistant “superbugs”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Water pollution</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Air pollution</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Climate change</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Inefficient use of scarce natural resources</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Food scarcity </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
Farm Sanctuary’s web site has more information <a href="http://www.farmsanctuary.org/learn/factory-farming/" target="_blank">here</a>,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as does my post, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://dominionintheimage.blogspot.com/2014/09/10-reasons-for-church-leaders-to-care.html" target="_blank">10 Reasons For Church Leaders To Care About Factory Farming</a>.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will
we listen to the warnings coming to us from scientists, environmentalists,
biologist, and health professionals, or will we continue to harden our hearts
until we, as a species, suffer a great catastrophe, as the Egyptians suffered
the loss of their first born sons?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
In the Easter story, the Pharisees are threatened by the
man from Galilee who teaches that strict adherence to the letter of law is not
enough and that status as one of God’s chosen does not justify lack of
compassion for those outside the circle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He tells them that while they were so busy following the letter of the
law, they missed the purpose of the law entirely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They take pride in their religiosity; they
take pride in their place in society; they grill the prophet on how many times
they are to forgive those who wrong them, who is their “neighbor” to whom they
have an obligation, and when it is permissible to heal another in need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With every question, every test, they seek to
draw their circle of obligation as small as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-f45acT_p4mYQtY25gBc035OCmQNqGooKOFhIJ50Pf1ijybuKWOZO4QTS3lchOMmjwR27yiw4PS3yrcZEsIkfgggilMA8YyY2fbWIAqL1yHcE8P5ED3K0iYK0KnnORE6J30R0iOaFki7p/s1600/JesusPharisees+Gustav+Dore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-f45acT_p4mYQtY25gBc035OCmQNqGooKOFhIJ50Pf1ijybuKWOZO4QTS3lchOMmjwR27yiw4PS3yrcZEsIkfgggilMA8YyY2fbWIAqL1yHcE8P5ED3K0iYK0KnnORE6J30R0iOaFki7p/s1600/JesusPharisees+Gustav+Dore.jpg" height="320" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gustav Dore, Dispute of Jesus and the Pharisees</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
But Christ insists that the law requires the circle of
obligation to be widened to include even the most despised in the community –
and even those well outside the community, those the Pharisees deem of no
account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He teaches that reaching out to
help those in need is always permissible, and that religious traditions that
perverted the law of God are to be rooted out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Pharisees are unable to hear what God is saying to them and they act,
bringing in the power of Empire, to protect their status and the status
quo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
We are like the Pharisees because, with them, we rely on
perceived superior status as human beings to tell ourselves we are entitled to
disregard the suffering of those outside our circle, the animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We look to the God’s word to narrow rather
than expand our understanding of who our neighbor is, and to whom we owe
mercy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not want to make changes in
the way we live; we are comfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
the Pharisees, we fail to hear the Word of God regarding our obligations to
those at our mercy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stand with those
who bring the power of wealth and influence to protect the systems that harm
the animals and make criminals of those who would speak for the voiceless,
protecting our “status” and the status quo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
Let us, instead, look at the new birth of reconciliation
we have been given and seek to reconcile ourselves with the rest of God’s
kingdom as we grow in reconciliation with God, and let us begin to fulfill the
task of loving care he gave us at creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let us, in the daily choices we make about what to eat, what to wear,
what products to use, and what entertainment to support, show forth our faith
in a God of love, mercy, and compassion, a God who breaks into history to free
those who are suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMAR74hgFi9mQ8Qw8egz3bZGuRPU2Z_QIfW74JXA91AD5p-5ljnc2rdOw5SvoOikNA-42h5G1g6hCEXmCaZVAXxNAUhVRb6snETGB4JD59xMzsXOhTk8Ewa7Z9jB98wcDDLsYtU0JoaJD/s1600/Herz_Jesu_Kirche_Wien_Margareten_(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMAR74hgFi9mQ8Qw8egz3bZGuRPU2Z_QIfW74JXA91AD5p-5ljnc2rdOw5SvoOikNA-42h5G1g6hCEXmCaZVAXxNAUhVRb6snETGB4JD59xMzsXOhTk8Ewa7Z9jB98wcDDLsYtU0JoaJD/s1600/Herz_Jesu_Kirche_Wien_Margareten_(6).jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-53491971638790226372015-02-25T11:16:00.000-05:002015-02-25T11:16:05.938-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>MEDICAL HIATUS </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> </b>I have managed to break my arm. I slipped on the ice while walking my dog. Alas, this reduces me to one-finger typing, so I don't think I'll be doing a lot of writing. This may last several weeks, so I wanted to let you all know that I'm not likely to post much in the way of original essays while I'm in a cast. I will try to post links to some interesting things when I can, however. In the meantime, while this is a definitely an inconvenience, I am grateful it is not more serious. I'll be back as soon as I am able!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCtoJd16YD8nDeBwK1-Azm8FDqLUnIA1VI4s9aMjJXvkzyW9rRrTouvVHiazkaZAIhOZO-nd1XcSaDYgxOWYCSMxWzMTds-MueGQPYhxKl2x-i6ApQwehRrMJ4kT6mM9s9-y9-V3CyVwu/s1600/Dog_Wearing_Inflatable_Elizabethan_Collar+By+Andrew+Petro+CC+BY-SA+2.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCtoJd16YD8nDeBwK1-Azm8FDqLUnIA1VI4s9aMjJXvkzyW9rRrTouvVHiazkaZAIhOZO-nd1XcSaDYgxOWYCSMxWzMTds-MueGQPYhxKl2x-i6ApQwehRrMJ4kT6mM9s9-y9-V3CyVwu/s1600/Dog_Wearing_Inflatable_Elizabethan_Collar+By+Andrew+Petro+CC+BY-SA+2.0.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo credit: Andrew Petro, Wikicommons, CC-BY-SA 2.0</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926171589878164844.post-86784832066499510692015-02-19T21:32:00.005-05:002015-02-19T21:32:59.506-05:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">BUT WE’VE ALWAYS DONE IT
THAT WAY</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">(AND ITS COROLLARY, WE’VE
NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE)</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br />
<i>Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not
perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the
desert.</i><span class="p"></span><br />
<span class="p"> <i>Isaiah 43:19</i></span> <a href="http://www.cartoonchurch.com/?s=this+is+my+pew" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></b>
</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone who has ever been involved in
church committees is familiar with the cry, “But we’ve always done it that way!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether the topic is the order of service,
the language of the prayers, the color of the carpet, or where the cups for
coffee hour are stored, church folk are resistant to change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, this is not unique to church folk
(try changing the menu for family holidays), but “the way things have always
been” does seem to have a particularly strong pull in our places of
worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSLlPdC8jshFi1LvBQajrHO8y5QRr-YkBpMxuzJ7rrA8HloKb3c2HWnpWB3Rujt8CkLkRCmsuRWW-WX6Jmip-aSb_UiTaysMgr0ixyOxPGSsKhXkxolUdecqEsui0-yMyXg2w4vvJVSfx/s1600/my-pew-cartoon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSLlPdC8jshFi1LvBQajrHO8y5QRr-YkBpMxuzJ7rrA8HloKb3c2HWnpWB3Rujt8CkLkRCmsuRWW-WX6Jmip-aSb_UiTaysMgr0ixyOxPGSsKhXkxolUdecqEsui0-yMyXg2w4vvJVSfx/s1600/my-pew-cartoon.gif" height="185" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Walker, <a href="http://www.cartoonchurch.com/?s=this+is+my+pew" target="_blank">Cartoon Church</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span>Perhaps this should not be
surprising, since – at least for many Christian traditions – worship is deeply
tied with ritual, and when we come to our houses of worship, we want to feel
welcome and secure and sure-footed, notwithstanding Anne Dillard’s excellent admonition
that we should come prepared for anything, wearing crash helmets.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span></span></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often we have treasured memories of
walking down that carpet on our wedding day or with our newly-baptized infant;
we remember how that one particular prayer got us through a difficult time and
it comforts us to say it again every Sunday.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span></span></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a rapidly changing world, we like to
think that here, at least, we can rely on things to be as they have always
been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Introducing new practices is hard,
can lead to conflict, and needs to be undertaken with care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Introducing new ideas is even
harder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Introducing new ideas that ask
people to change long-cherished practices is, perhaps, hardest of all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For church leaders, balancing so many things
and facing so many challenges (not least declining church membership), it might
be too much to ask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even so: </span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Perhaps you’ve heard of the film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cowspiracy</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes environmentalists to task for
failing to draw the connections between the meat and dairy industries and the
dramatic environmental problems they cause or contribute to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The<a href="http://www.cowspiracy.com/about/" target="_blank"> website for the film</a> explains, “Animal
agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption and
pollution, is responsible for more greenhouse gases than the transportation
industry, and is a primary driver of rainforest destruction, species
extinction, habitat loss, topsoil erosion, ocean ‘dead zones,’ and virtually
every other environmental ill. Yet it goes on, almost entirely unchallenged.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <a href="http://spot.humaneresearch.org/node" target="_blank">Humane Research Council (HRC) </a>recently
provided a <a href="http://spot.humaneresearch.org/content/%E2%80%98%E2%80%98we-don%E2%80%99t-tell-people-what-do%E2%80%99%E2%80%99-examination-factors-influencing-ngo-decisions-campaign-redu" target="_blank">short description of a study</a> titled, “’We Don’t Tell People What To
Do’: An Examination of the Factors Influencing NGOs to Campaign for Reduced
Meat Consumption.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The study asked why,
notwithstanding the very strong evidence regarding the contributions of animal
agriculture to climate change, non-governmental organizations (NGOs, usually
nonprofit organizations) focused on addressing climate change do not highlight
animal agriculture as a problem and urge their supporters to eat less
meat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As explained by HRC, “One US NGO
staffer is quoted in the study as saying there is a ‘fear that you’ll get a
negative public reaction to being told anything about your diet,’ while another
is quoted saying ‘the main hesitancy of many groups, and probably including
[ours], is that it’s a personal choice issue, and people like to eat meat.’”<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCfJTx9IMVntBlzERZQ_U9rmLtw-lTjTLxp309PEtUc6u8shuxY3OrqzJwoGUjBEBM5zl53JhwUILfztJEqvQ5ddduDy8Oq7ucEt0FpVF8Mrd_vQMRVwOypMsuchh96bVQWSjl3BzLIwk/s1600/Cowspiracy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCfJTx9IMVntBlzERZQ_U9rmLtw-lTjTLxp309PEtUc6u8shuxY3OrqzJwoGUjBEBM5zl53JhwUILfztJEqvQ5ddduDy8Oq7ucEt0FpVF8Mrd_vQMRVwOypMsuchh96bVQWSjl3BzLIwk/s1600/Cowspiracy.png" height="320" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cowspiracy.com/about/" target="_blank">Cowspiracy</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So,
we see that even organizations whose primary function is to educate people
about the impact of their actions on the climate shy away from addressing the
human activity with the greatest such impact (an activity that is, in fact,
easily changeable for anyone so motivated) because of the fear of a negative
reaction from people who do not want to be told what to eat.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Sacred
cows, indeed.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So
it is certainly understandable that we face an uphill battle in getting churches
to recognize issues of animal welfare as something that needs our theological
attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it is a battle we must
undertake, not just for the planet, and not even just for the animals, but for
the spiritual health of our communities, as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as not speaking out against other grave societal injustices comes at a spiritual cost, so not speaking out against the unnecessary
and wanton suffering of our fellow creatures comes at a spiritual cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are called, as people of faith, to “cease
to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the
orphan, plead for the widow.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isaiah
1:16-17.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Isaiah tells us we must learn to recognize when old habits cause harm and we must learn new ways of being in the world that are based on compassion for the powerless and abused. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Here is
the radical new idea for today's churches that, properly understood, effects change in behavior based on compassion for the powerless and abused: animals matter, and they matter theologically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As followers of Christ, we have an <i>obligation</i>
to think about animals as coming within traditional Christian ideas of
compassion, mercy, justice, oppression, evil, and good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This means we need to look again at our food choices, which affect far and away the greatest number of animals
in the most horrific suffering, as well as at our choices regarding the animals we wear, those we use
as test subjects, those we consider entertainment or pests, and more. We must be alert to the many ways we encounter and impact the lives and well-being of the creatures at our mercy. We must cease to do evil in those encounters and learn to do good. </span> </span>As has been discussed in numerous posts in
this blog, traditionally, the majority voice in the Christian church has said,
in essence, that animals matter only to the extent they provide a benefit of
some kind to humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too many people in
church still believe that our “dominion” over the animals is a license to do
with them as we please.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9X4CCIolgib8BJcMHL-1LLnUQq-kaoM5E6fCmnneDfBRJ7J_IZL0QiqPuuaZdI0ztZqzShfH86K6FqTq_Dr_gwFcj76Rms5X7cgtqOf6GEZt3ih1MXdDLeRZJWcUb6SgZKXzTB5SsKVKO/s1600/Pig+on+the+way+to+slaughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9X4CCIolgib8BJcMHL-1LLnUQq-kaoM5E6fCmnneDfBRJ7J_IZL0QiqPuuaZdI0ztZqzShfH86K6FqTq_Dr_gwFcj76Rms5X7cgtqOf6GEZt3ih1MXdDLeRZJWcUb6SgZKXzTB5SsKVKO/s1600/Pig+on+the+way+to+slaughter.jpg" height="210" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dodo, <a href="https://www.thedodo.com/pig-eyes-factory-farm-trucks-984766122.html" target="_blank">Staring Into The Eyes Of Pigs On Their Way To Slaughter</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I
don’t think there are many <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">clergy</i> who
would still argue that as an appropriate theological interpretation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think there is a general consensus among scholars and clergy
that “dominion” means something more like “stewardship,” imposing on us at least some
minimal obligation of care for animal well-being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What perhaps
hasn’t happened is conveying that consensus to Christians in the congregation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps that hasn’t happened because clergy have not made the connections
between the theological consensus that we have some kind of obligation to
animals and (a) the scientific consensus regarding the myriad ways animals
suffer – physically, mentally, and emotionally (so that stewardship over
animals means something different than stewardship over the environment), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(b) the numerous ways humans cause that
suffering (so we need to look at more than habitat protection and cases of cruelty
to cats and dogs), and (c) the ease with which changes could be made to reduce
or end much of that suffering (so that there is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">something</i> everyone can do to have an impact).</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Raising
issues of animal welfare can be extremely difficult in a congregation – or with
oneself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it doesn’t have to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t need to storm the pulpit demanding
that everyone immediately adopt a vegan lifestyle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with all things of spiritual significance,
we need to meet people (including ourselves) where they are and give them spiritual tools and information and encouragement to move as they feel called to move. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s about providing people with the
theological framework and the facts of our interactions with animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can start with small steps:</span><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We
can include vegan options at all church meals as an act of hospitality.</span><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We
can forgo church events like clam bakes, pig roasts, or games at the expense of
animals, like<a href="http://www.wisn.com/news/wisconsin-church-criticized-for-pig-wrestling-event/27375744" target="_blank"> this </a>unfortunate case.</span><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We
can refrain from sponsoring church activities that include hunting, rodeos, circuses,
zoos, and other venues where animals are used as “entertainment,” or “sport.”</span><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We
can include information about plant-based eating in tract racks, or pamphlets
like <a href="http://www.humanesociety.org/about/departments/faith/religious_case_compassio.html" target="_blank">this one</a> from the Humane Society of the United States Faith Outreach
Department, regarding compassion for animals as a theological concern.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We
can include animal shelters and sanctuaries in our financial outreach or
community support.</span><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We
can offer to collect furs so that they can be used for wildlife rehabilitation.</span><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> <span style="font-size: small;">(Find a wildlife rehabilitation center <a href="http://www.wildliferehabber.org/" target="_blank">here</a>, or contact <a href="http://coatsforcubs.com/" target="_blank">Coats for Cubs</a>.)</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We
can explore challenging issues in-depth in adult formation classes and forums
where there is an opportunity for an exchange of ideas and reference to
resources, perhaps including </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.humanesociety.org/forms/eating_mercifully_dvd_request.html?credit=web_id96887623" target="_blank">this 27-minute video</a>, also from the Humane Society of the United States Faith Outreach Department</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5wDdLtnWnQ7lpFMOPwut3Dhl36eajrW58ahWlJ9zZcC9YEC7XhnVNIL_d58eYZGC5wPaiZDN6leItxC1soyrfw7LsqfL_Dr_AVS4gBxhqYSDwirGuTgQw8vSZBDmiCzc3LfN2PzkORS3/s1600/eating-mercifully.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5wDdLtnWnQ7lpFMOPwut3Dhl36eajrW58ahWlJ9zZcC9YEC7XhnVNIL_d58eYZGC5wPaiZDN6leItxC1soyrfw7LsqfL_Dr_AVS4gBxhqYSDwirGuTgQw8vSZBDmiCzc3LfN2PzkORS3/s1600/eating-mercifully.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.humanesociety.org/forms/eating_mercifully_dvd_request.html?credit=web_id96887623" target="_blank">Eating Mercifully</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> No one is perfect when it comes
to animal welfare, and I don’t think churches or anyone else should be
dictating chapter and verse on how to live. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not blame church leaders from shying away
from such a prospect. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do think,
though, that the failure of churches to let their congregants know that this is
something they should be thinking about in the context of their Christian life
and faith, and the failure of churches to provide education regarding the reality
of the suffering we needlessly cause, is a significant</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> theological failure. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Asking people to think in a new
way about animals, and about some of their everyday actions is hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to be
done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Annual discussions about
tithing are not everyone's favorite, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But churches go to
great lengths to educate their congregations about why it is important – not just
to keep the lights in the church on, but to each of them, individually, as
Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When people do not tithe, we
do not slam the door in their face, we accept what they feel they are able to
give gratefully and continue the conversation with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Likewise, new ideas about animals
that impact our daily choices may not be something most people in the pew want
to hear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of us don’t want to hear that we should change the way we have categorized animals in our personal
theologies and we certainly don’t want to hear that we should change the way we behave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, just like tithing, exercising
our responsibilities toward our fellow creatures is important, as a spiritual matter, and Christians need to learn
about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no excuses theologically,
scientifically, or otherwise for closing our eyes to the suffering we
cause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to begin the conversation,
accept the changes that people feel ready make, and continue the
conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to allow God to do a new thing.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> We all walk together, even to new
places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes we need to put on crash helmets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhcMeDD-x3poTYCxIGJEK3nhszWtA_AmVPl4t6F8JQgYQPn1-BF46HSr5YAwO-W-OzMt_FcyGl98pY4MGTnoe0Quou52-zDwPOH6ffseE6-e0EdaadCSYWQuMfaKox-x2RzaCz7-jMYle/s1600/Dog+Wearing+Helmet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhcMeDD-x3poTYCxIGJEK3nhszWtA_AmVPl4t6F8JQgYQPn1-BF46HSr5YAwO-W-OzMt_FcyGl98pY4MGTnoe0Quou52-zDwPOH6ffseE6-e0EdaadCSYWQuMfaKox-x2RzaCz7-jMYle/s1600/Dog+Wearing+Helmet.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buzzfeed, <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/sarahs28/12-dogs-wearing-helmets-1yzj" target="_blank">12 Dogs Wearing Helmets</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[1]</span></span></span></span>
“<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">On the whole, I
do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of
conditions.… Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we blithely
invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are
children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of
TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and
velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should
issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For
the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw
us to where we can never return.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>—Annie
Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters (New York: Harper
& Row, 1982), pp. 40-41.</span></div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Lest anyone think I am attempting
to hold myself above this practice, I am still unhappy that the Episcopal
Church appears to given up entirely on the Prayer of Humble Access, formerly
part of one orders of worship in the Book of Common Prayer (p. 337).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am very fond of this prayer, and often say it
to myself during service because – that’s the way I learned the service and
that’s the way I like it (I also think it has significant theological merit,
although I do understand some of the objections to it). </span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn3" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The study also asked why animal welfare and food
organizations, which are not hesitant to try to influence food consumption
habits, do not emphasize the connection more than they do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The conclusion was that “they did not want to
open themselves up the counter-argument that ‘sustainable’ small-scale farming
was somehow a better or more feasible option.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]--><br />Lois Wyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168915977567937203noreply@blogger.com1