Christian Vegetarian Association Blog


	CVA BLOG

Are We Looking at God’s Animals as Beings or Simple Commodities?
March 12, 2012

Welcome to the weekly CVA blog! In it you will find famous quotes, news and commentaries.

Sobering Figures of Animals Suffering in the Hands of Humanity

Famous Quote: Bertrand Russell, Marriage and Morals, 1929

What Pork Producers Believe

Bible verse: Nahum 1:7

Fiction? Maybe Not

This Week’s Video: New Undercover Investigation at Pig Facility

1. Sobering Figures of Animals Suffering in the Hands of Humanity

Shocking figures based on USDA data uncover the most voluminous cruelty on the planet: animals raised for food. What is worse, of the 10,153,000,000 land animals systematically killed across the country last year, 875,000,000 of these animals died lingering deaths from disease, injury, starvation, suffocation, maceration, or other atrocities of animal farming and transport.

To read the full article please visit The Invisible and the Innocent 10,153,000,000 Victims of the U.S. Food Industry:
http://www.care2.com/causes/the-invisible-and-the-innocent-10153000000-victims-of-the-u-s-food-industry.html

How much suffering is humanity causing in God’s Creation solely for the sake of taste and profit! The figures of animals being systematically and legally abused (and killed) are sobering. Aren’t Christians supposed to be the “salt and light” of the world? Then, we should step up to our position of caretakers of God’s animals and do our job, which calls for compassion, kindness and justice. Of course, there is no room to support the factory farming industry in taking care of God’s farmed animals.

2. This Week’s Famous Quote

The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence that it is not utterly absurd; indeed, in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more often likely to be foolish than sensible.

~Bertrand Russell, Marriage and Morals, 1929

3. What Pork Producers Believe

The pork industry is very concerned about the efforts of animal advocates to end gestation crates, which cause unimaginable suffering to sows by virtually immobilizing them for months at a time. Pork producers say that science in on their side, that sows are just fine and that they do well under these conditions.

Please visit Commentary: Gestation stalls now lead HSUS' list
http://www.porknetwork.com/pork-news/Commentary-Gestation-stalls-now-lead-HSUS-list--139063259.html?ref=259

"Animal activists are well organized, well funded and relentless." Pork producers don't seem to like advocates for God's animals a bit but they sure define us well! Every time there is injustice and victimization to any of God's creatures we are called to step in and try to bring healing and reconciliation. If consumers are aware of the negative impact that the meat, egg and dairy industries have on our souls, hearts and minds, I believe they would pull away their support to these industries and transition to a plant-based diet. Our role as stewards of God’s Creation is to raise awareness, stand up for victims when possible and lead by example.

4. This Week’s Bible Verse

(RSV) Nahum 1:7

The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

We should rest assured that even during our darkest times we can pull strength from the teachings of Jesus, in order to find peace and fulfillment in spite of trouble.

5. Fiction? Maybe Not

Given the billions of chicken raised under extreme confinement in order to meet the demand for cheap poultry products, an architecture student, André Ford, proposes a new system for the mass production of chicken that would involve the removal of the birds' cerebral cortex as well as their legs so that they don't experience the horrors of being packed very tightly in vertical farms. He argues that although this seems grotesque to most people, it could prove the solution to the rising demand for poultry, and to improve the welfare of the chickens by desensitizing them to the unpleasant reality of their existence.

To read the article please visit Food project proposes Matrix-style vertical chicken farms:
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-02/15/andre-ford-chicken-farming

Astonishingly, this new system could actually be considered an improvement over our current abusive system of factory farming. We are indeed called to alleviate suffering to the best of our abilities, but I believe that we are also called to do so with an underlying respect for all beings, their bodies, minds and souls. Mutilating animals, hyper-confining them, and treating them like mere commodities shows total disregard for these beings and a hardness of heart on our part. If we truly want to show love to all beings, the first step would be to allow them to be who our Creator intended for them to be: subjects of their own life, with the freedom to express their instincts, feelings and behaviors.

6. This Week’s Video: New Undercover Investigation at Pig Facility

The animal advocacy group Compassion Over Killing released last week another undercover investigation at a gestation crate factory farm in Iowa. Keep in mind that Iowa is the first states that approved an “ag-gag” bill in order to prevent consumers at large from learning about the inherent cruelty of factory farming.

Please share the undercover video:
http://lists.hsus.org/t/6246737/24788092/5035/2/

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