Weekly Newsletter from Christian Vegetarian Association CVA - October 9, 2022
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

  1. Toward a Universal Christian Ethic
  2. All-Creatures.Org Ministry

1. Toward a Universal Christian Ethic

Jesus taught and manifested love, compassion, mercy, and service to others. Yet, Christians have often found themselves in conflict, sometimes violent conflict, with people of other faiths and even with fellow Christians espousing different theologies. Is it possible for Christianity to play a central part in the project to establish and maintain universal peace and justice?

I think the answer is yes, if two conditions are met. First, Christianity must acknowledge that other faiths have spiritual and theological validity. The convictions that Christianity is the only revelation of God and that the great mysteries of the universe put Christianity in rivalry with most of the world’s people, who believe that there are other ways to access and understand God. A common barrier to Christians accepting a more ecumenical view of the world is Jesus’ declaring, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the father, but by me” (John 14:6). Jesus was addressing a specific audience, and this declaration might have been true for those people. However, it seems unwarranted to claim that this comment was meant for all people of all times.

A second condition is that these core Christian principles must be applied universally. It is tempting to restrict an ethic of love, compassion, mercy, and service to a limited group of individuals. Extending such concerns more universally can feel overwhelming and burdensome. Also, it can very difficult to love our enemies, as Jesus instructed us to do. And, showing love and compassion might involve making lifestyle changes that might seem unpleasant, such as avoiding inexpensive goods produced under slave-like conditions or refraining from eating animals and animal products. However, an ethic that excludes some individuals can never generate stable, peaceful communities. At its core, as I think Jesus understood, such an ethic is largely a sham. I will elaborate on this in the next essay.

Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.

2. From All-Creatures.Org Ministry

We hope this finds you having a renewing day and that you enjoy these newsletters. It is jam packed with helpful vegan, faith-based, and animal rights information to keep you up to date with all that is going on. Please feel free to share vegan information with us as well!

All-Creatures.org Newsletter, September 29, 2022

All-Creatures.org Newsletter, October 6, 2022

In the Love of the Lord,
Frank L Hoffman
All-Creatures.org

and

Kindness,
Tams Nicholson
Executive Directress
tams@all-creatures.org
All-Creatures.org 

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