Weekly Newsletter from Christian Vegetarian Association CVA - January 10, 2024
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

  1. Christianity and the Transcendence of Scapegoating, part 2
  2. All-Creatures.Org Ministry

1. Christianity and the Transcendence of Scapegoating, part 2

If humans were hard-wired to be egocentric or if they were unable to transcend their tendencies to participate in scapegoating, there would be no hope of generating peaceful communities without scapegoating. However, many individuals have shown kindness and compassion, and entire groups of people such as the Jains teach nonviolence toward humans and nonhumans. How might that happen?

A hypothesis consistent with evolutionary theory holds that our ability to empathize with others has been crucial for living in communities. These communities provide crucial support in both acquiring food and protecting members from predators. How can we explain a willingness to sacrifice one’s life for the benefit of one’s community, which seems like an evolutionary dead-end? Kin-selection and lineage-selection theories have offered reasonable evolutionary explanations for self-sacrifice.

It is interesting that nearly all past and present spiritual leaders have encouraged compassion and kindness, usually extending these sentiments to nonhumans. That people are attracted to such spiritual leaders says something about human psychology. Evidently, we admire and want to be like these spiritual leaders. Yet, we often fall short, and indeed much violence has been perpetrated by religious believers, including followers of Jesus – the “Prince of Peace.”

How can we build the “beloved community” about which the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King dreamed? I will continue this exploration.

Stephen R. Kaufman, MD.

2. From All-Creatures.Org Ministry

All-Creatures.org Newsletter, December 27, 2024

Dear Friends,

There is always so very much to share. We hope you enjoy this week's newsletter. Check out the many articles ...

Does Your Neighbor Kills Puppies [book on SHAC campaign] — saving Bullfrogs from the horrors of “frog farms” — We Animals Media photojournalism in 2023 — conscientious objection policies in veterinary curricula — SHARK closes down cockfights — emaciated Tigers rescued from “tiger farm” — “Where have all the animals gone?” — plants fixing hypoglycemia? — activist’s work results in charges of fraudulent fundraising by lion breeder — Sheepism” — and more…

Do you have things that you would like to see included in future newsletters? Then send it to us at veda@all-creatures.org. 

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

and

Kindness,
Tams Nicholson
Executive Directress
All-Creatures.org 

2023 Newsletters Archive