Weekly Newsletter from Christian Vegetarian Association CVA - August 2, 2025
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

  1. Anne Frank, cont.: Responding to the Current Crisis
  2. All-Creatures.Org Newsletter

1. Anne Frank, cont.: Responding to the Current Crisis

As Anne Frank anticipated the "thunder, which will destroy us too," many Americans think that the President's rapidly increasing control over the press, academic institutions, and law enforcement portends the end of our democracy. As I've discussed previously, the advent of sophisticated, ubiquitous surveillance systems, enhanced by AI, make it difficult if not impossible for a country to regain democratic freedoms that have been lost to a tyrant. However attractive an autocrat's agenda might seem at a given point in time, ultimately autocracy devolves into corruption and massive disparities in wealth with loyalists who defend the autocrat's power being rewarded at the expense of the larger populace. To gain power, the autocrat claims to defend the nation and the faith against manufactured internal and external "enemies." This encourages a sufficient fraction of the populace to ignore the tyrant's massive corruption, complete disregard for the truth, destruction of democratic institutions, and cruelty to critics and vulnerable individuals who serve as scapegoats for the tyrant's failings.

How is it possible that ostensibly caring and decent people would allow this to happen? There are several reasons. Often, fear discourages resistance, and this is understandable. Sometimes, there are people who aim to resist at the time that is most opportune. They take the advice of Nazi resister Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who counseled his students that they should not fear death, but they should not give up their lives cheaply. They should give the Nazi salute when compelled to do so, and they should always be seeking meaningful ways to undermine the evil regime.

There is also a darker side of human nature that, I think, comes into play here. Those who have been wounded have a desire to hurt others, and those who have been dominated often seek to dominate others. All of us, to varying degrees, have been wounded by family, friends, and the vicissitudes of life itself. Many take a degree of pleasure, and sometimes a lot of pleasure, in the suffering of others. The cruelty of autocrats, particularly when directed at people that many people don't like, can be appealing.

Those seeking to resist autocracy need effective activism strategies, but that is not enough. They need a vision of the way the world should be, a vision that they can communicate with others, such that they and their community are inspired to action. This vision, I will argue next, is manifest in the faith of Christ. It is a vision that never countenances injustice, and therefore it is a vision that must lovingly embrace all God's creation. I will elaborate on that next.

Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.

2. All-Creatures.Org Newsletter

Dear Christian Veg Friends,

We hope you enjoy this week's newsletter and also find useful tools in all we share. There is always so very much to share including... Interpol dismisses Red Notice against Captain Paul Watson!! - How to honor and protect fishes on Respect for Fish Day - historical roots of plant-based diets in the Middle East - the devastating impact of the leather industry on the environment and human communities - animal ingredients in art supplies - examining the exploitative realities of the pet industry - dieticians weigh in on benefits of a vegan diet - why private cultivated-meat research isn't enough - and more...

All-Creatures.org Newsletter, July 30, 2025...
https://all-creatures.org/newsletter/news-20250730.html

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

In the Love of the Lord,
Frank L. Hoffman
and
Kindness,
Tams Nicholson

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