Weekly Newsletter from Christian Vegetarian Association CVA - May 25, 2026
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

  1. The Need to End Scapegoating Violence
  2. All-Creatures.Org Ministry Feature for Wednesday, May 20

1. The Need to End Scapegoating Violence

I have been writing about Ursula LeGuin's short story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, in which some people leave the town rather than countenance the abuse of a child. The townspeople believe that their peace and prosperity rely on the mistreatment of the child, but their sense of well-being is fragile.

For scapegoating to generate a widespread sense of peace, the community must believe that the process - punishing or banishing those deemed responsible for evil - works. In contrast, when authoritarians exterminate "enemies of the state," people recognize the lie but acquiesce out of fear. There is no genuine peace, just the superficial appearance of peace.

In Omelas, the people evidently believe the falsehood, except those who either don't believe or who choose to leave because they find the sacrifice of the child an unacceptable price to pay for their well-being. The latter reason relates to one of the objections I have for atonement theology - the belief that the sacrifice of Jesus atones for human sinfulness. This theology, it seems to me, holds that murdering an innocent person was a good thing because of the benefit derived for others. Such an ethic easily leads to the notion that "sacrifice" of animals or other humans can also be justified by the benefit to others.

The peace and well-being in Omelas is fragile because their story is false. There will be suffering in Omelas, because suffering is part of human existence. When that happens, people will be tempted to torture more children - maybe the sacrifice of a single child was insufficient. However, this won't work, either, because the sacrifices do not, in fact, eradicate evil. This will encourage people to seek new targets for sacrificial violence, and they cycle will continue indefinitely. There will be transient well-being after some sacrifices because good times happen as well as bad times, but these sacrifices will eventually fail and new sacrifices will be performed.

Jesus' ministry, as I have discussed in detail in these essays and in my book Guided by the Faith of Christ, Seeking to Stop Violence and Scapegoating, aimed to end sacrificial violence. It sought to build a community based on love rather than sacrificial violence. Can this happen? Perhaps. This requires ending all sacrificial violence, not only that done to humans.

Stephen R. Kaufman, MD

2. All-Creatures.Org Ministry Feature for Wednesday, May 20

https://all-creatures.org/newsletter/news-20260520.html

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Last Chance for Animals releases undercover investigation into primate research lab - United Poultry Concerns shares inspiring ads promoting respect for chickens - learn more about chickens this International Respect for Chickens Month - Iowa makes animal cruelty a felony on first offense - Do you dare to look [new poem from J.H. Dickinson] - encouraging words for vegans lamenting setbacks in movement - Australia's upcoming ban on live sheep export and impact on the Middle East - and more...

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