1. This Week’s Sermon
2. Re: Animal Welfare Reforms
3. Question to Ponder
4. Conferences in the Next Three Months
5. Looking for CVA Members?
1. This Week’s Sermon
Horror, Stress, Depression, and Resting in the Lord
http://www.all-creatures.org/sermons98/s20080504.html
2. Re: Animal Welfare Reforms
I believe animal rightists have been misunderstood and
misrepresented. Most animal rights activists do not oppose animal rights
groups fighting for animal welfare. However, I do not believe that such
an animal rights organization should reward a group, business, industry,
or even themselves for so-called baby steps that improve animal welfare
but leave systems of exploitation and abuse intact. This confuses the
consumer, and I see it every day.
For example, animal groups will list restaurants that are no longer
serving veal from calves who were confined in crates, but the
restaurants continue to serve veal. While these animal rights groups
likely oppose all veal consumption, this is not the message conveyed to
consumers. Most people will make the choice that assuages their guilt
with the least change in lifestyle. Consequently, if they believe that
eating veal that came from calves not confined to crates has the
endorsement of animal rights groups, then it can’t be very
objectionable. By naming these small steps as victories, it makes my
efforts to end animal exploitation more difficult.
When I table for animals, repeatedly I encounter people who proudly
declare that they only purchase "humane meat and dairy" products. They
are generally uninterested in my literature, and I find that it is
almost impossible to penetrate someone's conscience once they truly
believe they are making compassionate choices, not by their own
standards alone, but by those who are supposed to be protecting animals.
It seems to me that many groups are using these so-called victories for
animals as fund-raising tools rather than thinking of how they influence
the public.
In addition, many times the steps people are taking to relieve some
of the suffering involved in raising farmed animals actually cause more
suffering. For instance, so-called "free-range" chickens are still
confined so that they still cannot spread their wings and many die in
their own manure. So-called organic beef and dairy causes more suffering
at times for these animals because when they become ill they are refused
medications. To give these sick animals the medications needed would
render them nonorganic and thus less profitable. Of course, the best way
to avoid contributing to animal abuse is to avoid consuming animal
products altogether, and this should be an important part of our
message.
Carolyn Yane
3. Question to Ponder
When Europeans came to the Americas, they rapidly conquered the
native peoples. Their most effective weapon was the inadvertent spread
of infectious diseases. Throughout the Americas, when native peoples
came in contact with the Europeans, 90-95% of the native peoples died
within 10-20 years from infectious diseases, such as smallpox, measles,
and influenza. Europeans had build up resistance to these diseases, but
the previously unexposed native peoples had no such resistance and died
in massive numbers. The question: Why did Europeans not similarly get
diseases from the native peoples? In other words, why were there not
diseases toward which the native peoples had developed resistance but
toward which the Europeans were not resistant? A prize will be given for
what I regard as the best answer.
4. Conferences in the Next Three Months
Their Lives, Our Voices, 6/6-8, Minneapolis, MN, sponsored by
Compassionate Action for Animals, www.tlov.org.
Vegetarian Summerfest, 6/18-22, Johnston, PA, sponsored by North
American Vegetarians Society www.vegetariansummerfest.org.
Taking Action for Animals 7/19-21, Arlington, VA, sponsored by Humane
Society of the United States, www.takingactionforanimals.org.
5. Looking for CVA Members?
In a couple of weeks, we’ll be listing first names, cities, and
e-mail addresses of people who are looking for fellow CVA members in
their areas. If you wish to be added to the list, please contact
CVA@christianveg.org.