- Activist Feedback
- Brief Review: For the Beauty…How Our Food Choices Affect God’s
World
- Essay: Christianity and Scapegoating
- This Week’s
Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman
1. Activist Feedback
Rick Hershey, who led the team that tabled at St. Louis Earth
Day, wrote:
Considering the marginal weather, we did extremely
well today. Thanks to Pamela, Julia, Melissa, Bill, Karen, and
Cindy for making this possible! Our booth was well attended, we
answered lots of questions, and we focused primarily on kids and
people in their twenties. This was Karen’s first experience
leafleting and first experience with CVA; hopefully it was a positive
one because she did great!
Total pieces of literature (including
coloring books): 1515
Thanks again to our wonderful volunteers for
their outstanding work!
Upcoming Activist Opportunities
5/29 UTOgden
FREE Manafest Christian Rock Concert
5/31-6/2 MN Minneapolis
Joyce Meyers Ministries Conference
6/1
TX Dallas
The Good Life Tour
6/2 MD Upper
Marlboro Christian Music Day featuring Sanctus Real-
6/2
NE Omaha
Hip Hope Fest: Hope Center For Kids Event
6/9
NY Syracuse Women of Faith
One Day Conference
6/9 CA Long
Beach Women of Faith One Day Conference
6/12 IA Bettendorf
Esterlyn Christian Rock Concert
6/14
AL Birmingham McDonald's Inspiration
Celebration Gospel Tour
2012
6/14-16 MI Allegan
Big Ticket Festival Christian Music Fest
6/14-16 GA
Atlanta
Christian Music Festival
6/16 GA
Valdosta Sanctus Real
Christian Rock Concert
6/16 AR Little
Rock Women of
Faith One Day Conference
6/16-17 NY Rochester
Rock The Lakes News boys and more!
7/14
MN Minneapolis
TABLE Twin Cities Veg Fest
6/20-23 KY Wilmore
Ichthus Music Festival
6/23 IL
Hoffman Estates Women of Faith One Day Conference
6/23
NC Greensboro Women of Faith One Day
Conference
6/23 VA Richmond
TABLE Richmond Vegetarian Festival
6/21-24 NC Pittsboro
TABLE Wild Goose Festival
International Events:
6/2
CANADA BC Nanaimo Manafest
Christian Rock Concert
6/3
CANADA BC Vancouver
Manafest Christian Rock Concert
6/6
CANADA AB Lethbrdige
Manafest Christian Rock Concert
2. Brief Review: For the
Beauty…How Our Food Choices Affect God’s World by Jennifer Moore, MS,
RD (150 pp, $11.95, available through
www.vegwell.com).
This compact, fact-filled book contains
compelling environmental, animal welfare, and human health reasons to
choose a plant-based diet. While virtually all religions and secular
ethical systems endorse environmentalism, animal protectionism, and
human well-being, Moore grounds her argument in biblical writings.
Upon reading this book, it is hard to see how any faithful Christian
could choose anything other than a plant-based diet. For those who
wish they could change but don’t know how, Moore conveniently offers a
food plan and a plethora of resources.
Stephen R. Kaufman,
M.D.
3. Essay: Christianity and Scapegoating
Last
week, I discussed how scapegoating can bind communities, but there is
much in the Christian tradition that rejects the scapegoating process.
Indeed, Jesus recognized that, initially, his ministry would break
communal bonds, and he said, “Do you think that I have come to give
peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; for henceforth in
one house there will be five divided, three against two and two
against three” (Luke 12:51-53). In the scapegoating process, it would
be four against one, but when there is three against two there is no
unification of the larger community at the expense of one or a few
individuals. Without scapegoating, will communities break apart?
In my book Guided by the Faith of Christ, I discuss how the need for
self-esteem underlies the scapegoating process. I think Jesus showed
us another path toward self-esteem, which is to regard ourselves as
beloved creations of God, the source of life. If God loves us, we
don’t need to be better than anyone else. We are only called to do
what we can to honor and serve God. Loving God means showing love for
God’s creation, and this has several implications.
First, it
encourages forgiveness, which was a central theme of Jesus’ ministry.
While we must be wary of those who have been harmful in the past,
harboring resentment absolves us of the degree to which we are
responsible for conflicts, facilitates scapegoating, and undermines
community-building. Second, love and the unjust, violent* scapegoating
process are incompatible. Third, love does not have arbitrary
boundaries. Though we don’t have the same emotional love for everyone
and we don’t express love the same way with everyone, our call to love
should manifest as assistance and care as well as avoidance of harm
whenever possible. Therefore, harming nonhumans unnecessarily is the
antithesis of love and is a fundamental rejection of Jesus’ ministry.
Next week, I will consider a common question: Is animal abuse a
manifestation of scapegoating, or does it simply reflect humans
exerting the ethic “might makes right”?
Stephen R. Kaufman,
M.D.
4. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary
Hoffman
What's Wrong with Meat and Booze?