- Activist Feedback
- Essay: Eternal Treblinka
- This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and
Mary Hoffman
1. Activist Feedback
Jon, who leafleted with Darina and Mikael at The Story Tour Concert
at Hoffman Estates on 12/4, writes:
Darina and Mikael joined me for
this late night leafleting opportunity in Hoffman Estates. The venue
wasn't packed, but we were able to reach a good number of attendees in
a fairly short amount of time. We experienced a very mixed crowd, and
focused on getting booklets into young people's hands, although
occasional parents came and asked for a booklet after hearing our
message.
Being a Christian show, despite a mostly positive
reception, we inevitably encountered people who laughed at us and said
that we didn't need to worry because God put animals here for us to
eat. Rather than lose valuable leafleting time in striking up a
conversation with a brick wall, especially when people are pouring out
of the venue, we concentrated on getting the word out to the rest of
the crowd. We heard from many people who were excited to help animals,
and many people who actually didn't know about CVA but were interested
to learn.
Between the three of us, we met 9 vegetarians, and gave all of them
a Guide (minus one person who already had one!). All in all, a great
way to spend our evening.
Thank you kindly for sending us the
booklets to enable us to conduct this valuable outreach. Together, we
handed out 710 CVA booklets
Upcoming Outreach Opportunities
12/30-31 VA Lynchburg WinterFest Christian Rock Festival
1/4
NC Lexington
The Hoppers Gospel Tour
1/5
NC Charlotte
Winter Jam Christian Concert
1/6
TN Chattanooga Winter Jam
Christian Concert
1/4
WV Charleston Winter
Jam 2013 Tour Spectacular
1/11
FL Jacksonville Winter Jam
Christian Concert
1/12
FL Tampa
Winter Jam Christian Concert
1/13
AL Mobile
Winter Jam Christian Concert
1/17
PA Reading
Winter Jam Christian Concert
1/18 PA University Park
Winter Jam Christian Concert
1/19
OH Columbus
Winter Jam Christian Concert
1/19
KS Hays
Third Day Christian Concert
1/20
IN Ft. Wayne
Winter am Christian Concert
1/25
MO Kansas City Winter Jam
Christian Concert
1/26
IA Des Moines Winter
Jam Christian Concert
1/27
IL Peoria
Winter Jam Christian Concert
1/30
IN Evansville
Winter Jam Christian Concert
2. Essay: Eternal Treblinka
I recently read Charles Patterson’s excellent and provocative book
Eternal Treblinka, which shows the historical and spiritual links
between contemporary animal abuse and the Holocaust of the Nazi era.
Treblinka was one of the largest Nazi death camps, and the title
derives from a quote from a book by Nobel Prize Laureate Isaac
Beshevis Singer: “In relation to them, all people are Nazis; for the
animals it is an eternal Treblinka.”
In great detail, Patterson shows how the language and methods of
animal slaughter have been remarkably similar to the slaughter of
Jews, Gypsies, and other people during the Holocaust. Indeed,
throughout history, those bent on slaughtering humans have first
equated the future human victims with those animals for which their
culture has contempt, such as pigs. Further, Patterson demonstrates
that the Nazi methods of slaughtering humans mirrored the assembly
line method of slaughter used to kill billions of animals every year
quickly and efficiently. In both cases, there was no regard for the
welfare of the victims.
Finally, Patterson argues that the same “might makes right” ethic
that underlies animal exploitation and abuse formed the foundation of
the extermination of people the Nazis regarded as inferior.
Many people are angered by analogies between animal abuse and the
Holocaust. In the next series of essays, I will explore reasons for
this anger and discuss whether it is justified. At this point, I would
like to note that few of those who find the analogy offensive are
animal advocates, including Jewish animal advocates who suffered
through the Holocaust or who lost loved ones in the tragedy. Indeed,
as Patterson documents, many of the animal protection movement’s most
ardent supporters have been Jews who have related that the Holocaust
played a major role in motivating them to animal activism.
Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.
3. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and
Mary Hoffman
Kingdom Living