- Activist Feedback
- Essay: Applying John Rawls’ A Theory of
Justice to Animal Issues
- This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and
Mary Hoffman
1. Activist Feedback
Jordon, who
leafleted at the Third Day concert on July 11 in Oshkosh, WI, writes:
I got to the festival grounds at 5:20 and begun distributing as
soon as I could. I will be honest, my expectations were pretty low
(being in the center of a state that prides itself on its dairy and
meat economy), but I found that about half of the people to whom I
handed the flyer took one gratefully.
There were a few
goofballs who said things like "I love meat" to prove themselves edgy
among their companions but I wished them well.
One man came
over and begun to ask me about the choice and why I had decided to
become a vegetarian in light of G-d placing us over the nonhumans to
rule. I peacefully and patiently explained my belief and then he begun
to belittle and degrade so I wished him peace and excused myself from
the interaction.
I wrapped up around 7:15 when I noticed that
everybody was in the festival grounds (likely for Third Day or Five
Iron Frenzy). I gave out well over half the quantity of flyers and
have been distributing what's left at church and in my peace community
of which I am a part.
Thanks for the opportunity to serve!
Upcoming Activist Opportunities
7/30
NV Sparks The
Afters
7/31-8/3 NH Gilford
SoulFest
8/01 WV
Charleston Need to
Breathe
8/01 AL
Birmingham Motion
Student Conference
8/02 TX
Midland Third Day
8/02
GA Norcross Victory World
Music Worship Concert
8/02 OK
Oklahoma City Women of Faith Tour
8/02
AL Birmingham
A Night under the Lights
8/02-03 NC Durham
Healthy Church 2013
8/03 NH
Gilford SoulFest – Sanctus Real
8/7-10 WA Enumclaw
CreationFest
8/10 MI
Centreville Hope Fest -
Manic Drive
8/10 NC
Greenville Salvador
8/08 IA Des Moines
Casting Crowns
8/09 OH
Columbus Women of Faith Tour
8/10
TN Knoxville Karen Peck & New
River
8/11 OH Cincinnati
Mercy Me
8/11 CO Denver
Crowder
8/15 AL
Birmingham Jars of
Clay
8/16 NC Charlotte
Jars of Clay
8/16 NC
Asheville Casting Crowns
8/16
IL Peoria Women
of Faith Tour
8/17 FL
Tampa
Tabling – Total Wellness Health Fair
8/17
TN Knoxville Jars of Clay
8/17
VA Fairfax Newsboys –
DC Fest
8/18 VA
Williamsburg Third Day
8/18 IL
Springfield Powerlight
Festival
8/23
MI Battle Creek Promise Keepers Men's Conference
8/23 FL Jacksonville
Jars of clay
8/23 IA Des
Moines Women of Faith
Tour
8/23 IN Indianapolis
Women of Faith Tour
8/24 FL
Orlando Jars of Clay
8/24
OR Portland Point of Grace
8/25 CO Denver
Sanctus Real
8/29 TN
Nashville Jars of Clay
8/29–31
GA Duluth
Influences Conference
8/30-9/1 SD Worthing
The Lifelight Festival
9/06 FL
Orlando Audio Adrenaline
9/07
FL Orlando Casting
Crowns
9/07 FL Kissimmee
Newsboys
9/10 AR Little
Rock Jars of Clay
9/12
NY New York Third Day
9/14 AZ Phoenix
Point of Grace
9/14 TX
Waco Manic Drive
– Small Town America Tour 2013
9/20
OK Tulsa
Promise Keepers Men's Conference
9/20-21 VA
Middleburg Awakening
Festival 2013
9/21 IL
Chicago VeganMania
9/27
NC Charlotte Plumb
9/28
SC Columbia Plumb
9/28
DC Washington
DC Veg Fest
9/29 GA Macon
Plumb
9/28 TX Tyler
Point of Grace
10/06
MA Pittsfield
Kings and Queens Tour 2013
10/10–13 AL Fort Payne
The Courage
10/19
FL Tampa Bay Tampa Bay Veg
Fest
10/25 FL Daytona
Promise Keepers Men's Conference
10/29
PA Pittsburgh
JCTV Tour
11/01 PA
Blakely Third Day
11/09
GA Atlanta
Atlanta Veg Fest
11/24
TN Nashville National Youth
Convention
12/07 NY
New York City Toby Mac Hits Deep Tour
Contact Lorena at
lmucke@bellsouth.net if you
can help.
2. Essay: Applying John Rawls’ A Theory of
Justice to Animal Issues
John Rawls’ book A Theory of Justice
has generated much discussion among ethicists, and I think for good
reason. A distinctive feature of his theory was his description of a
hypothetical “original position.” In attempt to avoid the biases that
invariably arise when people have a stake in ethical choices, Rawls
envisioned people determining the rules and policies of society behind
a “veil of ignorance” in that they did not know who they would be in
the society they constructed. People would choose a society in which
1% of the people had 99% of society’s wealth, because there would be a
99% chance that they would be among the impoverished poor and only a
1% chance that they would be rich.
Though I think there is
much to commend Rawls’ book, he stumbles badly when it comes to animal
issues, leaving this important topic for later consideration. Should
the original position include nonhumans? In other words, do nonhumans
have moral standing whose interests should be taken into account? I
think we should imagine nonhumans at the original position, giving
them hypothetical votes in this hypothetical arrangement, because they
have a subjective inner life with feelings, emotions, and desires,
much as we have. In contrasts, as best we can tell, plants do not have
feelings and cannot be wronged in the same way that sentient beings
can be wronged. I do not think we need to include individual plants as
present in the original position.
Some might argue against
including nonhumans in the original position, because nonhumans are
unable to understand the social contract that Rawls’ original position
demands. However, the same is true of many who are mentally disabled.
The point of the original position is to present the interests of
anyone who might gain or lose as a consequence of society’s rules, and
nonhumans have at least as much to gain or lose as humans. Similar to
those who are mentally disabled, many nonhumans are extremely
vulnerable, and their only protection against abuse at the hands of
humans are rules and regulations that restrain humans.
For
many people, including nonhumans in the original position is
counter-intuitive. Many people can readily imagine themselves as being
a human of a different gender or skin color, but many have difficulty
envisioning themselves as nonhumans. For the purposes of applying
Rawls’ theory appropriately, I think we should.
Next week, I
will suggest that, given the mystery of our personal existence, we
should be open to the possibility that our sense of personal identity
(often identified as the “soul”), could exist in a nonhuman being.
Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.
3. This Week’s Sermon from
Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman
Evil in the World