Weekly Newsletter - December 24, 2014
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

  1. News – Retaliation against Farmer Who Exposed Cruelty
  2. Essay: Is There Forgiveness without Repentance?
  3. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman

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1. News – Retaliation against Farmer Who Exposed Cruelty

A farmer who allowed Compassion in World Farming to film conditions on a chicken factory farm might be closed down.

Craig Watts, disgusted by Purdue claims that its chickens are raised under “humane conditions,” permitted CWF to film his facility, which is contracted with Purdue. In obvious retaliation, immediately after the CWF video was reported by the New York Times, Purdue announced that they would inspect his farm to see whether it violates their “humane” standards.

If Watts’ farm fails this inspection, Purdue could cancel Watts’ contract, effectively putting him out of business. For more on the story, visit Chicken farmer who spoke out about factory farm.


2. Essay: Is There Forgiveness without Repentance?

Last week, I discussed how Christians who participate directly in animal abuse or indirectly by sponsoring factory farming and other forms of mistreatment of God’s animals must choose between two positions. Either they are enemies of God or they believe that God is violent and cruel. Would a God who endorses cruelty to animals also forgive our sins?

I don’t think so. Such a God would be malevolent, in which case I would not expect such a God to be merciful. I think the Bible offers insights. John the Baptist preached “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4).  Similarly, in Luke’s Gospel, after the Resurrection, Jesus tells his followers “repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his [Jesus’] name to all nations” (Luke 24:47). Forgiveness of sins is integrally linked with repentance. If there is no repentance, there is no forgiveness.

Repentance is more than saying one is sorry, which itself is rarely done by meat-eaters. Repentance involves striving to avoid sin in the future. We might all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), but our faith teaches that we can be confident of God’s forgiveness if we try to follow Christ’s example of perfect love and devotion to God’s will.
Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.


3. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman

Second Coming Hope: the Restoration of a Peaceful Creation


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