Weekly Newsletter - February 18, 2015
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

  1. Comment on last week’s essay
  2. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman
  3. Upcoming Activist Opportunities

1. Comment on last week's essay

CVA member Gracia Fay Ellwood, commenting on last week’s essay “Is Eating Meat a Sin?” writes:

Another way to look at it, which stems from theologian Marjorie Suchocki's book The Fall to Violence, is to see institutional evils as instances of original sin -- it's there before individuals come on the scene and from infancy people grow up participating in it thoughtlessly.But, when the violent destructiveness of an institution is pointed out and people continue to participate in the violence with no intention of changing, it becomes actual sin.

Suchocki's book is very insightful and I recommend it.Suchocki quotes one thinker who connects the killing and eating of animals in hunting-gathering societies with institutionalized violence, but she doesn't develop the idea herself in the book.

Response:

Ms. Ellwood raises some interesting points. Few people question widespread cultural beliefs about what is and what is not sacred, and which individuals matter and which individuals do not. After injustice has been exposed, those who persist in participating in injustice are committing sin. Perhaps people can be blameless while cultural institutions are purveyors of sin, but this raises the question: How can institutions fall into sin?

While corporations are regarding as “persons” according to U.S. law, in truth institutions have no personality. They are human creations and, as such, any “personality” they might project reflects human decisions. The impetus for any good or harm that institutions do derives from humans. Why might institutions cause harm?

It often seems that institutions act to preserve themselves, but what this really means is that those people who determine institutional policies desire to preserve those institutions. Often, these people gain status and benefit financially from the institutions they protect. However, many people who receive little or no material benefit from institutions voluntarily contribute money or even their risk their lives defending those institutions. Next week, I will consider why this might happen. Perhaps by exploring this question we might gain some insight into “Original Sin,” which evidently is what John the Baptist described as the “sin of the world” (John 1:29).

Stephen R. Kaufman, MD

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

Murderers Offer Animal Sacrifices

3. Upcoming Activist Opportunities

Contact Lorena at LorenaValenziVeg@gmail.com if you can help. Leafleting is fun and effective!

Leafleting

02/28/2015 TX, Houston Winter Jam 2015
03/01/2015 OK, Tulsa Winter Jam 2015
03/03/2015 NY, NYC Third Day
03/05/2015 MO, Springfield Winter Jam 2015
03/05/2015 MA, Boston Third Day
03/05/2015 OH, Columbus Rock & Worship Roadshow Mercy Me
03/06/2015 PA, Philadelphia Third Day
03/06/2015 PA, Pittsburgh Rock & WorshipRoadshow Mercy Me
03/06/2015 KS, Wichita Winter Jam 2015
03/07/2015 OH, Akron Third Day
03/07/2015 OK, Oklahoma City Winter Jam 2015
03/07/2015 KY, Louisville Rock & Worship Roadshow Mercy Me
03/08/2015 TX, Ft Worth Winter Jam 2015
03/13/2015 NC, Raleigh Winter Jam 2015
03/14/2015 OR, Portland Rock & Worship Roadshow Mercy Me
03/15/2015 WA, Spokane Rock & WorshipRoadshow Mercy Me
03/19/2015 CA, Sacramento Rock & Worship Roadshow Mercy Me
03/13/2015 OK, Tulsa Third Day
03/14/2015 SC, Columbia Winter Jam 2015
03/14/2015 TX, Amarillo Third Day
03/15/2015 TX, Grand Prairie Third Day
03/19/2015 SC, N Charleston Third Day
03/20/2015 TN, Knoxville Third Day
03/20/2015 IN, Indianapolis Winter Jam 2015
03/21/2015 OH, Columbus Third Day
03/22/2015 TN, Memphis Winter Jam 2015
03/22/2015 MI, Grand Rapids Third Day
03/26/2015 CO, Co. Springs Rock & Worship Roadshow Mercy Me
03/28/2015 FL, Tallahassee Third Day
03/29/2015 FL, West Palm Beach Third Day
04/11/2015 NC, Fayetteville Casting Crowns
04/16/2015 MO, Kansas City Third Day
04/17/2015 IL, Chicago Third Day
04/18/2015 PA, Pittsburgh Third Day
04/19/2015 OH, Toledo Third Day
04/23/2015 AL, Huntsville Casting Crowns
04/24/2015 IL, Peoria Casting Crowns
04/25/2015 IN, Anderson Casting Crowns
04/25/2015 NY, Albany Third Day
06/14/2015 CO, Morrison Third Day
06/27/2015 FL, Miami Xtreme Christian Music Conference
08/4//2015 TN, Nashville Casting Crowns
10/22-24/15 New Jersey Hillsong Conference

Tabling
03/14-15/15 NY, NYC Vegetarian Food Festival
03/21/2015 WA, Seattle Vegfest 2015
03/28/2015 MA, Northampton Pioneer Valley VegFest
03/29/2015 NY, NYC Veggie Parade
04/04/2015 TX, Austin VegFest 2015
04/19/2015 MI, Novi VegFest
05/9-10/15 LA, New Orleans NOLA Veggie Fest
06/20-21/15 CO, Golden Vegfest Colorado
06/27/2015 WI, Madison Mad City Vegan Fest

Archived 2015 Newsletters
See Newsletter Archives