Weekly Newsletter - April 26, 2017
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

  1. Activist Feedback
  2. On Faith, part 6
  3. The April Issue of "The Peaceable Table" Is Now Online
  4. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman

1. Activist Feedback

Star Sevadar, a dedicated activist for the CVA and for Vegan Outreach, writes:

On Saturday, April15th in Los Angeles, California, I leafleted1400 booklets: 100Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating,100 Spanish CVAbooklets, and 1200 English CVA booklets.

2. On Faith, part 6

Many people seem to use Christianity as an excuse to harmfully exploit God’s animals. Indeed, there are Christian writings and traditions that seem to endorse animal abuse, but there are also writings and traditions that support animal protectionism.

In particular, the sayings and teachings of Jesus as described in the Bible give a consistent message of mercy, compassion, love, and peace. Repeatedly, he sided with those who were routinely victimized, including women, orphans, and infirmed people. We have few biblical references for Jesus championing the case for defending nonhumans. One notable example was his liberation of the animals from the Temple, where they were slated to be victims of sacrificial violence. I suspect that a major reason for the dearth of animal-friendly sayings and stories has been the influence of Paul, who was not a friend of animals, and Paul’s followers.

It seems that one’s view on animal issues, like many social justice issues, depends on how one interprets various biblical passages and stories, as well as what parts of the Bible one chooses to emphasize. If that were the case, then it would seem that “Christianity” is whatever one chooses it to be. Is there any way to discern what path a faithful Christian should take? I will consider this question next week.

Stephen R. Kaufman, MD

3. The April Issue of “The Peaceable Table” Is Now Online

Contents include:

  • The Editor's Corner Essay "Eternal Consequences, That's What!" Part I, explores some of the implications of Carol Adams' concept of the Pollomorphic God, God symbolized as a chicken. What does this imply about the relationship between God and (physical) chickens? Might there be eternal consequences from killing and eating them, and if so, what does that mean?
  • In one of the NewsNotes we learn that Scotland now denies licenses for snaring mountain hares because of "unnecessary cruelty," a policy that will set an excellent precedent regarding other animals.
  • For those of us disillusioned and depressed about conditions in the US government, the Pilgrimage story of vegan Senator Cory Booker is most refreshing.
  • If you are interested in the interface of the Animal Concern with religion, you will want to check out this Review of the nearly-encyclopedic book Animals in Religion by Barbara Allen.
  • The April Recipe is for Veggie Cutlets and Mushroom Gravy, highly recommended by members of the Ellwood household.

To see this issue, see Peaceable Table.

Toward the Peaceable Kingdom,
Gracia Fay Ellwood, Editor

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

Holy Spirit Guided Life

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