Yes, I have just returned from Sunday worship in a Welsh chapel, to
which Doreen and I were afterwards invited to partake of refreshments.
Indeed, it was an eye opener to us, but sadly to no one else! Milk was
put out on each table and, at the close of the fellowship; at least
forty percent was left over to be deposited down the sink and in to the
drain. Meanwhile these, basically, most compassionate folk had raised a
considerable amount of money for the starving millions in needy far off
countries.
But now they began to discuss what they were about to have for their
Sunday dinners! One said that her Sunday joint was already roasting in
the oven at home, and she needed to get back to turn the oven down
before her joint became a ‘ burnt offering’! And another couple
intervened to say that they really enjoyed a juicy lamb chop. Yes, and
while quite a few knew me to be termed the animal padre – and had surely
read my many articles in the local newspapers – it didn’t register that
all they were saying was directly against all I stood for.
Yes, such elderly and devout worshippers one could hardly class as
hypocrites. Indeed, the Preacher spoke on that favourite gospel passage:
“You must be born again”! And what is more, he spoke on the spiritual
arrogance of so many who advocated it. Yet he, himself, had experienced
the new birth. “You know when you’ve passed from death to life” he went
on. And I couldn’t have agreed with him more. But when I touched on our
inhumanity to weaker forms of life than our own he appeared vague. He
was courteous and kind but Christianity and animal rights appeared to be
totally different worlds. The elderly gentleman of eighty was
undoubtedly humble, sincere and undoubtedly good. I could never call
such a lay preacher a hypocrite. His message was a blessing to my soul.
Yet the concept of animal care being part of the gospel had never,
seemingly, registered. He was in no way a hypocrite, and neither were
the members of the congregation. Consequently I was left with the
question: Who gave both Lay Preacher and congregation such inadequate
and blinkered moral concepts?
Go on to The Morals Of
Respectable, Caring, Elderly Gentlemen!
Return to Summer 2005 Issue
Animal Padre's
