From All-Creatures.org Book Recommendations

Veggie Soup for the Chicken's Soul - Shameless Vision and Prayers for World Peace, Inner Peace, and Animal Liberation

Author: Judy McCoy Carman M.A.

Reviewed by: Frank L. Hoffman, All-Creatures.org Publisher: Circle of Compassion

Veggie Soup for the Chicken's Soul - Shameless Vision and Prayers for World Peace, Inner Peace, and Animal Liberation
Available at GoodReads.com
ISBN 0-9707118-0-8 

Review:

Judy Carman’s book Veggie Soup for the Chicken’s Soul encourages us to look positively through prayer and meditation toward a future time when there will no longer be any pain, suffering, or death. The author's approach is to counter feelings of helplessness and hopelessness that compassionate people feel when they see and read about the suffering of animals – particularly animals used for food.

Veggie Soup for the Chicken’s Soul is an upbeat collection of inspirational writings which are a powerful antidote to the widespread animal suffering sensitive people must face just by living in this world. These heart-warming messages from many of the world’s religions and schools of thought display a commonality in their ideals of love and compassion for all of creation.

On a personal note, we found all of Veggie Soup for the Chicken’s Soul very comforting and know that we will refer to it often. One passage in particular stood out and has been highlighted in our copy of the book as a favorite:

"When we think of ahimsa as universal love, we understand it as a universal ethic not confined to any one religion or philosophy. Most mystics who have experienced ecstatic union with God and with all life are also not confined to any one religion or philosophy. Though some, like Saint Francis of Assisi may remain true to their religious roots in some ways, in other ways they are thorns in the sides of the church because of their insistence on the simplicity of Truth. Dogma, religious politics, hierarchical systems, and complicated rituals are superfluous to them. The Truth is so simple. Love one another. That’s it. Ahimsa is simply the experience and the action that comes forth from living the 'Love one another' ethic.

The wisdom of ahimsa and harmlessness embraces all of creation in that ethic. This is what we are being called on to do now as a people. Whenever we hear discussions or prayers or admonitions to 'love one another' or to 'pray for peace for all humanity,' let us be the ones to remember and remind others that our love and our peace must encircle all life, not just human life."

To some, Judy Carman’s thoughts may seem somewhat fanciful and imbued with wishful thinking, but only if the reader does nothing in response. We do not believe that this book is meant as an end in itself; rather, it is a comforting tool for compassionate people who are actively seeking to make the world a better place for all its inhabitants. This volume can serve as an oasis of rest for the recharging of spirit and mind between and during periods of work to relieve the pain and suffering of all of God’s creatures.

About the Author:

Judy McCoy Carman, M.A., earth, peace and animal activist, is the author of Veggie Soup for the Chicken's Soul, Peace to All Beings and Homo Ahimsa: Who We Really Are and How We’re Going to Save the World and is co-author of The Missing Peace. In addition to animal rescue work, some projects include Vegan Spirituality interviews, co-founding the Animal Peace Prayer Flag Project, Animal Outreach of Kansas, Circle of Compassion, Prayer Circle for Animals and Interfaith Vegan Coalition. She is on the board of Shy38 Animal Sanctuary, appears in the film, Prayer for Compassion, and received the Henry Spira Grassroots Animal Activist Award in 2014. Visit the Homo Ahimsa Blog.

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