Reviews
Cruelty and Christian Conscience:
Bishops say No to Fur
Edited by Andrew Linzey and available from the Lynx Educational Trust
Since publication of his tentative Animal Rights in
1976, Andrew Linzey has authored and edited a strengthening stream of
books aimed at reducing cruelty to animals by deepening the Christian
conscience. Born, appropriately, in the year in which his fellow
clergyman, V A Holmes-Gore, who wrote so powerfully in the animals'
defence, took his life, Andrew has faced with unflagging determination a
task quite as daunting as bringing research scientists or the older
hunting families to accept the philosophy of compassion.
His new book is short, succinct and valuable. The Introduction,
arguing the Christian case against cruelty, repeats that worrying
concept of humankind's allegedly God-given 'stewardship' over animals,
but makes many good points. It is followed by some useful facts and
figures in 'The Fur Trade Today', supplied by the Lynx Educational
Trust. For the rest, there is a brief bibliography; some 'Witnesses from
Scripture and Tradition'; a list of forty one British Bishops who have
pledged never to buy or wear fur (or eat roast beef?); and the words of
fourteen bishops willing to commit their views on fur-wearing to cold
print.
Ever on the look-out for quotable passages from churchmen and
scientists for the next edition of The Extended Circle, I
had high hopes that Andrew had trawled new depths in rounding up the
fearless fourteen. Sadly, although some statements are fairly
forthright, thundering denunciation of cruelty toward fur-bearing
animals is as scarce as any suggestion of total commitment to the rights
of animals. It is strange, as I have found over years of research, that
an holistic compassion is for some reason less detectable among bishops
than among deans and cardinals. But we must be grateful for small
mercies. Even fourteen bishops, if of varying passion, are better than
none; and if humbler orders of the cloth can grow in charity toward
animals (if not necessarily toward their own kind), it can happen at the
episcopal level; especially if an archbishop could one day take
the lead.
Jon Wynne-Tyson
Reproduced from the Oct/Nov 1993 edition of Outrage
with thanks to Animal Aid
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