Can Animal Rights and Vegetarianism (Veganism) Succeed Without Church Support? - Readers' Comments - Comments by Stephen Augustine - 21 June 2002
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Readers' Comments - Comments by Stephen Augustine - 21 June 2002
January 2003

Maynard,

Not incidental!

I agree, the Bible isn't necessarily about the behaviour of Christians but it is all about how people who call themselves Jews or Christians *should* behave.  I suspect (without being certain) that my neighbour's worldview is more prevalent among professed Christians than not.  I think this is what Kim was saying and what Frank is saying in regards to "hardness of heart".

So, what might Christian Vegetarianism advocate?  Fundamentally:

a. Personal transformation (as you observed)
b. Transformation of all humans

You could subdivide b. into Christians and non-Christians.  Yes, you could use secular arguments for vegetarianism with professed Christians and Christian congregations but then you wouldn't particularly need a discussion list like this one or organizations such as CVA.  We could just turn over advocacy work to the International Vegetarian Union or the NAVS... Though I'm not reluctant to try them, I'm not convinced that secular arguments for ethical vegetarianism (the long-lasting kind) would make great headway with religious worldviews rooted in my neighbour's
particular perception of divinely ordained human primacy.  Any thoughts on that?

On another point, how many people do you think read "the Bible to read what is taught there about our species"?  I think that implies reading the Bible as narrative.  I think you'll find it a challenge to get folks to read it that way.  Especially my neighbour!  Isn't it more likely that Christians read it on a very personal level?  And perhaps at that level the destruction of a 4-acre thicket doesn't mean much.

Stephen

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