God gave humans the mandate to care for animals, and we feel that, in many ways, factory farms have abused this power and embraced cruel practices that emphasize profits over love, compassion and creation care.
Calves are taken away moments after birth and placed in veal crates.
(Animal Equality photo by Jo-Anne McArthur)
In Genesis 9:3, God says to Noah: “Everything that lives and moves about
will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you
everything.” But when God declared this, did he have factory farms in mind?
For those who might not have encountered this term, Wikipedia.org defines
factory farming as a “type of intensive agriculture, specifically an
approach to animal husbandry designed to maximize production while
minimizing costs.”
On the outside, this approach to meat production aims to provide meat at an
economical cost to consumers. On the inside, through revealing documentaries
like Peaceable Kingdom and Forks Over Knives, and photos and videos from We
Animals Media, we have learned that animals are subject to abuse, cruelty
and exploitation, and are treated as a means to an end. Further, the
environmental impacts of large-scale intensive meat production contribute to
global warming, deforestation and water pollution. Finally, pandemics such
as swine flu and COVID-19 continue to raise serious concerns about intensive
animal agriculture as a breeding ground for diseases.
We are God’s people, called to care for creation (Genesis 2:15), yet the
impacts of factory farming seem to directly contradict our faith. It is the
main system of meat production that many of us may unknowingly support
through our diets.
Troubled by this, we have been frequently turning to prayer to see what God
has set on our hearts on this topic. As we reflect on what it means to be a
Christian, we think about God’s love, grace, compassion, peace and mercy.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew
5:7).
When we think about factory farms, and the way several egg-laying chickens
are crammed into dirty, smelly, windowless prisons, and how they are unable
to spread their wings and go outside, our heart grieves.
When we think about how calves are taken from dairy cows immediately after
birth, and the anguished cries that can be heard for days or even weeks
afterwards, we can’t imagine how it would feel to have our own children torn
away from us moments after birth.
When we think about how mother pigs spend their entire lives on concrete
floors in narrow, confining spaces and are continuously and forcibly
impregnated for three or four years before slaughter, we cannot help but
feel the injustice done to these sentient and intelligent beings.
God gave humans the mandate to care for animals, and we feel that, in many
ways, factory farms have abused this power and embraced cruel practices that
emphasize profits over love, compassion and creation care.
According to AnimalJustice.ca, in 2019, 834 million land animals were
slaughtered to sustain the meat, dairy and egg industries in Canada. Where
is the love and mercy here? Where is creation care in the midst of all of
this?
Egg-laying hens are confined in battery cages on a factory farm. (Animal
Equality photo by Jo-Anne McArthur)
In Romans 14:3, Paul weighs in on the topic of different diets, and he
advises that “the one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the
one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the
one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s
servant?”
His words humble us, and our intent here is not to judge other people or
their diets. But, as Jesus calls us to speak up for injustice, we look to
raise the issue of factory farming, an issue that we observe is not widely
discussed in church circles.
From a personal perspective, our reflection and prayers over the years have
motivated us to gradually remove meat, seafood, dairy and eggs from our
diet. What started as a 30-day challenge has evolved into a whole-food,
plant-based diet, full of experimentation and discovering fun new recipes
with our kids.
We were thrilled when the Canadian government updated its food guidelines in
2019 and began promoting a healthier plant-based diet to all Canadians. Our
hope for Earth Day is to encourage honest dialogue on where our food comes
from and how our dietary choices can be an opportunity to promote greater
love, compassion, peace and care for all of creation.
Line of pigs are confined and isolated by metal bars at a factory farm.
(Essere Animali photo by Jo-Anne McArthur)
Sandy and Jason Yuen attend Toronto Chinese Mennonite Church and love cooking and tasting vegan meals from different cultures.