Christian Vegetarian Association Blog - Monday, January 14, 2008


	CVA BLOG

CVA Blog
Monday, January 14, 2008

Are We Showing Mercy to God’s Animals?

Welcome to the weekly CVA blog! In it you will find famous quotes, news and commentaries.

1. A Step Toward Compassion
2. Famous quote – Pope John Paul II (1920 – 2005), from The Mercy of God
3. Monastery Facing Out Egg Business
4. Bible verse – Micah 6:8
5. UK McDonald’s Approaches Animal Welfare Subject
6. Endangered Aquatic Life

1. A Step Toward Compassion: The Compass Group, world’s largest food service provider with 7,500 clients in the United States, has announced a cage-free shell egg policy. The company has agreed to make the change over the next 3 months; thus, reducing the suffering of nearly 200,000 hens every year. The Compass Group involves 48 million eggs annually. According to The Humane Society of the U.S. cage-free does not mean cruelty-free, although cage-free hens generally have 250-300 percent more space per bird, which certainly alleviates the suffering that battery-caged hens undergo every day.

To read the full article please visit World's largest food service provider hatches a cage-free egg policy

It’s good news for Creation every time a person, or a business, makes a change that alleviates the suffering of God’s animals. Ideally, no animal should be exploited for profit or taste, and most humans can live a fulfilling and healthy life without consuming eggs. However, in this case, cage-free eggs are a better option that eggs from battery-caged hens, since it shows that the food industry listens to consumers and their demands. It is important to note that consumers should still be mindful of the often misleading term “cage-free eggs” and need to make sure that if they choose to consume eggs to do their research and learn where they come from.

2. "The present-day mentality, more perhaps than that of people in the past, seems opposed to a God of mercy, and in fact tends to exclude from life and to remove from the human heart the very idea of mercy. The word and the concept of 'mercy' seem to cause uneasiness in man, who, thanks to the enormous development of science and technology, never before known in history, has become master of the earth and has subdued and dominated it. This dominion over the earth, sometimes understood in a one-sided and superficial way, seems to leave no room for mercy..." ~ Pope John Paul II (1920 – 2005), from The Mercy of God

3. Monastery Facing Out Egg Business: Many of you might recall that earlier this year, PETA had issued a video showing a battery-caged hen facility in Mempkin Abbey (South Carolina) run by Trappist monks, where hens were crowded in small cages, de-beaked and males chicks killed. The Monks have now announced they will face out the business over the next 16 months because PETA has made it difficult for the monks to live a quite life of prayer, work and sacred reading. So far, the monks have not accepted any wrongdoing.

To read the full article please visit PETA drives S.C. monks out of egg business

It is appalling that this monks, who have inflicted tremendous pain and suffering to God's animals, do not take responsibility for their actions. This shows the hardness of their heart toward innocent creatures to whom we are called to show compassion and mercy.

4. (RSV) Micah 6:8 - "He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

God shows us, through Jesus' teachings, to walk according to His/Her will, showing compassion, justice and kindness to all Creation.

5. UK McDonald’s Approaches Animal Welfare Subject: Due to the increased interest of the public on animal welfare issues, consumers in the UK are urging food companies to require higher welfare standards for their suppliers. This is the case with McDonald’s, whose chief executive officer, Steve Easterbrook said, “We don't mind paying a fair price for that (higher animal welfare standards) and will pass it on appropriately if we believe it has provided added value (for customers)." The UK has been in the forefront and it is likely to influence other European nations on the issue of animal welfare.

To read the full article please visit McDonald's see animal welfare gaining ground in the UK

6. Endangered Aquatic Life: Once again, we learn about the devastating effects of the fishing industry on rivers and oceans. In this case, Greenpeace is calling for immediate actions in Greece to replenish depleted fish stocks in the Aegean and Ionian seas after the European Union (EU) announced lower-than-expected cuts for 2008 catch quotas. Greece has among the largest fishing fleets in the EU by numbers and in 2006 Greeks fished about 90,000 tons, about half the amount compared to 1994, mainly due to depleted stocks.

To read the full article please visit Greece must act to replenish fish stocks: Greenpeace

The devastating effects that the fishing industry is causing on God’s Creation are pushing us closer to a point of no return. Unless consumers stop supporting the fishing industry, any change is unlikely to happen. Being mindful of how our diet affects other creatures and the environment reflects good stewardship of God’s Creation.

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