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The Fellowship of Life |
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By Margaret Lawson Animals' rights Margaret Lawson's Reply to Reader's Response: "Animals Have Rights" Sir, - Yes, animals have rights - but, above all, the right to life.
Elizabeth Bowlby (April 10) has
inferred more from my letter than was intended. I did not say that all who campaign for better conditions should be
vegetarian - though boycotting factory farm products would be
consistent. My concern is with reforming the Christian way of life to
one which does not depend on killing animals at least for food, not only
for the sake of the animals but for the uplifting of the Church and
mankind and for helping to restore the balance of nature. Thousands in this country outside the Church already follow such a
life-style, so why are Christians so slow to see the rightness of it?
The commandment referred to is "Thou shalt not kill" full stop, with no
limitations to humans; and further on in the Old Testament, in reply to
Mrs. Bowlby's reference to sacrifice, we read in the first chapter of
Isaiah that God "delights not in the blood of bullocks or of lambs or of
goats." Although the orthodox Jews did not take the commandment to refer
to animals, this does not mean that they were not intended to - more
likely they did not want to, just like so many religious people today! The way in which Christians, with a few exceptions, dodge the issue
today is sad. What can possibly be wrong or sinful in not killing for
food and living on the fruits of the earth (Genesis i:29)? At one time
there might have been some excuse for them, but not now that their
attention has been drawn to what they are actually doing when they eat
the flesh of slaughtered animals. Margaret E. Lawson, Church Times Return to Margaret Lawson: Letters |
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