Letter From Beth About Churches Not Caring About Animals - 16 November 2008
Letters From All-Creatures.org and The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman Family Foundation

Letter From Beth About Churches Not Caring About Animals - 16 November 2008

Hello!

I have been a Christian most of my life, but have always loved animals and as I get older, I am finding myself more and more drawn away from conventional churches, because of their lack of compassion and spiritual acknowledgement of animals.

I have always felt that every living thing has God's Spirit living inside it, trees, animals, even the ground (I know that sounds crazy, but that's how I feel) and I can't believe that God, who created everything, has less compassion for His animal creations, than He does for humans.

Nothing makes me angrier than when I hear people say that God created animals for man to eat. HE DID NOT!!! Read Genesis! We were all supposed to eat the fruits and all green things! Man and animals both, we were not intended to eat our animal companions! (sorry). Anyway, I love animals ( I have two pet cats I adore!), and I believe they have emotions, personalities, souls/spirits, dreams when they sleep and ways of communicating, just like people. I have lots of other thoughts regarding them, some a little unorthodox, but hopefully I will get to post some of my questions here without judgment and a lot of understanding.

This website really is a godsend for me because I have been feeling a desire to rekindle my relationship with God but am reluctant to go back to "church" because my heart really lies with animals and their very real suffering that mainstream Christians scoff at and refuse to acknowledge or address. The last church I was a member of, which I still love (I moved out of state), had a couple of men, one of whom was the pastor, that hated cats and took great joy in shooting them. Although I truly loved and respected the pastor (to a point), I struggled with his hatred and joy in killing an animal that had never done anything to him. What disturbed me most is that he, a man of God, who leads a church, harbors that kind of hate. Doesn't hatred of anything but sin totally go against God's nature?

I am feeling very lost these days spiritually because of all of this, so it's nice to come across others who feel the same way I do. Have a wonderful day and I'm leaving my personal email in case you send out newsletters or anything like that.

Thank you!

Beth

Reply from Frank and Mary Hoffman

Dear Beth:

Thank you so much for writing. Your story is a common one, and is the reason that we started our internet ministry 11 years ago. There is nothing to feel sorry about. You are absolutely correct in your feelings and understanding.

We also host a veg-Christian email discussion group, which has many like minded people on it. If you'd like to join, please let us know.

We look forward to hearing from you again.

In the Love of the Lord,

Frank and Mary

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