Our world is caught in a growing “us versus them” divide. Each headline and scroll seems to harden the walls between us. Science warns us what happens when division takes root—Elliott’s 1968 Blue Eye/Brown Eye experiment, Milgram’s shock experiments, and Zimbardo’s 1971 Stanford Prison experiment all revealed how quickly fear and authority can twist ordinary children, college students, and citizens into cruelty.
We have not done a good job of avoiding this “us versus them” mindset. History holds war after war as proof of how often we use it. Yet we were not created for such division; it always brings out the very worst in us. God made us to live in peace and unity—for “on earth as it is in heaven”—as vegans of Eden, of the desert, of heaven, and as we all walk toward the Peaceable Kingdom.
Ethical veganism says “no” to domination and violence toward the creatures who share this earth with us. And to be effective in this movement—to reach the humans who hold the key to change—we must not be tricked by the world into believing the lie that life is a zero-sum game, where one being’s gain must come at another’s loss. This way of thinking perpetuates domination and violence toward both humans and the creatures. It is not about sides—it is about the truth that we all share this planet. Every compassionate choice declares that peace is possible: peace with creation, peace with our neighbors, peace for the planet.
Let us be the voices that say, “The cycle of violence ends with me. You—dear creature and human—are my siblings on this planet.” Together, we can end division in our hearts and live into the power and strength of unity, compassion, and love.
~ Kindness, Tams
For over 25 years, Pastor Frank and a handful of small donors have carried All-Creatures.org. Now it’s time for us to carry it forward—together. Be part of the Compassionate Heart Circle.