Update on Christian Reflections on Animal Welfare Event

Dominion, according to Pastor Greg Boyd, Ph. D., is a stewardship rather than domination of animals. Boyd’s argument resonates for both Christians and non-Christians alike: humans and animals are part of a hierarchy in which humans have more resources and power, but this hierarchy does not have to be corrupted like so many power differentials are. Instead, it is the responsibility of humans to ensure that a compassionate, merciful life (as Christ advocated in the Bible) includes mercy and non-violence towards animals as well as humans.

To provide theological support for a vegetarian diet, Dr. Mark Berkson, an associate professor of religion at Hamline University, notes that neither humans nor non-humans ate meat in Eden, God’s ideal creation. It was only after the Fall and the Flood—which destroyed the plant life on Earth—that God conceded that humans could eat meat. He did this, however, with the admonition that “the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth” (Genesis 9:2). Rather than living in a state of compromised integrity, both Berkson and Boyd posit that Christians should strive to live as if already in the Peaceable Kingdom—to live as an “already amidst the not yet.”

A question and answer session following the panel’s discussion centered around how to bring about lasting change in human consumption of animal products. Boyd emphasized that a change of heart is required for a sustainable change. He advocates a positive approach of urging people to be Christ-like and merciful and giving testimony to the positive benefits of vegetarianism/veganism to show carnivores that it is more than a loss of possibilities.

Berkson referred to studies on how people make ethical decisions that indicate they result not from moral calculations but habits cultivated from tradition. To create change one must then change the traditions and rituals of culture—which Berkson believes can best be done by using the appropriate argument in the right environment: in legal situations, an emphasis on animal rights is most effective whereas in a Christian environment a mercy-based argument will prevail.
The night also included a film produced by the Humane Society of the United States, Eating Mercifully, which features Boyd as well as other academics and Christians. The film explores the horrors of factory farming and its incompatibility with compassionate living. Elaine West, both a conservative Baptist and the owner of an animal sanctuary, speaks of many who believe that “animals are just commodities.” As commodities, animals are seen for their use-value, and treated as production units. It is this point of view, the film contends, that allows for cattle to be sent to slaughter using chains and tractors to pull and push them to their death.

Instead of viewing animals as beautiful, blessed beings, industrialization allows for animals as commodities to be genetically engineered, entrapped in cages, and brutally manhandled. Yet in the Bible the oppressed are the ones for whom God spoke for—and for whom many Christians are seeking to protect. West closed the film with a powerful and thought provoking message. “Every day in our lives we make choices. And a simple thing [like] deciding what to eat every day can alleviate so much suffering. Now for me as a Christian especially, the choice is simple. If we can, if it’s in our power to do it, why don’t we do the right thing and choose to alleviate suffering?”

Not everyone is a Christian, but it is difficult to legitimately oppose a lifestyle dedicated to alleviating suffering. Whether one makes the decision to stop eating animals and supporting the livestock industry out of the desire to “be the change” Gandhi advocated, to fully practice the Ashtanga principle of non-harm (Ahimsa), or to simply live an ethical life of compassion, it is one step closer to ending one of the “greatest moral atrocities” Berkson sees in the treatment of animals.

Christian Reflections on Animal Welfare was sponsored by CAA. The presentation occurred at 7:00 p.m. in Willy Hall 125 on the University of Minnesota West Bank. Event details can also be found at http://www.exploreveg.org/events/christian-reflections-on-animal-welfare-what-does/. For more information on the Humane Society's Animals and Religion Department, visit www.hsus.org/religion. The website contains the film, Eating Mercifully, as well as additional perspectives on religion and animal rights.

Written by Rachel Keranen