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The Blessing of the Animals, a celebration once marked
by Roman Catholics on the feast day of St. Francis of
Assisi (Oct. 4), is now celebrated by many Lutherans,
Episcopalians, Anglicans, Methodists and the United
Church of Christ.
Some churches bless the animals on St. Francis of Assisi
feast day (where animals are DRAGGED away from their own
surroundings onto the cement streets and in many cases
on many cement steps to go up to the churches, causing
more trauma to the animals than
"blessings"...in Spain, Mexico and other such
countries, the churches bless the bullfight matadors and
PROMOTE the celebration of different saints by torturing
many species of animals in the most heinous ways; i.e.:
throwing animals from the roofs of the churches, burning
birds leaving out only their heads which these "God
fearing" machos tear off while running pas them,
etc. Also sometimes even priests (the macho
"saints") do bullfights themselves (with the
blessing of the church) and the nuns embroider the
hellish bards that cause the bulls such long,
excruciating pain and blood loss...
"THE
HANDS THAT HELP ARE FAR, FAR HOLIER THAN THE HANDS THAT
PRAY. " Richard Calore (In Defense of Cats)
P.S.
BTW, though it's not mentioned in this msg, the Jewish
Torah has laws that instruct people to treat animals
kindly:
There’s a Jewish Law to prevent "tsaar ba-alei
chaim" (the suffering of living creatures) and to
value their lives as intrinsically worthy. Causing
suffering to any living creature constitutes a violation
of this Law which states: "It is forbidden,
according to the Law of the Holy Torah, to inflict pain
upon any living creatures. On the contrary, it is our
duty to relieve the pain of any creatures..."
SEPTEMBER
3, 2003
CULTURE
The
new animal spirituality: Do all dogs go to heaven?
Churches of almost every denomination, as well as many
Jewish groups, are bringing animals to the front of
religious consciousness - and in some cases, right up to
the altar.
Clergy
are performing animal blessings, funerals and even
weddings. While animal spirituality has long been
debated, interest is turning into actions designed to
recognize animals' spiritual roles.
The
attention shouldn't come as a surprise: Almost six in 10
American households
include a pet, compared with one in three that includes
a child.
And animals have long been revered in religion.
Buddhism
regards animals as beings in different stages of
reincarnation.
Hinduism
and Jainism embrace vegetarianism out of respect for all
life.
Islam
teaches respect for animals as part of God's creation.
The
shifts in thinking are happening among Christians and
Jews, who have long
debated the spiritual role of animals. The Greeks
believed that animals
had souls, but Thomas Aquinas did not - at least not
souls that survived
death. So when God gave man "dominion" over
the earth and its creatures,
did that entitle humans to treat animals as they wished?
Or
did that give them the responsibility to care for
animals as they would
each other? In the eyes of God, are animals of equal or
lesser
worth
than human beings? And if they have souls, is it
acceptable to eat them?
Some credit the animal rights and environmental
movements for renewed religious
interest in animals. Others say it is a result of a
return to the
roots of religious traditions, where animals have always
had a revered,
if forgotten, place.
A
few of the recent developments:
The Blessing of the Animals, a celebration once marked
by Roman Catholics
on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi (Oct. 4), is
now celebrated
by many Lutherans, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Methodists
and the
United Church of Christ.
-------------------
This year, for the first time, the American Academy of
Religion has organized
a group of scholars who will discuss the roles of
animals in religion
at its annual convention Nov. 22-25, 2003.
--------------------
Ministers of many denominations now offer their services
for pet funerals,
weddings and blessings. Some churches have established
pet cemeteries
in sanctified ground.
--------------------
Animal
rights activists are reaching out to religious groups as
allies.
--------------------
People are becoming vegetarians and vegans because of
their religious convictions.
-------------------
Books by Christian and Jewish theologians, scholars and
other thinkers
have branched out from religion publishing houses to the mainstream
publishers. Chief among these has been Dominion:
The
Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to
Mercy by Matthew Scully
(St.
Martin's Press, 2002)
On
God and Dogs: A Christian Theology of Compassion for
Animalsby Stephen H. Webb
(Oxford
University Press, 2002).
------------------
Animals and the spiritual have made it into mainstream
culture with the
popularity of movies such as Seabiscuit, My Dog Skip and
All Dogs Go to
Heaven. Hallmark now carries pet sympathy cards, some
with religious themes.
Questions
for reporters
Which local congregations will observe the Blessing of
the Animals on
Oct. 4, and why?
Have
any begun observing it recently?
What
do clergy and participants say is gained from these
ceremonies?
------------------
How does recognizing the spirituality of animals
contribute to
humans'
under standing of their own spirituality?
*How
do pet owners' views differ from those who don't own
pets?
------------------
Has there been a shift in attitudes in the last few
years? If so,
what
do people attribute that to?
------------------
Do any clergy or worshippers think that religious organizations carry
concern for animals too far?
------------------
There are endless arrays of pet products and services on
the market now.
How do pet owners say that acknowledging their pets'
spirituality is
different from pampering them?
-------------------
Do houses of worship see acknowledging animals'
spirituality as a way
of reaching out beyond their congregation?
------------------
What
do non-Christian religious groups say about their
beliefs about animals?
------------------
In
what other ways do religious groups in your area show
concern for animals?
------------------
Follow a pet owner through the process of nursing a pet
through illness,
planning the funeral and grieving for the animal. How
does the owner
talk about the pet's soul and spirituality? Why it
matters
---------------------
(NOTE:
One question not asked!
What is the link between animal abuse and domestic
abuse, i.e. violence against
a spouse, child or senior citizen.
According
to the FBI, statistics show that abuse of an animal will eventually
lead to abuse of a human.
--------------------
Some
theologians say that a common respect for animals as
spiritual beings
could serve as a bridge between religions because it
rises above doctrine,
rituals, and practices. They point to the fact that
every major
world religion - Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism,
Christianity and Islam
- recognizes animals and man as of divine origin.
Click
the map for interview sources (See Website) in your
state and region
National
sources
------------------
Dr. Laura Hobgood-Oster is an assistant professor of
religion and philosophy
at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas She
teaches courses
on religion and animals and is co-chairwoman of the new
American Academy
of Religion animals and religion group.
She says many theologians are thinking deeply about
whether only humans have
souls and go to heaven. She also notes that the current
interest in the
spirituality of animals is making a leap from a
religious setting to the
secular setting as more animal shelters and pet
hospitals bring in clergy
to perform blessings.
Contact
512-863-1669,
hoboster@southwest.edu
<mailto:hoboster@southwest.edu>.
--------------------
Dr.
Paul Waldau is a clinical assistant professor at the
Center for
Animals
and Public Policy at Tufts University School of
Veterinary
Medicine
in North Grafton, Mass., and author of:
The
Specter of Speciesism: Buddhist and Christian Views of
Animals
(Oxford
University Press, 2001).
He is also co-chairman of the new American Academy of
Religion group on animals
and religion. He says organized religion's recent
appreciation
of
animals is a response to several things going on in the
broader
culture:
Scientific
evidence of the intelligence of many animals, The
environmental movement, A
growing recognition of the unnecessary harshness and
cruelty toward animals
raised for food, and a rise in the number of people who
keep pets.
Contact
508-887-4671,
paul.waldau@tufts.edu
<mailto:paul.waldau@tufts.edu.
-----------------------
Jay McDaniel, professor of religion at Hendrix College
in Conway,
Ark.,
is a mentor for a new two-year doctor of ministry
program at the
United
Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, on spirituality,
sustainability
and inter religious dialogue, a portion of which will
focus on bonds between humans and animals. He wrote the
book: Of God and Pelicans: A Theology of Reverence for
Life
(Westminster
John Knox Press, 1989).
He
says the recent move toward recognizing animals as
"spiritual
friends"
extends from a growing global realization of tinterconnectedness
of all life.
He
says concern for animals can be a common bond among
people because no matter
what their religious beliefs, if people see an animal
being abused,
they are concerned.
Contact
501-450-1366,
mcdaniel@hendrix.edu
<mailto:mcdaniel@hendrix.edu>.
-----------------
Stephen Webb is a professor of religion and philosophy
at Wabash
College
in Crawfordsville, Ind., and a member of the American
Academy of Religion's
new group on animals and religion. He is author of:
On
God and Dogs: A Christian Theology of Compassion for
Animals
(Oxford
University Press, 2002)
Good
Eating: The Christian Practice of Everyday Life
(Brazos
Press, 2001), which includes a chapter on animals in
heaven. He says Christians need to rethink Jesus' death
as a kind of ritual slaughter. In his death, Jesus took
on not only human suffering, but all suffering,
including animals', he says. That, he argues, places
animals in heaven.
Contact
765-361-6264,
webbs@wabash.edu
<mailto:webbs@wabash.edu,
webbs101@aol.com <mailto:webbs101@aol.com>.
--------------------
Carol J. Adams is a writer, lecturer and author of
several books on
religion
and vegtarianism, including: The Inner Art of
Vegetarianism
(Lantern
Books, 2000).
She says every religion opposes meat eating at its roots
- the secular
idea
that "it's a dog-eat-dog world" - but that
this has been lost over
generations.
She can discuss the varying interpretations of
"dominion"
in
Genesis and says a re-examination of this passage could
open up
conversations
about religion's responsibility to animals.
She
says she thinks people have resisted a broad concern for
all animals
out
of fear that caring and grieving on such a large scale
could
overwhelm
them.
Contact
972-680-3042,
cja@caroljadams.com
<mailto:cja@caroljadams.com>.
-----------------
Laurelee Blanchard is the campaign consultant for Farm
Sanctuary's
"Sentient
Beings Campaign," which seeks basic rights for
animals. The
group
plans to do outreach to religious groups and people
because, she
says,
people who practice religion are likely to be more open
to
extending
compassion beyond humans.
Contact
808-575-7694,
laurelee@hawaii.rr.com
<mailto:laurelee@hawaii.rr.com>.
-------------------
Kim Sheridan is the author of: Animals and the
Afterlife: True Stories of Our Best Friends' Journey
Beyond Death
(EnLighthouse
Publishing, 2003).
She says that as more people have brought animals into
their homes, they have
increasingly come to see them as spiritual teachers and
guides.
Pets
become "centers of peace" and the bearers of
unconditional love - a
quality
many associate with God. Because of that, she says,
animals can
teach
humans to have unconditional love for others.
Contact
760-740-8787,
media@animalsandtheafterlife.com
<mailto:media@animalsandtheafterlife.com>
BACKGROUND
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The 2003/2004 National Pet Owners Survey found that 62
percent of
U.S.
households have pets, up 10 million since 1992. The
annual survey
is
done by the American Pet Products Manufacturers
Association, a
nonprofit
pet industry organization.
---------------
According to 2002 U.S. statistics, 35,705 of the United
States'
105,456,124
house holds include children under age 18.
----------------
.
See the results of a 2001
http://www.ABCNews/Beliefnet.com
<http://www.abcnews/Beliefnet.com
poll
that asked whether animals have souls.
--------------
Read an article from Science & Spirit on the origin
of animal souls.
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Read
a: http://www.Beliefnet.com <http://www.beliefnet.com/
article
by T. Griffith Foulk on whether dogs have a
Buddha-nature.
--------------
The
Christian Vegetarian Association is an ecumenical
association
that
promotes a vegetarian diet and animal ministry.
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.http://www.ChristianVegans.com
is
an organization of people who eat no animal products
because of their
religious
convictions.
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Read an Aug. 16, 2003, article by Tom Kisken in the
Ventura County
Star
about animal rights activists reaching out to
Christians.
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Read
a September 2002 article by Marianne Arbogast in The
Witness,
an
Anglican/Episcopal feminist magazine, about the history
of the
movement
toward animal compassion in Christianity.
---------------
The Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals wants to
raise
awareness
of animals within the Christian community in the United
Kingdom
and beyond.
<center><a
href="http://www.ChangingLINKS.com">Changing
LINKS</a></center>
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