by J.R. Hyland -
HumaneReligion@compuserve.com
WARNING: This article may be offensive to carnivorous Christians.
It is the Lenten season and as Easter draws near, the
stores are overstocked with greeting cards that depict baby lambs
frolicking in green meadows or running through flower-filled fields with
the little children who are as innocent and carefree as the animals with
whom they romp. And for the more religiously inclined, there are cards
which depict the Christ, so often portrayed as the Good Shepherd. He is
shown tenderly carrying a lamb who looks lovingly into the face of its
protector. The messages
inside these cards speak of love and renewal -- of new beginnings.
The fashion industry also uses these springtime images
of resurrection and new life to sell Easter outfits. Newspaper ads use
drawings of wild flowers and little lambs, implying a connection between
these pastoral images of innocence and youth and the people who will
wear the clothes.
During this season it seems that the whole world
rejoices in the exuberant lamb and the springtime world into which it
has been born. And although most of their readers live in a world of
concrete sidewalks and hi-rise buildings, even THE NEW YORK TIMES joins
in this celebration of things pastoral. In fact, one of their columnists
became quite poetic in her appreciation of springtime, in general, and
little lambs, in particular. In the Sunday Magazine section Molly
O'Neill wrote, movingly, that "animal and shepherd wander the grassy
knoll without destination or care, a romantic idyll of innocence and
freedom." She went on to say that "even without religious implications,
young lambs invite a communion with nature."
Then Molly tells us how to achieve this communion with
nature: Kill and eat the carefree, young lamb. She is a food editor, and
the headline of her column explains her position: "A Little Lamb Eats
Ivy: And clover. And fennel. And Garlic. Which Explains Why it Tastes So
Good." She goes on to praise the lambs for eating those things, because
their diet provides "built-in seasonings" for those who will devour it.
In this article, Molly continues to writes lyrically
about her subject. She informs her readers that because baby lambs are
"born in the month just prior to their slaughter, they will have grazed
on young grasses like clover or on the salty marsh grasses of France and
Ireland. The delicate herbaceousness of the meat is like an edible
postcard from the animal's hometown."
In addition to her definition of lambs as "edible
postcards" this food editor reports her theological insights regarding
the slaughter of those innocents. Ms. O'Neill informs her readers that
in "sacrificing an innocent we acknowledge the basic human paradox, that
in order to live we take life." (Note: she does not even try to claim
that we HAVE to take life in order to exist.) In her role as
theologian/chef, Molly also explains that "those who baste the lamb
after letting its blood, for Easter or Ramadan, feel chastened and
protective. Reminded of their darkside, they look forward to the light."
These uplifting thoughts are followed by her recipe for
"Baby Leg of Lamb." A full-color picture accompanies the article. It is
an artsy photograph of a giant, raw lamb chop, haloed by the golden
flames which will soon make it an "edible postcard."
But it is not only the semi-sophisticated readers of THE
NEW YORK TIMES who accept this obscene juxtaposition of praise for the
"innocence and freedom" of the newborn lamb with a recipe that calls for
"2 legs of baby lamb (4 lbs each.)" Most people live with this
schizophrenic contradiction.
An Easter catalog, "Expressions of Faith: Christian
Cards and Gifts" arrived in the mail. It is definitely not for the
sophisticate and there are no artsy photos. Both the illustrations and
the text are best described as "precious." But the contradictory message
it gives is the same as that which is found
in more urbane publications.
One of the catalog's offerings is an Easter card series
called "Warm & Whimsical." The first one features a baby lamb, delighted
by the spring flowers that surround it. The inside message says "May the
beauty of God's creation brighten your Easter season."
This is a chilling sentiment when one realizes that for
those who receive these cards, the little lamb who expresses the "beauty
of God's creation" will probably "brighten" the season by ending up,
dead, on their plates for Easter Sunday dinner.
The catalog also offers Easter place mats for sale. Baby
animals form the motif: cuddly bunnies, tiny chicks, and of course, a
little lamb, are depicted. A prayer -- grace before meals -- is also
printed on the mat. "For flowers and lambs and birds that sing, we thank
you, Lord, for everything. Amen."
Do those who order these mats say this particular prayer
of thanksgiving just before they cannibalize the lamb on their dinner
plate?
Why not? Many who honor Jesus Christ celebrate his
escape from the grave by condemning to death tens of thousands of gentle
lambs. They will be brutally slaughtered so their corpses can be
devoured on Easter Sunday -- with thanks to God, and in honor of The
Good Shepherd.
"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
Copyright 1998 by Humane Religion.
www.HumaneReligion.org
Go on to Bunnies at
Easter: A Sad Story
Return to 11 April 2001 Issue
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