Editorial

There is no lack of information about the plight of animals in our world. At the last count there were 73 copies of the most recent issues of journals and newsletters from animal charities in my magazine box – all with heart-wrenching accounts, and some with gory photographs, of acts of human viciousness to creatures who cannot defend themselves. Sometimes the forces of cruelty seem overwhelming – governments, big business, large sectors of agriculture, the powerful ‘field sports’ lobby, even the corner pet-shop trading in ‘cute chicks’ just before Easter – all determined to treat sentient animals purely as instruments for human profit or pleasure. If only, we say, we could at least have the Church on our side adding official prayers and support in this spiritual warfare against the agents of suffering and death.

But there are shafts of light. In some of the magazines in my box, and especially in this issue of The Ark, there are reports of cheering tales of heroic acts of kindness or stalwart endeavours by campaigners; there are positive statements by church leaders now and in the past, and there is the ever-growing list of CCA members who give increasing authority to our voice. When we are tempted to give up in despair at the scale of human selfishness, we should remember these signs of hope, signs of the Kingdom of the God who made all living creatures and saw that they were ‘very good’.

Some more good news: in a recent telephone poll conducted in Europe by the ‘Fondation Franz Weber’, it was found that the percentage of people who supported la corrida (bullfighting) either ‘very much’ or ‘somewhat’ was only 38 in Spain compared with 49 percent against; 34 in Portugal to 57 against; 24 to 73 in France; 8 to 81 in Belgium and a wonderful 4 for to 93 percent against in Germany. We can pray that the 13 percent of ‘don’t knows’ in Spain will join the large number of those opposed.

Another sign of hope: the European Parliament, I have been told, is quite disposed to allow member countries to ban live exports of animals if national parliaments insist. Public opinion can be a very powerful tool for change...

Just a note on the fledgling Association of Christian Animal Welfare Societies. The Quaker group (QCA) has more or less disbanded, with plans and ideas for future developments; so at the moment the Association consists of the two largest groups alone, ours (CCA) and ASWA, our Anglican counterparts. We work together amicably and fruitfully, but should like to be joined by as many other Christian groups as would like to affiliate with us. What that would entail would be decided by us all together, in a spirit of Christian prayer and harmony.

Deborah Jones