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All-Creatures Ministry and Web Site

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Our subjects cover: animals, religion (Christian, Jewish and others); diet and lifestyle (vegan and vegetarian); and other miscellaneous subjects.

All-Creatures Ministry and Web Site
By Karolin - 21 Oct 2012

Hello Frank and Mary,

Here is my first experience discussing issues with a pastor ( a medieval looking pastor if I might add). First it was spooky but now I just have to shake my head about this person's ignorance.

I was looking at your website the other day and found a page that said that we should talk to the different churches to see if they would advocate more for the animals. So the other day I visited my Italian friend's restaurant and was seated next to his catholic pastor.      I thought he'd be delighted to talk about church/animal/diet issues as well as to give me his feedback.  I was really wrong :).    I told him about you and Mary, about the Christian Vegetarian Association and how beautiful your sermons & convictions are. I then asked him why the church does not do more to help the animals and why people (Christians, Catholics, etc.)  think that they are such wonderful believers of God but completely disregard the animals which are also God's creation. 

He asked "why do you ask?"  And I said  "I think God asked me to ask".   He then replied "how do you know that it wasn't the devil?. Sometimes the devil comes in disguise"    Then he carried on and said that he does not wish any abuse upon an animal but that God put the animals here for us, that we should worry more about abortion then worrying about animal abuse, that Jesus died on the cross for us humans and not for the animals and that animals have no soul the way we humans do have.    He was angry and loud. He also said that nobody would care, even if the church would preach it. He said "they don't listen about not ripping babies out of their stomachs, do you think they'd listen about animals?"

Then he said "I tell you what God wants you to do, he wants you to follow your given catholic religion, that is what he wants you to do!"  

 I was so surprised that I did not know what to say at first but then stood up and told him this "It is not the devil who asked me, it truly was God. God is next to me right now and will be tomorrow as well.   

 Even though I was very nice to him, friendly and pulled together, perhaps I approached it wrong?   How do I argue the issue with someone like this?

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend,  

Karolin