The Fellowship of Life
a Christian-based vegetarian group founded in 1973

|

Letters
'The Universe' - Letters (1996)



Spanish contempt

I read with interest David Doble's letter (Does the Church care for animals? January 31, 1995). I hope some priest will have the guts to reply to his question for I myself ask the same thing!

How sad that Catholic countries are, as he so rightly says, top of the league in animal cruelty. The Spanish priests have earned the contempt of thousands of people.

Margaret Kelly (7/1/96)


For the sake of the animals

Letters in The Universe have recently drawn attention to the fact that Catholic countries are top of the league in animal cruelty.

It is worth noting that according to a 1992 article in the New Scientist, 10 million animals a year are killed on the roads in Spain, a country which also has one of the highest human accident rates in Europe.

A Spanish bishop, Bishop Ciriaco Benavente, has called for a 'Traffic Responsibility Day' in an effort to introduce a moral dimension to the question of road safety. The bishop is responsible for the Apostolate of the Road.

Meanwhile, we can perhaps remind ourselves of Gandhi's comments that "the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated".

On British roads, an average of eight deaths of horses occur every week, according to the International League for the Protection of Horses, Another source has suggested that a minimum of 30 million birds are killed on Britain's roads every year.

Antony Porter Catholic Roadwatch (21/1/96)

See: The Universe debate (1995) http://www.all-creatures.org/fol/let-1995universedebate.html


Pure greed is to blame

Thousands of cattle are about to be massacred as a direct result of human greed. The impending holocaust is to do with money, compensation and restoring public confidence because of the current BSE scare and has little to do with the way we are treating farm animals.

We have condemned over 160,000 cows to suffer the terrible disease of BSE by feeding them the remains of other herbivores. Now people are dying from it too.

We're all part of God's creation and have a responsibility to care for and respect our farm animals in accordance with their nature and not treat them as mere units of production, with profit at all costs.

The Church's silence on this issue leaves me ashamed and dismayed.

Wanda Oberman (19/5/96)


Animal abuse: silence goes on

How long can our Church continue to remain silent on issues involving animal abuse? The list is long, live exports, hunting, bull fighting, factory farming, vivisection etc.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the claim that the public are more morally aware and compassionate than the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.

Until this question is addressed congregations will continue to decline, and young people in particular will carry on shunning the faith into which they have been brought up.

David P.J. Doble RGN, (28/7/96)
Member of the Catholic Study Circle for Animal Welfare


Sacrificing blasphemy

I agree with Mr. Noble on the Church's silence over animal abuse. However the Pope has spoken out about this and we who are the Church must accept responsibility.

What sort of teaching goes on in 'Catholic' countries where animals are sacrificed on Good Friday? What suffering this blasphemy must cause the Creator! While the clergy may need a nudge in speaking out, we all have free wills.

Joyce Ostick (11/8/96)


Sad tale of 'hypocrisy'

I read that a farmer was distressed when his ten day-old calves were taken away for slaughter.

Just how hypocritical can farmers get? What about when the calves are crowded into trucks and driven for miles to a dock for export overseas? These calves for export will, if they are lucky, be slaughtered after a long and horrific journey. But mostly, they will be put into veal crates, chained up and left in total darkness, not even able to turn round.

At least the calf cull is a quick end; not so the latter.

Meryl Tookaram (8/9/96)
Hon Sec, Catholic Study Circle for Animal Welfare, Arundel Branch


The Food of Love?

I'm dreaming of a vegetarian Christmas - no killing, no bloodshed, just love. In excess of half a billion of our little brothers and sisters in the animal kingdom will be butchered to satisfy the Christmas Day blood-lust of the world's Christians!

How sad and ironic that the birthday of our gentle Lord Jesus, the Prince of Love, is celebrated by the shedding of blood and the causing of all the pain and suffering and terror that accompanies it.

I call on Christians to celebrate love with love.

H. Lancre (22/12/96)


 Reproduced with thanks

Return to Letters

 

Homepage/About Us
What's New

Announcements
Articles
History
Images
Interviews
Letters
Literature
Membership
Prayers
Reviews
Links

Your comments are welcome


This site is hosted and maintained by The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman Family Foundation
Thank you for visiting all-creatures.org
Since