The Fellowship of Life |
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Sir - It is a real shame that Christendom tends to allow a century or
so to pass before apologising for its participation in needless
bloodletting. The medieval Crusades, Spanish Inquisition and slave trade of the
British Empire have all been granted a gospel mandate at different
stages in the moral evolution of society. Yet today's Christian
conscience would hopefully renounce any link between violent oppression
and the love of God; as revealed through an intelligent and intuitive
understanding of the Bible. The spirit of the scriptures as a whole, rather than the specific
letter has been the impetus behind many a benevolent deed, institution
and movement in Christian history. Yet instead of seeking to cultivate a
compassionate process which Christ attempted to instil, contemporary
religionists all to often seek to shrivel the infinite love of God. A particularly grim consequence of theological neglect can be
witnessed in the ruthless exploitation and rampant cruelty which has
afflicted countless animal lives, over centuries. It is even the case
that traditional celebrations for the birth of the Prince of Peace
during the 'season of goodwill' are routinely characterised by millions
of turkey deaths, in the UK alone. The challenge for the Church will be to reconcile the real message of
peace, mercy and justice which the Bible contains with a credible form
of Christian compassion. For information about one such initiative, please visit the Christian
Vegetarian Association (UK) website at:
www.christianvegetarian.co.uk Western Mail |
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