Letters
'Church Times' debate (1984)
Slaughter of Animals
Sir, - Margaret Lawson, as everyone else, is entitled to her opinions
(letters, October 12) on the slaughter of animals; and here is mine.
If her beliefs were followed, then she would put out of business
every hill farmer and half the mixed upland farmers in the country. What
would she do with the millions of acres rapidly returning to bracken and
forestation? What does she suggest as employment for every butcher put
on the dole? Who will compensate the other thousands - milkmen,
cobblers, supermarket assistants, vets, cattle-wagon drivers,
feed-merchants, shepherds, etc., etc., etc.?
I consistently explain to my dogs that I treat them with love, mercy
and justice, but they still refuse to eat their rice. Why? Because their
bodies are designed to eat flesh, just as ours are - hence the absence
of a useful appendix to digest grass.
At no time did Jesus condemn animal husbandry, whether fishing or
shepherding, but he even declared all foods clean - ie., for the good of
man. He fed thousands with fish as well as bread!
May I respectfully suggest to Margaret Lawson and the Fellowship of
Life that they take steps now to ensure that there are no deaths from
hypothermia in Inverness-shire this coming heat-restricted winter. In
love, in mercy, in justice I pray that they will draw up lists of the
elderly who are now in danger, and feed and fuel them. Remember - almost
every hearse will pass a butcher's shop.
Glenn Sewell,
West Charity Farm,
Barnard Castle
