blog-maryBlog - Joyful Curmudgeon - Blog
A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 


An Open Letter to Christian Churches, continued – 16 May 2006
By Mary T. Hoffman

(Note: Frank and I wrote the following open letter to Christian Churches on 11 March 2002 and was addressed To all churches claiming to be “Christian”)

The Bible is full of admonitions against cruelty. We are to be stewards (true meaning of “dominion” in Genesis) of His creation. And, furthermore, in John 14:12 Jesus makes it clear that “greater things than these” will His Believers accomplish, after He has returned to glory:

12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

~from New King James Version

Are we accomplishing “greater things” now if we are fueling the Holocaust of God’s innocent creatures? Surely, God will not long suffer His creation to be raped and pillaged by the very ones who were told they would be able to “do greater things” after He had gone to be with the Father.

Woe to those who feast on the products of torture, thereby ensuring the continued growth of the huge, powerful meat and dairy industries. Our world is saturated with the blood of innocents, with blood that cries out to God. The Hebrew Bible (“Old Testament”) says that the “soul is in the blood.” We Christians have conveniently translated “soul” as “life”:

Leviticus 17:11

11. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.

~from New King James Version

The atonement required a “soul” for a “soul.” It stands to reason that because animals have souls they could be offered as atonement for human souls. That’s why plants or rocks or anything else could not be offered for atonement. And Christ Himself provided the final atonement for our sins: the Sinless for the sinful. And all because of the fall of humankind due to disobedience back in Eden! The concession to eat animals (along with strict rules for such consumption found in the Book of Deuteronomy) was granted by God because humans were so corrupt they would have annihilated their own race by cannibalizing each other. After the fall, the free will that God had given humankind raged out of control, as the Prince of Darkness, Satan, became the ruler of the world.

This is what John 3:19-21 says about darkness:

19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

~from New King James Version

Do we really love the light, instead of the darkness, if we continue to give in to our lower natures by craving animal products? We say we are washed by the Blood of Jesus and are new creatures in Christ. Then why do we live in license and concession, rather than liberty and power over our appetites? If we are saved and Heaven-bound, why don’t we start getting used to godly living now? After all, animal products will not be available in Heaven:

Revelation 21:4

4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

~from New King James Version

The conclusion tomorrow –

For the complete letter, see:
http://all-creatures.org/letters/20020311.html   

Go on to: An Open Letter to Christian Churches, conclusion – 17 May 2006
Return to: An Open Letter to Christian Churches – 15 May 2006
Return to: Blog - Main Page
Return to: Archive - By Date
Return to: Archive - By Subject

See Readers Comments