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Why Might Christians Be Leaving Turkey Off the Table This Christmas?

From  SARX: For All God's Creatures
December 2022

Although eating turkey has become synonymous with Christmas in the UK, could revelations about the appalling conditions in which these birds are raised lead us to reconsider how we celebrate this Christian tradition? With these revelations hitting the headlines, this season might present an opportunity for Christians to reflect on whether turkeys belong on the Christmas dinner table.

rescued Turkeys

For Christians, Christmas is the time to celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and heralds a time of “good news” and “great joy” (Luke 2). It is when we rejoice over the coming of our saviour, the “Prince of Peace”, to establish a kingdom of “justice” and “righteousness” (Isaiah 9). If one were to ponder other words in connection with Christmas, we might think of “nativity”, “carols”, “hope”, “rejoicing”, “light” and, above all, “love”.

So how has the word “turkey” slipped in with the above words to become commonly identified with Christmas? There is certainly no mention of eating these birds in scripture. Indeed, turkey was not consumed in the UK until the 16th century, and it was not until the Victorian era that this practice became fairly widespread.

If the consuming of turkeys at Christmas is a comparatively recent practice, even more modern are the ways in which turkeys are farmed. The era of factory farming in Britain began in the 1940’s and has since grown at a staggering rate. In the UK this Christmas, over 10 million turkeys will be killed, over 90% of these birds will have spent their lives being intensively reared in cramped industrial sheds, with up to 25,000 birds confined to just one unit.

  • Firstly, Christians have always been mindful to not conform to the ways of the world (Romans 12:2) and avoid being deceived by human tradition (Colossians 2:10).
  • Secondly, Christians have a unique perspective on what turkeys actually are.
  • Thirdly, Christians have a calling to be peacemakers.

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Please read the ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE.

farmed Turkeys
Turkeys suffering in an intensive factory farm. © Jo-Anne McArthur

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