Letter to Dr. Dobson About Compassion to Animals
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Cherie Thompson
May 26 2008

Dr. James Dobson
Focus on the Family
P.O. Box 35500
Colorado Springs, CO 80935

Dear Dr. Dobson,

I’m sure that you, too, may find it frustrating when someone misquotes the Bible, using a scripture out of context, to try to make a point that the Bible does not intend to make. Yet, that’s exactly what you did when you published the article about the animal rights movement, “Just Another Animal” by Del Tackett, using Ingrid Newkirk’s quote “A rat is a pig is a boy...” If you read the quote in context, from a speech, you would understand the larger meaning. Humans are doing unspeakable things to animals in the name of “science” or for food production. If humans can do this to one intelligent, sentient, living being, where will they stop, was her question.

The animal rights movement wants to legislate compassion among a society that has none for those who are intelligent enough to learn sign language and then ask to be released, recognize themselves in the mirror, adopt and raise orphaned young, demonstrate mischief, humor, loyalty, and love, and suffer starvation to death instead of delivering an electric shock to a neighboring cage mate in order to have food dumped from a lever.

Did you know that it is common practice to surgically cut, damage, or remove vocal chords of animals used in laboratory “research” so that the technicians do not have to put up with the animals’ constant crying in agony? Did you know that any conceivable experiment imagined can be legally performed on a fully conscious animal without any anesthesia whatsoever, if it is described as necessary “research?” Did you know that billions of your tax dollars support the craziest experiments imaginable in university basement laboratories with no windows all across our great land? Did you know that billions of animals, many of them extremely intelligent primates, today are scalded, restrained and electrocuted, have their brains slivered away slice by slice to observe psychiatric reactions, are maimed and terrified, all in the name of “science.”

Currently, animals have no rights whatsoever. They are considered property like an inanimate chair or toaster. The only way, it seems, to protect them is to establish that, unlike a toaster or chair, every intelligent, sentient, living being should have the right to live without being intentionally tortured. Why? Because in the effort to fight monsters—like disease for example through research—it is important that we, ourselves, do not become monsters. Because God gave man a high commission to look after the animals. Because we are a better people when we are led by compassion.

But perhaps more importantly to some, animal research is bad science! The same way that Americans must change outdated perceptions about fossil fuel, we must change our outdated perceptions about animal research. It is old, crude, cumbersome, and unreliable. Animal research led to cigarettes being accepted as harmless and as having no correlation to cancer for decades. Epidemiological studies finally proved that humans were dying from cigarette smoking, despite the fact that in “study after study,” dogs and other animals showed no effect. The Polio Vaccine was not discovered through animal research; but subsequent animal research actually delayed the release of the Polio vaccine because it proved harmful in primates. The germ theory was discovered through epidemiological studies, not animal research. The latest true great hope in cancer treatment, and probably the first real breakthrough treatment, was not discovered through animal research! (Although, it has now been hijacked by the FDA and is now currently being tested on animals). Animal research led to us freely releasing PCB’s into our water and earth, along with all of the toxins that are killing us today with cancer.

God will not and can not bless a nation so blatantly irreverent and disrespectful of his intelligent creation and our kindred animals that he gave us stewardship over. And yes, there are alternatives to researching on animals! The ICCVAM Congressional Agency’s job is to develop and refine these alternatives. Visit PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine), to get a dose of the alternatives out there (that are currently under-funded and ignored because the animal research industry does not want to give up its grip-hold on Federal grant dollars).

Due to the Biblical “fall of man,” man turned around and gave his “assigned” dominion over to Satan. Dominion turned into tyranny, torture, misuse of any conceivable kind, as acceptable.

This is what the “animal rights people” are proposing to expose and speak against and find a legal remedy for. If you make them also debate a war with you, you are doing Satan’s foot work. It almost seems to be a “witch hunt” from your end. Instead of using your resources to “do what you do” so well, by reaching out in Christ’s compassion for victims of disaster, or incest, or abuse, or domestic violence, or focusing your teachings on how to help Christians overcome addictions, gain life-skills, and find Christ; you are instead targeting the animal rights issues, somehow confusing their efforts as lessening Christ’s command, grace, relationship to, and commission to humans. You are in fact, disturbing Christ’s commission and command to humans to be faithful and good caregivers. You will be on the wrong side. Christ is on our side.

I understand a possible fear that if “animal rights people” have their way, Chimpanzees will eventually be deemed to be equal to you, and it will frustrate the understanding of man’s place in heaven and on earth. This is fear-mongering, and is never their intent or purpose. Your fear is from Satan, who wants abuse of the weaker, yet feeling creatures, to reign supreme on earth. You will lose souls for Christ, you will frustrate the cause of Christ if you pursue this debate. This issue has nothing to do with salvation or lack of salvation. You are siding with the bullies, and the reason for it eludes me, and it disheartens me to the core, it devastates me, in fact. How could you?

God breathed the breath, or spirit, of life into animals the same way he breathed breath into Adam. He gave them hearts, feelings, emotion. Have you ever had a dog as a pet? Do you know animal personalities? Why would you want intentional harm inflicted upon them, because that is the current state of affairs that “the animal rights people” would like to help heal.

I am begging you to reconsider your attack on the only method available for those who would speak up for those who do not share our language or vocal chords, but share many of our same emotions. The question is not whether or not you believe they go to heaven, or should have equal rights to yours, the question is can they suffer, and if you are commissioned to do anything about their deliberate torture. We break Christ’s heart with the way we treat animals today, hidden away in basement floor college laboratories, and in slaughter houses with no windows. Perhaps you are truly unaware of these atrocities. I urge you to watch “Behind the Mask” documentary and search your own soul before you try to shut down the only avenue available to try to protect voiceless animals—some legal remedies. Would a more compassionate world really be that bad for you?

Would the “Peace on Earth” you espouse on your Christmas cards be so hard to bear, if that circle of peace also was inclusive of sentient beings God created and put under your mercy?

Albert Schweitzer was a great Christian Theologian: “Man himself will not find peace until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living beings.” The “animal rights people” understand that in this cruel culture, legislation is the only method available. Please do not frustrate that cause.

Sincerely,
Cheri Brown Thompson

Cheri is the founder of Healing Species. Also visit All-Creatures Articles About Christian Living.

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