Weekly Newsletter from Christian Vegetarian Association CVA - January 23, 2019
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)


  1. Original Sin part 61, Truth, part 4
  2. Upcoming Activist Opportunities
  3. The January-February Issue of “The Peaceable Table” Is Now Online
  4. All-Creatures.Org Ministry

1. Original Sin part 61, Truth, part 4

“In war, truth is the first casualty,” wrote the Greek tragic dramatist Aeschylus (525 BC - 456 BC). Perpetrators have justified the war against animals, which involves violence on a scale that exceeds the capacity of human imagination, with obvious lies about the nature of animals and the nature of humans. Meanwhile, those who believe they benefit from the harmful exploitation of animals – the vast majority of humans – readily accept these obvious lies rather than recognize these abuses as evil. They have a last defense. They can claim that God endorses their activity.

Because we have such limited information about God, it is easy to make irrefutable claims about God. Though the evidence is weak at best that God endorses animal abuse, it is also impossible to disprove the claim that God is pleased when humans harm nonhumans.

Many Christian have claimed that the Bible demonstrates that God gives humans free reign to treat animals as humans please. However, this requires that one hold the Bible as the inerrant word of God. Otherwise, it would be easy to dismiss this Christian claim by saying that anti-animal passages aren’t really from God. I’ve discussed problems with the Bible inerrancy theory previously. Second, this humanocentric claim presumes that humans are always trustworthy when they interpret the Bible.

This is doubtful for at least two reasons. First, time and again, intelligent people have come to diametrically opposed interpretations of the Bible. Among the reasons, they emphasize different passages, they differ in which passages should be taken literally and which should be taken metaphorically, they choose different translations and endorse those that are friendly to their general worldview, and they highlight different passages to show the “context” with which a given passage should be interpreted. Second, humans tend to believe what they want to believe. We should be very skeptical of self-serving interpretations, particularly when they defend harming others. Indeed, animal friendly interpretations of the Bible exist, and these interpretations have inspired Christian Vegetarian Association members.

Next week, I will review how humanity is harmed by mistreatment of animals as this lengthy series on Original Sin winds down.

Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.


2. Upcoming Activist Opportunities

Leafleting and tabling are effective, enjoyable ways to show our brothers and sisters in Christ that a plant-based diet is good for God’s Creation. We have found that Winter Jam events are particularly productive, because they feature large, younger audiences. When you volunteer for the CVA, the CVA now donates $16/hr. for tabling and $25/hr. for up to 3 hours for leafleting to the veg. or animal protection group of your choice. Contact Lorena at [email protected] if you can help.

01/25/2019 IA, Des Moines Winter Jam 2019
01/26/2019 MO, Kansas City Winter Jam 2019
01/27/2019 MO, St, Louis Winter Jam 2019
01/31/2019 LA, New Orleans Winter Jam 2019
02/01/2019 AL, Birmingham Winter Jam 2019
02/02/2019 KY, Lexington Winter Jam 2019
02/07/2019 IL, Peoria Winter Jam 2019
02/07/2019 AL, Huntsville TobyMac Hits Deep Tour
02/08/2019 KA, Wichita Winter Jam 2019
02/08/2019 TN, Nashville TobyMac Hits Deep Tour
02/09/2019 KY, Louisville TobyMac Hits Deep Tour
02/09/2019 AR, N. Little Rock Winter Jam 2019
02/10/2019 OK, Tulsa Winter Jam 2019
02/10/2019 IN, Indianapolis TobyMac Hits Deep Tour
02/14/2019 PA, Reading Winter Jam 2019
02/15/2019 PA, Pittsburgh Winter Jam 2019
02/16/2019 OH, Cincinnati Winter Jam 2019
02/21/2019 MS, Tupelo Winter Jam 2019
02/21/2019 FL, Jacksonville TobyMac Hits Deep Tour
02/21/2019 VA, Richmond Casting Crowns Only Jesus Tour
02/22/2019 TN, Knoxville Winter Jam 2019
02/23/2018 MA, Springfield Casting Crowns Only Jesus Tour
02/23/2019 NC, Greensboro Winter Jam 2019
02/24/2019 VA, Norfolk Winter Jam 2019
02/28/2019 MO, Springfield Winter Jam 2019
02/28/2019 OH, Toledo TobyMac Hits Deep Tour
03/01-02-19 VA, Fairfax TobyMac Hits Deep Tour
03/01/2019 LA, Bossier City Winter Jam 2019
03/02/2019 OK, Oklahoma City Winter Jam 2019
03/03/2019 TX, Austin Winter Jam 2019
03/08/2019 TN, Nashville Winter Jam 2019
03/09/2019 KY, Louisville Winter Jam 2019
03/09/2019 PA, Pittsburgh Casting Crowns Only Jesus Tour
03/10/2019 TN, Chattanooga Winter Jam 2019
03/10/2019 MI, Grand Rapids TobyMac Hits Deep Tour
03/14/2019 AR, North Little Rock TobyMac Hits Deep Tour
03/15/2019 SC, Columbia Winter Jam 2019
03/15-16/19 TX, Grand Prarie TobyMac Hits Deep Tour
03/16/2019 NC, Asheville Mercy Me Imagine Nation Tour
03/16/2019 GA, Atlanta Winter Jam 2019
03/22/2019 NC, Raleigh Winter Jam 2019
03/23/2019 WV, Charleston Winter Jam 2019
03/23/2019 PA, Pittsburgh TobyMac Hits Deep Tour
03/24/2019 SC, Greenville Winter Jam 2019
03/24/2019 IL, Peoria Mercy Me Imagine Nation Tour
03/27/2019 NY, Albany TobyMac’s Hits Deep Tour
03/28/2019 MO, Springfield Mercy Me Imagine Nation Tour
03/29/2019 TN, Memphis Mercy Me Imagine Nation Tour
03/29/2019 PA, Philadelphia TobyMac Hits Deep Tour
03/29/2019 IN, Indianapolis Winter Jam 2019
03/30/2019 PA, State College Winter Jam 2019
03/30/2019 FL, Jacksonville Casting Crowns Only Jesus Tour
03/30/2019 OK, Oklahoma City Mercy Me Imagine Nation Tour
03/31/2019 OH, Columbus TobyMac Hits Deep Tour
03/31/2019 OH, Cleveland Winter Jam 2019
04/04/2019 AZ, Glendale Mercy Me Imagine Nation Tour
04/05/2019 CA, Los Angeles Mercy Me Imagine Nation Tour
04/06/2019 IN, Indianapolis Casting Crowns Only Jesus Tour
04/12/2019 MN, Minneapolis Casting Crowns Only Jesus Tour
04/13/2019 OR, Portland Mercy Me Imagine Nation Tour
04/14/2019 SD, Sioux Falls Casting Crowns Only Jesus Tour
04/18/2019 SC, Greenville Casting Crowns Only Jesus Tour
04/19/2019 NC, Raleigh Casting Crowns Only Jesus Tour
04/25/2019 MI, Grand Rapids Casting Crowns Only Jesus Tour
04/26/2019 OH, Cincinnati Mercy Me Imagine Nation Tour
04/27/2019 MO, St. Charles Casting Crowns Only Jesus Tour
05/04/2019 FL, Orlando Mercy Me Imagine Nation Tour
05/05/2019 FL, Tampa Mercy Me Imagine Nation Tour
09/26/2019 WA, Spokane Casting Crowns Only Jesus Tour
09/27/2019 OR, Portland Casting Crowns Only Jesus Tour


3. The January-February Issue of “The Peaceable Table” Is Now Online

Contents include:

  • The Editor's Corner Essay deals with the way the Nativity stories undermine the false values of class and caste.
  • Did you know that cockfighting is to be banned in Puerto Rico?See the NewsNote.
  • Gerald Niles comments in a Letter on last month's editorial essay comparing Stanley Milgram's experiments on submission to authority to most people's participation in flesh-eating.
  • Our Pioneer this month is Cesar Chavez, celebrated for his actions to liberate oppressed farm workers, but little known for his commitment to liberate nonhuman animals as well.
  • Try the tasty curried vegetable dish in our Recipe section. This is from a 1967 veg recipe book by Sonya Richmond.
  • One of the Poetry selections is a Christmastide song by Faith L. Bowman entitled "God is There," which acknowledges the desperately oppressive cultural situation into which Jesus was born, and his message of equality.
To read the issue, see http://www.vegetarianfriends.net/issue153.html

Peace on Earth,
Gracia Fay Ellwood, Editor

4. All-Creatures.Org Ministry

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