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lambleft.jpg (4091 bytes)lambrt.jpg (4118 bytes)Feelings of Aloneness
By people of compassion
- The Church is Chasing People Away -

Response by Stephen R. Kaufman
28 May 2001

Frank's report of the hostility he met when discussing Pat's story with Methodists is tragically typical of the resistance we often experience.  I empathize with his sadness and frustration.  I think it is difficult to convince people that animals have souls when they have always thought otherwise.  I wonder whether an effective strategy might have been to question their conviction that animals don't have souls, and then to point out that Paul said in Romans that if his eating meat caused a brother to stumble from the faith, then he would stop eating meat altogether.  However much church authorities disagree with Pat's understanding of Christian doctrine and/or tradition, those who take this teaching seriously would recognize that it remains tragic is that the church, by rejecting Pat's witness, has alienated her from the faith.

Should the issue of souls remain central, it might be worthwhile to explore the question to what authority should we refer: The Holy Spirit (which inspires Pat to be vegetarian and care about animals); the Bible (which says that humans and animals are of the same essence, favoring an animal-friendly ethic); or the Methodist Book of Discipline.

Steve

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