Go Steve! What a great Op-Ed piece. Absolutely brilliant using the Bible to ground a moral argument. Love to see what a Fundie can say in response.
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Dick Mays > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > > Today the Des Moines Register is running my > opinion piece on the > > spiritual pollution of high-density hog farms. It > is attached and > > reproduced below. As the editors note in their > headline > introducing > > the essay, it is "the most damning argument > against large hog > > confinements." Feel free to circulate it broadly. > > > > > The editors apparently timed the publication of > this essay to > > coincide with today's meeting of the Iowa > Environmental Protection > > Commission to consider the state Department of > Natural Resources > > proposal to give the agency more flexibility in > evaluating > > construction-permit applications for new livestock > operations. > > > > Steven Druker > > _______________________________________ > > > > NOTE: The opinion piece reproduced below is > running in the Des > Moines > > Register today (January 17, 2006). It is preceded > by the heading > > with which it is introduced in the online edition > of the Opinion > > Section headline page. > > > <http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section? > category=OPINION>http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section? > category=OPINION > > > > Columnists - opinion > > > > > <http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article? > AID=/20060117/OPINION01/60116008/1035/OPINION>Iowa > > View: Do hog confinements pollute the spirit? > > > > Even with all the environmental pollution they > cause, the most > > damning argument against large hog confinements is > the way we the > > animals are treated. Ponder this: How would Jesus > farm? > > �.. ���.. ����.. > > > <http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article? > AID=/20060117/OPINION01/60116008/1035/OPINION>http://desmoinesregiste > r.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article? > AID=/20060117/OPINION01/60116008/1035/OPINION > > Iowa View: Do hog confinements pollute the spirit? > > By STEVEN DRUKER > > SPECIAL TO THE REGISTER > > January 17, 2006 > > > > > > Amid all the controversy about high-density hog > confinements, one > key > > point has been largely ignored: that no matter how > foul their > > discharge into our waters or how vile their stench > in the nostrils > of > > neighbors, their most severe form of pollution is > spiritual. > > > > They blight the soul of any society that supports > them because > they > > flagrantly violate fundamental ethical principles, > principles that > > did not spring from the minds of animal-welfare > activists but that > > are firmly embedded within the Bible. > > > > While the Bible proclaims human dominion over > animals and > recognizes > > our rights to harness their strength and consume > their flesh, > these > > rights are clearly conditioned on treating them > kindly. Not only > does > > the Bible forbid causing animals unnecessary pain, > it repeatedly > > instructs us to consider their needs and uphold > their welfare. > > > > For instance, Deuteronomy 22:10 prohibits yoking > an ox with a > donkey. > > Commentators recognize this rule aims to prevent > suffering, > because > > the smaller, weaker donkey will be strained > through linkage with > the > > ox. Deuteronomy 25:4 bans another form of > unkindness by declaring, > > "You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out > the grain." While > the > > former rule respects the distinct natures of > animals, this one > > protects their natural desires from being unfairly > frustrated, > even > > if it would be more cost-effective to do so. > > > > Through these examples, the Bible teaches that > besides refraining > > from unnecessary physical force, we must also > avoid subjecting > > animals to less blatant forms of distress, > psychological as well > as > > physical. Moreover, in Exodus 23:5, the Bible > imposes a duty to > > alleviate an animal's suffering when we encounter > it, even if we > in > > no way caused the predicament. > > > > Although the Bible also contains rules about > animals that pertain > > specifically to the Jewish people, those that > command kindness > toward > > them express universal principles and extend to > humankind. By > urging > > the Jews to uphold the laws of the Torah, Jesus > endorsed these > rules > > of compassion. There's no indication his disciples > ever questioned > > their validity for gentiles. > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! 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