I agree with Peter. Druker's article is excellent. It's about time someone said this, and he says it very well. It's time these hog farms were exposed for the disgusting abuse that they heap upon these gentle animals. A factory "farm" is a concentration camp designed to torture and kill animals.
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > 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! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
