Animal Rites and Justice
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BEI'WEEN THE SPFX::IES 190 Although the service had supporters both Morning, a magazine for Presbyterian minis within and without the religious canmunity, a ters, a Presbyterian pastor accused the ser few ministers of the Christian faith, in vice of "humanism," stating that, "We are of particular two publicly and one through my the refonned. faith, the church refonned. al acquaintance, said they would not attend such ways reforming. I hardly believe that funer a service as ani.rna/ls do not have souls, and als like the one for Wind-of-Fire are steps therefore, it was inappropriate to hold a in this refonnation process." Another pas service which implied that anima/ls would tor, responding in the September, 1985, is participate in a resurrection, afterlife, or sued of the same magazine, countered this by in particular heaven. saying, "the pastor reports, and seemingly has problems with, the minister saying that Anna Kingsford, a nineteenth century God I S Love extends to all of creation and feminist/mystic and anima/l rights activist, offering prayers for animals that are victims pointed out that all forms of life are re of human injustice. I am disturbed by what garded as having souls within the Judea/ this seems to say both about the role of a Christian tradition. In Genesis, the word in pastor towards a grieving person and about Hebrew which applies to all living things is the relationship of humans to animals."[3] "Nephesh," meaning soul. As Kingsford points out, in '!he Perfect~, a series of her Q1e humorous response to the service lectures published in London in 1882, "had appeared in a column called "Insect Rights," the Bible been accurately translated, the by John C. Dvorak, in '!he San Francisco Ex doctrine that all creatures whatsoever repre aminer, Monday, May 6, 1985. Mr. Dvorak sent incarnations, though in different condi canmented, "She I s already had services for tions, of one and the same universal soul, dogs and cats. But you know where she drops would not now need to be re-declared, or, the ball? I see no evidence that she'll let when re-declared would not be received with the dogs and cats into the ministry! It I S a repugnance. "[2] And in the Old Testament, sham! " I might respond to Mr. Dvorak that, Job 12:10, reference is made to "the soul of my Master of Divinity aside, at present I am every living thing." a lay minister no more and no less than many ani.rna/ls of my acquaintance. It is ironic that a couple of Christian ministers who go further than many Christians Anna Kingsford always said that her in acknowledging that ani.rna/ls have something grounding in religion was not in the histori spiritu;> 1 to them believe that ani.rna/ls (non cal and institutional aspects but in the human ones) have a "group soul." According universal truths that lie at the heart of the to this way of thinking, no anima/l, apart faith. It was in this spirit that she consi fran the human anima/l, has individuality or dered herself a Christian. And it was in an individual essence or soul. The conse quences that follow fran this way of thinking this spirit that she interpreted the meaning of scripture, the scriptures of the Judea/ are quite disturbing. Q1e minister with this Christian tradition and other religious tra belief suggested to his wife, whose anima/l ditions. Acconting to one of her biogra canpanion, a dog, was quite ill, that rather phers, "the last journey of her life was not than trying to heal it, she should replace it a happy experience, but it was an infonnative with another dog. Since anima/ls have a one. Here, at the centre of institutional group soul, oneanima/l was easily replaced Christendan, she found that the Church had by another. Another minister who holds this lost the supreme vision of the Christian belief would not participate in the merrorial faith--the deliverance of all creation, and service, particularly in regard to the sacra not of human beings only, I into the glorious ment that was offered. His belief that ani liberty of the children of God;' and that in malls have a group soul led to the belief place of this pristine splendour all that it that it is inappropriate to have a merrorial could now see and teach was a selfish form of service for an anima/l which suggests that humanism--what human beings, here and hereaf his or her individual soul will participate ter and at whatever cost to the rest of life, in a resurrection, afterlife, or, as stated must obtain for themselves alone."[4] before, heaven. Untold numbers of people have left the In the July, 1985, issue of Monday Church as a result of the same kind of spe- 191 BEl'WEEN THE SPEX::IES ciesist interpretation of tradition that The second meaning of the Eucharist, was evident in the response of several cler liberation, is based on the original Pasach gypersons to the service for Wind-of-Fire and meal symbolizing the liberation of the Jews all Ul1IOOurned and suffering anima/Is. It is fran ~t. The New Testament takes up this not clear how many have left other religious idea, and the Eucharist becomes a symbol, not traditions for similar reasons. The goals of only of the liberation of the Jews, but of Judaism and of Christianity are the same, the the entire creation. This carries out the liberation of all fontlS of life, but one does Jewish notion of the Messiah or Kingdom in not hear of people leaving the synagogue for which each life form will be in harmony with reasons of speciesism. every other life form: war and strife will cease, as will what we call the food chain Obviously, the memorial service for and our position on it. "They shall not hurt Wind-of-Fire was not based on an historical nor destroy in all my holy IlOuntain: for the interpretation or institutional interpreta earth shall be full of the knowledge of the tion of either the Judea/Christian tradition Lord, as the waters cover the sea."[6] or the other traditions included in the order of Service. And yet, ironically, a radical Thus, the Eucharist is eschatological. interpretation of the Judea/Christian tradi It concerns the final destiny of the creation tion, an interpretation that goes to the in general and of the individual soul in roots of the tradition, would exonerate ev particular. As defined in the ---OXford --Dic erything that took place within the context tionary of the Christian Church, it concerns of the service, particularly in regard to the "the doctrine of the last things." sacrament, or "Sharing of the Bread: An Agape Meal," for all anima/Is, all of the In both Judaism and Christianity, the creation. destiny of the individual soul and creation in general is the Kingdom, or Messiah, in The heart of the Eucharist, the Chris which the lion and lamb will lie dao1n toge tian comrrnmion service based on the Hebrew ther. In what has been called "realized Passover of Pasach meal, insofar as it re eschatology," it becomes the responsibility lates to the universalist meaning of "The of human beings to actively participate in Sharing of the Bread: An Agape Meal, is the bringing in of this Kingdan or Messiah. sharing. Sharing is one of the three key In Ranans 8:19, Paul says, "For the earnest meanings of the Eucharist" all of which re expectation of the creature waiteth for the late to each other. These are the notions of manifestation of the sons and daughters of sharing, liberation, and kingdom. God." And, again, in Ranans 21 and 22, "Be cause the creature itself also shall be deli According to Tissa Balasuriya, "For the vered fran the bondage of corruption into the early Christians the cereroony of the breaking glorious liberty of the children of God. For of bread--Eucharist--was intilnately connected we know that the whole creation groaneth and with the sharing of bread. It was not a mere travaileth in pain together until now." formalist cereroonial. The Eucharist signi There is no liberation for human beings with fied sharing. We have seen how the early out liberation for all anima/ls. Christian groups shared what they had so that there was no one in need. For Jesus, too, Thus, "the Eucharist demands the cham the Last Supper, the first and inaugural pioning of rights. In this sense the euchar Eucharist, was closely associated with his istic table prefigures the ultilnate stage of self-giving." [5] liberation, the realization of the kingdan of God on earth as in heaven. It is eschatolo This sharing often took place in the gical. It signifies the stage pranised in context of an "agape meal" in which the roost the Scriptures when the lion and the lamb can deprived members of the CCl!lIllIll1ity, the out lie together and share W!t:= same pasture."[7] casts, were offered bread. Thus, the name for the sacrament, "The Sharing of the Bread: The Eucharist was never intended to be a An Agape Meal," to make the point that ani privatistic ritual for those who have ma/ls are outcasts in our society. They must achieved "personal salvation" in the indivi be included sacramentally and literally with dualistic sense. The Eucharist is meant to in "the fold." be universalist in the sense of embodying the BEI'WEEN THE SPECIES 192 meaning of the Kingdom/Queendom.