How Factory Farms Violate Animal Rights
Factory Farms Violate Christian Principles
The article I will be posting is extremely well written and it shows what is really going on concerning the abuse of animals in factory farming. I will post the article in its entirety and I will edit any grammar mistakes with Grammarly. I will post the link to the article below. I am doing this because the article is so well written and I could not do it justice by trying to rewrite it I am making sure that the reader will know this is the writing of a Christian and you can visit their blog site below. The only intention of reposting the article is to make people aware of the atrocities that have been done to animals worldwide. Even though the article is well-written, it contains a lot of grammar mistakes, and like I said I used Grammarly to correct the mistakes also I will make headlines editing for whenever a new topic begins. I highly recommend Grammarly to all bloggers/writers. I will also put the article in quotation marks even though the article has been edited by me because I want to give 100% credit to the original author for this article.
Humanity is Estranged from the Harsh Realities of Animal Abuse
"We are all estranged from the harsh realities, but I am sure having read how these animals are forced to live, makes you feel extremely uncomfortable. There has been a sweeping revolution right under our noses. The level of animal abuse in society is unprecedented and beyond anything we could imagine. Some have compared the treatment in industrial farms to concentration camps and someone described it as perhaps the worst crime in history."
Why Does this Suffering Exist? Is it Ignorance, Greed, or Capitalism?
Humanity is Estranged from the Harsh Realities of Animal Abuse
"We are all estranged from the harsh realities, but I am sure having read how these animals are forced to live, makes you feel extremely uncomfortable. There has been a sweeping revolution right under our noses. The level of animal abuse in society is unprecedented and beyond anything we could imagine. Some have compared the treatment in industrial farms to concentration camps and someone described it as perhaps the worst crime in history."
Why Does this Suffering Exist? Is it Ignorance, Greed, or Capitalism?
"These totally vulnerable animals have done no harm, yet what happens to them is cruel and inhumane. Every single day they scream in terror and cry in pain, but no one listens or even cares. There is no comfort or affection, just resolute indifference. They have never been known to anyone or given a name. Just a number drawn on their skin or stapled to their ear. I do wonder if some animals die of hopelessness. No animal should have to suffer like this."
Every aspect of their life is controlled. Their environment, movement, and feeding. We play with their genes, violate their dignity by forcing them to live in their own urine and excrement and cram them into vast windowless sheds. Their natural behaviors and desires are God-given, but these are neglected and frustrated. Hens have an overwhelming need for privacy to lay their eggs. Pigs like do the toilet away from the group, yet they are denied any seclusion or space for this. Their diet is designed for maximum production at minimum cost. Is denying animals access to pasture, not going against Divine approval?
How Caged Animals Don't Have the Dignity that Humans Have
"God created them to have intense bonds just like us. But most of them can’t socialize or nurture their young. Depriving them of this is causing a great sense of loss. They have never been shown kindness, like a room to sleep, with straw in it. They don’t experience the seasons, not even day or night. Some have never seen the sky, felt the grass under their feet, the warmth of the sun’s rays, or the cool breeze, until the day they are loaded on the cramped truck to go for slaughter.
Our attitudes about farming begin to form when we are very young, based on storybooks. We see comforting illustrations of happy cows who squish their tails and moo, pigs with curly tails who roll in the mud and squeal, and fluffy yellow chicks running around. In our mind’s eye, a farm is an idyllic place to be, but our ideas are romanticized and sanitized. Because this has been replaced by sheds and wire cages. It’s not about sunshine, feeding troughs, and fresh hay anymore, where rural farms treat animals with dignity and respect."
Old MacDonald is a Fantasy in this Modern World
"The familiar song, Old MacDonald and his Happy Farmyard Menagerie is a far cry from reality, but the refrain ‘ee i ee i o’ implies it is bliss. There are some compassionate farmers of course, but many animals’ lives can be miserable. The display in the supermarket is carefully designed, distancing us from the ugliness of the abattoir. Advertisers portray images of happy smiling animals, not animals living in cages or dirty conditions on factory farms. These do a great disservice."
Human Relationships with Abused Animals seems Confusing
"Our relationships with animals seem confusing. We love one animal and eat another. It is acceptable to eat a rabbit produced for meat, but not one from a pet shop, a farmed duck, but not one from a local river, or a farmed pig, but not a pet pig. Some keep a bird in a cage, others shoot birds for pleasure. Some keep fish as pets, while others catch fish for food. Horses are commonly eaten in France, Italy, Germany and Japan. Dogs are eaten in China, South Korea, and Vietnam. Cats are eaten in Southern China. Guinea pigs are eaten in Peru. In the UK we wouldn’t consider eating horses, dogs, cats, or guinea pigs. Nature lovers would attend to an injured wild bird without a second thought, yet ducks in factory farms are denied water."
The Paradoxes and Incongruities Between Pets and Farmed Animals are Enormous
Every aspect of their life is controlled. Their environment, movement, and feeding. We play with their genes, violate their dignity by forcing them to live in their own urine and excrement and cram them into vast windowless sheds. Their natural behaviors and desires are God-given, but these are neglected and frustrated. Hens have an overwhelming need for privacy to lay their eggs. Pigs like do the toilet away from the group, yet they are denied any seclusion or space for this. Their diet is designed for maximum production at minimum cost. Is denying animals access to pasture, not going against Divine approval?
How Caged Animals Don't Have the Dignity that Humans Have
"God created them to have intense bonds just like us. But most of them can’t socialize or nurture their young. Depriving them of this is causing a great sense of loss. They have never been shown kindness, like a room to sleep, with straw in it. They don’t experience the seasons, not even day or night. Some have never seen the sky, felt the grass under their feet, the warmth of the sun’s rays, or the cool breeze, until the day they are loaded on the cramped truck to go for slaughter.
Our attitudes about farming begin to form when we are very young, based on storybooks. We see comforting illustrations of happy cows who squish their tails and moo, pigs with curly tails who roll in the mud and squeal, and fluffy yellow chicks running around. In our mind’s eye, a farm is an idyllic place to be, but our ideas are romanticized and sanitized. Because this has been replaced by sheds and wire cages. It’s not about sunshine, feeding troughs, and fresh hay anymore, where rural farms treat animals with dignity and respect."
Old MacDonald is a Fantasy in this Modern World
"The familiar song, Old MacDonald and his Happy Farmyard Menagerie is a far cry from reality, but the refrain ‘ee i ee i o’ implies it is bliss. There are some compassionate farmers of course, but many animals’ lives can be miserable. The display in the supermarket is carefully designed, distancing us from the ugliness of the abattoir. Advertisers portray images of happy smiling animals, not animals living in cages or dirty conditions on factory farms. These do a great disservice."
Human Relationships with Abused Animals seems Confusing
"Our relationships with animals seem confusing. We love one animal and eat another. It is acceptable to eat a rabbit produced for meat, but not one from a pet shop, a farmed duck, but not one from a local river, or a farmed pig, but not a pet pig. Some keep a bird in a cage, others shoot birds for pleasure. Some keep fish as pets, while others catch fish for food. Horses are commonly eaten in France, Italy, Germany and Japan. Dogs are eaten in China, South Korea, and Vietnam. Cats are eaten in Southern China. Guinea pigs are eaten in Peru. In the UK we wouldn’t consider eating horses, dogs, cats, or guinea pigs. Nature lovers would attend to an injured wild bird without a second thought, yet ducks in factory farms are denied water."
The Paradoxes and Incongruities Between Pets and Farmed Animals are Enormous
"Pet owners do everything they can to ensure their pet’s well-being and happiness. They are loved, fed gourmet meals, given treats, groomed, amused with toys, and have all their creature comforts. Veterinary and emergency care are provided when they are sick or injured. They grieve when they die and some pets even have a cremation service. Yet, when it comes to livestock, some people are unaware or choose to ignore the fact, that they are not so different."
Why is a Dog a Much-Loved Pet, while a Pig or Cattle are Abused and Exploited?
Why is a Dog a Much-Loved Pet, while a Pig or Cattle are Abused and Exploited?
"One is loved, and cared for unconditionally as part of the family, while the other is kept on a concrete floor with no straw or confined to a cage with no room to turn around, force-fed with antibiotics, treated like a breeding machine, her offspring killed at a few old months, as she will be when she has outgrown her usefulness. She is being denied her intrinsic right to life."
"Both animals are intelligent, friendly, social, and capable of feeling pain and pleasure. It seems to be legal because we eat them. It would be illegal to keep a dog in a dark shed where he wouldn’t see the light, or in a cage where he couldn’t turn around until he becomes infected and bleeds from sores rubbing against the bars, crying in pain and going mad due to lack of stimulation day in and day out. It seems farm animals are overlooked, tolerated, or dismissed as unworthy of attention."
If Castrating a Dog or Cat without Painkillers is Not Okay, Why is it Okay for a Cow, Sheep, Pig, or Goat?
"Both animals are intelligent, friendly, social, and capable of feeling pain and pleasure. It seems to be legal because we eat them. It would be illegal to keep a dog in a dark shed where he wouldn’t see the light, or in a cage where he couldn’t turn around until he becomes infected and bleeds from sores rubbing against the bars, crying in pain and going mad due to lack of stimulation day in and day out. It seems farm animals are overlooked, tolerated, or dismissed as unworthy of attention."
If Castrating a Dog or Cat without Painkillers is Not Okay, Why is it Okay for a Cow, Sheep, Pig, or Goat?
"If giving a cat or a dog certain things to make them grow so fast they can’t walk is not okay, is it not equally repugnant before God to do this with other animals? God created animals not just with the breath of life but with needs, desires, and specific behaviors. He designed them to grow at a certain rate, but scientists are ‘playing God’ by manipulating animals to grow so quickly that their hearts, lungs, and limbs can’t keep up. God’s will is being denied. Man is re-making them into his own creations. Where are the boundaries?"
Animals Raised for Food Have no Humane Legal Protection
"If you tread on a cat’s tail, it will meow and runoff. If you do the same to a dog, it will yelp and cower. Everyone agrees that dogs and cats should be protected legally and that animal cruelty is not just unethical, but unchristian. But animals raised for food have no protection at all. If we got to know these individuals, we would find they are just as friendly, serious, funny, or shy as any of our pets. Humans have used animals in every imaginable way. Maybe it is time for us to give something back to them because they have given so much."
People's Supermarket Indifference when Shopping for Meat Products
"For most of human history, animals were too expensive to be regularly slaughtered, so meat eating was enjoyed on special occasions, but that has all changed. What do we think when we stroll along the aisles of a supermarket, looking at clinically wrapped parcels of meat? Pork might end up in a state-of-the-art factory where neatly airtight packets of sliced bacon and ham roll off the conveyor belt, but it is the culmination of a long process and originated from a filthy barn. The scale of use and abuse thrives, because people who consume animal products, fail to investigate the lives and deaths of the animals they eat."
Many People Seem to be Alienated from the Reality of What they Are Eating and How it Ended up on Their Plates
"If you tread on a cat’s tail, it will meow and runoff. If you do the same to a dog, it will yelp and cower. Everyone agrees that dogs and cats should be protected legally and that animal cruelty is not just unethical, but unchristian. But animals raised for food have no protection at all. If we got to know these individuals, we would find they are just as friendly, serious, funny, or shy as any of our pets. Humans have used animals in every imaginable way. Maybe it is time for us to give something back to them because they have given so much."
People's Supermarket Indifference when Shopping for Meat Products
"For most of human history, animals were too expensive to be regularly slaughtered, so meat eating was enjoyed on special occasions, but that has all changed. What do we think when we stroll along the aisles of a supermarket, looking at clinically wrapped parcels of meat? Pork might end up in a state-of-the-art factory where neatly airtight packets of sliced bacon and ham roll off the conveyor belt, but it is the culmination of a long process and originated from a filthy barn. The scale of use and abuse thrives, because people who consume animal products, fail to investigate the lives and deaths of the animals they eat."
Many People Seem to be Alienated from the Reality of What they Are Eating and How it Ended up on Their Plates
"They have no idea how their food is produced, they just see it on the shelf and want to eat the meat. There is no reason to associate it with a living breathing suffering animal. Maybe they are desensitised or it is easier not to ask questions. Some people might hope that what they bought, came from an animal that died without pain. Although none of us would be capable of personally inflicting pain and suffering on animals, inadvertently at some point we may have contributed to it."
In the Modern World, Animal Cruelty Seems to be In the Eye of the Beholder
"Cruelty is very much in the eye of the beholder. Opinions regarding animals and their rights vary, and people respond differently. It is a contentious issue. Some believe animals have no rights and merely exist to fulfill human needs. Others might be self-absorbed with their own problems, and when faced with reports of animal cruelty, doubt their veracity, thinking they are either extreme views or represent a tiny proportion of farms. That things can’t be too bad, otherwise the government or welfare societies would have done something."
It is Easy for Many to Dismiss the Pain and Suffering of Abused Animals Mainly Raised for Meat Consumption
"Many of us can be very adept at dismissing their pain and suffering, which is surprisingly easy to do. Even though it clearly exists, we prefer not to think about it. We would be hard-pressed to find it in ourselves to slaughter an animal, and couldn’t bear to watch these things, let alone hear others describe them. If we say we care about animals, maybe we should try and see things from their perspective. Jeremy Benthum points out, “The question is not, can they reason, nor can they talk, but can they suffer?”
Is Tolerating Factory Farms Another Necessary Evil or Can We Do Something?
In the Modern World, Animal Cruelty Seems to be In the Eye of the Beholder
"Cruelty is very much in the eye of the beholder. Opinions regarding animals and their rights vary, and people respond differently. It is a contentious issue. Some believe animals have no rights and merely exist to fulfill human needs. Others might be self-absorbed with their own problems, and when faced with reports of animal cruelty, doubt their veracity, thinking they are either extreme views or represent a tiny proportion of farms. That things can’t be too bad, otherwise the government or welfare societies would have done something."
It is Easy for Many to Dismiss the Pain and Suffering of Abused Animals Mainly Raised for Meat Consumption
"Many of us can be very adept at dismissing their pain and suffering, which is surprisingly easy to do. Even though it clearly exists, we prefer not to think about it. We would be hard-pressed to find it in ourselves to slaughter an animal, and couldn’t bear to watch these things, let alone hear others describe them. If we say we care about animals, maybe we should try and see things from their perspective. Jeremy Benthum points out, “The question is not, can they reason, nor can they talk, but can they suffer?”
Is Tolerating Factory Farms Another Necessary Evil or Can We Do Something?
"What barriers prevent us from addressing issues that allow animal abuse? Often when an attitude is deeply ingrained in our thinking, we take it as unquestioned truth. We think it’s the way things are. Everybody does it, so it must be right. But the worth of a human being isn’t measured by how useful they are to another person, women don’t exist to serve men or blacks to serve whites, poor to serve the rich or weak the strong."
Perhaps their Suffering isn’t Questioned Because it is Seen by our Culture as Normal, instead of Compassion being Normal
Perhaps their Suffering isn’t Questioned Because it is Seen by our Culture as Normal, instead of Compassion being Normal
"Or it might be because it would be too impractical, too costly, or too disruptive to our way of life. I think most people are appalled, but they don’t take the next step. Is saying, ‘it’s wrong to be cruel to animals enough, without looking at our lives?’ Abraham Lincoln said, “I care not for a man’s religion whose dog or cat are not the better for it…I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being.”
Unlike Human Beings, Animals are Perfect with No Inherent Sin
Unlike Human Beings, Animals are Perfect with No Inherent Sin
"Surely their suffering is undeserved, unmerited. Life is as precious to them as it is to us. We share the same needs for food, shelter, and love. We preach love and compassion and are doing our best to live moral lives, yet look at what is happening to them. We can’t cover the iniquity, the scale, and the sorrow of it. Surely this goes against the belief in the sanctity of life and the will of God. Does opening the door to Christ mean opening the door to moral concerns and obligations? God has given us a relationship with the rest of creation."
Animals Are Sacrificed for the Idol of Profit
"We learn in the parable of the Good Samaritan about the tendency to overlook justice, but Jesus calls us to an ethic of ‘costly compassion’ that refuses ‘to walk on by.’ For many of us including myself, this is our challenge. It feels like animals are being sacrificed for the idols of profit; the Almighty Pound or Dollar. I am grateful for the revulsion I feel because horror is a sane reaction to practices that are nothing short of horrifying."
Is it ever Humane to Kill Healthy Young Animals? How can our Food Choices Align with our Christian values?
Animals Are Sacrificed for the Idol of Profit
"We learn in the parable of the Good Samaritan about the tendency to overlook justice, but Jesus calls us to an ethic of ‘costly compassion’ that refuses ‘to walk on by.’ For many of us including myself, this is our challenge. It feels like animals are being sacrificed for the idols of profit; the Almighty Pound or Dollar. I am grateful for the revulsion I feel because horror is a sane reaction to practices that are nothing short of horrifying."
Is it ever Humane to Kill Healthy Young Animals? How can our Food Choices Align with our Christian values?
"Can we profess that God is good if we believe that He approves of cruelty to factory animals? Every time we express thanks for our food, we might wonder if it was the outcome of a worthwhile life or one full of fear, pain, and frustration. Otherwise, how can the grace be sincere and the prayer acceptable? Nothing tastes as good as humane feels."
There are Estimated to be Over 3,000 References in the Bible to Animals and Animal Life.
There are Estimated to be Over 3,000 References in the Bible to Animals and Animal Life.
"This territory has been explored by evangelical giants Charles Spurgeon, John Wesley, C.S Lewis, and William Wilberforce who all gave prominence to animals. Wesley spoke out against bullbaiting and cock fighting. C.S. Lewis reflecting on the moral problems raised by animal suffering asked, “What shall be done for those innocents?” Wilberforce helped to establish what is now called the RSPCA. His famous quote was, “You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know”.
We are Made in God’s image, so Perhaps the Question we Should ask Ourselves is this, “Would Jesus Approve of Factory Farming?”
We are Made in God’s image, so Perhaps the Question we Should ask Ourselves is this, “Would Jesus Approve of Factory Farming?”
It’s hard to imagine when His ministry understood and expressed the needs of the oppressed. Would He want us to pick cruelty over compassion when His teaching involves freedom, compassion, love, and mercy? As human beings do we expect mercy from God? Are we then able to give it to animals?
Considering Biblical Ethics, is it Morally Justified for Birds and Animals to be Crammed into Cages to Facilitate Egg Laying or Provide Meat for Us in this Way?
Considering Biblical Ethics, is it Morally Justified for Birds and Animals to be Crammed into Cages to Facilitate Egg Laying or Provide Meat for Us in this Way?
"Inflicting avoidable or unnecessary pain and suffering is morally wrong. God tells us, “Clothe yourselves in tenderhearted mercy and kindness” (Colossians 3:12). But there is no compassion or kindness in factory farming. In that case is it theologically significant and as Christians are we called to reach out, not affirm these practices? We all have to face the mirror of our own conscience. The matter is between each person and God."
Why would God Create Animals who are Capable of Feeling Pain and Suffering, if their Only Purpose is to Suffer and Die?
Why would God Create Animals who are Capable of Feeling Pain and Suffering, if their Only Purpose is to Suffer and Die?
"The horrors of modern factory farming didn’t exist in biblical times. Sometimes there are things for another time and culture. For example, women should literally cover their heads and not speak in church gatherings. Scripture isn’t always neatly cut and dried, where everything prescriptive is recorded for us."
"The love we give and receive from animals offers both a picture and a portal of God’s infinite love. I see all life as a gift from God, and nature bears the smile of God in all the faces of the wonderful creatures He has made. Wildlife provides us with tremendous joy, as we walk through the countryside. The animal world is part of His kingdom too, and I think animals illustrate our dependence on God."
Genesis1:26-28, says God gave us ‘Dominion,’ not Domination over the Animals
"The love we give and receive from animals offers both a picture and a portal of God’s infinite love. I see all life as a gift from God, and nature bears the smile of God in all the faces of the wonderful creatures He has made. Wildlife provides us with tremendous joy, as we walk through the countryside. The animal world is part of His kingdom too, and I think animals illustrate our dependence on God."
Genesis1:26-28, says God gave us ‘Dominion,’ not Domination over the Animals
"This means we are to be stewards of the environment and the creatures that inhabit it, and when we do this we demonstrate His love. It doesn’t mean ruthless exploitation and abuse. Meat eating in the context of nourishment is one thing, but factory farming is something else. Animals raised for food deserve a decent life, and to be killed humanely."
Does God Hear and Respond to the Cries of Animals?
Does God Hear and Respond to the Cries of Animals?
"The sow desperately gnawing on the bars of the farrowing crate, the fearful veal calf all alone on his way to the continent, or the hungry broiler unable to reach her food. Does He care about the animals that are bred in cramped quarters in factory farms, being exploited for profit? Is He familiar with their bleats, bellows, squeals, and whimpers? Frantic babies and mothers crying out for each other. The book of Matthew tells us God watches the sparrows. We can be assured He sees and knows the conditions and life of every animal in every factory farm."
There is no way a Merciful God would Condone this. I believe all their Cries are Noted in Heaven
There is no way a Merciful God would Condone this. I believe all their Cries are Noted in Heaven
"God loves the animals but hates the abuse. He put animals on the planet and gave them a mandate as well. Part of our human calling is to help them fulfill this in a way that enables them to reach their full potential in creation. They not only enrich our lives, they point to the creator of all things. Animals are not only worthy of our respect, they deserve it."
We Share the Planet with Millions of Creatures that God Made and Loves
We Share the Planet with Millions of Creatures that God Made and Loves
"By their existence, they bless Him and give Him glory. Psalm 150:6 says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” God is a holy, loving, and just God. He teaches in Psalm 36:6, Psalm 145:9, Genesis 1:30, Matthew 6:26, and 10:29 that His love and concern extends not only to us but to all His creation. We see animals have rights too in Proverbs 12:10, Exodus 23:5, Proverbs 27:23, and Deuteronomy 25:4. In Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 we read that humans and animals are equal, and mankind has no advantage over the beasts. Numerous passages teach us that God has made provisions for animals to survive and propagate (Job 38 and 39)."
Perhaps the Most Important Passage which Demonstrates God’s Love for Animals is Psalm 104
Perhaps the Most Important Passage which Demonstrates God’s Love for Animals is Psalm 104
"God enables the donkey to have his thirst quenched (verse 11) He makes grass grow for cattle (verse 14) provides trees for birds to nest (verse 17) assigns the high mountains to the wild goats and the crags for the rock badgers (verse 18) the lions show dependence on God (verse 21) and the seas are prepared for the enjoyment of sea creatures (verse 26) He provides all creatures with food (verse 27-28) and takes joy in all his handiwork (verse 31). He is providing for the needs of all the creatures He has made. His value is reflected in Isaiah (verse 11:6-8) when Eden will be restored."
What Everlasting Hope Do Animals Have?
"The Christian belief is eternal life. We have a ministry of hope and comfort. Human suffering is redemptive, for all those that love the Lord, but what about the animals? If there is no hope for them, is their suffering in vain? Two scriptures refer to the end of time, the headship of Christ, the ministry of reconciliation and the effect this will have on everything. Ephesians 1:9,10 and Colossians 1:19, 20 both refer to ‘all things’ in heaven and earth in the future, so I really hope this means animals too will be restored. John Wesley believes so. It would go towards some recompense for what they have suffered, to know that the same hope, the same love, and the same God ‘will wipe away their tears too’."
What Everlasting Hope Do Animals Have?
"The Christian belief is eternal life. We have a ministry of hope and comfort. Human suffering is redemptive, for all those that love the Lord, but what about the animals? If there is no hope for them, is their suffering in vain? Two scriptures refer to the end of time, the headship of Christ, the ministry of reconciliation and the effect this will have on everything. Ephesians 1:9,10 and Colossians 1:19, 20 both refer to ‘all things’ in heaven and earth in the future, so I really hope this means animals too will be restored. John Wesley believes so. It would go towards some recompense for what they have suffered, to know that the same hope, the same love, and the same God ‘will wipe away their tears too’."
Source
Here is the Email Address of the Author of this Article
godscreatures@hotmail.com
I think the author is located in the UK. The author also has a Facebook page
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Pixaby "frazl34"
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