ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, September 24, 1996 TAG: 9609240009
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BARBARA GRIGG
THE SOUTHEAST Virginia coast, as famous for its philosophical bulwarks as its seashore, has added another beachhead. The spiritually divergent headquarters of Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network and Edgar Cayce's Association for Research and Enlightenment have a new neighbor: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Oddly enough, the juxtaposition could prove surprisingly beneficial.
Animal rights, abortion, environmentalism and euthanasia - all require Solomon's wisdom and raise a larger question: May mankind dominate Earth's life unilaterally, or are we entrusted with stewardship? Today's technology insulates awareness of dependence on the natural world; ancient man's perspective was quite different.
The wealth of Abraham, father of three faiths, was measured in flocks. Laying his son on an altar was no small matter. Solomon's dad, David, underscores the point: "I will not offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which cost me nothing." (II Samuel 24:24) Even Jesus' work on the cross bears out the requirement for bloodshed of the best: That's why it's called sacrifice.
A friend active in animal welfare once complained bitterly of people who merrily put their dog to sleep to go off into the ministry. Their callousness had precedent. Sensing the angelic presence when Balaam did not, the donkey moved to protect his master. But thickheaded Balaam beat the beast, whereupon the Lord opened its mouth to say, "What are you beating the donkey for? If it weren't for him, I would have killed you by now!" (Numbers 22: 23-25)
For an in-depth, challenging read on dominion/stewardship, get "Healing the Land: A Supernatural View of Ecology," by Winkie Pratney, a Christian youth minister trained as a research chemist.
Weaving science with Scripture and quoting heavily from Christian thinkers (some active anti-vivisectionists), Pratney debunks the dominionista premise: "On the contrary, the Bible is the one major religious book in human history whose major metaphors are agricultural and conservationist, the only great book that provides a platform for real care of the creation, and the only spiritual book that not only calls humanity to global responsibility, but gives a reason why humanity should even bother."
"The righteous man regardeth the life of his beast." (Proverbs 12:10) If I'm not ready to forgo leather shoes and eat vegetarian, certainly I'm obliged to treat my pet responsibly. Doing so makes my dog happy and many folks' lives easier - mine, my neighbor's, and those of shelter workers and veterinarians who euthanize innocent creatures because of human indifference.
"Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn." (Deuteronomy 25: 4) Surely animals serving man through medical research or agriculture deserve deference due the level of dignity assigned them by our mutual creator in his hierarchy.
Polarized answers on many issues taunt us. After putting so many animals out of their misery (and out of our way), extending the same courtesy to human beings is a natural progression. It's no surprise we're on the verge of permitting post-birth abortion. Pratney quotes C. S. Lewis: " ... Everything a man does to an animal is either a lawful exercise or a sacrilegious abuse of an authority by divine right ... " The same could be said for what a man does at all.
Maybe the prophet Hosea's diagnosis millennia ago applies today. "There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land ... Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away." (Hosea 4: 1, 3)
In asking "what's gone wrong?" in our various quarters, it's time we ask some hard questions. Could it be when the Lord told Cain "the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground," he wasn't speaking metaphorically? Is it possible the storms, quakes, floods and droughts we endure are not unlike the plagues on ancient Egypt, and not nearly as mythical as some have believed? If so, PETA sinking its roots in Virginia's already rarefied spiritual soil could be just what the Creator ordered for such a time as this.
Barbara Grigg lives in Chesapeake, where she and her husband garden organically, recycle their yard waste and spoil their Dalmatian.
LENGTH: Medium: 78 linesby CNB