a religious proclamation for animal compassion, pt. 1

A couple of weeks after not one sparrow launched I heard from Kris Haley and Michelle Buckalew of Best Friends Animals & Religion who gracioulsy wanted to highlight not one sparrow in an online news story.  In the process I was reminded of a proclamation which Best Friends was sponsoring to engage religious communities and people of faith with a concern for animals, co-authored by a friend Sue Grisham of EpiscoVeg and the Episcopal Network for Animal Welfare. 

Though evangelicals and other conservative Christians are often reluctant to sponsor or endorse inter-faith efforts, A Religious Proclamation for Animal Compassion (PDF) is a wonderfully composed document which is very much compatible with the mission and values of not one sparrow (see our faq).  It reads:

Purpose Statement:  As people from diverse religious traditions, we are united in our belief that animals have intrinsic value as part of God’s creation and are entitled to live lives free of cruelty and exploitation.  We therefore invite and encourage people of all faiths to speak with one voice on behalf of those who cannot speak in an effort that will define our legacy as stewards of God’s creation.

Preamble:  In a world of increasing violence towards others, ourselves, and our environment, we believe it is essential to reclaim and recover a commitment of compassion for all of life.  We believe that a commitment to compassion begins with the most vulnerable among us, which includes animals. 

Therefore, we proclaim: that creation is a gift of love; that creation is a gift to be celebrated, honored, and enjoyed; that we have been especially entrusted by God to care for this creation; that as an integral part of creation, farm, wild, and domesticated animals depend upon us, both directly and indirectly, for their welfare; that as heirs of their respective traditions, religious communities bear a special responsibility for the welfare of these animals; and that as ambassadors of compassion, religious communities should extend compassion not only to the human family, but to animals and to all of creation.

Conclusion:  As leaders of different religious and faith traditions, we recognize the unique opportunity we have been given to effect profound and lasting change for the sake of animals.  As stewards of God’s creation, we accept and embrace our duty, responsibility, and moral obligation to both protect the lives of animals and assure that those lives reflect the respect and dignity they are to be afforded as part of God’s creation.  We therefore invite all people of faith, under the guidance of their various faith traditions, to take up the mantle of compassion towards all of life and recognize that, as human beings, we are only part of God’s creation and cannot presume to be all that matters in it.  Indeed, because animals are an inextricable part of our social and natural environments, we therefore affirm that any lasting effort for change on any level will only be complete insofar as it pays attention to and advocates for animals and their well-being.  Finally, we call upon religious leaders of all traditions to honor and encourage those in their faith communities who make compassionate food and clothing choices and who work for the benefit of animals.

I've been glad to endorse A Religious Proclamation for Animal Compassion, and am grateful to those who put it together.  I encourage you to sign the proclamation as well if you respond similarly.  Tomorrow I'll post five excellent calls to action which were developed as suggestions for responding practically.