animals and evangelicals
My mother first passed along this rare article to me from Karen Swallow Prior, professor of English and chair of Liberty University's English and Modern Languages Department. Karen has since become a good friend and always-welcome contributor to not one sparrow, and she originally wrote "Animals and Evangelicals" for Liberty Journal in response to the Michael Vick dogfighting headlines of three years ago (10/18/07):
The spotlight shone by the Michael Vick case on the issue of dogfighting and other forms of animal abuse has bemused many conservatives and Christians, leaving them to wonder where to place this barbarism on the scale of evils plaguing society today. But our Evangelical ancestors in the reform movements of 18th- and 19th-century England would not have been so baffled, for even in the midst of their fight against slavery and other ills, they viewed animal cruelty as one of the most important moral issues of their day. By fighting barbarism in all its forms, these Christians sought to cultivate universal benevolence throughout all of society.
Benevolence toward even the lower creatures has been, in fact, a feature of the evangelical movement from its beginnings in John Wesley, who noted in his “Compendium of Natural Philosophy” that animals “that want the help of man have a thousand engaging ways, which, like the voice of God speaking to his heart, command him to preserve and cherish them.” William Cowper, co-author with John Newton of the “Olney Hymns,” linked love of man and love of animals in his 1785 poem “The Task,” declaring that he would not count among his friends “the man who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.” Sarah Trimmer, a founder of the Sunday School movement in the 18th century, put animal welfare at the forefront of her program for moral education. And in the 19th century, the same parliamentarian who tirelessly spearheaded the anti-slavery crusade, William Wilberforce, also led the campaign against animal cruelty. Indeed the group of believers of which Wilberforce formed a part, known as the Clapham Evangelicals, were not only staunch abolitionists but also helped enact England’s first animal welfare laws. Wilberforce himself was part of an 1824 coffeehouse gathering that resulted in the formation of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He and several Christian clergymen superintended the publication of sermons and tracts designed to turn a hostile public toward support of animal welfare laws.
From its beginnings, then, the animal welfare movement was led by moral, Christian reformers who understood the link between one form of barbarism and another. Therefore, conservative, compassionate, pro-life Christians might be heartened by the widespread outrage against Michael Vick’s cruelty. While some conservative leaders have expressed concern that heightened compassion for animals diminishes value for human life, such compassion may, in fact, cultivate similar empathy for other helpless victims of human depravity — perhaps even the victims of abortion.
The animal welfare movement of our Evangelical ancestors was rooted, not in an unbiblical ethos of animal “rights,” but in benevolence as well as in recognition of the Christian’s duty toward God’s creation. Ample biblical support from the moral laws of Exodus to the wisdom of the Proverbs can be cited to advocate compassionate care for animals rather than exploitative domination. But perhaps the most compelling evidence of the implicit assumption in Scripture about the nature of man’s relationship to animals is found in the picture God provides of His relationship to us: namely, that of the Good Shepherd “who lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
While it may be possible to work with some idea of rights in a theologically compatible manner, as Andrew Linzey attempts to do with his concept of "theos-rights," or God-granted rights to His creatures (see for instance his book Animal Theology), I'm greatly encouraged by Karen's overview of evangelical engagement with animal concerns and heartily agree with her call to follow their example. Karen certainly has herself.
(originally posted May 28, 2008; thank you to Liberty Journal and to Karen for allowing us to share the article (copyright); photo copyright 123rf.com)
September 21, 2010
Reader Comments (4)
Ben, this is a great post. An interesting piece of history that you may find insightful is the first documented child abuse case in the US was actually managed by the Animal Cruelty Society of New York circa 1905. There were laws in the US regarding animal abuse before there were any laws regarding child abuse.
Thanks, John. Now that you mention it, I seem to remember hearing that a while back but had completely forgotten; thank you for reminding me. I've heard the study of connections between animal and human abuse is an ongoing area of great interest to criminal psychologists as well as animal welfarists.
Thankyou Ben for the time and effort you freely give to support those who work for the well being of suffering animals. It means more to me than you can know to have someone like you quietly but actively helping others realise how much God cares for His Creatures. As John Wesley wrote ...animals in need of help have "a thousand engaging ways" commanding us to cherish and care for them. All it takes are ears to hear each silent cry eyes to see the desperate need and open hearts to actively respond. It is a great priviledge to be involved in caring for Father's precious Animal Kingdom. Bless you. Cherie S.Africa
Thank you, Cherie, that's such a great quote from Wesley. It's a privilege to share this cause with you - Ben