William Wilberforce, a man of many causes

If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow-creatures, and to be warmed with the desire of relieving their distresses, is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever to be permitted at large.

I'm not sure in defense of which cause William Wilberforce made this statement specifically before British Parliament, but it certainly applies to his concern for God's nonhuman creatures as well.  Wilberforce, a Christian, is best remembered, and rightly so, for his crucial role in the abolition of slavery in Great Britain, which is featured in the highly-recommended recent film Amazing Grace.  But I was happily surprised to see instances of his care and advocacy for animals featured in the film as well, and to learn of his leadership in putting the cause of animal welfare on the map.

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neither of us can hear

You can stick him in a highchair under hot lights
until he grins for the camera.
Or put him in a boxing ring and make him throw punches.
You can even strap him inside a rocket
and blast it towards space.
He'll forgive you.

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the incredible elephant

Updated on December 6, 2009 by Ben DeVries

Last year I came across a beautiful and true story about two former circus elephants who were reunited at a Tennessee sanctuary after being separated for 23 years.  "Loving Memory", by Andy Simmons (full article online; originally published in Reader's Digest, Nov. 2007) tells of Jenny and Shirley's beyond-exuberant reunion and their continued companionship during illness and subsequent parting once again. 

I'm still tremendously moved and impressed by the elephants' capacity to experience joy and suffer, as well as empathize with each other.  The story concludes by reminding: "Watch an elephant walk on its hind legs or perform a hula dance at a circus and it's easy to forget that these are sensitive, intelligent creatures for whom the family unit is everything."

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a religious proclamation for animal compassion, pt. 2

As promised, here are Five Calls to Action which were developed by the authors of A Religous Proclamation for Animal Compassion (see previous post):

Five Calls to Action: As concerned people of faith and in response to these proclamations, we make the following five calls to action in five arenas that directly impact the quality of animals' lives: Pet Overpopulation and the Plight of Homeless Pets; the Meat and Fur Industries; Animals in Sports and Entertainment; Medical Research and Experimentation on Animals; and Wildlife Preservation and Protection

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