Anglicans in UK Pray For Animals

[HagiaSophia]

Churchgoers across the country were asked yesterday to give thanks to something other than God for the food on their tables - by saying a prayer for the soul of their Sunday roast before tucking in.

Thousands of Anglican clergy were sent the new order of service, written by a Birmingham theologian, from the RSPCA which sets out prayers for the soul of the animal slaughtered to provide the traditional Sunday meal.

During the day - dubbed animal welfare Sunday by the charity - people were invited to “ask God to give them compassion for animals exploited for food, for science, and for entertainment”.

Prayers in the Service for Animal Welfare also include repentance for abuse to animals and blessings for individual animals. Author of the new service, the Rev Andrew Linzey, who holds the world’s first post in theology and animal welfare at the University of Oxford and is an honorary professor of theology at the University of Birmingham, said animal welfare was a Christian duty which sometimes gets swept under the rug…"

icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/post/tm_objectid=14716435&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=anglicans-asked-to-pray-for-their-dinner-name_page.html

 

[Deacon_Tony560]

They sould pray for their own souls. The teaching has always been that animals have no soul.

God bless you,
Deacon Tony SFO

 

[Dr.Colossus]

Deacon Tony560:

The teaching has always been that animals have no soul.

Not quite. The teaching is that animals have no immortal souls. Their souls (or the essence of their being) are physical.

 

[Brendan]

Deacon Tony560:

They sould pray for their own souls. The teaching has always been that animals have no soul.

God bless you,
Deacon Tony SFO

Deacon Tony, Thomas Aquinas would most certainly disagree with you.

The soul is what ‘animate’ otherwise inanimate matter. Without the soul, there is only a heap of carbon and water molecules. But since plants grow and animals move and eat, they MUST have a soul.

Plants have a vegatative soul , which provides the basic elements of life, metabolization ect…

Animals have a sensitive soul, they can respond to (name removed by moderator)ut from the senses.

None of these are immortal or rational souls. The souls of animals and plants perish at the end of their earthly existance.

Humans and Angels have immortal and rational souls. The human soul is part Spirit and part Body, the soul of the Angel is all Spirit

 

[Sola]

Very cool!!

A realization of our God-given responsibilities to the creatures on this Earth is long, long overdue. Our dominion means that we are to be caretakers. It pains me to see not only outright abuse, but pure thoughtlessness that so many humans (Christian and non) show toward the defenseless.