Should Catholics be concerned about animals?

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mercifulJan said:
We will be held accountable for every creature as Hebrews 4:13 says.

“Let everything that has breath give praise to the Lord! Hallelujah!” Ps. 150:6
In the love of the Lord.
Jan 🙂
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Genesis chapter 9
5 And I shall demand account of your life-blood, too. I shall demand it of every animal, and of man. Of man as regards his fellow-man, I shall demand account for human life.
Is the Lord going to hold the animal accountable for killing or is he going to hold man accountable for killing the animal?:hmmm:
 
Bill_Cherry said:
Did you see the numbers on the amount of food that was wasted? Not just the beef itself, but what it cost to feed these poor creatures? When will people wake up and see that their appetites are wasting trillions of lbs of food and $$$$$?
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How many pounds of beef were wasted in factory farm recalls, in the time of Christ?
 
Cracker_Mom said:
True, but it was also a case of “contamination.” Something worse than E coli.😉
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Well, I have been ill from food poisoning before. Not fun.
I am pretty sure that I have never been demonically possessed. But, I have seen “The Exorcist”. I am pretty sure that is not fun either.😃
 
Marfran said:
You are so polite. I really do like you! And of course I disagree with you about this being a “fringe” movement within the Church.

Here’s a thought. You, obviously are very connected to your business and the animal agriculture of your area, so you would have different sensitivities and different thresholds of tolerance than people not familiar with your life, or the raising of animals for food. What about all of the cityfolk who are so far removed from countrylife and animal agriculture? Upon learning of even some of the less heinous practices, they are likely to balk. Many of them want no part of it, and choose a diet that does not support animal agriculture. It is a healthy diet that meets all of their nutritional needs and then some. This is of course what IS happening, as we become a more advanced technologic society. Many people spend their work lives in front of a computer screen, or at a desk. It is these people, perhaps, clergy included, who are questioning whether we should continue to eat animal products. If there are alternatives to the animal foods, and this eases the conscience of people who do not feel good about animal agriculture, and this “movement” seems to be picking up steam–is that a good thing? A bad thing? A neutral thing?
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I did not say this film represented a “fringe” group within the Catholic Church, but intended to convey that the majority of the film seems to have been made by a Protestant group that I personally consider very much on the “fringe”. I didn’t feel the nun added anything important and (though I didn’t say it) would have done better not to have been a part of it. She might not have even known how the rest of the film was going to be, or even that she was going to be part of a larger film. But her presence in the film does give an appearance that she endorsed all the rest of the content, which I wonder whether she would have done had her knowledge been more complete.

I will readily stipulate that city folk don’t know much about rural life or agriculture. Sometimes the lack of knowledge is breathtaking. But, that being the case, it is, to me, a real shame that such people get exposed to things like this film which don’t show things as they really are, and appeal to sentimentalism by anthropomorphizing animals by implication. One could also argue that the “happy cow” commercials are just as inaccurate in their portrayal of “animal life”, and so they are. But I think there is still a difference. The “happy cow” commercials are obviously “cartoonized”, and I think people would readily conclude that there is more to dairying than what’s shown, even though they don’t know what that “more” is. But the film purports to actually portray reality, which it doesn’t, and suggests that what it shows is typical and pervasive, when it isn’t. Some of the things in the film are outright falsehoods, not merely strange, aberrant (and likely staged, at least in part) situations, and I can’t help but believe the makers of the film knew it.

I readily admit that there might be “factory farm” situations that might really be a proper subject for remedy. I also think the Church has a legitimate place to instruct us on the proper treatment of animals. To me, it’s rather like telling a small boy not to destroy a toy plane he got for Christmas by putting it down the garbage disposal. These animals are gifts, and I fully believe that, and should be treated in that manner. Every time I work with my cattle, I think how beneficient God really was in giving us animals that could convert useless grass (weeds in the case of goats) into nutritious food. I think about that every time. And I think about the good health, generous pastues and sparkling clean water I can deliver to those animals as “my part of the deal”. But “my part of the deal” has to include the cautionary thought that those animals are not people. They are not. And it is just as wrong for me to think of them that way as it is for me to think of them as inanimate objects like so much limestone gravel. To me, anthropomorphizing animals is a false god; a golden calf, as it were. We are bidden to see the Face of Christ in people, not in calves.
 
Ridgerunner said:
I did not say this film represented a “fringe” group within the Catholic Church, but …We are bidden to see the Face of Christ in people, not in calves.
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** Very well put, Ridgerunner. I have to respect that. I have just one question. As strange or naive as it may seem. Why did St. Francis preach to the birds?**
 
Ridgerunner said:
it is, to me, a real shame that such people get exposed to things like this film which don’t show things as they really are, and appeal to sentimentalism by anthropomorphizing animals by implication. (1)

Some of the things in the film are outright falsehoods, not merely strange, aberrant (and likely staged, at least in part) situations, and I can’t help but believe the makers of the film knew it. (2)

I readily admit that there might be “factory farm” situations that might really be a proper subject for remedy. I also think the Church has a legitimate place to instruct us on the proper treatment of animals. To me, it’s rather like telling a small boy not to destroy a toy plane he got for Christmas by putting it down the garbage disposal. These animals are gifts, and I fully believe that, and should be treated in that manner. Every time I work with my cattle, I think how beneficient God really was in giving us animals that could convert useless grass (weeds in the case of goats) into nutritious food. I think about that every time. And I think about the good health, generous pastues and sparkling clean water I can deliver to those animals as “my part of the deal”. (3)

But “my part of the deal” has to include the cautionary thought that those animals are not people. They are not. And it is just as wrong for me to think of them that way as it is for me to think of them as inanimate objects like so much limestone gravel. To me, anthropomorphizing animals is a false god; a golden calf, as it were. We are bidden to see the Face of Christ in people, not in calves. (4)
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Yes, very well put Ridgerunner.
  1. I did not detect much in the way of anthropomorphism in the film. ANTHROPOMORPHIZE: attribute human shape or characteristics to a god, animal, or inanimate thing… Webster’s
  2. outright falsehoods? Which specifically? (helps to clarify to be able to address, respond to)
  3. Love this passage Ridgerunner! (Note: this cattleman feeds his cattle GRASS and I take it that they eat it outdoors. That’s what they are designed to eat. Many factory farmers feed cattle corn. See the documentary film ***Food, Inc. ***if you are interested in learning what’s wrong with feeding cattle corn. tiny.cc/dEjOP )
  4. No one is saying that animals are people, or that they are equal to people. Is it a false god to love your meat so much that one can’t even entertain the thought of living without it, or reducing the consumption of it?
 
Marfran said:
And** you **came to **this thread **to provide guidance and support? Or did you come to be disruptive and judgemental? Did you even watch the short film Eating Mercifully? This is the focus of our discussion. Can you watch the movie and make comments that are applicable to our discussion? Or are you intent on squashing it?
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Marfran, the above post was intended as guidance and support.😉
 
Ridgerunner said:
Without intending any offense to either Bill Cherry or Mickey Finn, I would like to caution you that sometimes the moderators shut down threads in which comments get too personal. I have found this thread interesting, notwithstanding that I have a pretty heartfelt point of view, and would prefer that it not be shut down.

Nor would I like to see either of you draw a complaint or get suspended or anything like that. You kind of have to get used to the way things work in here, and, again, I mean you no offense in bringing that to your attention.
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O.K. I’ll leave you to it then.
ATB
 
Bill_Cherry said:
** Very well put, Ridgerunner. I have to respect that. I have just one question. As strange or naive as it may seem. Why did St. Francis preach to the birds?**
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Mark 16:15 “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” Jesus
 
mercifulJan said:
Mark 16:15 “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” Jesus
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Well, that’s it, then. Bosco! C’mere, boy! Have I got a treat for you!-
😛
Which reminds of of the story where this missionary is traveling through the jungles of Africa when he comes across this lion. The lion looks at the missionary and licks his lips. Immediately the missionary starts preaching the gospel to the lion. Soon, the lion falls to his knees and says, " Bless me, O Lord, and this your gift which I am about to receive from your bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen."
Just a little comic relief:blush:
 
Bill_Cherry said:
Well, that’s it, then. Bosco! C’mere, boy! Have I got a treat for you!-
😛
Which reminds of of the story where this missionary is traveling through the jungles of Africa when he comes across this lion. The lion looks at the missionary and licks his lips. Immediately the missionary starts preaching the gospel to the lion. Soon, the lion falls to his knees and says, " Bless me, O Lord, and this your gift which I am about to receive from your bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen."
Just a little comic relief:blush:
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Holy Wow, a talking lion. I’m going to put it in a sideshow and get rich. 😃
 
mercifulJan said:
Was it Jesus who sent them to drown or was it the demons that did it??
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It would take a better Bible scholar than me to answer that. Since God’s in charge I’d guess whichever way, it was with His permission.
 
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