Animals and Religion: In The End.

My journey is now at an end. I have been researching the relationship between Animals and Religion since October and I have discovered some truly amazing things. So, for my last post, I present to you my own views on the subject:

In The End:

No matter hard we try, we simply cannot ignore the fact that animals exist.

We have dog shows and horse races and we watch clips of animals doing funny and comical things over and over again. We are amazed when we hear unbelievable stories about animals and we are horrified when we hear cases of animal cruelty.

Those of us who have pets are comforted by the loyalty and love we are shown from our furry friends; sometimes, it feels as if our pets care for us more than our family and friends do.

With all this in mind, we may conclude that no religion on the face of the earth can afford to ignore these, our fellow creatures.

And as can be seen from my posts, no religion actually does ignore animals.

Every religion studied contains a scriptural quotation, an  anecdote and a saying from authoritative figures about how human beings should treat animals with the utmost respect.

In Hinduism, this is manifested by having deities portrayed as animals. In Buddhism, there is the inescapable belief that all beings are our own flesh and blood. In Christianity, believers yearn for the Kingdom of God to arrive, so that all creatures may live in peace. And in Islam, animals are regarded as fellow Muslims; who submit to God entirely.

However, for animal rights activists, this is only one side of the coin and is simply not enough. Hindus and Buddhists assert that animals can only achieve liberation once they become human. Christians traditionally saw humans as having dominion over all other species and the Islamic method of slaughtering animals is seen as barbaric and completely outdated.

It is not just individuals outside these traditions who are critical. There is evidence that the religious themselves are changing, particularly with regards to vegetarianism in Christianity and Islam. For these Christians and Muslims, there is the belief that God is not just the God of humanity, but the God of all Creation. All creatures thus have the divine right to lead a happy, healthy life. As is to be expected, there is much opposition from the "Orthodox" quarter.

Inevitably, these issues and debates will continue to take place, not only in the discussion forum or blog or website, but also in the house, street, market-place, Temple, Mosque, Church and on the farm.

In short, they will continue anywhere and everywhere, simply because of the fact that humans are not alone, and religiously, were never meant to be alone.

Islamic Vegetarianism: "And the flesh of fowls, any that they may desire."

The verse quoted above is taken from the Qur'an, Surah 56:21 referring to the eating of meat for the righteous in heaven. Such a verse, as well as the fuss over Halal meat, and the sacrificing of animals on the Muslim festival of Eid-al-Adha, may make it seem  near enough impossible for a person  to be Muslim and vegetarian at the same time.

But they do exist. Richard C. Foltz, author of Animals in Islamic Tradition and Muslim Cultures argues that Islamic Vegetarianism is on the rise, especially through the use of the internet.

But what Islamic reasons can a Muslim give for being vegetarian?

Health

Muslim vegetarians argue that their choice of diet  is much healthier than a non-vegetarian diet.

The website IslamVeg, which also contains links to a free vegetarian starter kit; has a section on why vegetarianism leads to better state of health, not only for humans, but for the environment too.

Such reasons could be deemed "Islamic" as in Islam, Muslims are commanded to look after what God has created, including the human body but also the greater natural world. (See my previous post on Animals in Islam.)

IslamVeg also utilises  fatwas from prominent Islamic scholars sanctioning the permissibility of a vegetarian diet, who refer to Islamic sayings such as, "meat can be just as addictive as wine."

Halal or Haram?

Islamic vegetarianism is further promoted, with the argument concerning the current state of factory farming. Muslim vegetarians point out that Halal meat is not just about whether the animal was slaughtered the right way, but also whether the animal was raised the right way and had a decent standard of living.

The horrors of factory farming; feeding animals to animals, battery cages and the mutilation of beaks and claws are seen as being contrary to the Islamic spirit. Animals slaughtered under these conditions can never be considered as Halal, but as totally Haram; or forbidden, vegetarians argue.

It seems that this argument holds much more sway over Muslims than any other, as the following quote from a member of an Islamic discussion forum, SunniForum, shows:

"I have nightmares about being faced by a field of chickens with their beaks clipped off on the day of judgement, testifying that I couldn't spend $1 more on truly free range eggs, but instead forced them to live their entire lives in cages where they could not even lift their wings, and had their beaks chopped off because they were driven insane by their surroundings...."

And as this video discusses:



Opposition

Islamic vegetarianism has benefited from much more presence in the public sphere,  such as the pro-Vegetarian demonstration by the Jordanian "Lettuce Lady"; but, the opportunity for meat-eating Muslims to have their say is also available, leading to the existence of a strong debate between the two groups.  

There are numerous blogs, online fatwas and discussion board messages dedicated to the debate.

The meat-eating Muslim majority oppose vegetarianism because:

• There is an Islamic injunction, stating that you cannot make something prohibited which God has allowed.
• It is clear from the Qur'an that humans are allowed to eat meat.
• The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ate meat himself.

Muslim vegetarians cannot say that they think killing animals for food is cruel, meat-eaters respond by stating that God has permitted meat-eating and God can never be described as cruel. He is for Muslims, "The Merciful, The Compassionate."

Other reasons are given here:

Conclusion
The internet, as always is a key tool used for propagating unorthodox religious messages and whilst meat-eating Muslims may dismiss the claims of Muslims vegetarians as a load of 'hippy nonsense',  it is clear that most Muslim vegetarians, just like their Christian counterparts seek to find justifications for their vegetarianism within their religion, not outside of it.

Christian Vegetarianism: "The Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat."

The Biblical verse quoted in the title is taken from Numbers 11:18 and is just one of many which indicates the absolute dichotomy between traditional Christian thinking and the idea that Christians can be vegetarians.

For one thing, there are many "animal" motifs throughout Christian Theology, such as the belief in Jesus Christ as the sacrificial "Lamb of God" and the use of the fish symbol.

Therefore, the question is "Can a Christian be vegetarian for Christian reasons? And if so, what exactly are these reasons?

Blessed are the Merciful

One reason given by Christian vegetarians concerns the central Christian belief of God as Love. All creation belongs to God; thus it is worthy of being cared for not eaten.

By being vegetarian, Christians are embodying the attribute of mercy and are fulfilling Jesus' words, "Blessed are the Merciful."

The website JesusVeg gives an example of this approach on its FAQ page, where it replies to one users' query stating that Christians should be vegetarians even if Jesus Christ wasn't.

This line of thought also involves Christian vegetarians to interpret Biblical narratives and events in non-traditional ways, which support their cause; such as this video on the Cleansing of the Temple.



And the idea that the natural state of humanity in the Garden of Eden was to practice Vegetarianism, as is indicated by some Biblical passages:

Jesus Christ: The Vegetarian

Despite some vegetarians believing that Jesus himself wasn't vegetarian, there are many that believe he was. This argument rests on the premise that passages in the Bible which portray Jesus eating fish, have actually been misunderstood and misinterpreted.

JesusVeg argues that the fish-eating verses were added in later by Greek scribes, because the Greek word for fish is an acrostic for Jesus Christ.

Other interpretations state that the Greek words for "fish" and "meat" are so general, that they can actually mean "dish" or "food," meaning that Christ never ate meat, but was a vegetarian:

Opposition

Despite the increase in Christians who are vegetarians, there is much opposition amongst non-vegetarian Christians. The latter argue that the former are guilty of making Jesus in the image of humanity, rather than humanity being made in the image of Jesus, as this blogger claims.

It seems that this argument is quite popular and also generates a lot of controversy and heated discussion, both on this site and on Christian Forums, where a thread on the subject lasted for 4 pages and ended up being closed by a moderator.

Conclusion

Thus, it is clear that many Christians preach a vegetarian lifestyle through using the internet and whilst this doubtlessly challenged traditional Christian thought regarding meat-eating, there is still much debate, controversy and opposition. This is not likely to change and perhaps the same situation exists for Islamic Vegetarianism.

Religious Vegetarianism: A Mission Impossible?

Following my series of posts on individual religions and what they have to say about animals, I now propose to change emphasis slightly by looking at the specific issue of religious vegetarianism in Christianity and Islam.

I have chosen these two religions simply because meat-eating is far more prevalent in Christian and Muslim cultures than in Eastern traditions, almost as if it is an unchallenged norm.

Thus, it is common to hear such phrases as, "Humans are meant to eat meat," or "It's natural," as is humorously depicted in the American sitcom, All in the Family:



Subsequently, over the next few posts, I aim to research the following issues:

• What is the "normative" view of meat-eating in Christianity and Islam?
• What "Christian" and "Islamic" reasons can vegetarians give for their way of life?
• How do non-vegetarian Christian and Muslims respond to these claims?

Animals in Islam: Signs of God, Animal Muslims and Halal Meat.

"Whoever is kind to the Creatures of God is kind to himself."

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Islam is a comprehensive system, covering all aspects of life. The 'Animal Theme' is no exception to this, there are many unique conceptions of animals in  Islamic thought with animals seen, at one and the same time; as signs of God and Halal meat.

Signs of God

Muslims believe that God; Allah in Arabic, is the Creator of everything that exists. All creation thus reflects the Design and Creativity of God. It is for this reason that the Qur'an (2:164) describes animals and the whole of the natural world as "ayat" or "signs" of the existence of God.

There are many animal parables mentioned in the Qur'an, and some chapters of the Qur'an are named after certain animals, such as:

• "The Cow"
• "The Cattle"
• "The Bees"
• "The Ant(s)"
• "The Spider"
• "The Steeds"

Many stories from the Prophet's (PBUH) lifetime are used to illustrate the need for Muslims to care for these Signs of God:

The website InspiredbyMuhammad(PBUH) has a similar section, with the following video:

Muslim Animals

Muslims firmly believe that all animals and indeed, all creation is naturally muslim, in that everything which exists follows and submits to the law of God, as this article explains and as this video shows:

The next video utilises this belief to counter the "Famous Celebrity Muslims" phenomenon:

The Qur'an declares that not only does every creature worship God, but that each has its own mode of worship, which human beings will never be able to understand. Thus, many Muslims regard a cat's purr as the manifestation of dhikr or the Remembrance of God.

Halal Meat

Though animals are regarded as naturally Muslim, the way animals are slaughtered in order to fulfil the requirements of Halal meat, is a highly controversial issue for animal rights activists and indeed, for some Muslims.

Muslims argue that the Islamic method of slaughter is the most humane, as this article explains, whilst activists state the opposite; that killing animals before stunning, is unbearably cruel.

Both sides produce scientific evidence to support their claims and the BBC Religion website provides a summary of this.

This topic has become more popular in recent years, with evidence of an online debate emerging, with a BBC Poll on the subject and some Islamically based websites petitioning against halal meat, such as New Age Islam.

Conclusion

It may be argued that Islam goes further than any of the religions previously discussed, as it regards all creatures as "fellow Muslims" who worship God perfectly and reveal the existence and Creative power of God.

However, the issue of Halal meat, for some, corrupts and damages Islam's 'animal-friendliness.' The issue is not likely to be resolved soon, rather, I believe that there will continue to be much debate on and within both sides,with the internet as the key arena.

Animals in Christianity: Domination, Animal Preachers and Church Blessings.

"The righteous know the needs of their animals, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel."

Proverbs 12:10

Christianity is the World's largest religion and thus has much to say about the status of non-human animals. Interestingly, it is possible to detect a change in attitude towards animals over time.

Early and Medieval Christianity focused on human superiority, whilst Contemporary Christianity is more "animal-friendly with phenomena such as Animal Preachers and Church Blessings on the rise.

Domination

The traditional Christian view on animals was one of domination; animals exist so that humans can "utilise" them. Genesis 1:26, which speaks of dominion over "every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth" was the scriptural basis for this view.

The BBC Religion website on Christianity and Animals gives three reasons for why Christians believed in animal inferiority: 

1. Animals are created for human use, not the other way round.
2. Animals do not have the faculties of reason, nor do they possess souls.
3. Animals should  be considered solely from the human perspective, not their own.

The Giants of Christian thinking, St. Augustine, St. Aquinas and Karl Barth also preached similar views, emphasizing the fact that God revealed Himself in human form (in Jesus PBUH), not in animal form.

Animal Preachers

The existence of Animal Preachers is not completely due to contemporary thinking; many medieval Saints famously preached to animals, including St. Anthony of Padua, who preached to fishes and St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Animals.

St. Francis is a popular figure and is used by many Animal Rights groups to further their cause, as the following video shows:

If the concept of Animal Preaching was revolutionary then; today it is seen as essential for Christian ministry. A GodWeb article on animals concludes by stating, "...each of us is called to a ministry of, by and for all creatures, great and small."

The Internet is also used to encourage Christians to become Animal Preachers and Chaplains.



Church Blessings

Many Churches offer services where animals are blessed. Most notable is the Cathedral of St.John the Divine:

Also, there are many websites dedicated to animal prayers, where users can request for other members to pray for their pets. Click here and here for two examples.

Conclusion

Christianity has clearly undergone a shift in thinking. Animals were primarily regarded as being beneath humanity and this was God's Will. Humans are made in the "Image of God;" animals are not. And God chose to become a human, not an animal.

However, through the centuries, Christians have rejected domination for stewardship, in the sense that human beings are responsible for looking after God's Creatures. Yet, even in this revised model, the onus is on humanity as the pinnacle of creation, humans are to look after animals, not vice-versa.

Animals in Buddhism: Buddha-Nature, Karma and Releasing Life.

“The eating of meat extinguishes the seed of great compassion."
The Buddha

In Buddhism, belief in God is not seen as necessary in order to obtain liberation or Nirvana. Followers of the  Abrahamic Faiths, who see all rights as stemming from the decrees of God, may thus argue that Buddhism has little to say about animals; but this could not be further from the truth.

Buddha-Nature
Buddhists believe that all beings possess Buddha-Nature, which is the potential to become enlightened and lead a true Buddhist lifestyle.

This idea and the belief in reincarnation combine to create a powerful principle, whereby Buddhists state that all animals have once been our mothers, fathers, brothers and friends.

This principle has been utilised by many societies to promote Veganism, as this video shows:

Karma

Buddhists must exercise compassion towards animals so that the Karma in their acts will benefit them in the future. To harm animals, is to harm the self, as the bad karma inherent in such acts will hinder the prospect of enlightenment.

Thus, Buddhists abstain from any act that will hurt animals; subsequently many Buddhists advocate vegetarianism. However, not all Buddhists are vegetarian and there is a disagreement over whether Buddha prescribed vegetarianism for his followers.

Some Buddhists argue that meat is allowed, as long as the animal was not intentionally killed for providing food; however, others state that vegetarianism is the only option available in Buddhism, and cite quotes such as the one above to support their stance, along with many others:

However, the notion of Karma can also be used against animals. If a human leads a bad life, there is a chance that they will be reborn as an animal. This is important, as in Buddhism; an animal cannot improve the status of their souls but must wait for all of the bad Karma to end, before they can become human and continue searching for Nirvana.

Releasing Life

Releasing Life refers to the Buddhist practice of saving the lives of endangered animals, usually by releasing them back into the wild.

This is not only a demonstration of Buddhist piety but also expresses the special relationship that exists between humans and animals in Buddhism. The following is a video on Releasing Life:

Additionally, there also many Buddhist prayers for the liberation of animals from all harm: (Please note, the following video contains upsetting images.)

Conclusion

It is clear that Buddhism has a unique place for non-human animals; they possess souls but also have an in-built Buddha Nature to realise the Ultimate Goal of Nirvana. Harming other beings is thus incredibly foolish; it is tantamount to harming your own parents and even your own self! For this reason, Buddhists are always at the forefront for championing animal rights.

However, just like Hinduism, Buddhism places the human being on the higher pedestal; liberation can only be obtained when the soul is clothed in the human body; no matter how hard any animal tries. And I think this is probably the same conclusion that all other religions reach.