DISCORD:
Conflict Between Teachings & Practice
Animals & Religion is designed for those who believe that sacred writings have moral authority and are the best way to understand how we ought to live. This website is for those who, with fresh eyes, would like to explore core sacred texts to better understand rightful relations between humankind and anymals.
Christianity is a path of grace, a journey that offers new opportunities and new insights with the passing of each day. Visitors to the Animals & Religion Website are invited to engage with the material thoughtfully and prayerfully, to return to Scripture, to recall how certain sacred texts have been read, taught, and lived in your religious community, and to ponder how these ancient, holy writings might speak anew in contemporary times.
Galatians 5:22
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Despite core teachings of kindness, respect for anymals, kinship, and the requirement that we serve God here on Earth in the image of God, there is wide acceptance of anymal exploitation in science, entertainment, pet, clothing, and food industries. (For more on Christian ethics and anymals, see Sacred Texts.) Without reflection, often turning away so as not to see, most people use their purchasing power to perpetuate all forms of anymal exploitation. This section focuses on three ways that Christians may fail to align practice with core sacred teachings: lack of humility, failure to serve God in this life in this world, and forms of entertainment that harm and destroy anymals.
While examining discord between sacred teachings and religious practice has a tendency to stir strong feelings, faithful reflection is essential if we are to strengthen our faith commitment. Throughout history, confronting discord between religious knowledge and practice has opened the door for necessary change, repentance, renewal, a stronger relationship with God, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be a Christian.
Most Christians accept anymal experimentation, though anymals suffer terribly in breeding facilities and laboratories, as is easy to see in the face of a mother macaque (and her young) held in a breeding facility. (We Animals Media)
Living as she was created to live, free from human exploitation, a macaque with her baby, both healthy and contented. (We Animals Media)
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These tensions take shape in different areas of Christian life. The following topics highlight where differences between teachings and practice become visible.
Lack of Humility Forgetting our place within creation can lead to treating animals as resources rather than fellow beings.
This Life & The Afterlife Focusing on the next world can draw attention away from responsibility toward animals in this one.
Bullfighting & Animal Sports Practices that cause harm for entertainment raise questions about how they align with values of mercy and compassion.
Common Questions
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In many cases, there is a gap between what sacred texts call for and how people live. Exploring this gap is part of faithful reflection.
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Human behavior is shaped by culture, habit, and convenience. Religious teachings invite ongoing reflection and realignment over time.
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Core teachings often emphasize compassion and responsibility. Differences usually arise in how they are understood or applied in daily life.
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Christian sacred texts call for mercy, humility, and care within creation. Harm often reflects human choices rather than the ethical direction of the teachings.
James 1:22
Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
Hubris, often expressed as human exceptionalism, the tendency to focus only on personal salvation at the expense of serving God amid creation, and bulfighting stand in opposition to core Christian teachings and daily practice. While discerning discord between teachings and practice in our personal lives is often difficult, it lends to spiritual growth. Through grace, prayer, reflection, and with willingness to change, we are likely to find fresh ways of growing yet closer to God.
Living Christianity, or humility and engagement in this world, can lead to such acts as rescuing chinchillas from the fur industry.