Question:
My older brother tells me that I am wrong to support animal rights if I'm a Christian, because animals don't have immortal souls and only humans were made in God's image. What is your take on this one?.
R.E., Poolesville, Md Mar 21, 2004
Answer:
To paraphrase the writer G.K. Chesterton, there's nothing wrong with Christianity except no one has really tried it, except for St. Francis of Assisi.St. Francis taught that through nature and animals we realize God, and should treat all of God's creation with respect and compassion. For more details, see my book "The Boundless Circle: Caring for Creatures and Creation" (Quest Books, 1996).Theologian Meister Eckhart encapsulates my philosophy in these eloquent lines: "Apprehend God in all things. For God is in all things. Every single creature is full of God and is a book about God. Every creature is a word of God."
Subscribe