Cause of animal welfare finds new champions in religious communities

Animal rights activism has been identified as a liberal, secular cause, thanks to groups such as the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), but is now finding supporters in various religious communities, reports the Los Angeles Times. "They're lecturing in Quaker meetinghouses and Episcopal churches, setting up Web sites that post Scripture alongside recipes for vegan soup -- and using biblical language to promote political initiatives, such as laws mandating bigger cages for pregnant pigs," writes Stephanie Simon.

The Best Friends Animal Society has been a key force behind the effort. On Wednesday it is bringing together clergy from 20 different faiths (including Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Pentecostal and Roman Catholic) to sign "A Religious Proclamation for Animal Compassion" that "will call on all people of faith to stop wearing fur, reduce meat consumption, and buy only from farms with humane practices," Simon adds. The Best Friends Animal Society also plans to distribute that message to 2,000 congregations nationwide. (Read more)

Simon explains that there have been efforts by evangelicals to expand their values to include concerns for poverty and the environment. Recently, Dr. Dr. Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals, gave a lecture called, “For the Health of a Nation – An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility” at Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, Ky. A portion of the lecture, in which he discussed using “moral vision” and “moral courage” to respond to issues such as global warming, can be seen here.