By Rev. Feargus O’Connor.
Rev. Feargus O’Connor is the Minister of Golders Green Unitarians and Secretary of the World Congress of Faiths
Should humane and compassionate people not feel a moral imperative to act to relieve the immense suffering of billions of sentient fellow creatures and feel impelled to do whatever we can to save countless animal lives?
It has been estimated that the flesh of over 50 billion animals is consumed every year. Billions of our fellow creatures are routinely abused, killed and experimented on in countries whose peoples proclaim their adherence to religious traditions teaching compassion and respect for all God’s living creation. But how often is there real evidence of such compassion in our actions?
So should not all religious believers, each adhering to our own tradition, perceive the need to examine our collective consciences to determine how far we have fallen short of the religious ideals of love and compassion we should not only feel for all living creation but show in our actions?
Should we not all be inspired the by the vision of universal peace of the Prophet Isaiah?
‘Calf and lion cub feed together with a little boy to lead them.
The cow and the bear make friends.
Their young lie down together.
The lion eats straw like the ox.
The infant plays over the cobra’s hole.
Into the viper’s lair the young child puts his hand.
They do no hurt, no harm, on all my holy mountain.’ (Isaiah, chapter 11)
Each of us can express that compassion in life affirming actions such as adopting a cruelty-free diet and being ever responsive to any cases of cruelty to animals we witness.
One other act of compassionate witness would surely be effective interfaith action to cultivate, among adherents of all religion, an ethic of universal reverence for life?
Inspired by our World Congress of Faiths’ animal celebrations, several of us have decided to create an Animals Interfaith Alliance to witness to the need for loving kindness to all our fellow creatures. I am delighted that at our inaugural meeting we chose our Board, and of seven members, there are four Jewish friends, two of whom are JVS staff members. You are warmly invited to join us.
Our Interfaith Alliance for Animals will seek to bring the riches of our several spiritual traditions to the service of this interreligious fellowship, whose vital mission is universal compassion expressed in loving deeds, to ‘heal the world’ and strive for the happiness and welfare for all who live and breathe.