I've been critical of my denomination, The Southern Baptist Convention, for engaging the public square in a way that is overly partisan and reactive. Christians can engage politics in a way that is constructive, thoughtful, and promotes the common good. This week, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the SBC made me proud to be Southern Baptist.
In a collaborative video released by the ERLC, the Palmetto Family Council, and the Humane Society of the United States, the issue of cockfighting is addressed in a way that is both non-partisan and distinctly Christian.
As Richard Land of the ERLC says when the video opens, "We do not have the right to treat living things as if they were inanimate objects. We do not have a right to cause them needless pain for frivolous reasons such as our entertainment." He points out that violence against animals contributes to the coarsening of our culture and violates the commands of the Christian Scriptures. Land rightly calls cockfighting a "pornography of violence" and adds, "I would defy anyone who defends cockfighting to say that they would take Jesus to a cockfight."
Watch the video below and then leave comments/reactions.
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amandaginn said:
I have many thoughts about this post and will have to spend some time processing it all. My initial reactions:
1. I'm so glad to see the SBC taking a stand for God's silent creatures.
2. I wonder about the sensitivity of this video to the people that practice cockfighting. Barbara Kingsolver's novel, "Animal Dreams," addresses the idea that this is often a tradition passed down from fathers to sons. It is also, without drawing stereotypes, often a cultural tradition among American minority groups or in Latino cultures.
While the SBC's message is important and Biblical and deeply appreciated, it seems painfully typical of our white, patriarchal society, passing down judgment from on high. Could there be another messenger, other than, or at least in addition to, Land and the ERLC?
3. Where is the SBC on the issue of animal welfare overall?
Not to diminish the importance of taking a stand at all, but while a small percentage of Americans take part in this cruel "sport," almost all Americans engage multiple times daily in the act of consuming animal products -- meat, cheese, ice cream, etc. You yourself have shed light on the dark acts against humans and animals that take place on CAFOs and in slaughterhouses.
It is my hope that this is the beginning of our evangelical culture speaking out against the unnecessary and excessive cruelty to God's creatures.
Posted: January 26, 2012
Jonathan Merritt said:
Amanda,
Great point. I'm going to reach out to some friend in the Latin-American Christian community to see where they are on this. We need their voices in the conversation for sure. Will let you know...
Best,
Jm
Posted: January 26, 2012