Jay Lucas Article... Part 2

The following article was written by Pastor Jay Lucas as a guest Religion columnist for The Record Herald newspaper. This is Part two of a three part series.

Fayette County Supports Animal Abuse

There is a great moral evil that is rampant in Fayette County. It can be found in our grocery stores, on many of our farms and certainly in groups like 4H. What is this great evil? It is the chronic violation of the rights of animals. It is immoral to use animals for food, selective breeding, clothing and for entertainment. All of these activities are considered immoral if done to humans, so why would we consider it acceptable to treat animals this way?

According to Ingrid Newkirk of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, “There is no rational basis for saying that a human being has special rights. A rat is a pig is a boy. They’re all mammals”. (I believe she said this is in the Washington Times, August 29, 1999). Considering the fact that our grocery stores are filled with meat products, many of our farmers breed and raise livestock for human consumption and many of our residents hunt and fish for sport, Fayette County is guilty of gross violations of the rights of animals.

As a Christian who has a worldview shaped by the Bible, I know the above statements are filled with errors and faulty conclusions. The radical animal rights movement is just one of the many false philosophies that results from a rejection of the Bible and what the Bible reveals about God, about man and about nature. All kinds of special interest groups talk about rights and speak of rights as something to which they are entitled, but from where do rights come? What are they? How do we know? No philosophy, lifestyle or advocacy group which rejects the Bible can give sound answers to these questions. That does not keep people from insisting they have special rights, but they have no true foundation for the claims they make.

On March 12^th – 13^th, Grace Community Church will be hosting Debate Summit 2010 (see www.debatesummit.com). Of the three debates scheduled, none is specifically dedicated to debating the nature of human rights. However, each of the debates covers ground that has many implications for human rights. I invite you to consider that although the debates will cover some technical issues, they have practical applications for questions such as, “Is it unethical for Fayette County farmers to breed and raise animals that will be used for human consumption?”. When considered in that light, it is easier to see and understand the importance of these debates.

I hope to see you there.