Not One Sparrow
Compassion is not a zero-sum game. Compassion begets more compassion, though channeled into different responses and for different ends. The most famous evangelical animal activist, William Wilberforce, publicly opposed bull-baiting (a spectator sport where dogs attack bulls) and co-founded the first animal welfare group out of the same vision for Christ's kingdom that led him to support public Sabbath observance, fund evangelism to Indians, and work to overthrow the British slave trade, among countless other initiatives.
It's our recognition of Christ's reign over all things—even the sparrows—that compels us to proclaim our no! about animal cruelty in the public square, and to make our yes! about the worth and dignity of all God's creatures a joyful witness to his coming kingdom.
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Previous Christianity Today articles about animals or animal rights include:
Keeping Pets in Their Place | Why we can't afford to treat animals like they're humans. (April 29, 2008)
The Back Page: Taming Beasts | "Raising the moral status of dogs has created a breed of snarling, dangerous humans" (April 1, 2003)
Star Trek Into Darkness
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Jan
Who pays church leaders their salary? We are still responsible to God who put animals in our care and someday we will be held accountable. Jesus even died to redeem creation. We should not be supporting the abuse of billions of animals with what we buy to eat and drink. Col. 1:20; Heb 4:13. A great video is "Christian Concern For All God's Creatures". There are many other videos concerning animals. Where are our leaders? Who's leading who?
David
And God created people on the same day as the other land animals ... That God cares about animals is obvious through scripture, c.f. Noah's ark and the closing words of Jonah. So far, We're on the same page. However, Christians should not be speciesist. Speciesism means taking a strictly biological category, our species, and using it to justify a difference in moral treatment. Speciesism is not the only (or a reasonable) way to draw a moral distinction between different kinds of organisms. We need to base differences of treatment on relevant differences in the nature of the beings. Humans and many other animals suffer pain in common--suffering is suffering. Humans exhibit a moral autonomy, which is either absent or only faintly present in some other animals. Humans don't count more, we just count differently. Making moral decisions based on the nature of God's creation requires looking at his creation earnestly, and not just at the Bible. Two books, remember.
Flora
Thank you for this article. I have most of it in my mind and feels good to know that there are others who think the same. There are so many needs in this world, so many helping hands needed. Let's not discourage anyone to care for any cause. God has given each person a calling to a particular cause. If children is your calling, then go for it. If education is your calling, then go for it. If animals is your calling, don't hesitate to go for it. Our life will only be whole when we answer the true God's calling. Don't worry about other cause, God himself will provide "worker" for each "field".