EASTER: PITY THE POOR LAMB

Philosophical discussion series—

Is it morally correct to eat the flesh of animals?  Is the fact that so many do validate it as an ethical act? Those who indulge in such practices have plenty of help in religious quarters, almost all of which preach “dominionism”.

BY ROSE EISENBUD

Joann

Why such a contradiction is possible was earnestly explained to me by Gheorghe Constantin Nistorioiu a cleric of the Eastern Orthodox Church:

He goes on to state:

For those who understand that all lives are precious, including that of an infant sheep, such reasoning defies logic and compassion. Those who understand that a baby sheep should be allowed to learn to graze, kick up his/her hoofs, enjoy the sunshine and run through the grass, to live out his/her life as nature intended, the doctrine of dominion, as cited by Gheorghe Constantin Nistorioiu is nothing more than an excuse for man to indulge in greed and gluttony at the expense of a fragile and gentle creature, who has harmed no one and seeks to live, just as we do.

The lamb in this picture has in all likelihood already been slaughtered for a sumptuous feast of roasted leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic or some other herbs and spices.

What was once a weak, defenseless baby sheep has already suffered a violent and cruel death and has been reduced to a hunk of well-seasoned flesh, all for the joy and pleasure of those who believe that man has the god-given right to harm and slaughter animals.

The nature of sin:

The following message was received from a compassionate and thoughtful Chrsitian activist:

The explanation for  why it is not a sin to kill a living being, also lies in the dominion model. If as dominion states, god has granted man the right to harm and slaughter animals for human benefit, then such violence is a sacred right and therefore, not a sin. The necessity clause of dominion is particularly deceptive, as it creates the illusion of compassion, as it goes so far as to state that it is righteous to be cruel:

Therefore: He who is of necessity cruel to animals can be regarded as a righteous individual.

When cruelty is considered righteous, ab(use) and slaughter are tolerated, accepted and justified.

The strength and beauty of Jainism, is that it has taken god out of the equation. It has been effective in perpetuating a compassionate lifestyle based on the words of human sages who have achieved liberation of their souls because of their wisdom and non-violence. These wise human individuals observed that animals suffer, as do humans, when subjected to violence, so they deduced that to cause no harm to living beings is beneficial both to the victims and those who refrain from violence. As long as dominion prevails, speculation on what god intended, or why he/she allows for such cruelty to innocent animals sets up a dynamic which does not get to the issue: all living beings are entitled to their own lives and have the right to remain free from human harm. The jains have by passed the issue of god and speak directly to compassion. This resonates with me as a model of compassion with a sound foundation.

In the Jain tradition it is in fact a sin, not a right, to harm or kill a living being:

With all that I have said, it is not necessart to become part of a Jain community to understand and live by ahimsa. Those who care deeply about animal compassion would do well to completely reject the notion of dominion and understand that because it puts man above the animals, it does not have the potential to deliver compassion.

Until we stop the pretense that there is compassion inherent dominion, the Easter lamb will continue to be sacrificed for human pleasure and celebration, despite the existence of compassionate words, which do not challenge sanctified harm and slaughter.

Ruth Eisenbud fights to expose the brutal tyranny ensconced in so many unexamined traditions, especially religious, none of which surpass that visited on animals.

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