This has been kicking around for 4 years already:
Signatories include Albert Mohler, Russell Moore, Richard Land, Daniel Akin, and Bill Hybels (because nothing says moral authority like Bill Hybels). Here's a sample:
We resolve to rule and treat all animals as living valued creatures, deserving of compassion, because they ultimately belong to God, because He has created them, declared them good, given them the breath of life, covenanted with them, and entrusted them to our responsible rule. So while animals have been given into our hand and for food this does not mean we can treat them as objects or act cruelly towards them.
i) Does that include termites, cockroaches, deer ticks, head lice, fire ants, tape worms, bot flies, Tsetse flies, and mosquitos?
ii) What about rats?
iii) What about venomous snakes in residential areas? Or reticulating pythons in residential areas?
iv) What about dangerous predators in residential areas, viz. wolves, cougars, crocodiles, grizzly bears?
v) God didn't say every species is good. Gen 1 refers to the natural kinds that God created in the beginning.
vi) What about all the animals God destroys in natural disasters and mass extinctions?
The Every Living Thing site links to a video in which vegan open theist Gregory Boyd waxes sentimental about animal rights.
It has a girl who pats herself on the back because she volunteers at an animal shelter. What about volunteering to visit shut-ins, nursing homes, and hospices, full of lonely or dying people? What about abandoned street kids around the world, some of them quite young. Or child trafficking?
The video has a guy making the demonstrably false statement that "in treating animals more respectfully we will treat people more respectfully." To the contrary, lots of folks treat their pets much better than they treat strangers. Consider all the polls in which many respondents say that given a choice between saving their dog and saving a stranger, they'd save the dog. On the one hand we have laws against animal cruelty while, on the other hand, there's abortion, infanticide, and voluntary and involuntary euthanasia for the elderly, depressed, and developmentally disabled.
What's important in all these matters, is seeing the context in which they are said. Some of the things that Social Justice warriors say (some not all) are in and of themselves not necessarily bad. But just like we aren't to read a verse in Scripture outside of its context, we aren't to evaluate such things as this animal rights movement out of its context. It's not happening in a vacuum. It's happening at a time when there is an antichrist socialist spirit that is advancing everywhere and deceiving many, including those in the professing church. Yes, I agree that unnecessary cruelty to animals is evil. I grew up hearing of horrendous, wicked acts being done to animals and I stand against such things, but there's more to all this than just caring about animals. It's a part of the advancement of the New Socialist worldview that is opposed to a Scriptural worldview, in which the uniqueness and place of humans - male and female, who are made in the image of God, is exalted above that of animals. Just as the Social Justice movement takes something like ethnic prejudice, something that is truly wicked, but uses it as a tool to advance its purposes, so it is doing with the concept of caring for animals. And by the way, if Al Mohler's excuse for being involved with the Social Justice way of handling "racial" issues (I put race in quotes because there is only one race - the human race, and so the word race, which is based in evolution, is actually a "racist term", but that's another story) is the baggage that he has to deal with from the Southern Baptist Conventions's history involving slavery, then what's his excuse to get involved with this animal cause? It seems to me that the common denominator is Social Justice, which is socialism, which is generally, in virtually every area, if not every area, opposed to God and His Word. That's why you'll see the same type of people who are involved in certain aspects of Social Justice also involved in others. It seems to me that this is why you'll see someone like Mark Dever have a conversation with Jonathan Leeman that might have the effect of turning people who consider themselves to be Christian away from the idea that voting for life (against abortion) is the only option, and which might very well make them more likely to vote for a pro-abortion candidate. Animal rights, abortion, and many other issues that are opposed to Scripture - they are a package, and it seems that oftentimes, if someone is in one way or another involved with supporting one part of the socialist package, you will see them involved in another part of the package. Al Mohler is involved with the Social Justice way of handling prejudice that is contrary to Scripture, and Al Mohler is involved in animal rights causes. Mark Dever is involved in interviewing people like Tim Keller and Ed Stetzer and Mark Dever is also involved in such an interview regarding one-issue voting. True believer reading this, please pray, and also take courage. Pray for those in error to repent and be saved from great judgment. Watch and pray; The Lord is coming back to end this mess, but we must endure first. We need faith and patience - Hebrews 6:11-12..., Psalm 2
ReplyDeleteAl Mohler, as far as I'm concerned, has long ago strayed off the pathway. But Doug Moo does surprise me. Here is the inevitable result of this "social justice" nonsense. It never remains in stasis, but metastasizes and spreads like gangrene.
ReplyDeleteCertainly, present-day "social justice," inferring the equal distribution of resources within a secular socialistic system, should be avoided at all costs by evangelicals. On the other hand, there is nothing inherently wrong in pursuing animal rights or environmental protection or racial reconciliation.
ReplyDeleteA awful lot of Reformed heroes have been called on the carpet: Russell Moore, Matt Chandler, David Platt, John Piper, Tim Keller, Thabiti Anyabwile, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, etc.
No doubt all of them have uttered foolish things, but I don't think all of them are equally guilty. Meanwhile, the other side--John McArthur, James White, Voddie Baukham, etc.--sometimes comes across as needlessly heartless.
"Certainly, present-day "social justice," inferring the equal distribution of resources within a secular socialistic system, should be avoided at all costs by evangelicals. On the other hand, there is nothing inherently wrong in pursuing animal rights"
DeleteWe already have animal cruelty laws on the books. Animals have more rights than babies.
And there's an increasing attack on meat-eating and meat-production in general.
"or environmental protection"
We don't lack for environmental protection laws. That's already overregulated. Moreover, environmentalist are pushing for radical, antinatalist policies to save the planet. Wesley J. Smith (among others) documents that agenda.
"or racial reconciliation"
That's always cast in an obsolete black/white timewarp.
"A awful lot of Reformed heroes have been called on the carpet: Russell Moore, Matt Chandler, David Platt, John Piper, Tim Keller, Thabiti Anyabwile, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, etc. No doubt all of them have uttered foolish things, but I don't think all of them are equally guilty."
True.
"Meanwhile, the other side--John McArthur, James White, Voddie Baukham, etc.--sometimes comes across as needlessly heartless."
One problem is that JMac and his entourage are preachers and popularizers, so there's a lack of sophistication in their critiques. And Voddie is their token black evangelical conservative.