On Oprah a week or two ago they had a report on how our food animals are treated before we kill them and eat them. There was a journalist on the show named Nicholas Kristof discussing his recent New York Times article about growing up on a farm. Here's the part of the article that really touched me:
Then there were the geese, the most admirable creatures I've ever met. We raised Chinese white geese, a common breed, and they have distinctive personalities. They mate for life and adhere to family values that would shame most of those who dine on them.
While one of our geese was sitting on her eggs, her gander would go out foraging for food—and if he found some delicacy, he would rush back to give it to his mate. Sometimes I would offer males a dish of corn to fatten them up—but it was impossible, for they would take it all home to their true loves.
Once a month or so, we would slaughter the geese. When I was 10 years old, my job was to lock the geese in the barn and then rush and grab one. Then I would take it out and hold it by its wings on the chopping block while my Dad or someone else swung the ax.
The 150 geese knew that something dreadful was happening and would cower in a far corner of the barn, and run away in terror as I approached. Then I would grab one and carry it away as it screeched and struggled in my arms.
Very often, one goose would bravely step away from the panicked flock and walk tremulously toward me. It would be the mate of the one I had caught, male or female, and it would step right up to me, protesting pitifully. It would be frightened out of its wits, but still determined to stand with and comfort its lover.
That story solidified for me what I've been feeling lately. Over and over in the past few weeks I have found that animals show us how life should be lived. They love with unrestrained fervor, they play with complete abandon and then sleep the sleep of the totally content. When God said that man should have dominion over the creatures He created He did not mean that we could torture them so our food would be cheaper or that we could shoot them purely for entertainment or that we could put them in circuses and make them perform for our amusement (and then when they go rogue because we're torturing them we shoot them and say 'how could that have happened?!'). I believe that when we die we will have to answer for our sins, each one, to God. And I believe too that God will ask us to account for the way we treat the animals that He created.
"The King will answer them, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.'
--Matthew 25:40
Just my opinion.
7 comments:
"love with unrestrained fervor..."
Yikes - how poetic of you. Did you make that up?
B.
So true. Animals are so very incredible, and when you read the story about the geese, you just can't help but not want to ever harm one...even if it meant starving.
I'm admiring the bravery of locking oneself in a barn with 150 freaked out geese. I've had one goose chase me before and it scared the heck out of me!
The article about the geese made me well up :(
"Have the GEESE stopped screaming, Clarice?"
Kristoff is a fantastic reporter, who has down a lot of work on atrocities and such abroad, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he's written such a heart wrenching article on the "violence" done to geese.
But I'm not going to take this too far, because in the end, I eat meat. I may prefer vegetables and cook meat for Beau for the most part, but the truth is, I eat it. All kinds.
Has this caused you to go vegetarian?
I did make that up, but I'm pretty sure you're teasing me!
"Have the GEESE stopped screaming, Clarice?" - Heehee! That made me laugh out loud.
I have not gone vegetarian. I have never been much of a meat eater though. I very rarely, if ever, eat red meat and I don't like fish so mostly I eat chicken and I eat that maybe twice a week. Not that I'm trying to justify, I do still eat poor little chickens, but just not a lot :p I also do not wear or purchase leather or anything like that, I'm pretty particular about that (although I am lusting after a pair of leather boots right now...fortunately I will never be able to afford them so I won't have the moral dilemma).
I'm mostly concerned these days with the animal by-products like eggs, cheese, milk etc. We're trying to buy free-range eggs and stuff like that but they're so expensive. I'm trying to at least reduce my consumption though.
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