Weekly Newsletter - February 24, 2016
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

  1. Comments Welcomed
  2. Activist Feedback
  3. Essay: Advocating for Animals, part 6
  4. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman

1. Comments Welcomed

We are revising our Compassionate Eating booklet here in PDF format. We welcome comments about content, layout, word choice or anything else at CVA@christianveg.org.

2. Activist Feedback

I leafleted with Jen, Nelli, Frances, and Josh at Winter Jam 2016 in Cleveland. We distributed 2100 booklets to a very receptive audience. We saw many people reading and discussing the booklet as they waited to get in. One person said that God made animals for humans to eat. Rather than debate this point, which would have taken time from leafleting and would likely have been unproductive, I said, “I cannot imagine that God wants his creatures to suffer as they do on today’s factory farms.” He said “You’re probably right about that.”
- Steve Kaufman

Upcoming Outreach Opportunities

02/27/2016 OH, Canton Third Day
02/28/2016 CA, San Diego Toby Mac Hits Deep Tour
03/18/2016 CO, Denver Toby Mac Hits Deep Tour
03/18/2016 IN, Indianapolis Winter Jam 2016
03/20/2016 IL, Peoria Winter Jam 2016
04/01/2016 LA, New Orleans Winter Jam 2016
04/02/2016 AR, Little Rock Winter Jam 2016
04/07/2016 IL, Naperville Mercy Me Live in Concert
04/09/2016 IN, Indianapolis Outcry 2016 (Hillsong, Kari Jobe and more)
04/12/2016 MN, St. Paul Outcry 2016 (Hillsong, Kari Jobe and more)
04/14/2016 OK, Tulsa Outcry 2016 (Hillsong, Kari Jobe and more)
04/17/2016 MO, Springfield Third Day and Steven Curtis Champman
04/19/2016 MI, Grand Rapids Outcry 2016 (Hillsong, Kari Jobe and more)
04/21/2016 AL, Birmingham Third Day and Steven Curtis Champman
04/22/2016 NC, Charlotte Third Day and Steven Curtis Champman
04/22/2016 PA, Philadelphia Outcry 2016 (Hillsong, Kari Jobe and more)
04/24/2016 NY, NYC Third Day and Steven Curtis Champman
04/28/2016 GA, Atlanta Third Day and Steven Curtis Champman
05/07/2015 OH, Cincinnati Third Day and Steven Curtis Champman
6/16-18/16 GA, Locust Grove Atlanta Fest 2016
07/19/2016 FL, Miami Chris Tomlin Worship Night in America
07/23/2016 NY, NYC Chris Tomlin Worship Night in America
8/19-20/16 OH, Columbus Belong Tour 2016
9/16-17/16 PA, Philadelphia Belong Tour 2016
9/23-24-16 CO, Denver Belong Tour 2016 (Loveland, CO)
09/30/2016 TX, Dallas Belong Tour 2016
10/01/206 TX, Dallas Belong Tour 2016

Tabling

03/20/2016 FL, Tallahassee North Florida Vegfest
04/02/2016 TX, Austin Vegfest
04/9-10/16 WA, Seattle VegFest
04/17/2016 CA, San Diego San Diego EarthDay
04/23/2016 CA, San Francisco Earth Day 2016
04/26/2016 MI, Novi VegFest
05/01/2016 CA, Los Angeles VegFest L.A.
05/07/2016 OH, Cleveland Vegfest
05/7-8/16 NY, New York NY Vegetarian Food Festival
05/7/2016 LA, New Orleans NOLA Veggiefest
06/4/2016 NY, Albany Vegfest 2016
06/11-12/16 NC, Asheville Asheville VeganFest 2016
06/18/2016 WI, Madison Mad City VeganFest
07/6-10/16 PA, Johnstown Vegetarian Summerfest 2016
07/23-24/16 CO, Denver VegFest Colorado 2016
07/23-24/16 IL, Naperville Veggie Fest 2016
09/24/2016 DC, Washington DC VegFest
10/22-23/16 OR, Portland Portland VegFest

3. Essay: Advocating for Animals, part 6

Abolitionists reject those animal welfare reforms that reduce animal mistreatment but fall short of ending animal exploitation. This strategy seems incompatible with efforts to reduce animal suffering by passing laws or setting industry-wide standards of animal treatment. Whether working with legislators or with animal exploitation industries, welfare reforms invariably involve compromise. But, compromise seems incompatible with an abolitionist approach.

Some abolitionists have argued that elimination of a category of animal abuse accords with abolitionism. For example, they might approve of laws or standards that eliminate battery cages for egg-laying hens, that end force-feeding geese for pate de foie gras, or that stop production of veal. However, as Joan Dunayer has noted in her book Speciesism, this is really just playing semantic games. Why not call “abolition” standards that still allow for caged egg-laying hens but end the practice of confining them so tightly that they can’t spread their wings, or permit overfeeding and killing geese for pate de foie gras but which end forced-feeding, or which end the confinement of calves to narrow stalls but continue to kill them for veal?

Abolitionism that permits gradual improvements in how badly humans abuse nonhumans differs from animal welfare primarily by the ways they use language. Consequently, many abolitionists reject gradual reforms. Though this would seem to make progress using legislation or establishing industry standards impossible, many assert that reforms aren’t helpful. They argue that the only reforms we see are those endorsed by animal exploitation industries, for example because they can reduce costs. Reforms opposed by powerful industries don’t become laws or fail to be enforced. Is this a valid concern? I will consider this next week.

Stephen R. Kaufman, MD

4. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman

Our sermon offering for today, which we hope you like and share with others is: Unconditional Love Conquers All

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