Compassion for Animals

Submitted by Matthew Sudnik on June 28, 2007 - 2:45pm.

Religious leaders and scientists have been coming together in recent months over the issue of global climate change. Now they have another cause for common ground: animal experimentation.

The National Research Council, the Dalai Lama, and even Pepsi and Coke are all taking action to end cruel experimentation on animals.

The Dalai Lama, in a recent address, pleaded for an end to cruelty toward animals. He also encouraged that his followers embrace vegetarianism in order to resist cruelty.

In addition, Coke and Pepsi are refusing to put any more money into animal testing of their products. The NRC reported that it is much more cost-efficient to perform the same research with specialized databases, not with direct testing on animals.

I am not calling for any specific actions on the part of my friends in faith. Our response to this issue requires serious discernment. I simply want to raise the issue: how far should the Christian teaching on compassion extend? Did not Francis of Assisi call all members of creation his brothers and sisters?

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