Church service for animal welfare published
-4/10/04
Prayers for animals slaughtered for food, as well as hunted animals and laboratory animals, are included in a new edition of a Service for Animal Welfare published by the RSPCA this week.
People who attended animal services arranged by clergy for Animal Welfare Sunday which took place this weekend, asked God to give them compassion for animals exploited for food, for science, and for entertainment. One prayer asked that the ìCompassionate Godî will ìawaken within us a sense of feeling for all living creatures", and another asks for forgiveness for our ìcallousness and cruelty to animalsî.
The new service booklet is being distributed to thousands of clergy in an attempt to raise consciousness about the plight of animals among the churches.
ìClergy donít often appreciate that animal welfare is a Christian dutyî, said the author of the new service, Oxford don, the Revd Professor Andrew Linzey, ìafter all, it was an Anglican priest who help found the RSPCA ñ the first animal welfare society in the world - in 1824.î
Animal services have grown in number since Professor Linzey wrote the first service of its kind as a theological student back in 1975. ìThe services usually combine four elements: repentance, thanksgiving, celebration, and the need for compassionî said Professor Linzey, ìit is only right that Christians should repent of their sins towards animals.
ìBaptist preacher Charles Spurgeon once said that a person could not be a true Christian if their cat or dog were not the better off for it ñ and that should sum up the Christian viewî, said Professor Linzey.
Copies of the Service can be obtained from Purchase and Supply Department at RSPCA.
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