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TOPIC 1 – RELIGION AND ANIMALS
ANIMAL RIGHTS - KEY WORDS
Genetic
modification
Factory farming
Cloning
Stewardship
Plants and animals that have had their natural make-up altered by scientists.
When animals are used for meat or dairy products but are kept indoors in
very small spaces.
The scientific method by which animals or plants can be created which have
exactly the same genetic make up as the original because the DNA of the
original is used.
The idea that believers have a duty to look after the environment on behalf
of God.
Ivory trade
Extinction
the sale of ivory from elephants' tusks often illegally
When all members of a species have died out and that species will never exist
on Earth again.
Assisi Declarations
Statements about the need to protect animals and the environment made on
behalf of the different major religions.
Vivisection
Zoos
Fur trade
The cutting up of animals for scientific experiments.
Places in which wild animals are kept to display to the public.
the business of farming or hunting wild animals for their fur to be made into
clothing.
A person who will not use any animal product.
Someone who doesn't eat meat..
The chasing of animals to kill them which may be done for food protection or
human pleasure.
Vegan
Vegetarianism
Hunting
Animal exports
Animal rights
The selling of animals to other countries.
The belief that animals have a dignity just as humans do and should be given
care and protection.
Animal
experiments
Testing on animals either for medical or cosmetic purpose sto ensure that the
product is safe for use by humans.
Bull fighting
Associated in particular with Spain matadors fight bulls (and eventually kill
them) to entertain the crowds.
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ANIMALS AND HUMANS
- Humans have intelligence, the ability to make decisions, form opinions
and appreciate art, music and literature. Humans can act in a moral way,
deciding to be good or bad.
- Animals have instinct, they behave according to their instincts in order
to survive, eat and reproduce. They will abandon the weakest member
of the herd and do not have religious beliefs.
WHAT RIGHTS DO ANIMALS HAVE
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Animals must not be exploited, harmed or abused
Animals are protected by law from cruelty and neglect
Some creatures cannot be kept as pets such as dangerous dogs or
rare birds
Testing on animals is inspected to ensure animals are not suffering
too much
There are strict rules about animals being transported and
slaughtered
THE USE OF ANIMALS
Animals can be used as/for:
Pets, guide dogs, sled dogs, transport (e.g. horse and carriage), Indian
elephants are used for logging, cormorant birds used for fishing, sniffer
dogs, dogs were used to carry messages through the trenches in WWI
etc…
Animals can also have a therapeutic effect on sick people (helps with
their healing).
ZOOS, SAFARI PARKS AND AQUARIUMS
Animals are often kept in captivity in zoos, safari parks and aquariums.
Many people disagree with zoos, but they have changed over many
years after pressure from animal rights groups.
Arguments FOR zoos:
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People get to see wild animals up close
Dangerous animals can be seen safely
Educational activities are provided for children
Breeding programmes help to prevent extinction
Many zoos fund research into protecting animal species
Arguments AGAINST zoos:
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Not always a suitable environment for wild animals
Animals kept in small cages will suffer stress
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Not a natural climate, many animals find it difficult to adjust to
this
Religious views on zoos etc:
Most religious people accept zoos if the animals are kept in conditions
close to what it would be like in the wild. Religious people recognize
that zoos can help to preserve animal species through breeding
programmes. There have been two major religious conferences on
animals in captivity. These were the Assisi and Ohito Declarations. The
later said that religions need to treat animals with care, sustaining
environmental life is a religious responsibility and that nature needs to
be treated with respect and compassion
FACTORY FARMING VS FREE RANGE FARMING
Factory Farming
Free Range farming
Factory Farming is intensive
Animals are raised to roam freely
farming to generate a higher profit. and live a life like they would in a
Pesticides are used to prevent
natural environment. This costs
disease in the crowded conditions more money but many think that
and often the animals’ movement is the quality of the food produced is
restricted. Growth hormones may much higher and that the animals
be given to yield more milk or eggs. are treated with more respect.
Positives – production is more
Slaughter Animals are usually
efficient and cheaper Negatives – stunned before they are killed. The
cruel to the animals and pesticides halal method of slaughter used by
can affect human health
Muslims is to slit the throat of the
animal then let the blood drain out.
Animals are often treated as little more than “machines” on factory
farms. Every year millions of animals are crammed together in tiny
spaces. In factory farms chickens have their beaks cut off, cattle are
often dehorned and castrated and many animals are branded and their
tails are cut off without the use of anaesthetics. Dairy cows are kept
constantly pregnant through artificial insemination so they keep
producing milk. Due to the overcrowded conditions on factory farms
diseases quickly spread and so farmers routinely feed or inject the
animals with antibiotics. They are often sprayed with pesticides and to
fatten them up quickly they are fed growth hormones.
ANIMALS IN SPORT
Sports involving the use of animals include bull fighting, horse racing,
greyhound racing and fox hunting. Sports that involve the death of
animals are often called ‘blood sports’.
Throughout history people have used animals in sports to:
Compete with the animals against opponents (as in horseracing, polo or
show jumping) Watch animals compete against each other (as in
greyhound or pigeon racing) Compete against animals (such as rodeos
and bullfighting).
Arguments for and against using animals in sport
Hunting
Survival of the first humans depended upon the skill of a hunter to bring
food to his family and tribe. Once food became easier to get, hunting
became a sport rather than a necessity. However, in some parts of the
world, like the Arctic, people still need to hunt for food to survive. In
Britain, most hunting is classed as a sport.
HUNTING
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People in the Arctic still rely on hunting animals to feed
themselves
Supporters say it helps the countryside, for example, by removing
pests like foxes, which attack livestock or wildlife and can spread
disease.
They think trapping or poisoning animals may be crueller and less
effective than hunting.
Opponents of hunting successfully argued that chasing and killing a fox
with hounds is cruel. Parliament passed a law in 2004 banning hare
coursing and the hunting of wild mammals with dogs.
RELIGIOUS VIEWS ON HUNTING
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Some Christians think hunting is OK because we should control
the animals. (Dominion)
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Other Christians think we have a duty to protect and care for Gods
creation. (Stewardship)
Islam teaches that animals have feelings and a reason for living.
Muslims can hunt animals for food but not for sport.
If Muslims kill an animal for no good reason they will have to
answer to Allah.
THE FUR TRADE
Fur
For most of human history, particularly in cold climates,
humans have used all sorts of animals for fur clothing to
keep themselves warm. Some are well known, such as
mink, fox and rabbit. Some might surprise you, such as seal,
squirrel, and even cat and dog. If humans kill animals for
food, and use their skins for leather goods, what is the
problem with using their fur for coats?
The fur trade
Some people wrongly think that fur has come from an animal that was
killed for its meat rather than just its fur. This is not so. Over 55 million
animals are killed each year for the fur trade. Fur farms keep hundreds
of wild animals in small, individual cages to save their fur from damage.
This prevents them from living a natural life. Methods of slaughter,
such as electrocution, sometimes leave the animals conscious while they
are being skinned. Fur farming was made illegal in England and Wales
in 2000 (2002 in Scotland).
After many years of being seen as wrong, wearing fur recently made a
comeback at designer fashion shows. Supporters argue the fur trade is
worth up to £500 million a year to the UK economy. Fur is a natural,
renewable resource. The fur trade helps people who make their living
by trapping and hunting. No endangered species are used. Some
animals are taken to reduce their numbers. The British Fur Trade
Association is introducing an ‘origin assured’ label to reassure
customers that the fur comes from a country with rules about producing
fur.
THE IVORY TRADE
Elephants are killed and their tusks are removed to create objects out of
ivory. Elephants are becoming an endangered species and this is partly
because of the illegal ivory trade. In 1989 the UN made the ivory trade
illegal however the law is broken because of corrupt governments. Some
countries are using the profits from the ivory trade to fund military
operations.
BULL FIGHTING
ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS
Animals are used to test that medicines are safe for humans to use.
However, the effect on the animals is not always the same as on humans.
Testing cosmetics and toiletries on animals is now against the law.
ARGUMENTS FOR EXPERIMENTS
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Experiments on animals are essential for creating better
treatments, perhaps cures, for serious illnesses and health
problems.
These can improve the quality of life for millions of people.
Animals are often well cared for before, in-between and after
experiments.
There are not enough humans volunteering for experiments.
Experiments further science.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST EXPERIMENTS
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Animals suffer from being treated cruelly.
Animals are different physiologically (biologically) to humans.
Animals cannot communicate pain etc.
Animals cannot stop humans testing on them. They have no rights.
RELIGIOUS VIEWS ON ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS
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Some religious people don’t agree with scientists ‘playing God’
and interfering with nature by cloning or genetic modification (see
below as well).
Most Christians accept testing on animals so long as it is to find a
cure for diseases.
Animals have had legal rights in Islam since the 13th century.
Caging animals is forbidden in Islam.
Many Muslims accept animal testing to find a cure for diseases so
long as the suffering is minimal.
Genetically modified animals are created to study how genes work.
Arguments for and against are similar to the above. One example is
Oncomouse, which was genetically modified to develop cancer so that
new medicines could be tested on them. Another example is Enviropig,
which has less toxic faeces (poo).
Cloning is also an issue. Dolly the sheep was cloned to try and create
genes that could treat lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis.
EATING MEAT
Many people think it is wrong to use animals for food and either choose
to become vegans or vegetarians. People may object to eating meat
because they don’t want to hurt animals, it’s against their religion, they
think its healthier or they don’t like the taste of meat. Christianity and
Islam have no laws about avoiding meat. After the flood Noah was told
he was allowed to eat the animals and Muslims must follow the halal
rules. Muslims cannot eat pork, carrion or blood according to the
Qur’an.
DEFENDING ANIMAL RIGHTS
Animals do not have the same rights as humans, but many people
believe in the sanctity of life and believe that as stewards we should
protect and care for the animals. Religious believers support animal
rights groups but do not always support the violent methods some
people use to defend the rights of animals.
A non-religious organisation that defends Animal Rights is PETA
(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). They protest and
campaign for animals and encourage the public and government to do
more for animal rights.
Other organisations include the Cats Protection League and the RSPCA
(Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). The RSPCA
can remove poorly treated animals from homes and prosecute people
under the law. They also run animal shelters.
Religious groups include Quaker Concern for Animals and the Anglican
Society for the Welfare of Animals, which are both Christian. There is
also the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
CONSERVATION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES
Organisations such as the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and Sea
Shepherd (at sea) campaign and protect animals that are endangered.
The WWF runs projects and Sea Shepherd take a more direct, sometimes
illegal, approach to preventing whaling.
Endangered animals are animals close to extinction. They may not exist
(in the wild) at all soon.
Endangered animals include Orangutans, Asian Elephants, Snow Tigers
and Giant Pandas.
CHRISTIAN ATTITUDES TO ANIMALS
Animal rights are an issue on which Christian traditions vary. Many
devout Christians such as St Francis of Assisi and Dr Albert Schweitzer
have encouraged respect and reverence for all life. The description of
Jesus as the “Good Shepherd” reinforces to Christian followers the need
for a caring attitude towards animals. All Christians would agree that
cruelty to animals goes against the belief in the sanctity of life and the
will of God. Opinions, however, remain divided over certain issues.
Whereas some Christians support the use of animals for food or
scientific experiments, others, such as the Quakers, actively campaign to
stop such things as experimentation, blood sports and the live
transportation of animals.
Recognising that animals are an important part of God’s creation, some
Christian churches now set aside time in the religious calendar for “pet
or animals services”. People, especially children, are encouraged to
bring their animals to church to receive God’s blessing. Ely Cathedral,
for example, has an annual pet service for the Wood Green Animal
Shelter
Most Christians believe that humans should not be cruel to animals and
that farmers should care for their animals humanely.
God gave humans the right to control animals as according to Genesis
(in the Bible) God gave man ‘dominion’ (power) to ‘subdue’ (control)
animals. This suggests we can use them for our benefit.
Animals do not have souls whereas humans do. Moreover, humans are
made ‘in God’s image’ and animals are not.
On the other hand, God appointed ‘man’ as steward of the animals. This
suggests we should look after them. It is called ‘stewardship’.
God is also the creator of animals as well as humans and the Bible says
that humans should respect God’s creation.
MUSLIM ATTITUDES TO ANIMALS
The Qur’an teaches that animals have feelings and that their lives have
a purpose which, like humans’, is part of Allah’s plan. “There is not an
animal that lives on the Earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but
(forms part of) communities like you... and they all (shall) be gathered to
their Lord in the end.” (Surah 6:38) Muhammad (pbuh) told many
stories in which he stressed the importance of caring for animals. This
became an important part of Islam and as early as the 13th century, a
Muslim legal scholar formed a bill of Animal Rights.
All domestic animals such as farm animals should be well cared for and
not be over-burdened. Owners of cows are instructed to cut their nails
before milking, and not to buy or sell an animal when it is still in need of
its mother.
Hunting is only allowed for food and never for pleasure. The use of
animals for scientific experiment is not approved of if there is known to
be cruelty involved and if it is done for non-essential reasons such as the
making of cosmetics.
Assisi Declarations
At the 25th anniversary of the Worldwide Fund For Nature in Assisi,
Islam was represented with the other five major world faiths to meditate
on the theme of nature and to declare its message to the world.
“His trustees are responsible for maintaining the unity of his creation,
the integrity of Earth, its flora and fauna, its wildlife and natural
environment.”
(The Muslim Declaration on Nature)
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) forbade cruelty to animals (A). He
condemned the branding, beating or imprisonment of animals as well as
hunting them for sport and forbade the setting up of animals to fight
each other. The teachings of the Qur’an make it quite clear that animals
should not be treated as mere resources for humans. Practices on
factory farms, for example, contradict the Prophet’s teachings to cause
no pain to an animal before it is killed.
The Qur’an does permit meat-eating but many Muslims have concluded
that animal products should not be consumed. Given these traditions,
many Shi’ite Muslims and the Islamic mystics such as the Sufis, choose
vegetarianism as the proper diet. The majority of Muslims however eat
halal meat that is meat prepared according to specific dietary laws.
According to Muslim law, animals must be killed according to the halal
method where the jugular vein is cut with a sharp knife, allowing the
maximum drainage of blood. When the animal is being killed the name
of Allah is invoked in a prayer (Tasmiyyah) to show that the animal’ life
is being taken solemnly, with the permission of God and the act must be
done out of sight of any other animals that are going to be killed.
Muhammad(pbuh) and animals
There are many stories and sayings of the Prophet that demonstrate his
concern for the welfare of animals.
Once someone travelling with the Prophet took some eggs from a nest,
causing the mother bird great grief. The Prophet saw this and told the
man to return the eggs.
When the Prophet was asked if Allah rewarded acts of charity to
animals, he replied: "Yes, there is a reward for acts of charity to every
beast alive."
The Prophet said "Whoever kills a sparrow or anything bigger than that
without a just cause, Allah will hold him accountable on the Day of
Judgment." The Prophet explained that a killing would be for a just
cause if it was for food.
Halal Meat
Muslim ritual slaughter
Muslims are only allowed to eat meat that has been killed
according to Sharia law.
This method of killing is often attacked by animal rights activists as
barbaric blood-thirsty ritual slaughter.
Muslims disagree. They say that Islamic law on killing animals is
designed to reduce the pain and distress that the animal suffers. Some
experts say that the animal killed in this way does not
suffer if the cut is made quickly and cleanly enough, because it loses
consciousness before the brain can perceive any pain.
Islamic slaughter rules
These are the rules for Islamic slaughter:
 the slaughterer must be a sane adult Muslim
• the slaughterer must say the name of God before making the cut
• The name of God is said in order to emphasise the sanctity of life
and that the animal is being killed for food with God's consent
• the animal must be killed by cutting the throat with the single
continuous back and forth motion of a sharp knife
• the cut must sever at least three of the trachea, oesophagus, and
the two blood vessels on either side of the throat
• the spinal cord must not be cut
• animals must be well treated before being killed
• animals must not see other animals being killed
• the knife must not be sharpened in the animal's presence
• the knife blade must be free of blemishes that might tear the
wound
• the animal must not be in an uncomfortable position
• the animal must be allowed to bleed out
‘"A righteous man cares
for the needs of his
animal, but the kindest
acts of the wicked are
cruel." (Proverbs 12:10)
Stewardship – This is world
is mine and you are but aliens
and my tenants (Leviticus
25:23)
“Are not five sparrows sold
for two pennies? Yet not
one of them is forgotten in
God’s sight.” Luke 12:6
“You shall not muzzle
an ox when it is
treading out the
grain.” Deuteronomy
25:4
.
." Peter, kill, and
“Rise,
eat” (Acts 10:9-13).
‘Fear Allah in your
treatment of animals’
Hadith
"Verily, there is heavenly reward for
every act of kindness done to a living
animal." Hadith
“There is not an animal that lives on
the Earth ,nor a being that flies on its
wings, but (forms part of)
communities like you... and they all
(shall) be gathered to their Lord in
the end.” (Surah 6:38)
Religious Attitudes to Animal Use
Islam
Christianity
Allah created the world and everything in it.
Humans are Khalifah – stewards – and have a duty
to look after it. Their success in carrying out that
duty will be assessed at Judgement Day, when
everyone has to account for their life’s deeds
before Allah.
Christians believe God gave them
power over the world and everything in
it. This gives them licence to use it as
they wish. They should remember they
have a duty to look after it, and they
will be judged on this at Judgement
Day.
For Muslims, using animals is acceptable, because
humans are superior. However, they must be
looked after properly, not exploited or abused.
Prophet Muhammad criticised people for their
maltreatment of animals, and praised others for
their kindness.
Farming helps to feed people. Battery farms do
not allow enough rest or exercise. This makes
them haram. Slaughterhouse meat is haram,
because the methods are not as stated in Shari’ah
Law.
Christians believe that because all life
was created by God, it should be
protected and looked after. The
developed world, which is mainly
Christian, is the biggest consumer of
meat, so has the most farms, has many
traditions of hunting for sport, and
leads the world in medical research.
Many Christians choose to eat organic
and free range meat, if they are not
vegetarian. Many actively campaign
against hunting for sport. Many agree
with the use of animals only in medical
experiments, and encourage research
in methods which do not use animals.
Animal experimentation can be helpful to the wellbeing of humans. However, duplicate trials and
non-medical testing are unacceptable as an abuse
of the role of khalifah. Muslims should work
towards non-animal based experimentation.
Islam teaches:
Hunting is enjoyed as a sport in many Muslim
countries,
though
the animals caught are usually
Christianity
teaches:
• People are Khalifah – trustees of the
eaten.
world, and its guardians (Qur’an).
• God made the world and gave
 Nature can be used to improve the
humanity dominion over it (Genesis).
well-being of people and society.
 Scientists must abandon laboratories
 Muhammad (pbuh) insisted animals be
and factories of death (Pope John Paul
well treated, be given adequate food
II).
and rest, and, if any are to be
 Animals are part of God’s creation and
slaughtered, be killed in the most
as such deserve respect and
humane way possible (Sunnah).
protection (St Francis of Assisi).
 Showing kindness to an animal is an act
 Respect for life… extends to all of
that is rewarded by Allah.
creation (Pope John Paul II).
 If a man unjustly kills any animal, he
 The earth and everything in it is the
will have to answer for it to Allah at
Lord’s (Bible).
Judgement Day.