We live in a culture of violence. This isn't something that is unique to American, but it is something that is endemic in America. I'm not talking about football, MMA or movies. Those things are violent and perhaps an argument can be made for their detriment to society, but I make a distinction between violence that is by mutual consent and that which is perpetrated by one who is stronger upon one who is weaker. The violence I speak of makes victims.
When I speak of America's culture of violence I am speaking of pornography in all its forms and especially child pornography. I am speaking of sex trade (yes, in America! If you don't know about this then it is time for you to wake up). I am talking about the tens of thousands women and children who are raped every year. I'm talking about the wars perpetrated by the U.S. in the name of national security. I'm talking about violence that pits the strong against the weak. Violence that seeks to dominate, conquer subject, enslave, humiliate and subdue.
This kind of violence, the victimizing sort, leaves its mark on a society. It weasels its way into every nook and cranny, no matter how hard we try to compartmentalize and sanitize our little sacred corners, free from guilt. Its effects can be readily (if we are willing to look for it) seen in the dreams we dream, the literature we read, the movies we watch and the food we eat.
I've commented on the treatment of animals and society in a previous post, And I am not about to tell you that the treatment of animals dictates the violence of a culture. In fact, I suspect it is the other way around in most cases, depending on how one defines culture and the sampling being referenced. But I can at least say with some confidence that a society that abuses animals for pleasure will either be headed towards a culture of violence directed at its weaker human counterparts or is most likely already there. Even a culture that isn't caught up in a cycle of abuse of its own members can be seen to be abusing, or at least hold an abusive attitude towards, members of neighboring societies.
It isn't black and white, however. That would be easy to work out. A society that is abusive towards animals isn't always clearly abusive towards humans. And humans that are abusive towards other humans aren't necessarily abusive towards animals. I'm sure there could be a wife beater or child molester or pornographer who is a vegan and love's his or her dog. But I'm not really speaking of individuals here or subcategories. I'm talking about society and culture. In this case the culture really isn't, if ever, the sum of its parts.
This brings me to one culture that always causes me the most pain. The culture of the Christian Church. Let me start out first by saying I don't believe that the bad behavior of some or even all invalidate the truth of a particular philosophy or doctrine. They are separate. To put it graphically, if a doctor or doctors are found to be raping their patients it does not mean that medicine or even going to a doctor is bad. It just means there are bad people who practice medicine and who don't follow one of the basic rules of the practice: do no harm.
That said, the gospel message is one of peace. Jesus himself promoted a culture of peace. Does this mean that everyone is suppose to be vegan? Perhaps, but that isn't the point (more on that in a future post). But it does mean that the last thing Christians should be participating in is a culture of violence. How can we support organizations to stop the sex trade while at the same time support a government that perpetuates violence on such a grand scale for political and economical pursuits? How can we claim to be followers of Jesus and at the same time willingly choose to ignore the massive amount of abuse committed against animals that can barely understand what is happening to them?
I've heard many Christians say, "Don't tell me about what happens to animals. I want to be able to enjoy my chicken". Or to graphically tell me about the pig they ate and how it still had skin on it and how it made them sick to their stomachs but then to go on to say they love the taste of ham? I've tried to get Christians to do the research and they refuse. Flat out refuse! Why? The reasons are varied but when it boils down to it we have been so indoctrinated by growing up in a culture of violence that we cannot imagine life any other way. We don't think we are violent. We would be offended if we were called what we really are: an abusive people. But there it is, staring us in the face like a grotesque movie zombie. We are violent and hardly live up to the name of the One we claim to follow.
If you are a Christian reading this post then I challenge you to write down all the reasons you eat animal flesh. Then take the time to research the reasons. Are they valid? Most Christians I know won't even go as far as the first step because they can't be bothered to look in the mirror. I admit it. What will be looking back at you will be terrifying. The rest of those who read this and actually took the first step, will stop there believing their justifications are valid. But are they? Until you actually test those justifications against reality they are less justification than fantasy. The same fantasies that sent Jews to the gas chambers, that hacked men, women and children to pieces in Rwanda, that chain children and women to the sadistic designs of sex traffickers and keepthe abortion mills open.
Yes, that is harsh. Yes, it is offensive. I admit it and I intend it. I want my brothers and sisters in Christ to take a real, honest, truthful inventory of one area of their lives that, more than any other, demonstrate without any doubt the evidence of a resident, endemic disease. A disease that is the direct result of our culture of violence.
