In light of Senior Pastor Gene Youngblood’s recent comments that the controversial sign at the First Conservative Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida, was designed to “keep our citizens informed and at the same time be relevant through the Word of God,” PETA sent a letter to the pastor this morning with a hard-hitting, Gospel-based suggestion for the church’s next message: “Love All Your Neighbors. Go Vegan.”
As we learn from the Bible, Jesus’ Good News is for all of creation, including the rabbits, foxes, cows, pigs, elephants, whales, and other animals who are used and abused by humans.
Jesus urged us to love our neighbors, and surely, that is meant to apply to all living beings, including animals who are used for food, clothing, experimentation, and entertainment. Today, many of God’s creatures will never have felt the warmth of the sun, formed friendships, roamed free, or done any of the other things that God intended for them before they are killed for a sandwich, a sweater, or a shoe or to test shampoo.
With so many wool-free and fur-free companies, vegan food alternatives and recipes, animal-free circuses, and cruelty-free products, Jesus’ biblical principle couldn’t be easier or more rewarding to live out.
