The Christian and HSUS leaders held a news conference in
Washington during which the Christians unveiled their position called Every
Living Thing.
The Christians have not said anything specific about modern
farming practices, but cited Bible passages they want people to consider.
“We understand from Scripture that God has given us all
animals into our hand and for food as part of our responsible rule; but as we
live in a fallen world and are prone to sin, we also have the capacity and
inclination to cause suffering instead of care for animals and to act cruelly
towards them,” the statement said.
In a blog post, HSUS Chief Executive
Wayne Pacelle said the campaign grew out of a 2011 meeting of faith leaders
hosted by HSUS.
The evangelical statement was drafted by Barrett Duke of the
Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission; Mark
Rodgers, principal of the Clapham Group and former chief of staff for Sen. Rick
Santorum; and Michael Cromartie, vice president of the Ethics and Public Policy
Center, as a result of those initial conversations, Pacelle said.
The Humane Society of the United States has been focusing attention on retailers, including supermarket and restaurant chains, as an effective tactic to pressure change in livestock and poultry farming practices.
Having achieved widespread victory on the sow gestation crate issue, it is now ramping up its campaign against caged egg-laying hens.
