Rising calls for a Compassionate Christmas – Stop the Animal Bloodshed
Posted on December 9th, 2011
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” man himself will not find peaceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ – Albert Schweitzer Nobel Prize WinnerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Christmas is meant to be a season of peace and goodwill, yet for hundreds of thousands of innocent animals it is a time of extreme suffering, exploitation, and death. Millions of turkeys are slaughtered for Christmas dinner, along with ducks, geese, pigs, lambs and chickens. In western countries, puppies and kittens are given away as presents, then often neglected or discarded by new owners when the novelty has worn off. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Rabbits and foxes have their fur stripped from them to be turned into clothing and accessories.
There is an invaluable precedentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in Sri Lanka though drawn from another ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ religious tradition i.e. Vesak, where reverence and compassion for all forms of life is stressed and consequently on Vesak ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ day an age old custom is legally enforced ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” closure of slaughter houses and ban on sale of meat. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ A majority of the people abstain themselves from flesh food consumption as part of Buddhist religious practice on that occasion.
Sri Lanka can set an example to the rest of the world by doing likewise on Christmas day. The biggest beneficiaries would be the innocent animals who are now virtually on death row awaiting their turn as we get near to Christmas.
It is utter hypocritical to raise a public outcry about chains on elephants taking part in Peraheras and then remain mum without a word of protest against the slaughter of literally thousands of turkeys, pigs, chicken and the like for Christmas festivities.
There are an increasing number of websites run by caring people stepping up to protect animals this Christmas.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Help begin a new tradition of kindness and goodwill to all living beings by leaving meat off your plate on Christmas day.
Bloodshed and celebration of peace and goodwill over meat (someone elseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s flesh) are incongruous and do not go together.
Extend the spirit of goodwill to animals this Christmas by avoiding meat on Christmas Day.
Websites
1)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Christmas Without Cruelty
Animal Aid UK
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Every December, Animal Aid’s Living Without Cruelty campaign is promoted with an easy guide to a cruelty-free Christmas
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/CAMPAIGNS/living/ALL/1341//
2)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Report on the South West Christmas Without Cruelty Festival 2011
Posted 29 November 2011
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_living/ALL/2594//
4)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Time for Truth Tour ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Germany
The beginning of October saw the start of a new educational tour exposing the cruelty of factory farms and helping people facilitate the transition to a meat-reduced, vegetarian, or at best, vegan diet. We have covered 17 cities so far and plan to visit at least 63 more
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ http://www.albertschweitzerfoundation.org/news/time-for-truth-tour
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ http://www.mercyforanimals.org/
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Farm to Fridge Tour
http://www.farmtofridgetour.com/
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
December 9th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Maybe, dear anonymus, you can also appeal to stop the terible habbit here in Sri Lanka to dump all this puppy’s and kittens in temple? They might give them as presents in the western countries but we dont see all this (nearly) dieing poor thing with horrible skin deseases on the road there, they are taken care of by the animal protection in asylums. we have to many puppy’s and kittens dumped in temple on a weekly base! we do give them food but need a live in vet. It would be a great relieve not to be forced to see their suffering on a daily base. Even if we want to go to a vet for their treatement we cant catch them they lost total trust in humans and run for their live. maybe you can start to do something about this for Xmas? Metta Devamitta Thera
December 16th, 2011 at 6:47 am
Neutering pet animals should be a service offered free to the public by any Animal Lovers Association. We have had a box of pet puppies dumped in our backyard. We took the puppies to one of the vets we knew in Colombo who promised to distribute them to others who cared about dogs. Once we actually bought a so-called Alsation pup which looked like a pup that had been thrown away by soemone, full of fleas, eyes sealed due to discharge with a poor fur coat, and resurrected her to handsome doghood !
Re Compassionate Food, the Soy product industry should take off in Sri Lanka. It has in Europe & America. I have tasted superb burghers made of Soy. The fibres of the Soy bean can be broken down using the papaine enzyme of the papaw fruit, and flavoring and texturing elements added to make it a superb meat burgher. Different vegetarian flavorings to make it taste like beef, chicken or even bacon, are available in the market now (see internet).
Compassionate Food is for all times and for anyone, not just at X’mas, but also for health reasons. Soy milk can be made just as tasty as cow milk, and yoghurt, cheeses and creams are made from Soy milk too. However, I would advice vegetarians and vegans to take fresh nuts & seeds, milk products, and supplements of vitamins & minerals too, particularly if they are athletes, laborers, pregnant women, or anyone who needs extra energy throughout the day.