Richard Adams and Animal Welfare
Posted: May 17, 2020 Filed under: Animal Welfare, Speculative Fiction | Tags: Animal welfare in Richard Adams Plague Dogs, Christian animal welfare, Christian animal welfare as advocated by Richard Adams, discussion of animal welfare in Plague Dogs, Richard Adams a Christian animal welfare activist, Richard Adams and animal welfare 2 Comments
Richard Adams
English author Richard Adams is best known for his worldwide best seller, Watership Down first published in 1972, and was subsequently made into an animated movie 1978, and animated television series in England, then recently butchered by Netflix-BBC two years ago. Adams was involved in a number of movements directed toward animal welfare, and was, for a time, director of England’s RSPCA. In Watership Down, Adams’ rabbit characters remark about humanity’s indifference, and even hostility to animals and the environment in general. Perhaps the most striking lament by Adams comes from Chapter 21, “For El-ahrairah to Cry.” Here, Holly (the Bard of the band of rabbits) states:
It [evil] comes from men…All other elil [enemies] do what they have to do and Frith [the rabbits’ god] moves them as he moves us. They live on the earth and they need food. Men will never rest till they’ve spoiled the earth and destroyed animals
The Sparrow and the Swallow in the Temple
Posted: March 20, 2019 Filed under: Etcetera | Tags: Afterlife for animals?, all animal life is in Christ, All life shares in Christ's life, all things are in union with Christ, can animals worship God?, Christ as Microcosm, Christ as Microcosm holds all life within himself, Christian animal welfare, the "worship" of the sparrow and the swallow in the Temple, The sparrow and the swallow in the Temple (Psalm 84: 1 - 4) Leave a commentPsalm 84:1 – 3 (LXX 83: 1 – 4) reads,
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young at your altars.”
Regarding the sparrow and the swallow, the Psalmist’s observation may be taken as a side observation, taken at a glance and to be dismissed by those with the more serious mind of faith. This would prove to be an error. This “off hand” verse comes from the eye of informed, mature, and loving faith.
Father Irenaeus Williams 