We’re talking all things animals in this episode, starting with why God would create a world that seems to embed animal suffering into the fabric of things.
Do animals go to heaven? How can we justify eating meat when it hurts animals and the environment alike? Why would a good God create animals if they were destined for so much suffering? Is it even ok to keep pets?
These are just some of the questions that Christian and non-Christian, religious and sceptic alike, struggle with when it comes to animal rights.
Since the turn of the century, western culture has moved forward in leaps and bounds on the issue; from groundbreaking research on the effect of the meat industry on the environment to earth-shattering investigations on factory farming and live exports, and a swag of divisive (but gripping) films on the issue such as Cowspiracy, The Cove and Meat The Truth, there has been a societal deconstruction of the issue en masse.
But what does the God of The Bible – supposedly the creator and sustainer of the natural world – have to say on the issue? And how can an all-loving deity preside over creation where hunting, killing and general suffering are just part of the general eco-system?
And of course – where on earth do humans fit in?
Meet our guests
Dr Bethany Sollereder, a research fellow in science and religion at Campion Hall at the University of Oxford. Bethany’s philosophical speciality is suffering, and we spoke to her in detail about how we can reconcile a good God with the suffering we experience in the world for an episode earlier this year called ‘On Suffering’. In this episode, we’re talking to her again about suffering, but this time the suffering of animals. Bethany is particularly interested in how we deal with the suffering of animals that we see from the very beginning. That is, before humans come on the scene. Her book on the subject is God, Evolution, and Animal Suffering.
Charles Camosy is associate professor of theological and social ethics at Fordham University, with a focus on moral theology and bioethics. We talked to him last season about Euthanasia. He’s written several books including, For Love of Animals: Christian ethics, consistent action.
Links
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Download a transcript of this episode here
- As mentioned, here is the incredible video of an Iguana making a seemingly-impossible escape from a gang of snakes hunting en mass!
- Vulture has provided an excellent commentary on the now-iconic scene, including figures on the mortality of Iguanas around the world. Read all about it here
- ‘Our World in Data’ provides a sobering – but fascinating – picture of all extinctions, including the startling figure that 99 per cent of evolved species have now died out. Read it here.
- The Guardian complied this sobering report on the effects of the meat industry on the environment.
- BioLogos have provided a great oversight of the conversation about both old and young earth in their article ‘The Bible, Rocks and Time: Christians and an Old Earth‘
- A shoutout must go to The Scientific American and their wonderful article ‘The Christian Man’s Evolution: How Darwinism and Faith can Coexist’.
- Michael J. Murray’s Nature Red in Tooth and Claw is another resource for exploring theism and animal suffering.
- As always, C.S. Lewis gets a look in. His website is well worth a visit.
- Professor Christopher Southgate’s full Boyle lecture on Science and Religion is available on YouTube in full, here.
- Peter Singer’s lecture on Animal Liberation can also be viewed in full.
- Dr Sollereder’s book ‘God, Evolution and Animal Suffering – theodicy without a fall’ is a theological overview of God, and his dominion over animal suffering – order here.
- She’s also done other podcast episodes on the subject – including this fantastic one by Homebrewed Christianity.
- …and you can read more of her views in this interview courtesy of Christianity Today.
- C.E.M Joad offers a thorough reflection of the issue in his contribution to The Atlantic; ‘The Pain of Animals – A Problem in Theology.’
- Mary Eberstadt’s ‘The Truth About Religion and Animals’ for Time Magazine is here, too.
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