Feeding the Children of Abraham:

By now activists should have realized several key points about religiously based arguments for vegetarianism or animal rights. Most importantly, I hope I have shown the existence of the valuable traditions of animal kindness to be found in these faiths. An assortment of different approaches have been given, to encompass ethical, environmental, and health issues. This diversity of approach should provide activists with enough religious arguments to engage a religionist on at least a few fronts. Coverage of the significant and unique aspects of each faith should also give activists more confidence when dealing with an unfamiliar faith.

I also hope to have provided enough essential information about these faith's views of animals that activists might extrapolate them further. How would Jewish notions of tsa'ar ba'alei chayim, or Muslim distaste for the animal mutilation of the Jahiliyya, or Christ's message of compassion and generosity view vivisection and cosmetics testing? Is the emphasis on health accorded by each religion really best served by vivisection and animal experimentation? Activists should now be able to merge their knowledge of animal rights issues with the fundamental tenets of religious concern for animals and create further pro-animal arguments for these other issues.

Vegetarian advocates should also see some areas where an ecumenical vegetarian movement could best help the animals. Ritual slaughter is one major area. Since both Jews and Muslims have special concerns to address in the production of their meat, they could work together to bring about these changes. At the very least they should be encouraged to campaign jointly to make "humane" slaughter a reality. Economic pressure and outcry among believers would be a potent force in spurring kosher and halal meat providers to install ASPCA or similar slaughter pens. They might also work together to increase the general religious acceptability of the entire food animal production scheme. Perhaps they could obtain guarantees that their food animals where raised humanely, without mutilation, undue stress, and unnatural feed. This is bound to be a difficult and expensive goal to achieve; activists should continue to promote the simple, positive ways that a vegetarian or vegan diet would allow these believers to scrupulously follow their religious teachings.

And it seems all three faiths share enough common ground on issues of the environment and concern for the oppressed that united pressure could be directed at the abolition or drastic reworking of agribusiness and the factory farm. Likewise, common concerns for human health could prompt interfaith exploration of health-promoting, life-sustaining dietary choices.

Religious arguments for vegetarianism or animal rights will not be successful all of the time. Activists should not suddenly expect to convert every Muslim, Christian, or Jew they meet to vegetarianism. But as activists increase their knowledge of religious views of animal kindness and as religionists become exposed to these traditions, more modest goals should be seen. Even the seemingly minor step of cutting down one's flesh consumption or buying non-factory farmed meat will realize great cumulative results in the numbers of animals spared death or a miserable existence. In the effort to save the animals, it is imperative for activists take every step and reach out to every ally that becomes available. With so much at stake and so far to go, even the small victories are essential.

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