Animal Rights in Spiritualism

Aims & Policy

We  function in the same way as any other animal rights group, promoting a cruelty- free life-style while campaigning against animal abuse; the only difference being that A.R.I.S. literature emphasises the spiritual side of the argument .

Our words are designed to bring about an awareness of the fact that animals are not only able to suffer on a physical, mental and emotional level, just as we are but have a spirit capable of love, thought and survival over death… survival, that is, in their own right, not dependent upon having a loving bond with a human.

Other creatures are not here for our use but for their own spiritual progression. What Great Spirit worth its light would divine a law that favoured one species at the expense of another? Material bodies, whether human, animal, vegetable or mineral are just vehicles for the soul to work through and when they are shed, the spirit within is seen as the sum of the love it gave in life…..or didn’t.

Because we have entered bodies with a seemingly greater brain capacity than that of some other animals, we have a duty to protect and care for them where it is needed and to leave them to fulfil their lives in their own environment where not. We cannot think that, because we are told that they have a lower intellect than ours, (which is nothing to do with real intelligence by the way ) they have nothing to offer but their bodies for us to eat, wear, torment and experiment upon in the name of sport, science or our taste-buds, no more than we would consider roasting a person with learning difficulties  for lunch.

So, where limited intelligence cannot be used as an excuse to inflict torture, society will look for a blessing to absolve itself of all wrong-doing…. in religion. Most faiths have a lot to answer for in this respect, for, their denial that an animal has a soul implies not only that it has little sensitivity to pain and fear, but adds weight, in their follower’s eyes, to the belief that its life is pointless beyond one of servitude to homo sapiens.

Others suggest that these creatures do have a soul but know they are here for human benefit, gladly giving themselves as a sacrifice for our good. Tell that to the cow who walked five miles, searching frantically for her calf who had been taken away to slaughter, the turkey, cramped in a crowded shed with no windows, suffering painful joints due to the way it is bred for the Christmas dinner plate, or the laboratory animal living in near darkness, having a fit after being force-fed drugs through a stomach tube. It may be true that most of these victims do not bear a grudge (and it is this selfless virtue that is picked up by some psychics who put forward this theory) but that does not mean they accept the horrors we inflict upon them.

Let us have a voice on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves, from the rostrum and in the newspapers Pledge your help now. Here’s what to do:

Become a vegan even if it means being a vegetarian for a while first. (Information available at http://www.viva.org.uk )

Live a cruelty free life-style, supporting only those charities and buying only those products that adhere to that. ( Lists available at http://www.animalaid.org.uk. )

Don’t wear fur, leather, wool or silk ; keep caged animals or birds; patronise zoos, circuses or pet shops. Do support and adopt from animal sanctuaries.

Ask your church/centre if you may have a regular stall, displaying vegan awareness  leaflets, recipes and other Animal rights information. A stall with free vegan tasters, refreshments and cakes would go down well after service occasionally

Write letters of protest to the spiritual press stating our views on animal rights and if you are a speaker include a short talk on this subject in your philosophy.

Join your local A.R.group

Last but not least, when you have made your church familiar with the leaflets, ask their permission to show a DVD of animal suffering in laboratories, factory farms etc. These are not for the faint-hearted but are a good way of motivating the apathetic to do something and it opens the eyes of those who think animals are well cared for in these establishments. We all are horrified by these scenes but we need to be armed with the truth and our suffering is nothing compared to that of these desperate creatures. To take the attitude that it upsets you too much to watch and then donate to the high street medical research charities because you were ignorant of the fact that they used defenceless creatures in this way only serves to demonstrate a need to digest what the film had to offer.(DVDs available from Viva, Animal Aid and other groups)

Below are some extracts from both the teachings and philosophy of the renowned guide Silver Birch regarding animal abuse:

“How can that which is cruel be right? How can that which causes pain, inflicts torture, be right? It is contrary to all that we teach. It is wrong to experiment on those who are not capable of resisting.

Your world cannot produce remedies for the diseases which it has created by living contrary to the laws of The Great Spirit.

There will be found remedies for all your diseases but they will not be found by experiments on animals.”

“ It was never part of the plan that man should consume his brother and sister in whatever form life manifested itself

e-mail : elissarattigan@hotmail.com.