What the Guides Say…

on the subject of

Animals in Captivity

Today, many animals are abused in a way they never were before.  Arriving through  airports, once aptly named ‘The Gateways to Hell,’ all kinds of species,  torn from their families and familiar surroundings are bound for a life of cruelty, loneliness and terror. Many are used in horrific medical experiments while others are at the mercy of the businesses which are kept afloat by public demand such as zoos and the exotic pet trade  .

Through medium Frank Wright, a communicator from the other side spoke of the need of these wild creatures for our protection:

   ” Many are hunted, killed or trapped for pleasure, vanity or greed’ said the spirit, “causing some species to become extinct or near extinction.”

Sometimes for their body parts, these animals are exploited in a way which sees mothers brutally killed. Their orphaned young  are then sold and transported to a life of misery in captivity.

Frank’s spirit helper adds:

“…some of these creatures are used in various forms of entertainment, suffering deprivation in their environment and trained in unnatural acts through needless and wanton cruelty.”

If, instead of going to see animals perform amid the ‘glitz’ and  ‘glam’ of the circus ring, children were shown the true conditions in which they live and are trained, there would be a huge drop in ticket sales for ‘The Big Top’

Ankle-chains, inadequate caging and abnormal behaviour are not what any child would wish to see.  Severe confinement, violent training and the use of whips,  once legal in the U.K., still happen in some other countries of the world.   These are the ingredients of  ‘The Greatest Show On Earth ‘, which one psychic little girl discovered to her cost.

Now in spirit, Betty Shine was once known as the world’s number one counsellor and healer.

In her book, ‘A Free Spirit’, Betty describes how she was sensitive to the pain and suffering of all creatures from a very early age and that this was never more evident than when, at four years old, she visited a circus for the first time:

   “When the animals performed,” Betty wrote , ” I felt physically sick, and my heart filled with sadness at the sight of elephants, bears, lions and tigers performing tricks to entertain the public.  I remember crying all the way home.

   It  was the same when I visited London Zoo.  The sight of such majestic creatures pacing up and down on a concrete base, surrounded by iron bars, again tore at my heart.  Their humiliation and pain became mine.”

Captive animals are not only to be found in circuses and zoos but often in  tiny cages, as pets within the family home. Before being bought from the pet shop, these creatures would already have spent a miserable existence, suffering long journeys in cramped conditions, which made them unwell.  Of these, Betty added:

   ” Mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs are bought to entertain children who quickly become bored with the effort of looking after them. As a result, these little creatures can be left imprisoned in small cages day after day.  Unable to move freely, they show their deep, psychological distress by going round and round in circles.  These pets usually belong to families who show love for each other but who do not give a single thought to the torment that is going on within the mind and soul of the animal in their care.  People should know better.”

However, sometimes, people need these matters explaining to them before they see clearly the error of their ways, as is illustrated in one of the accounts from The Essene Humane Gospel of Jesus Christ.    Here, we read how Jesus captured not creatures, but respect , when he encountered a man preparing to sell a cage full of birds he had caught. Seeing how tormented with hunger and thirst the creatures were, he said:

   ” What thinkest thou, if one stronger than thou or with greater craft, were to catch thee and bind thee, or thy wife or thy children, and cast thee into a prison, in order to sell thee into captivity for his own profit, and to make a living ?  .. Let these, thy little brethren and sisters go forth into freedom, and see that thou do this thing no more, but provide honestly for thy living. “

From these gospel extracts we build a picture of how upset Jesus was at man’s inhumanity to other species. Upon witnessing youths ill-treating a sick cat, he said:

   ” Why doeth the stronger always prey on the weakest?  Tell ye, since Satan cursed the holy creation of God, for no thing is safe in the earth from unholy men, till the son of man cometh in all his glory and free every creature from the curse of dread and of fear. …. “

All those years ago the message of compassion for all that lives was brought through this gospel .  Is its suppression until recently one of the reasons mankind has progressed so little in these matters ?

Nowadays, spirit workers are ever more dedicated to bringing an end to the suffering of all creatures in our world.   Among them are deceased scientists and physicians now against vivisection, whose aim is to “help man understand the role of animals on Earth and also to help the animals.”  They call themselves Timestream.  Details of their mission can be found in  ‘Conversations Beyond the Light’, by Elton Davis, Ed.D., where it is written:

   ” If an animal is treated kindly with love, that animal will be a loving being.  But if an animal is treated cruelly that animal can be a cruel, heartless being with thoughts of revenge and hatred that will inevitably play out in some later life. “

One who himself is no stranger to the cause is Spiritualism’s beloved guide, Silver Birch. Speaking out oft-times against animal experiments, hunting and slaughter, he once said:

   ” It is not part of the plan that needless cruelty, torture and brutality should be inflicted on animals by the humans who believe that they have a superior consciousness, and are much greater beings.”

So, what is the plan, and how do we, as compassionate workers for Spirit in today’s world, fit into it ? Frank Wright’s guide offers some of the answers in the summary of his in-depth talk on animal abuse:

   ” So I now ask you why is there so much cruelty to the animal of your world ?  The answer being because you allow it to happen.  It can only occur and thrive because you do not care sufficiently and are indifferent to the suffering entailed and do insufficient or nothing to bring it to an end. 

   The problem is humankind made and must be resolved by humans.  Search your conscience and ask yourself in which way you participate in the condoning of any of the cruel practices of which I have spoken….  either by your actions or inaction.

   It is not sufficient to pray to the Great Spirit to bring it to an end if you are doing nothing yourself.  This is trying to absolve yourself of responsibility.  Spirit can only work through those accepting their responsibility and working to bring these evil practices to an end.

   Stop looking to others to do that which is your responsibility.  You may work as an individual or assist those who work collectively through varying groups and organisations.  So many things that are wrong in your world only exist because so many basically good people turn a blind eye to the problems and do nothing. That which you call the spiritualist movement should be in the forefront of the protest and actions against this cruelty, but where is their voice and their lead ?  Individual spiritualists with their knowledge that the Great Spirit is in all creation and is therefore interconnected and interdependent, should do everything within their means and capabilities.  Resolve to join the ranks of those who serve the great spirit in this way.”

  Elissa Rattigan.

 Animal Rights in Spiritualism.

What the Guides Say…

on the subject of

The Farming and Slaughter of Animals

     “ All life belongs to the Great White Spirit, and no-one must take it, in whatever form it is.

   When the children of the Earth have begun to evolve into higher beings, all their gross desires will fall away.  When you can create the fox, or the chicken, then you can take its life away.  If it is true that you can kill the chicken and the fox, then it is right for man to kill his brother.

   Life does not belong to man.  It belongs to the Great White Spirit.  Whenever anyone takes it away, he must answer for it some day.

   One day you will understand the law of the father, which is that all things in the universe – animal, bird, fish or flower – are all parts of the Great White Spirit’s plan.  They are all there as parts of the creation of the Great Spirit.

   It was never part of the plan that man should consume his brother or sister in whatever form life manifested itself.  I do not have to tell you that animals who are slaughtered do not willingly accede, especially as some have sensitiveness and awareness.  This abnormal death, like all sudden shocks, involves a process of adjustment.”

     The above was taken from the words of Silver Birch, the famous spirit guide of Maurice Barbanell, during one of the many trance sessions at the home circle of Hannen Swaffer.

In latter years, other beings from the world of Spirit have emerged, with urgency, to bring awareness of the laws of oneness and compassion.  One with this wisdom comes through the mediumship of Bill Cox and is named Brother Joseph.  Through Bill, this gentle messenger has written several books.  In “ From Earth to Eternity.” he sets out, in plain language, how he felt about the double standards of certain platform mediums , when he said :

     “ It is surely hypocritical to pray for the suffering of animals to cease when you are contributing yourself to their suffering. ..”

After pointing out that those bred for the dairy industry are also eventually killed, along with those farmed for meat, he concluded,

  “You just cannot pass over the suffering by saying ‘We look to a time when man will understand.’ Those who pray for animals should themselves be showing the way and setting an example.”

   One who showed such example was Jesus. Contrary to popular belief, there is evidence to show that he was a vegan of the Essene sect.  This comes from ancient manuscripts written in Jesus’s own tongue of Aramaic. In extracts from The Essene Gospels, his words on the subject of  the correct diet for man are :

   “  Behold this melon, the fruit of the earth.  See thou with thine own eyes the good fruit of the soil, the meat of man, and see thou the seeds within, count ye them, for one melon maketh a hundred fold and even more.  If thou sow this seed, ye do eat from the True God, for no blood was spilled, nay, no pain nor outcry did thou hear with thy ears or see with thine eyes. Go ye thine way and plant the seeds of the good fruit of life and leave ye off from hurting the innocent creatures of God.”

    In an age where the vegetarian diet has proved to bring less risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer, we welcome Brother Joseph’s expanded teaching on this matter:

   “  Now it is not necessary for man to eat animals, but it is necessary for him to eat cereals and vegetables.  Fruit is another necessary part of his diet, and much more of this could be grown in place of fodder for cows.  It is gradually becoming known of the ill-health that results from drinking milk which is designed for calves…”

   Here it is worth noting that, in rural China, where the intake of dairy produce is almost nil, incidences of breast cancer are virtually unknown.

   Out of concern, the spirit went on to warn,

“ …  Do not be under any illusion ; the Daily Pinta is not so good for you as you have been led to believe.”

How sad it is for us to confess that our brotherhood of man has destroyed rain forests, indigenous peoples and the ecology in order to provide grazing land for the meat industry.  What makes this more of a tragedy is the fact that, if the land were used to grow crops, around eight vegans to every meat-eater could be fed from it, thereby benefiting the starving nations of the world.

Because the methane gas, given off by billions of intensely- bred cattle into the atmosphere, plays no small part in the destruction of the ozone layer, it follows that the demand for meat is a major contributory factor in global warming.

Rhamadan, guide of the late Ursula Roberts, touched on the threats we humans pose to our planet and everything on it when he was asked how slaughter was regarded on the other side.  The answer was not coated in  pseudo ‘non-judgement’ which is responsible  for the apathetic attitude of many spiritualists towards giving up eating animals. It is obvious that life, death and suffering cannot be shoved away in the ‘Matters of Opinion’ file when he says :

“ In the spiritual realm, it is regarded as a great wrong because man, by his interference with the natural laws of the animal creation, upsets the balance of nature. He breeds animals to his own desire, often in a spirit of greed, and with total disregard for the fear and feelings of the animals.”

The vibrational fall-out of these emotions must have a negative psychic impact on society.   Spirit guidance warned medium, Norah Bruce that,

 “Such vibrations are seized upon by the forces of darkness and are used to increase the turmoil of mind.”

To get an idea of the build-up to the releasing of this energy we must turn to the words of an anonymous helper from the Spirit realms.  They highlight the conditions in which animals reared for food live and die and are given through the mediumship of Frank Wright :

 “  Pitiful are these poor creatures.  Deprived of natural light and habitat and often unable to turn or lie down, they are in conditions of such squalour, that  it  degrades all humanity.  Diseases abound and some transferring to man.  Transported and killed in cruel ways with the end product being full of harmful chemicals, un-natural foods and toxins are created from the fear and terror they have experienced in their short, miserable lives. All those condoning this cruelty by purchasing and eating the products, share the guilt for the suffering of these creatures.”

In setting foot on the compassionate pathway, guilt is exchanged for a sense of purpose and a raising of consciousness. In the hope that humankind will be inspired to make the changes needed to benefit all life-forms, we end this compilation with words of upliftment  from Brother Joseph :

   “ Man has much to learn.  When he comes to realise that there is a great spiritual force between the boundaries of  earthly and spiritual existence, he will listen to the wisdom which will pour out  from that force, and there will be hope for the earth and mankind.”

Elissa Rattigan.

Animal Rights in Spiritualism.

What the Guides Say… 

on  the subject of 

VIVISECTION

     ” 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.”

These are the words of the renowned spirit guide, Silver Birch, spoken through his medium, Maurice Barbanell. On the subject of research into specific diseases, he was quoted yet again, this time by world – famous healer, Tom Pilgrim.  He assured us that his own guide, Dr. Robert Kosh, who had himself once experimented on animals and received the Nobel Prize for tuberculosis research, now agreed with the noble Indian when he said,

      “Man will not find a cure as long as he misuses animals in cruel experiments in his research laboratories.  This is not the way.  Never will health be found by the torture of creatures ….  Nature will provide the answer when man has learnt to live by the laws of the Great Spirit.”

In his book, “Autobiography, of a Spiritual Healer”, Tom adds,

      “As I’ve mentioned before, cancer is one of the most difficult diseases to heal, but progress is being made.  Dr. Robert has told me of the great efforts being made in the Spirit world to find ways of dealing with this scourge of mankind.”

However, the spirit teacher, Magnus, put the initial responsibility firmly back where it belonged, when, through an entranced Colin Fry, he advised:

     “If there is cancer upon the earth-plane, one must look at the causes of cancer, not at the cure.”

Holistic practitioners try to do just that, inspecting and treating the person on all levels of being, uncovering the root of the problem instead of merely suppressing the symptoms.

At the forefront of efforts to enlighten us all on these matters is Brother Joseph, a gentle messenger from the spirit side of life.  He facilitated several life after death accounts by ordinary people, through the trance  mediumship of Bill Cox.  In his book, ‘A Glimpse into the World of Spirit’, we meet Trevor, who was also a doctor in his previous existence.

Trevor had been opposed to alternative methods of treatment while on Earth because he could not prove them scientifically .  This mindset remained with him after his passing until he was taken back to the Earth plane to tour centres where such treatments were used :

    “I was taken to a centre where cancer is treated alternatively, to observe their work.  I saw acupuncture in action,  reflexology –  this form of  treatment really intrigued me – and also what is known as spiritual healing.  I followed six different people through their treatments and I was amazed to see how well they responded.”

Having felt he had somewhat failed patients in his past life, Trevor went on to study these practices, as well as orthodox medicine, while in Spirit.  From this, he gained the knowledge to help other medical people as they passed over into a new understanding.   However, one need not have passed to the world of Spirit before receiving this knowledge. It had been brought to the Earth many centuries before Trevor had lived there, by another well loved master, whose teachings are recorded in an ancient manuscript found in a Buddhist monastery in Tibet.   Here are his words from The Essene Gospel of Christ, Part One :

   ” …And Jesus did heal every ailment and disease among the sick, even teaching people the art of true health reform according to the natural laws of nature.  Yea, for he taught the people healing properties of plants, even every herb and grass of the field, and the power hidden in stones and the cleansing miracle of pure water.  And many were amazed and did believe and were healed.  And because of his great wisdom and understanding Jesus amazed entire households and helped many unto the holy way of life.”

Today, it seems, mankind has fallen a long way from the path of the “holy way” into a deep abyss, where modern medicine has become the new word of God.  The simple miracle cures of nature are taken out of context and made into the quick fix prescription drug for which the patient will pay heavily later.

   “All of this makes Modern Medicine killer number one…” writes Patrick Rattigan, N.D. of The British Anti-vivisection Association.

  “The fundamental reason for the health crises” he continues” is the vivisection which resulted in these lethal drugs and procedures being passed for use in modern medicine.”   He explains that

  “results cannot be extrapolated from one species to another” and warns that  “With vivisection, the human being is always the real experimental model, frequently with lethal results.”

It is awful to see others made more ill by the very treatment which is meant to cure them and all we can do is try to lower a rope into their dark hole of pain, pills, tests and surgery.  It is their choice whether to haul themselves up into natural light or sink further into the abyss, where, every twelve seconds, an animal dies. This welcome death follows a life of being electrocuted , burned, force-fed noxious substances, psychologically disturbed, planted with tumours and cut open, sometimes with no anaesthetic and without adequate pain relief on recovery . Kittens will have had their eyes sewn up for blind research while, in burns study, conscious pigs will have had their skin blow-torched until it can be peeled off like crackling.  Primates have lived with electrodes implanted in their brains and dogs undergone heart transplant surgery.

It is no wonder, then, that an emotional account of how animal experimentation is viewed on the other side was given through medium Frank Wright.  Counting it as the gravest of all the abuses that had been mentioned in his speech, the spirit helper said,

   “The final animal cruelty of which I speak,  is that of experiments on defenceless, innocent creatures in laboratories.

   Those who designate themselves as spiritualists will know that animals have a soul and are therefore sentient beings, feeling pain and experiencing terror just as you do.  The pain, torture and mutilation inflicted on these poor creatures is truly sinful.

   There are always tears shed in the world of spirit when we witness cruelty to any members of the animal kingdom but never as many as are shed when we witness this unbelievable cruelty.

   When mistakenly practised in the name of medicine, it is just as vile as when practised for any other reason.  I tell you that no cure for diseases will come from these evil practices and all those associated with this work, directly or indirectly, will have to atone for their actions.  And, as animals are unlike humans physically, it is the first humans to take new medicines who remain the guinea pigs.

If you were to witness the scenes of torture and mutilation in these places, you would recoil in horror.  The cries of pain, screams of terror and the visions would never leave your memory.”

   It is true that the witnessing of these scenes leaves an indelible mark on the psyche but its impact on our soul  gives birth to a powerful motivation…one that some day will see the closed doors open and the cages emptied of our biggest mistake and our greatest shame.

Elissa Rattigan.  

Animal Rights in Spiritualism.

What the Guides Say…

on the subject of

Our Spiritual Duty to Animals

” Every creature is responsible for its own destiny.  By this, we mean that creatures who dwell in lower levels than man can determine how fast the mind within them rises towards individuality.”

More and more today, Spirit teaching is such as to suggest  that, having taken on the responsibility of caring for our adopted animals, we have a duty not only to ensure their physical and emotional well-being, but to nurture their spiritual and mental growth also.  If we aid the development of these faculties, we afford them the experience on their pathways in which to learn and grow.

As the above quote from the returned  Sir Oliver Lodge implies, this, in no way suggests our superiority, as the process is a two-way one.  The words of spirit communicator,  W.H. Myers reminds us of this truth, when, In ‘The Road to Immortality’ we read :

“Animals are not lower in creation than we are.  They are merely less complex.” 

We must remember that we are in this experience with them and as we provide other species with new stimuli, we can learn much from them to deepen and widen our understanding of spiritual and universal law. As our animals often put us to shame when displaying the art of self-less love, those who live independently of us in the wild have much to teach us about resourcefulness and survival skills. During a taped trance session, Colin Fry’s guide, Magnus, stated that all creatures have a life-force, with the more highly evolved gaining individual consciousness. He said that others come under a group consciousness and, while in the flesh, follow a structure and system humans would do well to admire. He further explains :

    ” Take, for example, the termite.  In the morphic world, they exist as a colony.  Individually, they are of  very little importance but collectively, they make up a body.  Do you understand ? When the species individual’s morphic existence expires, then that  part of their consciousness, their life-force, moves into a stage of spirit where the species is a collective consciousness.  They do not have individuality because they never have had individuality.  They have always been a component of the species.”

Before we humans begin to feel ‘special ‘ again, we must be reminded that Silver Birch described each of us as a diamond with many facets, when trying to explain the fact that we are made up of several selves.  Beyond this, there is the wisdom that we, as individuals, just like the termites, are all only small parts of one whole, The Great Spirit.  We are each but a tiny cell in a great body, interdependent on each other in the wider scheme of things. Magnus reiterates this truth when he goes on to say that all life is a continuous process, here and through all the stages of spiritual existence.  He explains that, just as ‘lower’ species work for the earth in the morphic world, they are workers for Spirit in the Spirit world.

When asked if worms, spiders or flies, which some  disliked, were to be found  in the Spirit world, Magnus  assured  the questioner that nothing was repulsive to those of higher consciousness. He explained that flies, for instance, had a spiritual function to perform there, just as, on Earth, they were important to the necessary process of decay.

At this point, it is worth noting the views of those, who, although not guides, in the normal sense of the word, came back to share with us their experiences of life in the Spirit world. Through the means of the Leslie Flint direct voice tapes, Douglas Conacher, publisher of religious and philosophical books while on earth, communicated his findings as regards the wisdom of animals in his realm of abode :

” We learn a lot from animals.  They are a part of the scheme of life and should have respect and regard;  one should always have love and affection for them.  And it is not only domesticated animals that exist here by any means, because there are many forms of animal life, which in their own fashion and their own way are quite developed; they have feelings  and emotions and great understanding, even when on Earth.”

To illustrate Douglas’s point, we turn to  Hans  Reuch’s book, ‘SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENT’, in which a true tale is told about a miner meeting two rats on his journey home from work:

     ‘The man took a stick and killed one of them and then noticed that its friend was blind and had been led along by a straw in its mouth by the other rat!’

Here, not only intelligent thought had been employed but self-survival had given way to compassion…….. and this from  what is usually referred to as filthy  vermin!

A wise entity and metaphysical teacher named Seth described himself as ‘an energy personality essence, no longer focused in physical matter.’  A long-winded way to describe a discarnate being, perhaps, but it helps explain the multiplicity of the self, and the unity of all souls in The Great Spirit, regardless of species.

Seth points out:

 “Animals, as any pet owner knows, have their own personalities and  individual ways of perceiving the reality available to them.  Some gobble experience.  Their consciousness may be immeasurably quickened by contact with friendly humans, and emotional involvement  with life is strongly developed.

   The mechanics of consciousness remain the same.  They do not change for animals or men.  Therefore there are no limitations set upon the development of any individual consciousness, or growth of any identity.  Consciousness, both in the body and without finds its own range, its own level.  A dog, then, is not limited to being a dog in other existences.  Consciousness must by its nature change, and so identities must also change – not one blotting out the other but building upon it while each succeeding step is maintained and not discarded, you see. “

With this and much more evidence to suggest that other species have a mind and spirituality of their own, we should offer them  stimuli along with our love, for, behind the language barrier, we have all the same need for support on our pathways.  It should be that we move each other on to new experience and understanding, preparing the ground for the birth of a new facet of our identity. Although other creatures are not dependent upon a relationship with us for their individual survival in the Spirit world, they benefit from it, should it be supportive and communicative.

As usual the words of the highly regarded guide, Silver Birch, touch the understanding like no other :

 “If man were aware of his responsibilities to all creation, as higher beings are aware of their responsibility  to man, the animal evolution would be accelerated and become more individuated.  …

    All life is one.  You cannot divide life into water-tight, rigid compartments.  All aspects of life, man and animals, must move forward together.  The animals cannot be left behind while man makes his evolutionary ascent.”

And for those who wouldn’t dream of leaving their animals behind but need reassurance that the ascent will not be made without them, we end with words of Magnus :

     “Animals and creatures have their own vibration.  Much certain of your domestic pets is that they have their vibration elevated and strengthened by being in the company of humankind in the morphic world. ………..  And, therefore, when you move into the stage of spirit, yes, the pets and domesticated animals that you have shared the bond of love with will indeed be waiting there for you.”

 Elissa Rattigan.

 Animal Rights inSpiritualism.

Extracts from The Essene Humane Gospel of Christ. 

WHAT JESUS SAID

on the subject of 

ANIMAL ABUSE.

   “And the flesh of slain beasts in his body will become his own tomb.  For I tell you truly, he who kills, kills himself, and whoso eats the flesh of slain beasts, eats of the body of death….he who kills a beast without a cause, though the beast attack him not, through lust for slaughter, or for its flesh, or for its hide, or yet for its tusks, evil is the deed which he does, for he his turned into a wild beast himself.”

Recorded above are the words of a truly vegan Jesus, but none that are commonly accepted by Christian authority as being attributed to him, or that may be found in today’s ‘good book’.  The simple reason for this is that they are taken from among the few documents that were hidden away from the prying eyes and treacherous hands of yesterday’s ‘correctors’.  These were certain scholars, appointed by the religious authorities of Councils such as Nicea, in the year AD 325,  to alter scripture in accordance with orthodox interest. For ‘orthodox’, one would be tempted to substitute ‘vested’, in relation to livestock farmers and rotund priests with a taste for flesh, as Jesus’s teaching concerning the treatment of animals was unashamedly scrapped.

This original manuscript dates from the third century A.D. and was found in the Vatican library in 1930 but another, now known as the Gospel of the Holy Twelve, was also lost to us for centuries. Although, it is thought many such records were mercilessly  destroyed, this one, written  in ‘the master’s’ native tongue of Aramaic, was found, preserved,  in a  Tibetan Buddhist monastery.

All those years ago the message of compassion for all that lives was brought through this gospel.  Is its suppression until recently one of the reasons mankind has progressed so little in these matters?

Today, many animals are abused in a way they never were before, torn from their families and familiar surroundings, bound for a life of cruelty, loneliness and terror.  Sometimes for their body parts, wild animals are exploited in a way which sees mothers brutally killed.  Their orphaned young are then sold and transported to a miserable existence in captivity.

One such destination for these unfortunate creatures is the circus. Big business of this sort is kept afloat by public demand. If, instead of going to see animals perform amid the ‘glitz’ and ‘glam’ of the circus ring, children were shown the true conditions in which they live and are trained, there would be a huge drop in ticket sales.  This form of entertainment has been banned for the most part in the U.K. but can still be found in other places of the world.

What would the Essene Christ have to say and what would he do, were he to appear at such an event?  How would he react upon visiting a zoo or even the home of a caged pet rabbit? To speculate on this conjures scenes reminiscent of when he entered the money-lenders temple and, from  the following  extracts, we build a picture of just how upset Jesus was at man’s inhumanity to other species :

   And as Jesus was going to Jericho there met him a man with a cage full of birds, which he had caught, and some young doves.  And he saw how they were in misery having lost their liberty, and moreover being tormented with hunger and thirst. And he said unto the man, “What doest thou with these?” And the man answered, “I go to make my living by selling these birds which I have taken”

   And Jesus said, “What thinkest thou, if another, stronger than thou or with greater craft, were to catch thee and bind thee, or thy wife or thy children, and cast thee into a prison, in order to sell thee into captivity for his own profit, and to make a living? Are not these thy fellow creatures, only weaker than thou? And doth not the same God, our Father-Mother, care for them as for thee? Let these thy little brethren and sisters go forth into freedom, and see that thou do this thing no more, but provide honestly for thy living.”

    And the man marvelled at these words and at his authority, and he let the birds go free. So when the birds came forth they flew unto Jesus and stood on his shoulder and sang unto him. And the man inquired further of his doctrine, and he went his way, and learnt the craft of making baskets, and by this craft he earned his bread, and afterwards he broke his cages and his traps, and became a disciple of Jesus.

    And Jesus was travelling to Jerusalem, and there came a camel heavy laden with wood, and the camel could not drag it up the hill wither he went for the weight thereof and the driver beat him and cruelly ill-treated him, but he could make him go no further. And Jesus seeing this, said unto him,

   “Wherefore beatest thou thy brother?” And the man answered, “I wot not, that he is my brother, is he not a beast of burden and made to serve me?”

    And Jesus said, “Hath not the same God made, of the same substance, the camel and thy children who serve thee and have ye not one breath of life which ye have received from God?” And the man marvelled much at this saying, and he ceased from beating the camel, and took off some of the burden and the camel walked up the hill as Jesus went before him, and it stopped no more till he ended his journey. And the camel knew Jesus, having felt of the love of God in him. And the man inquired further of the doctrine, and Jesus taught him gladly and the man became his disciple.

   And one day as Jesus travelled through a small village with some of his disciples; he noticed a crowd of no-gooders, those of a certain kind who search for evil things to do. And they were torturing a sickly cat, which they had decided to shamefully treat, for they could find nothing better to use idle time, they being lazy and unworthy young men. And Jesus seeing this mean cruelty, commanded them to leave off from tormenting the poor beast and he began to reason with them, so as to make them realise their evil, but they listened not for the holy law was not found in them but only hardness of heart; and they reviled Jesus for his interference with their pastime.

    At this Jesus said unto them:  “This good earth which my father-mother made for joy and gladness, ye have made into the lowest regions of Hell with thy evil deeds of violence and cruelty.  Why doeth the stronger always prey on the weakest?  Tell ye, since Satan cursed the holy creations of God, no thing is safe in the earth from unholy men, till the Son of Man cometh in all his glory and free every creature from the curse of dread and fear.”

    And at hearing these words the young men fled from before his face, but one did return and defied Jesus further, and spake harsh words, yea, even threatening Jesus with harm.  Hence, not responding to the sound counsel of Jesus, Jesus put forth his hand, and the young man’s arm withered.

  And the next day, the mother of the young man came unto Jesus and prayed that he would restore her son’s withered arm.  And Jesus, discerning that the woman was of good heart, and the young man without maturity, spake unto them of the law of love and the unity of all life in the One Household of God.  And they both listened unto Jesus’s words with sincere hearts…and Jesus again stretched forth his hand, and healed the withered arm of the young man.

In the U.K. today, the barbaric practice of hunting with dogs has been banned by law but this is no thanks to the Christian Church, who, in some cases, allowed this satanic-like ritual to take place on their land. How different things may have been had the following words remained intact within the regular bible:

    And as Jesus was going with some of his disciples he met with a certain man who trained dogs to hunt other creatures.

   And he said to the man, “Why doest thou thus?” and the man said, “By this I live and what profit is there to any in these creatures? These creatures are weak, but the dogs they are strong”. And Jesus said, “Thou lackest wisdom and love. Lo, every creature which God hath made hath its end, and purpose, and who can say what good is there in it, or what profit to thyself, or mankind?  And, for thy living, behold the fields yielding their increase, and the fruit bearing trees and the herbs; what needest thou more than these which honest work of thy hands will not give to thee? Woe to the strong who misuse their strength. Woe to the crafty who hurt the creatures of God. Woe to the hunters for they shall be hunted”. And the man marvelled, and left off training the dogs to hunt, and taught them to save life rather than destroy it. And he learned of the doctrines of Jesus and became his disciple.

   And as Jesus entered into a certain village he saw a young cat which had none to care for her, and she was hungry and cried unto him, and he took her up, and put her inside his garment, and she lay in his bosom. And when he came into the village he set food and drink before the cat, and she ate and drank, and showed thanks unto him. And he gave her unto one of his disciples, who was a widow, whose name was Lorenza, and she took care of her.

   And some of the people said, “This man careth for all creatures, are they his brothers and sisters that he should love them?” And he said unto them, “Verily these are your fellow creatures of the great Household of God, yea, they are your brethren and sisters, having the same breath of life in the Eternal. And whosoever careth for one of the least of these, and giveth it to eat and drink in its need, the same doeth it unto me, and whoso willingly suffereth one of these to be in want, and defendeth it not when evilly entreated, suffereth the evil as done unto me, for as ye have done in this life, so shall it be done unto you in the life to come”.

How difficult it appears to be for many to grasp these simple truths of brotherhood with all life and how sad it is for us to confess that our brotherhood of man has destroyed rain forests, indigenous peoples and the ecology in order to provide grazing land for the meat industry.  What makes this more of a tragedy is the fact that, if the land were used to grow crops, around eight vegans to every meat-eater could be fed from it thereby benefiting the starving nations of the world. Moreover, because the methane gas, given off by billions of intensely-bred cattle into the atmosphere, plays no small part in the destruction of the ozone layer, it follows that the demand for meat is a major contributory factor in global warming.

Believing that, in the beginning, this world was made perfect, fashioned by the creative force of what most of us call God, we must realise that every living creature plays its part in the maintenance of this beautiful manifestation we know as our planet.

No, this does not mean an adherence to the laws of the jungle but that we are each but a tiny cell in a great body, interdependent  on each other in the wider scheme of things – all parts of one whole in the Holy Spirit.

We destroy flies believing they are a threat to our health but it is known they are an important part of the decaying process for the Earth and without them to complete their work we bring more destruction on ourselves in the long run. It is not only the creatures of land and air we exterminate at our peril.  The following words were reported in the Summer 2005 Viva magazine as part of an article on the cruelties of  fishing :

‘ The greatest threat of all may turn out to be our interference with a delicate eco-system that provides most of the worlds’ oxygen from phytoplankton.  Destroy that and we destroy ourselves.  Yet Government still encourages the devastation of our oceans by promoting fish…. as a health food .  It is anything but.’

Over two thousand years ago Jesus tried to explain how the simple laws of the universe  worked out in the divine plan for all its creatures. How eerie the echo of his words in today’s factory-farmed world of killer virus, polluted atmosphere and  unnatural climate change :

    And on another day, the question of eating dead things was again presented, and some of Jesus’ newer disciples gathered around him and asked: “Master, ye do indeed know all things, and thy wisdom of the Holy Law excels all others, tell us, therefore, is the eating of sea creatures lawful as some say?”

   And Jesus looked upon them with sad eyes, for he knew they were yet unlearned men and their hearts were yet hardened by false doctrines of devils and he said unto them:

    “See ye the fishes of the sea, as we stand beside the seashore and look upon the waters of many lives. Yea, the water is their world, even as the dry land belongeth to man I ask ye, do the fishes come unto thee and ask of thee for thy dry land or of its foods? Nay, nor is it lawful for thee to go into the sea and ask for things which belong not unto thee for the earth is divided into three kingdoms of souls – one of the land, one of the air, and one of the sea, each according to its kind. And deposition for the Eternal Being hath given unto them each the Spirit of life and the Holy Breath, and what He giveth freely unto His creatures, neither men nor angels have authority to take back or claim as their own.  For behold the fisherman, how he takes not what is his own, a thief he is, he stealeth the treasures of the deep and disrupts the holy life of the blessed, for hath not God blessed the sea creatures in the age they were created, and said unto them all: ‘Yea, it is good and holy, let them have life and bring forth after their kind and let them rejoice in their watery home and sing unto me songs of praise and of much joy and peace.’ ……..

    “And most truly I tell ye, Satan, like the fisherman, casts his hooks into ye, for the evil one lies in wait, wishing to seize thee, that he might swallow thee up and rejoice at the catch. For Satan, likened to a fisherman, places many foods before thy eyes, wishing to make thee desirous of them, even if only to taste a little, so that he may seize thee, and bring thee out of light into darkness.

   Wherefore, I say unto thee, do not be touching the food of Satan, for the wicked one lies in wait for the unwise and the unlearned with many hooks and traps and every kind of net, for if ye be tempted with a single unlawful  food, it is necessary for ye to desire all others, and finally, then, such unlawful things become the food of death and Satan is victorious.

   Wherefore, be ye not deceivers as fishermen, men of trickery, nor be eating the catch thereof, for many are they who Satan ensnares with the taste of unlawful things and maketh them partners in death.” …

In an age where the vegan diet has proved to bring less risk of heart disease, colitis, eczema, asthma and some forms of cancer, it is worth coming to grips with what Jesus has to say on matters of health reform, for when man sets foot on the compassionate pathway, he finds that what is morally right is also dietetically correct and that all things find balance on the scales of love:

      “ And if you cease not offering and eating of flesh and blood, the wrath of God shall not cease from you, even as it came to your fathers in the wilderness, who lusteth for flesh, and they ate to their content, and were filled with rottenness, and the plague consumed them.”

    … And on hearing these things, a certain Sadducee who believed in the holy things of God asked Jesus, “Tell me, please, why sayest thou, do not eat the flesh of animals? Were not the beasts given unto man as food, even as the fruits and herbs ye spake of ?” And Jesus answered him and said, “Behold this melon, the fruit of the earth.” And Jesus broke open a water melon and said unto the Sadducee, “See thou with thine own eyes the good fruit of the soil, the meat of man, and see thou the seeds within, count ye them, for one melon maketh a hundred fold and even more. If thou sow this seed, ye do eat from the True God, for no blood was spilled. Nay, no pain nor outcry did ye hear with thy ears or see with thine eyes. The true food of man is from the Mother of the earth for She brings forth perfect gifts unto the humble of the land. But ye seek what Satan giveth, the anguish, the death and the blood of living souls taken by the sword. Know ye not, those who live by the sword, die by the same death? Go ye thine way, and plant the seeds of the good fruit of life, and leave ye off from hurting the innocent creatures of God. For I tell ye, man needeth male and female beasts for the food he so lusteth after, but every plant and tree, God so giveth, beareth its own free seed for food. Depend ye not on the things unnecessary to your soul. Plant ye the good seeds of the melon, wherein ye saveth from season to season and waiteth for the soil like sleeping man awaiteth the sunrise; for the seed was made for the morrow’s meal, but the animals for the joy and pleasure of God and man. 

   … And Jesus did heal every ailment and disease among the sick, even teaching the people the art of true health reform according to the natural laws of nature. Yea, for he taught the people healing properties of plants; even every herb and grass of the field and the power hidden in stones, and the cleansing miracle of pure water. And many were amazed and did believe and were healed.

   And because of his great wisdom and understanding Jesus amazed entire households and helped many unto the holy way of life. And Jesus did teach the clean diet of man and beast, and taught even the Holy Law on health that all may know and learn true salvation. And he named every fruit that God had given unto man as food and every vegetable that God had given unto the beasts and birds of the earth. Yea, even of the fishes did Jesus spake of and told every household with ears sacred truths of the holy way. And many were the listeners who obeyed his words from that time on.

Today, it seems, mankind has fallen long from the path of the ‘holy way’ into a deep abyss, where modern medicine has become the new word of God.  The simple miracle cures of nature are taken out of context, synthesised and made into the quick-fix prescription drug for which the patient will pay heavily later.

“ All this makes Modern Medicine killer number one…” writes Patrick Rattigan N.D. of the British Anti-vivisection Association.

“ The fundamental reason for the health crisis” he continues “is the vivisection which resulted in these lethal drugs and procedures being passed for use in modern medicine.”  He explains that “results cannot be extrapolated from one species to another” and warns that “ With vivisection, the human being is always the real experimental model, frequently with lethal results.”

It is awful to see others made more ill by the very treatment which is meant to cure them and all we can do is try to lower a rope into their dark hole of pain, pills, tests and surgery.  It is their choice whether to haul themselves up into natural light or sink further into the abyss, where, in UK laboratories alone, every twelve seconds an animal dies. This welcome death follows a life of being  electrocuted, burned, force-fed noxious substances, psychologically disturbed, implanted with tumours and cut open, sometimes with no anaesthetic and without adequate pain relief on recovery. Kittens will have had their eyes sewn up for blind research while, in burns study, conscious pigs will have had their skin blow-torched until it can be peeled off like crackling.  Primates have lived with electrodes in their brains and dogs undergone heart transplant surgery.

It is true that witnessing these scenes, captured on film, leaves an indelible mark on the psyche but its impact on  our soul  gives birth to a powerful motivation…one that some day will see the closed doors open and the cages emptied of our biggest mistake and our greatest shame. To follow in the way of the true Jesus may mean a huge shift of mindset and the courage of our own convictions, not those fed to us by a source  which, in part, has been altered by man-made dogma.  Being able to accept the bible accounts which have a definite ring of truth while rejecting the ones that don’t, doesn’t mean we will lose our souls to the devil in the process.  I am sure the only requirement needed to partake in his evil is that we do nothing about the laboratories and factory farms from Hell.

   Don’t turn away from any of the issues raised in this document. In them bleeds the sacred heart of the Humane Christ. 

Elissa Rattigan

ANIMAL RIGHTS IN SPIRITUALISM