Happy Holidays
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     The Christmas Story:
Glad Tidings for all Creatures
by Rev.  J.R. Hyland - HumaneReligion@compuserve.com

During the holiday season, the Christmas manger scene is an important symbol for those who believe that the birth of Jesus was the birth of their Savior. It also has importance for those who are only culturally Christian but view the nativity scene as another symbol that takes its place along with mistletoe, holly, and Santa Claus.

But the real significance of the story of an infant born in a stable is ignored by believers as well as by non-believers. Although Christians give lip-service to the doctrine that Jesus came to redeem all creation, most seem to think that "all creation" means human beings. They hold to this chauvinistic belief in spite of the biblical account that details the birth of Christ. They ignore the profound implications of Luke's Gospel.

The birth of Jesus is a restatement of the creation story. In the original Genesis account, animals were created first and human beings were set in their midst and given responsibility for their well-being. But after the Fall in Eden, people began to abuse one another and all other creatures. The entire earth was in need of redemption and the birth of Christ heralded a new beginning.  Christ was born in a stable. Like the first humans, he, too, was born into a setting that already sheltered, and gave sustenance to, animals. And the Gospel account continues this theme of human and animal relatedness when it tells how an angel announced the birth of Jesus to men who were out in the fields, caring for their animals.

  "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch
  over their flocks at night. An angel of the lord appeared to them. 'Do not be
  afraid...I bring you good news...This will be a sign to you: you will find a
  baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger'"(Luke 2: 8-10,12).

So it was that those chosen to be the first to hear [and] know the good news of the coming of Christ were men who cared for other creatures. The shepherds were the nurturing caregivers who, in their time, were living in a way that most closely approximated the peaceful accord between animals and men that God had ordained at the creation.

The work of the shepherds who attended Jesus at his birth was the antithesis of those whose work centered around the slaughter of animals on the altars at Jerusalem. And Jesus, who was welcomed into the world by men who protected and cared for animals, never participated in the sacrificial rites of the Temple. Neither did his disciples. Just as the beginning of Judaism was marked by the rejection of human sacrifice in the time of Abraham, so the beginning of Christianity was marked by the rejection of animal sacrifice in the time of Jesus. This was the fulfillment of the call for religious reform that had been given hundreds of years before, by the prophets of Israel.

Although the significance of the Christmas story is currently ignored by Christians of all persuasions, the powerful symbols of infant and manger, animals and shepherds, and peace on earth between all creatures, continue to be part of the ritual observance of this holiday season. For those who care about animals and also believe in a God who created life as we know it, the continued telling of this story can be seen as a leaven that is gradually changing the hearts and minds of women and men who, in increasing numbers, understand that God's care and concern extends to all beings, not just to the human race.

And those who care about animals but do not believe in a Creator God -- or in any other deity -- can take heart from the fact that the powerful symbols of human and animal relatedness, incorporated in the Christmas story, continue to influence our culture. Like all powerful symbols, they are a force affecting minds at the unconscious level. And as the latent power of these symbols erupts into consciousness, they can become a force for good.

So at this holiday season, let us each renew our hope. There are forces, seen and unseen, that are working with us to bring about a world in which no creature will suffer and die because of the greed and rapacity of the human race. There are forces, seen and unseen, supporting those who have been called to be part of the spiritual evolution that is manifesting itself among those who understand that care and compassion must be the hallmark of our relationship with all God's creatures.

There are forces, seen and unseen, working to make the Peaceable Kingdom a reality.

  Copyright Humane Religion, 2000

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True Peace On Earth
submitted by Mau16@aol.com

'Twas the night before Christmas all snug in the house,
We, some humans, and pets, and one was a mouse,
When they were enjoying Christmas cheer,
Outside an alley cat without an ear,
Stood starving and injured and sick to the bone,
Sat out in the pouring rain all alone,
A dog with big bruises pulled by his lead,
While people hit him till he began to bleed,
An ape in a lab cried out in fright,
When something sharp hit him with all its might,
A cat in a shelter stood lonely in stance,
While people passed by without even a glance,
A fox shrieked when he was in pain,
Caught in a fur trap out in the rain,
If we know this happens, why don't we take action?
We can cut this down fraction by fraction.
Especially on Christmas for peace on earth.
Give the stray cat a nap by the hearth,
And help the poor dog so battered and bruised,
Take him in, though he's used,
Put a stop to the testing, the pain and the fright,
We can do this if we use all our might,
If we talk about peace and of love and joy,
Teach your children that Fido's not a toy,
And realize peace on earth is animals too,
Not just humans like me and you.

  --submitted by Mau16@aol.com

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Chanukah and Vegetarianism
by Richard H. Schwartz - SCHWARTZ@POSTBOX.CSI.CUNY.EDU

Many connections can be made between vegetarianism and the Jewish festival of Chanukah:

1. According to the Book of Maccabees, some Maccabees lived on plant foods to "avoid being polluted like the rest" when they hid in the mountains to avoid capture.

2. The foods associated with Channukah, latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (fried donuts) are vegetarian foods, and the oils that are used in their preparation are a reminder of the oil used in the lighting of the Menorah in the rededication of the Temple.

3. Chanukah represents the triumph of non-conformity. The Maccabees fought for their inner beliefs, rather than conforming to external pressure.  They were willing to say: This I believe, this I stand for, this I am willing to struggle for. Today, vegetarians represent non-conformity. At a time when most people in the wealthier countries think of animal products as the main part of their meals, when McDonald's and similar fast food establishments are expanding, vegetarians are resisting and insisting that there is a better, healthier, more humane diet.

4. Chanukah represents the victory of the few, who practiced God's teachings rather than the values of the surrounding society, over the many.  Today vegetarians are a very small minority in most countries, but they believe that, consistent with God's original diet (Genesis 1:29), and religious mandates to preserve our health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, preserve natural resources, and share with hungry people, vegetarianism is the dietary approach most consistent with Jewish values.

5. Chanukah commemorates the miracle of the oil that was enough for only one day, but miraculously lasted for eight days. A switch to vegetarianism on the part of the world's people could result in an even greater miracle: the end of the scandal of world hunger which results in the death of an estimated 20 million people annually, while over a third of the world's grain is fed to animals destined for slaughter.

6. It is interesting that the ratio of eight days that the oil burned compared to the one day of burning capacity that the oil had is the same ratio (8 to 1) that is often given for the pounds of grain that are necessary to produce a pound of edible beef in a feed lot. The miracle of the oil brings the use of fuel and other resources into focus, and vegetarian diets make resources go much further, since far less water, fuel, land, pesticides, fertilizer, and other agricultural resources are required for plant-based diets than for animal-centered diets.

7. Chanukah also commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after it was defiled by the Syrian-Greeks. The Hebrew root of the word Chanukah means dedication. Today, a shift to vegetarianism can be a major factor in the rededication and renewal of Judaism, because it would show that Jewish values are relevant to everyday Jewish life and to addressing current problems, such as hunger, pollution, resource scarcity, and soaring health care expenditures.

8. Candles are lit during each night of Chanukah, symbolizing a turning from darkness to light, from despair to hope. According to the prophet Isaiah, the role of Jews is to be a "light unto the nations" (Isaiah 42:6).  Vegetarianism can be a way of adding light to the darkness of a world with slaughterhouses, factory farms, and vivisection laboratories, as well as other symbols of oppression.

9. Chanukah commemorates the deliverance of the Jews from the Syrian Greeks. So, today, vegetarianism can be a step toward deliverance from modern problems such as hunger, pollution, and resource scarcities.

10. On the Sabbath during Chanukah, the prophetic portion indicates that difficulties can best be overcome "not by might and not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6). Today, Jewish vegetarians are arguing that the way to a better world is not by exercising our power over animals, but by applying the spirit of God, "whose tender mercies are over all of His creatures" (Psalm 145:9).

11. The Hebrew root of the word Chanukah also means education, Jewish vegetarians believe that if Jews were educated about the horrible realities of factory farming and the powerful Jewish mandates about taking care of our health, showing compassion to animals, protecting the environment, conserving resources, and helping hungry people, they would seriously consider switching to vegetarian diets.

12. At the morning services during each day of Chanukah, there is a recitation of Hallel, the psalms of praise from Psalm 113 to 118. During the Sabbath of Chanukah and every other Sabbath during the year, the morning service has a prayer that begins, "The soul of all living creatures shall praise God's name". Yet, it is hard for animals to join in the praise of God when annually in the United States alone over 9 billion animals are killed for their flesh after suffering from cruel treatment on factory farms.

  Richard H. Schwartz
  Professor Emeritus, Mathematics    College of Staten Island
  2800 Victory Boulevard  Staten Island, NY 10314  USA  (718) 982-3621
  Email address: Schwartz@postbox.csi.cuny.edu     Fax: (718) 982-3631

  Author of Judaism and Vegetarianism, Judaism and Global Survival,
  and Mathematics and Global Survival.
  Patron of the International Jewish Vegetarian Society.
    
  My 100 articles on Judaism and Vegetarianism are on the internet at
  http://schwartz.enviroweb.org/ (Please share them with others.)
  My infomercial interview is at  http://www.tjwalker.com/schwartz.htm     

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Doggie Christmas Carols

  Just a little fun for the holidays.  Enjoy.

Tale Waggers - Doggie Carols  
http://www.ddc.com/waggers/carols.html

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A Holiday Prayer

Oh Great Spirit,
with whom all life extends
and returns.
Take under your wing
these creatures of the holiday,
lives shortened and thankless,
bereft of your sun and moon to gaze upon
and rain to feel upon their backs,
the morning crisp and bright.

Hear these small voices
hold their hearts inside your wide embrace
and let your tears 
become the raindrops
as the cycle begins again.

Help us to feed upon the yield of the field
and not of the blood, cleansing our hearts
and our bodies with these grains of truth.

Give us a real holiday from cruelty
for the sake of our soulmates, all faces,
to gain the collective wisdom of non-violence.
To this end we are truly thankful.

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  Quote To Remember

"We are the lucky ones - we are not standing day after day in a tiny space, breathing the stench of our own waste, waiting only to be slaughtered.  We must do everything possible for those suffering lives of pain and terror."
                                                  --Matt Ball, Vegan Outreach Cofounder
 

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