[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”0″ padding_right=”0″ hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”underline solid” sep_color=”#000000″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Group of evangelical Christian leaders launch effort to educate people in the pews on a biblical imperative to take care of animals[/title][fusion_text]Thursday, October 1st 2015
A group of evangelical Christian leaders has launched an effort to educate people in the pews on a biblical imperative to take care of animals, including in agriculture. The initiative, called Every Living Thing, was launched Wednesday with the announcement of a statement signed by top evangelical scholars and pastors. The statement doesn’t take positions on any policy issues but does call “for the protection and preservation of all the kinds of animals God has created, while prioritizing human needs.” The initiative grew out of a meeting of faith leaders organized by the Humane Society of the United States in 2011. Every Living Thing, which is run by a Christian consulting firm, the Clapham Group, will sponsor events promoting discussions about animal stewardship. The statement’s initial signees include Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), an arm of the Southern Baptist Convention; Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.; theologian Timothy George; and megachurch pastor Bill Hybels. Mohler, who has 107,000 Twitter followers, endorsed the statement on his account Wednesday. Every Living Thing commissioned a poll that indicated strong support among Protestant pastors for animal welfare in general. Seventy-three percent of the 1,000 pastors surveyed, a group that included pastors of mainline dominations, agreed with the statement that “the way we treat animals reflects our care for human beings.” Conversely, 75 percent disagreed with the statement that “God is indifferent about how people behave towards animals.”
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