Animal Agriculture Alliance
PRESS RELEASE
Baptist Minister Warns Against Animal Rights Groups' Attempts to
Co-opt Religion
May 14, 2009 –
http://www.animalagalliance.org/current/...=Press_Releases

"Animal rights activists are using religious messages to recruit a
segment of the millennial generation that has little doctrinal anchor
in order to advance their vegetarian agenda", said Dr. Wes Jamison, an
ordained Baptist Minister and Associate Professor of Communications at
Palm Beach Atlantic University, addressing participants at the Animal
Agriculture Alliance's (Alliance) Eighth Annual Stakeholders Summit,
held May 12-13 in Alexandria, VA.

Dr. Jamison explained that two major factors are driving animal rights
groups' attempts to engage people of faith. The first is that people
motivated by religion tend to give generously, which is an important
factor to the $400 million a year animal rights industry. The second
reason is that people motivated by religious zeal tend to have
sustained intensity over time. This is a critical feature lacking from
the current animal rights movement, since many vegans and vegetarians
tend to eventually return to an omnivorous diet.

Dr. Jamison indicated that animal rights groups are carefully
selecting religious passages that appeal to targeted individuals'
sense of compassion, self-denial, and guilt. He then pointed to
Biblical stories that directly refute the messages and went on to
label animal rights groups engaging in this tactic as "meaning
entrepreneurs."

"We caution people against buying in to such messages and encourage
people to do their own review of Biblical scripture and literature,"
said Kay Johnson Smith, Executive Vice President of the Animal
Agriculture Alliance (Alliance). "Farmers and ranchers are among the
most compassionate people in the world and are committed to the care
of their animals as a top priority."

"Farmers and ranchers are among the
most compassionate people in the world and are committed to the care
of their animals as a top priority."
exactley ppl just dont understand just how much we care for our animals.