I fc U 1
In the thirties I raised three litters of white soimyed puppies
free and found out it vus not very profitable. I coulJ not get
good homes for somo even if I gave them nway. I had my
animals neutered and tent out of the dog business pronto.
No my dog family consists of mixed mut breeds from dog
pounds and strays. ( all neutered;.
TTTTtT"
urn
1 ls.O
TXT
Vivisecfion and the Church
WHY DOES THE CHURCH CONDONE OR REMAIN SILENT ABOUT VIVISECTION? WHY
DOES IT NOT WITH ITS THEME OF UNIVERSAL LOVE INCLUDE THE ANIMALS?
By OWEN B. HUNT
THE CHURCH in America, with few ex
ceptions, has been strangely quiescent about
vivisection. Ever since it lost its long pole
mical struggle with Darwinism, it appears to
have followed the dictum, "If you can't
beat 'em, join 'em."
While the Church drifted away from the
mainstream of spiritual insights and intui
tion to try its amateur wings in the pseudo
sciences of sociology and politics, the biologi
cal scientists were stealing their robes and
halos to create a religion of their own as
"the true benefactors of mankind and the
only way to enlightenment."
Weakened in the one area they could call
their own, the Church weakened itself further
by falling into the rear ranks of the material
ists and parroting their litany.
Now I don't mean to imply that every
minister of the gospel or every church in
Christendom or out of it has renounced its
beliefs or its contemplation of the ultimate
source that lies in and behind everv expres
sion of life. But in many of them these
factors have been diluted; sometimes, it would
seem, even temporarily abondoned.
Nowhere are the results of this trend more
apparent than in the acceptance, the endorse
ment or in the practice of vivisection in
some parochial schools. Many public schools
do, too, sometimes by virtue (if you can
excuse the word in this connection) of state
law. (It is a curious anomaly that though
they are not allowed to pray in public schools,
sadism in the name of science is in some
states sanctioned.) But the parochial schools
stem from a religious background, and here
the spectacle of teacher andor pupils killing
and dissecting animals in class reaches not
only a new height of incongruity but of ab
surdity. There is an incredible naivete behind a
facade of superficial learning in these
so-called science teachers, whether in public
or parochial schools, as well as in the
officials who preside over them. What they
teach by vivisection is far better taught
in competent, well-illustrated books or charts,
at less expense and without cruelty. Of these
teachers had taken the trouble during their
college years to read and study scores of
medical journals with their gory and fruitless
series of animal experiments leading only
to more and more of the same at back
breaking expense to the taxpayer as
we have done over the past 20 years they
would pause in trepidation before inflicting
these barbarisms on children in a world
already torn by violence and lack or respect
or reverence for life.
Vivisection is, first of all, a moral issue,
and as a moral issue it should be of pri
mary concern to the Church. A wise man
once said, "No man's religion ever sur
vives his morals." And another added,
"I would give nothing for that man's religion
whose very dog and cat are not the better
for it" by Abe Lincoln.
Vivisection has become a monster out of
control, an evil spawned of the profit motive
and of a science-mad civilization. Any close
scrutiny shows it for what it is. The Church
only hastens its own disintegration when,
in any way, it gives consent. You can't find
that hallowed "knowledge beyond belief in
the blood of the lamb or the cat or the dog
or the chimpanzee or in any other species
you may experiment upon. Nor has disease
been conquered by vivisection despite the
boasts of its adherents who take the bodies
of animals apart in their charnal houses
while pain and misery and disease multiplies
all around us, and the dehumanization of
man goes on apace.
Rene Dubcs, though himself a microbio
logist, says in his book, "So Human An
Animal," "Many attitudes and responses of
man have determinants of which neither the
mind nor. the bodv is aware." And then. b
cites Pascal: "The heart has its own reasons
which does not know." And Professor Dubos
further admits that as of now we are wit
"efsing a growingdisenchantmentwith mater-
ldi Id III
Certainly more than this abortion of science
call vivisection is needed to understand or
even faintly perceive the mysteries of life
and death and disease. A natural assumption
would be that the Church, with its theme of
universal love, would, as did Francis of
Assisi ages ago, reach out to include the ani
mals. But no. Instead, it either preserves
an austere silence or embraces this most
arrogant, presumptuous and cruel aspect of
our twentieth-century materialism, languish
ing meanwhile in a spiritual twilight.
The mind no longer turns inward for en
lightenment, but outward toward chaos.
WRITE FOR INFORMATION
The American Anti-Vivisection Society 1903
Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19103
CENTENNIAL EDITION
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Heppner-Gazette
editors:
May I congratulate you on
your very fine Paper and ask a
favor in the next breath?
You will be doing your many
readers and all of the sponsors
of the double page steer-bust
protest ad. a great service if
you will please find space in
your Centennial Paper to
reprint this letter from Amer
ican Humane Association.
(The Mile High Humane
Center of the Nation," offices
in Hollywood, Washington and
New York.and in Denver,
Colo.) I'm sure it will answer
the questions that have been
on their minds for many
years. Since the A.H.A.is
located in Denver where the
Rodeo Cowboys Assn. is, they
are in a better position to
negotiate and continue their
educational efforts to halt this
evil, one sided, useless, sport
less, dollar racket of
STEER - TRIP - BUSTING
AND TIEING OF GROWN
animals that could not have
three feet tied together if the
wind is not knocked out of
them or injured in some other
way. To those who are
concerned and hope to pro
mote decent treatment of the
defensless helpless steers in
the arena r.nd in back yard,
practice sessions, may I
suggest you do take the time to
write your protest letters to
A.H.A.of Denver, Colo. Let
them know how you feel about
this abominable act to unof
fending creatures.
Man is cruel for sport and
dollars. Both are a blight on
civilization. Add your senti
ment toward a majority to
OUTLAW CRUELTY and to
stamp it as an indecency not to
be tolerated in a civilized
country.
KEEP ALIVE WITHIN
YOURSELF THAT SPARK
OF HUMAN GREATNESS
CALLED SYMPATHY. It is
the voice of your Creator sum
moning you to the unity of a
common interest in Creation.
My most sincere thanks to
you for help in presenting the
facts as they are in the
steer-bust act.
Most concerned,
Lois Winchester
P.S. Just received word
from the Executive Vice
President, that The Board of
Directors of the Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association have
passed a resolution that Mr.
Graham can not make en
dorsements of any kind.
(Therefor his name will not
appear among the names of
the humane people who are
protesting to the cruel steer
busting.) Billy, answered in
the paper not "long ago, "if he
could only name one sin it
would be apathy He should
know.
Ms. Lois Winchester
Heppner,
Oregon
Dear Ms. Winchester:
Thank you very much for
your letter of July 24 regard
ing co-sponsorship of the
advertisement circulated by
another organization against
single steer tying to be
circulated in the Centennial
Edition of the local news
papers. We have opposed this event
for some years and at the
moment believe that we have
convinced the major groups
involved with rodeo to elimin
ate this event. While this may
not happen immediately, we
feel that such advertising,
carrying the name of The
American Humane Associa
tion, might adversely affect
our educational efforts with
the people involved in rodeo if
it should appear at this time.
Certainly all efforts to
eliminate this event are good
but I think you can understand
the position we are in at the
present time where a public
attack on the people with
whom we are negotiating
might cause an unfair reac
tion to accomplishing our pur
poses in the prevention of
cruelty.
Sincerely,
Rutherford T. Phillips
Executive Director
American Humane Assn.
Denver, Colo.
Friends with
REVERENCE FOR
LIFE
SALUTE Heppner's
humanitarian
LOIS WINCHESTER
pd.adv.by
Beulah Edmiston
VH