The Blessing of the Animals

[3finker]

What a waste of time this video was, Its no good blessing all the dogs cats and police horses they'r OK. What about all the creatures such as hens in battery cages and pigs and calves in crates who neither see light of day feel the wind or have sufficient space and opportunity of a reasonable life. What about the dairy cow whose calf is dragged away from her at 1 day old so we can take the milk? Responsible clergy should call all on Christians to help end factory farming, its more worthwhile.

[EmpressOfWyoming58]

@3finker Bring them down there. He will bless them. Where are you in this video with the hens, pigs and calves?

[3finker]

@EmpressOfWyoming58 I wasn't in the video. I'm busy in animal rights work in the UK. My God !!! its such a huge task to wake Christians up to sufficient compassion to give animals and poultry on factory farms the consideration they deserve, and learn to treat them as their fellow creatures. I am sure most haven't really read Genesis, and seen that animal kind were entrusted into human care. As they say Jesus is coming, and catch many Christians unaware, when he punishes the unmerciful.

[EmpressOfWyoming58]

@3finker You sound like you pain all Christians with a broad brush. That is judgmental and unfair. I know an Episcopal priest who is good friends with the priest in the video. His daughters are both vegans. Blessing of the animals is not just for pets. Blessing of the animals is for all animals. I am asking you who are critical: where are YOU during these rites? Are you down there with less fortunate animals having them blessed? If not, then you have no place in criticizing these priests.

[3finker]

@EmpressOfWyoming58 Like I said its no good blessing animals while they'r on a leash, a chain, in a battery cage or perched on your shoulder, what animalkind need is liberation and not being born into captivity. Ask yourself this; how long have animals been kept for human gratification? Millennia, how long have they been enslaved? Millenia, how long has the Church kept silent about factory farming? since its invention. Blessing pets useless; people of mercy should help liberate the enslaved.

[EmpressOfWyoming58]

@3finker The situation is not to bless a perfect situation. The blessing is for animals. They deserve to be blessed just as we all deserve to be blessed. The church is made up of individuals. Your view of the place of animals is extreme. Not all share your view of domestication of animals.

[3finker]

@EmpressOfWyoming58 We are not designed to eat animals; doing so is a leading cause of cancer and heart disease in humans. Gods original purpose was freedom for all beings and respect for them is the most health promoting way of life. Its a fact the more we "reject" the statement that its OK to eat them the healthier we become. Jesus became the first animal liberator when freeing them from being sold in the Temple, and many other writings indicate that he and many Christians were vegetarian.

[EmpressOfWyoming58]

@3finker I am not arguing whether we are designed to eat them or not. If you are going to quote the Bible, then be accurate. Do I agree with the Bible on animals? Or anything? Not always. I am a Universalist/Episcopalian. But, the Bible tells us that Jesus multiplied fish and loaves to feed many. And the Bible does give permission to eat animals and guidelines on diet and on animal rights. You need to read all of Genesis and the Mosaic law and then laws to Chrisitans on meat eating. Agree or not

[3finker]

@EmpressOfWyoming58 Your best being a free thinking christian, or people might think you are lunatic. I will tell you for why; if you are determined to believe that everything in the Bible which was approved by Emperor Constantine " a man who had some of his family murdered then your braver than me Gungadin. Try Deuteronomy 20:21-22 and you will find you are obliged to stone your child to death if he is a juvenile delinquent. Yep its hard believe everything in the Bible and stay sane.

[EmpressOfWyoming58]

@3finker Keep in mind that Christians aren't alone in being meat eaters or pet keepers of the keepers of domestic animals. Episcopalians tend to be the more forward thinking and thus not considered Christian by many other denominations. Sometimes it is the spirit of the law that is of more import than the letter of the law. Episcopalians are in large not fundamentalist in their approach to scripture or doctrine. We generally do not hold that the entire Bible is "all inspired."

[3finker]

@EmpressOfWyoming58 No other group are instructed to become the light of the world are they? . That's why free thinking Christians are not bound by the book itself but by love, its our task to remind others of our duty toward those creatures who are unable to speak for themselves. Even ancient "pagans" identified the unnecessary exploitation of animals as the root of injustice and the cause of warfare among ourselves. Living by the Golden offers the only path out of spiritual darkness.

[3finker]

@3finker Sorry Empress I missed a word out of the last sentence, it should read "Living by the Golden Rule offers the only path out of spiritual darkness".

[EmpressOfWyoming58]

@3finker I am very familiar with the horrors attributed to God by some of the Bible. If something you read does not measure up to 1 John 4:8 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, it's likely got nothing to do with God, but more with people who wish to use fear to control. "God is love." "Love never fails."

[EmpressOfWyoming58]

@3finker The situation is not to bless a perfect situation. The blessing is for animals. They deserve to be blessed just as we all deserve to be blessed. The church is made up of individuals. Your view of the place of animals is extreme. Not all share your view of domestication of animals. I doubt you know the official stance of any church on animals. You are making assumptions.

[EmpressOfWyoming58]

@3finker Keep reading in Genesis, permission is given to consume animals after the Noachin Flood. This was permission was given to neither Jew nor Christian, but to Noah and the survivers of that flood.

[planetcoco]

Fake. If there is the god...Bless all the animals including animals those who are getting killed by hands of humans...Slaughter by meat industries for food for hungry humans...Love your neighbor!...If lions are vegetarian, Yes sheep will stay with him.

Why human are so sheep like...follow blindly to someone says beautiful words like candy truck music.

[ContaMuir17a]

Smiles at you! ~8-)

[novsev]

The message I got from this sermon is that we are all stewards of animals. This blessing reminds me of Steve Irwin and how he grew up loving animals and the environment. I must admit I was brought to tears when I watched this. I pray that I am a good steward and that I honor God by my caretaking of my many different animals. I wonder if this video reaches others it has me.

God's blessings to all of you who touch the lives of animals!  Keep up the good work!

NOVSEV

[3finker]

@novsev Hi Norsev. If you refuse battery eggs and meat from creatures raised under conditions of abuse such as factory farming you are being merciful, and according to Matthew 5 You will receive well deserved mercy yourself at the appropriate time.

Jesus Loves the Animals

God Bless

[ActorGuy]

I love how our sacred language (say from the Book of Common Prayer, and Book of Occasional Services, etc) empowers us to live our baptismal covenant. This is a wonderful service.

[geode00]

Interesting how we feel the need to Bless animals when they shower and BLESS us with

their friendship all the time. That is Holier than anything we can come up with in terms of ceremonies. Pax.

[floridaredhead]

I LOVE the blessing of the animals!