Conference Urges More Respect for Animals

Christians generally fail to teach respect for animals, according to participants in a recent meeting sponsored by the World Council of Churches’ unit on ethics.

Declaring that the Bible teaches that “animals do not exist for the sake of unbridled pursuit of human avarice and greed,” the conference criticized animal uses in circuses, stage and aquatic shows, rodeos, bullfights and fights between animals, such as cocks and dogs.

Also criticized were recreational hunting, “needless, duplicative and poorly executed scientific use of animals,” killing of rare species and unnecessary use of animals to test and develop cosmetic and household products.