Library of Animal Rights History » Animal Welfare-Animal Rights Activists-Advocates-Quotes Against Cruelty to Animals

James Drummond

1835-1918

1870 | James Drummond, Spiritual Religion, Sermons on Christian Faith and Life (London, 1870); Online at Google Books.

Spiritual Religion: Sermons on Christian Faith and Life

The Awakening of Conscience

Children, without ever imagining that they are injuring the rights of other creatures, will pull the wings off flies, or ascertain experimentally on how many legs it is possible for a spider to walk, and pry in a manner painful to their victims into other mysteries of animal life. Such practices ought to be carefully checked, for the sake of the little suffers, if not for the benefit of the children themselves.

1894 | James Drummond, Via, Veritas, Vita: Lectures on "Christianity in It's Most Simple and Intelligible Form," Delivered in Oxford and London, in April and May, 1894 (London & Edinburgh, 1894); Online at Google Books.

Via, Veritas, Vita: Lectures on Christianity in It's Most Simple and Intelligible Form

Ethics: Duties Towards the Lower Animals

Before quitting the subject of love, we must ask whether Christianity recognizes any duties towards the inferior animal creation. As is well known, the Jewish Law lays down some distinct regulations requiring the exercise of humanity towards the brutes, one or two which show even a remarkable tenderness of sympathy towards their possible suffers; and it may fairly be said that Christianity in adopting the Old Testament, with whatever reservations, incorporated such precepts as these. Still it cannot be denied that professing Christians have often shown an extraordinary callousness in this respect, and the New Testament is strangely silent as to that whole realm of barbarity in which creation has groaned under the tyranny of man. …It is true we are not told of any particular precepts which Christ laid down as to the treatment of animals; but we get some interesting glimpses into his way of regarding both the animate and the inanimate world around him. His teaching abounds in references to the familiar scenes of his native land.…Instead of thinking that God did not care for oxen, he taught that our Heavenly Father fed the birds, and that not a single sparrow fell to the ground without God, or was forgotten before him. In repelling a charge of violating the Sabbath, he affirms with evident approval, that there was not a man among his opponents who would not pull a sheep or an ox or an ass out of a pit on the Sabbath-day, and is only indignant that they will not go on to the universal principle that is allowable to do good on the Sabbath-day. According to this teaching, it is a good deed to relieve the distress of a sheep or an ass, and one which justifies us in setting aside the pedantic scruples of an external piety. But apart from these particular illustrations of Christ's spirit, we may say that Christian love is intrinsically opposed to all cruelty, and must regard the brute creation with a sympathizing friendliness. How far our power over the animals may be legitimately exercised it is difficult to determine with precision, and it is impossible now to enter into the problems and controversies which the question suggests. In our general practice we are necessarily guided by a sort of rude common sense; but we may safely lay down the rule that Christian love includes the whole sentient creation within its embrace and will not wantonly limit that measure of happiness which the Creator has designed for it.