Published Letters and Op-Eds from
COK’s Writers Group

Faith and Morality at the Table

Washington Post
September 10, 2008

Thank you for the Sept. 6 article "Faithful Have New Food for Thought," by G. Jeffrey Macdonald of the Religion News Service, on the growing number of people making the connection between their faith and their food. People of faith in America and around the world are realizing that choosing vegetarian foods reduces the suffering of farmed animals, alleviates human health problems and is better for the environment.

Proverbs 12:10 teaches: "The righteous person regards the life of his animal." In today's world, the overwhelming majority of animals raised for food are confined on massive factory farms where they're subjected to miserable conditions and unbelievable cruelties.

As humans, we have a special obligation to protect the rights of those who cannot speak for themselves. As a member of a historically persecuted religious minority, I feel that obligation strongly every day. There's no better way to defend animals than to leave them off our dinner plates.

MAX FISCHLOWITZ-ROBERTS
Washington