Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

Do Animals Have Rights?

Jan 30, 2024

The hosts discuss animal rights, meat consumption, and the treatment of animals. They review Peter Singer's influential book, explore the moral problem of animal suffering, and question the concept of speciesism. They also discuss the government's role in protecting rights and the biblical evidence for Jesus eating meat. The speakers debate interfering in the predator-prey relationship and highlight Christians integrating faith into business practices. Overall, they encourage further exploration of a Christian perspective on animal rights.

56:05

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Peter Singer's book 'Animal Liberation Now' challenges traditional moral frameworks and highlights the need for ethical treatment of animals in factory farming.

While animals may not possess the same inherent rights as humans, Christians are encouraged to recognize the moral implications of their treatment towards animals and strive to minimize cruelty and unnecessary suffering.

Deep dives

Summary of Animal Liberation Now

Animal Liberation Now revisits Peter Singer's influential book on animal rights, exploring the moral implications of asserting animals' rights. Singer, an Australian philosopher, argues that animals have interests that deserve consideration, challenging the mainstream perception at the time the book was first published in the mid-1970s. He highlights the cruelty animals endure in factory farming and highlights the need for ethical treatment. While Singer's views on other controversial topics like infanticide stir debate, his contribution to the animal rights discourse has prompted important discussions and policy changes globally, with some countries adopting recommendations from his initial book.

Introduction

4min

Controversial Figure and the Moral Problem of Animal Suffering

2min

Speciesism and the Moral Status of Individuals

28min

Government Intervention and the Moral Implications of Consumption

8min

Exploring Jesus' Consumption of Meat and the New Testament's Stance on Animal Cruelty

3min

Eliminating Suffering in Nature

8min

Examples of Christians Integrating Faith Commitment into Business Practices

2min

Exploring a Christian Perspective on Animal Rights

2min

What does it mean to assert that animals have rights? Can Christians consume meat? How concerned should Christians be about the treatment of animals? In this episode, Sean and Scott discuss these questions, and many more, as they review the influential book by Princeton philosopher Peter Singer: Animal Liberation Now.

Book mentioned by Scott: God, Humans, and Animals: An Invitation to Enlarge Our Moral Universe by Robert N. Wennberg.

Read a transcript of this episode at https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2024/do-animals-have-rights.

==========

Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California.

Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically.
Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

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Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

Do Animals Have Rights?