Namit Arora, whose attractive archival website Shunya is already on our reading /viewing list, has launched a more conventional blog for general commentary – also named Shunya. Namit divides his time between the US and India. So I presume he will write on matters pertaining to both places. I expect his blog to reflect his wide ranging interests. You might do a double take when you visit Namit’s blog. After much contemplation and artistic consideration, Namit has settled on a web page just like ours at A.B. And why not? It is indeed a pleasing design. Please check out Shunya. The post on how the Nobel Committee missed the boat (as also the bus and the train) on Gandhi and the Peace Prize will be of interest to many. There is no recourse however to correcting this glaring omission. The Nobel Prize is no longer awarded posthumously.
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Remember Pat Tillman – the Arizona Cardinals player who abandoned a lucrative football career and enlisted in the US Army so he could defend America? He served in Iraq and later in Afghanistan where he was killed by friendly fire under circumstances that the Pentagon tried to hide from his family. Tillman’s brother Kevin served with Pat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kevin Tillman has spoken out on the Iraq war – out of sadness, anger and a sense of betrayal. I wonder how many other US soldiers are thinking along the same lines. An excerpt from Kevin’s statement: (via Leiter Reports)
"It is Pat’s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people. How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition. How fighting as a soldier would leave us without a voice… until we got out.
Much has happened since we handed over our voice:
Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that can’t be called a civil war even though it is. Something like that.
Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.
Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground.
Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.
Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.
Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.
Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.
Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.
Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.
Somehow torture is tolerated.
Somehow lying is tolerated.
Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense.
Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.
Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.
Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.
Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.
Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.
Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.
Somehow this is tolerated.
Somehow nobody is accountable for this.
In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people. So don’t be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity. Most likely, they will come to know that “somehow” was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites.
Luckily this country is still a democracy. People still have a voice. People still can take action. It can start after Pat’s birthday."
Brother and Friend of Pat Tillman,
Kevin Tillman
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Ever since the Reagan era, right wing blowhards have characterized the Democratic party as the "fretting, kvetching, hand wringing, nervous Nelly" Mommy party – as if mommies are the unreliable half of the parental dyad. Republicans would like us to believe that they are the tough "bring-home-the-bacon, keep-out-the-intruder, make-the-tough-decisions" Daddy types. They also claim that Democrats are the party of doom and gloom, wishing to keep Americans feeling nervous, unsure and needy, so they can gleefully expand social programs befitting the nanny government they aspire to build.
But guess who "really" wants to scare us this Halloween. Desperate before the unstoppable collapse of their house of cards, Republicans are wistful for a disater big enough to send the unruly brood of American voters scurrying back into Daddy’s arms. In his Weekly Standard column, conservative commentator Fred Barnes fears for the Republicans’ fading chances at the polls and hopes for a "big event" – a national security disaster!
"In his stump speeches, the president concentrates on terror and taxes. And the contrast he draws between terror-fighting, tax-cutting Republicans and wimpy, taxaholic Democrats is reasonably accurate. But it’s failing to attract independents or lure disgruntled conservatives back to the Republican fold.
Should Democrats capture the House, "they would raise your taxes and figure out new ways to spendmoney," Bush said at a rally in Chicago last week. On national security, he said, "If the security of the United States is the most important issue, then part of this issue is which party has been willing to step up and give those charged with protecting you the tools necessary to do so." He didn’t need to identify which party has and which hasn’t.
The problem here is that national security isn’t the leading campaign issue. And saying it should be won’t make it so. What’s needed is an event–a big event–to crystallize the issue in a way that highlights Republican strength and Democratic weakness. It was two events–the foiled British terrorist plot and the need to comply with a Supreme Court decision on handling captured terrorists–that led to the Republican mini-rally in September.
Of course there’s little time left for a major event to occur. The North Korean bomb test wasn’t big enough to change the course of the campaign. So Republicans may have to rely on their two remaining assets: They have more money than the Democrats and a voter turnout operation second to none."
How disappointing! The Iraqis haven’t co-operated with peace, calm and democracy – they just keep dying and killing each other. Kim Jong Il’s nuclear bang was not big enough for the Republican buck. There is still slim hope that Osama might play Trick or Treat instead of Hide and Seek. If not, there is only Diebold and paperless electronic voting.
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After reading and viewing Keith Olbermann’s thought provoking commentary on President Bush’s signing of the Military Commissions Act, dealing a death blow to Habeas corpus, I was taken back to a time in the 1970’s of similar powers awarded to the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She was in deep political doo-doo, and chose to invoke internal Emergency powers to imprison and terrorize political opponents.
Ruchira had this to say regarding her memories of the atmosphere in India in those times:"The pervasive sense of fear had been palpable. Editors, journalists and intellectuals critical of Mrs. Gandhi and her son were thrown in jail. The 1977 election in which Indira Gandhi was unseated and the Janata Party (a coalition of opposition parties) put in power was an event whose equivalent I have never seen. The Indian voting public militated against Gandhi’s authoritarianism and voted in politicians opposed to her, many of whom had been in jail. I was always pretty well informed about politics and current affairs. The 1975 Indian Emergency was the event that made me politically "active" for the first time."
A similar atmosphere is starting to creep over the US now, and history usually doesn’t hesitate to repeat itself. The Bush administration has wasted no time letting ink dry on his signature before promptly doing this:
"Moving quickly to implement the bill signed by President Bush this week that authorizes military trials of enemy combatants, the administration has formally notified the U.S. District Court here that it no longer has jurisdiction to consider hundreds of habeas corpus petitions filed by inmates at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba."
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I had decided not to publish any thing new today and leave the anniversary post at the top of the page for the rest of the day to attract comments from readers. But my co-blogger Dean just brought to my attention a recent White House press release that changed my mind in about half a second. The irony of it is delicious and as Dean said, "the hypocrisy is palpable." But when has that kept our "family values" politicians, especially the Bush bunch, from ridiculous posturing? I chose "humor" as one of this post’s categories. Be assured I mean to convey only sarcasm and black humor – sort of a cruel joke.
In a week in which we have seen the wrongful, immoral war in Iraq extract one of the highest death tolls among both Iraqis and US soldiers, the continuing silly and sordid unfolding of the Mark Foley affair and a melt down of GOP politicians implicated in corruption, our pious president has cheerfully declared the week of October 15 – 21, 2006 the National Character Counts Week! Character counts for just one week? I suppose for the rest of the time it is sleazy business as usual.
National Character Counts Week, 2006
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America"America’s strength is found in the spirit and character of our people. During National Character Counts Week, we renew our commitment to instilling values in our young people and to encouraging all Americans to remember the importance of good character.
As the primary teachers and examples of character, parents help create a more compassionate and decent society. And as individuals, we all have an obligation to help our children become responsible citizens and realize their full potential. By demonstrating values such as integrity, courage, honesty, and patriotism, all Americans can help our children develop strength and character.
Countless individuals throughout our country demonstrate character by volunteering their time and energy to help neighbors in need. The men and women of our Armed Forces set an example of character by bravely putting the security of our Nation before their own lives. We also see character in the family members, teachers, coaches, and other dedicated individuals whose hearts are invested in the future of our children.
Our changing world requires virtues that sustain our democracy, make self-government possible, and help build a more hopeful future. National Character Counts Week is an opportunity to recognize the depth of America’s character and appreciate those who pass on our values to future generations.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 15 through October 21, 2006, as National Character Counts Week. I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, parents, students, and all Americans to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.
GEORGE W. BUSH
Update: Dana Milbanks of the Washington Post has more on the character of the Bush GOP. (Thanks, Gawker)
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Exactly a year ago I launched Accidental Blogger with an equal amount of excitement and trepidation. In my very first post I explained the motivations for starting a blog. I was not quite sure then for how long I would be able to keep up the effort and one year seemed a long time. I wrote diligently – at least one post every weekday. Sometimes I was at a loss to come up with interesting blogworthy ideas. I solved that problem by writing on any topic that interested "me," rather than try and figure out what would appeal to others. I have stuck to that formula ever since and that has made the task of writing easier and it appears to have worked with readers.Unsure as I was about my readership extending beyond friends and family, a few unexpected events caught me by surprise and benefited Accidental Blogger almost immediately after it was inaugurated. Two established bloggers, Ethan Leib and Brian Leiter whose blogs I read, mentioned it on their own sites and provided links. Very early on, that helped things enormously by bringing in readers and other bloggers to A.B. who would not otherwise have found the blog. Since then A.B. has been linked and blogrolled by many more bloggers (some of whom are on our own reading list) which helped bring in new readers. I am extremely grateful to all of them for extending a helping hand and making a place for A.B. in the blogging community. In the process, I have become acquainted with several weblogs and their authors – all good people.
The most unexpected public exposure of A.B occurred recently when one of our articles was linked by Daou Reports on Salon.com. Sujatha had provided me the URL link for the story and I had written the accompanying article. Neither one of us could believe it when we saw it on Daou. Sujatha and I high fived each other (via e-mail, of course) over this brief and exciting foray of our blog into the mainstream media
Since its inception, Accidental Blogger’s single most influential patron has been Professor Brian Leiter of Leiter Reports. A link from him results in the kind of boost in traffic that is way beyond what is normal here. I have repeatedly joked that "Leiter days are the heaviest at Accidental Blogger." A.B. is very grateful for the continued support of Professor Leiter.
Accidental Blogger was a solo blog for the first four months. In February of 2006, I requested Anna Levine and Joe to help when I went on a trip. They kindly obliged and did such a fine job in my absence that I asked them to stay on. Later Sujatha Sundar and Dean C. Rowan came on board and we have had some excellent posts from them as well. Although I continue to post the majority of articles here, A.B is fortunate to have guest bloggers who apart from contributing articles, benefit the blog with their suggestions, links and thoughtful comments. There is no doubt in my mind that after one year and more than 400 posts (not all mine), the fact that I remain interested in blogging, is due largely to the lively participation of my co-bloggers. A lonely effort would have become tiresome by now.
Although A.B. now has a regular readership and I suspect many of our readers come here quite often, we seem to generate relatively few comments from readers. That is the case even when a post is provocative in nature and the traffic volume high. (Occasionally readers have contacted me via e-mail with links or suggestions but have not left a public comment.) However, some of our friends and fellow bloggers (PIAW, Matt, Devan, Gawker, Coturnix, Sanjay) have been very generous with their insights, comments and technical help. But for the most part, A.B. remains a quiet blog; readers here read silently and leave.
The cumulative statistics gathered by the web counter tells me that visitors to A.B. have come from all fifty states of the U.S. and more than one hundred countries of the world, including a few from Benin, Burundi and Mongolia. There are several countries from where we regularly get sizeable traffic, some of which surely includes repeat visitors. US readers constitute nearly 70% of the total readership. As of now, countries outside the US from where we get most readers are : Canada, India, UK, Australia, Germany, Singapore, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway. Top ten US states are California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachussettes, Arkansas, Illinois, Florida, Virginia, Ohio and Maryland. (the last two are tied.) Some regular readers come from countries and states other than those listed.
On the first anniversary of Accidental Blogger, I am making a one time appeal to regular and occasional readers in the US and abroad to please leave a short (or long) comment about your impressions of A.B.( This includes my co-bloggers Joe, Sujatha, Anna and Dean.) You can comment anonymously if you choose. Please tell us a few things such as:
- for how long you have been reading
- how you first found the blog – by random access, recommendation from a reader or through a link from another blog
- your geographical location
- what you like (or dislike) about A.B.
- do you prefer political articles or cultural /social ones?
Having made my own opinions known on many topics, I am curious to know a little about our readership. I am keen to hear from readers in the US and also in far flung places – in Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. And nearer home, in Canada, Central and South America. How about my three home towns – Delhi, Houston and Omaha? Are there any regular readers there? If you are out there reading and have read for a while, please do write and let us know. In any case, if my ardent appeal fails to shake you out of your bashfulness, let me just say, "Thanks for reading."
Note: I am attaching one of my paintings with this post to add a festive touch to the anniversary. Since I have never painted a "birthday" picture, I chose another suitably cheery one. Also, it is worth noting that despite the number of hours I have devoted to this hobby, for the most part blogging has been "a day at the beach!"
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Stupid?
So far into the season, the New Orleans Saints are 5-1 and the Houston Texans are 1-4. Perhaps you remember that the Texans passed over Reggie Bush and Vince Young as their first draft pick and went for Mario Williams. The Saints picked Bush. (Young is the rookie Q.B. for the Tennessee Titans) Not that there is necessarily a connection between the Texans’ choice and their record. But it makes one wonder. If I am still blogging when the football season comes to an end, I will probably be reporting another dismal losing record for the terrible Texans. Not that I care … and not that it matters at all.
The Color Code:
A few days ago Anna wrote the following in her comment on the topic of race and religion: " people identify Salma Hayek, of Lebanese extraction, as a "woman of color" (a silly term)…" I too consider the term silly. Today at a South Asian blog I came across a novel expression describing whites as "persons of pallor." Clever or silly? Not overtly abusive and an apt counter point to "persons of color." But will it catch on? And if so, do you think it will matter in the ongoing race debate that seems to capture the imagination of much of the world?
Jostling for the 300 millionth spot:
At 7:46am yesterday, someone became the 300 millionth American. But no one knows for sure who it was and I don’t think it matters.
"Emanuel Plata in Queens, Zoë Emille Hudson in Manhattan, Kiyah Lanaé Boyd in Atlanta and any number of other newborns who just may be the 300 millionth American.
The babies were born at or about 7:46 a.m. Eastern time, when, the Census Bureau estimates, the nation’s population reached that milestone.
Theoretically, the 300 millionth American may have arrived at an airport from overseas at that hour, or been smuggled before dawn across an unguarded section of the Southwestern border. Still, hospital publicists and proud new parents were left to stake their claims to the title."
What really matters is what the future has in store for these babies, the immigrants and the world.
Chemists discover element 118 for the SECOND time:
After claims of its discovery were retracted in 2002, a new team of researchers says it has produced a few scant atoms of the heaviest element yet, called simply element 118 after the number of protons in its nucleus. ..Confirmation of the finding, however, will come only when other groups have reproduced it.
If confirmed, this one matters.
The veil and the vaccination:
Perhaps emboldened by Jack Straw’s recent stand against the veil, Tony Blair has weighed in on the same issue. But given his shameful record of kowtowing to George Bush in matters of war, peace and dealings with the Islamic world, Blair’s "too little, too late" attempt at bravery does not much matter.
Tony Blair yesterday said he backed a council which suspended a Muslim classroom assistant for refusing to remove her veil, as part of what he described as a difficult but necessary debate about how Islam integrates into British society and the modern world. The prime minister said the niqab worn by some Muslim women was "a mark of separation and that is why it makes other people from outside of the community feel uncomfortable" – words likely to anger some religious leaders.
Conspiracy theories don’t just vilify and endanger one’s enemies. Malicious schemes motivated by religious and communal animosity can boomerang and hurt also those whom the miscreants claim to shield from harm. This sad and disturbing development in India and some other parts of the world really matters.
"Poliomyelitis is an entirely preventable viral disease, which can cripple or kill those worst affected. Worldwide eradication attempts have been ongoing for decades now and the WHO have met with a great deal of success. From an estimated 350,000 global cases in 1988, 2005 saw only 1,998 cases. However, the majority of these were in India and Nigeria. Campaigns like the Pulse Polio programme have been immensely effective in educating and protecting the public.
In a country the size of India, the scale of the immunisation is superbly admirable, with the Indian government vaccinating millions of children in a short space of time. Things were looking up.
Yet this week has seen the news that 23 children have already died from polio this year, with 297 cases already reported. Last year only 66 cases were recorded nationwide. 270 of the new cases are in the frequently backward Uttar Pradesh – and about 70% are Muslim.
Health workers report that the cause is a rumour circulating that the vaccine is in fact a Western form of birth control designed to curtail the proliferation of Muslims. Similar beliefs were cited in Nigeria recently, with members of the public claiming that vaccines were poison from the West."
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There’s been some dispute lately over exactly how many people have died in Iraq since we decided to "liberate" it. The Liberal Avenger notes that it doesn’t really matter, that either way we’re looking at a massive number, an incredible story of suffering:
Is the number 655,000? I don’t really know. It is clear from reading
the Lancet study that the scientists involved have as much confidence
in that number as they can given the conditions under which the study
was conducted.What is the real number was 500,000? 300,000? 225,000? 100,000?
Would
any of these lower numbers really undo the horror that has been done?
Maybe 500,000 babies and mothers and big brothers and tough uncles and
friends and neighbors sounds alot better bouncing around in your head.
If you can wrap your head around 500,000, think how good just half that
would feel! 250,000 dead people – it’s only half as bad as a
half-million!There should be no escaping whatever large
number we can embrace as our unholy and inhuman gift to the Iraqi
people. The wholesale slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent people
has never been a stated goal on our agenda, yet everytime a war
supporter winks away “collateral damage” they set up another child or
mother or old man to be shot, burned, trampled, run over or drowned.[…]
Choose your number
of dead – whether it’s 50,000 or 655,000 or a million – and sink your
teeth into it. As the Iraq misadventure continues to implode think
about that number as America’s gift to the Iraqi people and weep for
them.Exactly. Older estimates having Stalin’s regime killing 60 million people have been reduced, ranging anywhere from 2.5 million to 15 million. That doesn’t make Joseph Stalin or the Great Purge, Bolshaya chistka, any less bad.
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The Washington Post notes George Bush’s increased tendency to use the word "unacceptable" in describing events at home and abroad. It is seen as an indication of the rise in his frustration level and the decrease in his influence around the world. The behavior of corrupt House members of the GOP has scandalized the nation. The mounting death toll in Iraq runs into numbers that Bush would like us not to believe. One time allies on the military front and Bush’s ambitious Faith Based Initiative program have turned into bitter critics. Understandably all this has contributed to G.W.B.’s sense of losing control. That has to be a bitter pill to swallow for a man who is used to getting his way. And he finds that "unacceptable."
"President Bush finds the world around him increasingly "unacceptable."
In speeches, statements and news conferences this year, the president has repeatedly declared a range of problems "unacceptable," including rising health costs, immigrants who live outside the law, North Korea’s claimed nuclear test, genocide in Sudan and Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
[A] survey of transcripts from Bush’s public remarks over the past seven years shows the president’s worsening political predicament has actually stoked, rather than diminished, his desire to proclaim what he cannot abide. Some presidential scholars and psychologists describe the trend as a signpost of Bush’s rising frustration with his declining influence.
In the first nine months of this year, Bush declared more than twice as many events or outcomes "unacceptable" or "not acceptable" as he did in all of 2005, and nearly four times as many as he did in 2004. He is, in fact, at a presidential career high in denouncing events he considers intolerable. They number 37 so far this year, as opposed to five in 2003, 18 in 2002 and 14 in 2001.
Through a spokesman and then in a televised statement, he declared North Korea’s claimed nuclear test "unacceptable" before and after it occurred Oct. 9. But he could also be heard on Jan. 9 lecturing students at an elementary school in Glen Burnie, Md., that their recent scores on math and reading proficiency tests were "unacceptable."
Having a president call something "unacceptable" is not the same as having him order U.S. troops into action. But foreign policy experts say the word is one of the strongest any leader can deploy, since it both broadcasts a national position and conveys an implicit threat to take action if his warnings are disregarded.
Bush’s use of the term "reflects in some ways his frustration with a world that doesn’t seem as amenable to his policies as he would like them to be," said Stanley A. Renshon, a political scientist at the City University of New York. Bush "has strong views; he believes in doing what is right. All of those things give an emotional force to his response" to events he often sees and describes without nuance.
Renshon, who wrote a mostly-favorable book in 2004 about Bush’s psychology, said the president’s declarations are in keeping with his apparent self-image as a Jeremiah, "railing against the tides" and saying what "people ought to be doing something about."
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I have written two posts in quick succession about the hypocritical misuse of religion for war, strife, oppression and discrimination. Having got that off my chest, I am happy to present a kinder, gentler story on religion. This one warmed my theologically skeptical but animal friendly heart. (For a glimpse into our own animal nature, see here.)
"At St. Francis Episcopal Church in Stamford, Connecticut, the pews are filled with some unlikely worshipers. Dogs sit by their owners’ sides and cats peer out from carriers during a monthly pet-friendly service.
Barks and purrs—or "prayer noises," as the church calls them—can be heard during the afternoon celebration of Eucharist, in which people receive communion and pets a special blessing. The half-hour service focuses on the special relationships people have with their animals, says Rev. Mark Lingle.
In addition to special blessings or regular church services, these places hold private pet memorials or burials and offer grief counseling to comfort members whose pets have died…..
Dealing With Loss
Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels of Beth Shir Sholom, a progressive reform Jewish synagogue in Santa Monica, California, says that when a pet dies, owners suffer the same grief as they would over the loss of a human. For years he’s made condolence calls or visits with members of his congregation whose pets have died. And after each service he says a prayer for members mourning the loss of an animal or human.
"It’s something people don’t necessarily expect their synagogue to do, which is to recognize how important their animals are in their lives," he said. ……
Rev. Gill Babeu, a Catholic priest at St. Bridget of Ireland in Stamford, Connecticut, says he understands the pain of losing a beloved companion animal. Six months ago he was devastated by the death of his poodle, Louise Frances, and fell into a deep depression.
When asked if there are dogs in heaven, he replied: "Well, the church says no. But I really believe I’m going to see my little doggie when I get there." ……..
Chaplain Duty
Rob Gierka is a new breed of chaplain. Originally trained to provide pastoral care at hospitals, he now consoles North Carolina pet owners whose animals are sick or dying.
Gierka grew up in a houseful of animals and experienced a deep sadness with each one’s passing, he says. But no one ever acknowledged his feelings or seemed to care about his pets’ deaths.
Today the Baptist chaplain provides clients at a local animal-rehabilitation center with what he didn’t have as a child—a shoulder to cry on……..
As religious leaders begin to recognize the human-animal bond, some Episcopal Church leaders have gone a step further by raising awareness of various animal issues such as cruelty, neglect, and exploitation.
The Episcopal Network for Animal Welfare—launched two years ago—has about 200 members as well as 15 churches that have pledged to be "animal friendly." ……
Christians’ views of animals are slowly changing for the better, says Andrew Linzey, an Anglican priest and author of several books on the subject, including Animal Rights: A Historical Anthology. Historically, Christian theology has been against animals, Linzey says, regarding them as little more than lumps of meat.
"It may be that we exploit animals so much precisely because we have such a spiritually impoverished view of their status," Linzey said. "The Christian mind should be [that] we are given life by a generous creator," he said. "And we in turn, in the image of God, must show that generosity to other creatures."
Accidental Blogger 