It is always great to find someone more talented and persuasive in their writing abilities than oneself. False humility? Hardly; I appreciate all those people who write compassionately for the animals. God bless them.

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I think most people will agree with me--that finding someone from your alma mater voicing principles that are meaningful to you is quite wonderful and perhaps even amazing. Because--to my knowledge--my alma mater, Duquesne University, is NOT an institution of learning that has any programs to address the need and concern of alleviating animal suffering. However, it has been mine since 1975 when a wonderful little dog, Peaches, came into my life.

And so today, I happily read a wonderful post by Professor Ryan MacLauglin on AllCreatures.com. He is also a Duquesne alumnus who had earned a PhD in Theology from Duquesne University in 2013. For someone who disappointingly looks to the Catholic Church for what obviously is a a non-existing doctrine of compassion for animals, this post made me happy and gave me a glimmer of hope.

Someone other than myself from Duquesne is concerned about animals. And this someone had a great deal more clout and credentials than myself.

Happily, I also now recall a writer who took to task Thomas Aquinas who said animals were made for our use. I'm sorry I have forgotten his name, but I certainly wholeheartedly agreed with his denunciation of Thomas Aquinas views re animals.

In December 2017 SARX, a Christian animal-welfare entity, wrote about Professor Ryan and its first paragraph deserves quoting:

"Professor Ryan McLaughlin, lecturer of theology at Siena College, New York, explains how the biblical concept of 'dominion' necessitates eating a meat-free diet. Exercising the 'dominion' entailed by bearing the 'image of God' means non violence. It is therefore not 'dominion' or the 'image of God' that justifies hunting, eating, and wearing other animals. Doing these things embraces the non-ideal of 'fear' and 'violence.'"

I hope that this small introduction to Professor Ryan will have you turning to the 11-page post, which I believe deserves reading. If you agree, you will find the post at All-Creatures.org under the title --"A Meatless Dominion/ Animals: Tradition-Philosophy".

Authors Bio:
I have been concerned about animal suffering ever since

I received my first puppy Peaches in 1975. She made me take a good look at the animal kingdom and I was shocked to see how badly we treat so many animals. At 77, I've been a vegan for the past 30 years and I thank God every day that I am. I am most disturbed at how little the Catholic Church and Christian churches generally give to concern re animal suffering in their ministry. I wrote to 350 bishops in 2001 and only 10-13 responded. I feel that the very least they can do is to instruct that the priests give one sermon a year on compassion to animals. I am still waiting for that sermon. I also belong to Catholic Concern for Animals - founded in England in 1929. (They are on the internet) I recently sent a sample copy of their bi-monthly publication called the ARK to the 8 Catholic bishops of Ohio. Only ONE kindly responded. Somehow we have to reach the Christian teaching magisterium. There is next to nothing re animal concerns and compassion for them. They basically believe that animals are the lesser of God's creation and that gives us the right to do anything we want to them. Way wrong. We need to change their mindsets. The animals are God's first and He expects us to treat them compassionately.