Weekly Newsletter from Christian Vegetarian Association CVA - December 3, 2025
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

  1. Gift Giving
  2. Codes of Conduct
  3. All-Creatures.Org Newsletter
  4. 2026 Winter Jam Events

1. Gift Giving

When considering end-of-year donations, we hope you will support the Christian Vegetarian Association ministry, which among other things supports leafleting at Christian events such as Winter Jam (see below).

We also endorse the Educated Choices Program, which uses effective, impactful Internet videos to encourage young people to adopt a plant-based diet. Video topics include animal welfare, health, and environmental protectionism. Young people are often open to new ideas, and a young person who adopts a plant-based diet can, over their lifetimes, spare many animals from the cruelties of modern animal agribusiness. Check out the Kickstarter campaign https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/186335714/sea-the-impact and also visit www.ecprogram.org to learn about ECP's important work.

2. Codes of Conduct

Last week, I proposed that principles such as kindness, compassion, and respect should guide our choices in life. These principles are captured well by the Golden Rule: treating others as we would like to be treated. Many people believe that additional values, such as purity and honor, also deserve respect, but I suggest that these values arise from the scapegoating process and therefore merit skepticism.

Kindness, compassion, and respect align with the Golden Rule, which is nearly universal. Christian formulations appear in Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31. In contrast, ideas of purity and honor differ widely across cultures. What counts as "pure" depends on a group's norms. For example, some cultures require members of an ethnic group to marry within that group; those who do not are often cast out. This kind of exclusion is characteristic of scapegoating, in which violators of social taboos are labeled immoral and ostracized.

Honor codes similarly define acceptable behavior within a society. One example is the expectation in some Islamic cultures that women cover their hair. Violations of honor codes can lead to humiliation, punishment, or even murder.

If we are to live peacefully with one another - an ideal expressed in Genesis 1 and Isaiah 11 - we must identify ethical standards acceptable to both Christians and non-Christians. I have argued that the Judeo-Christian scriptures work to undermine scapegoating, which obstructs just and harmonious coexistence. How the Golden Rule should shape actual policymaking depends, in part, on one's view of human nature, which I will explore next.

Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.

3. All-Creatures.Org Newsletter

All-Creatures.org Newsletter, November 26, 2025...
https://all-creatures.org/newsletter/news-20251126.html

A final plea for a compassionate Thanksgiving from Pastor Frank - how the media maintains the dominant cultural narrative surrounding farmed animals - one person's soul is awakened after witnessing turkeys grieve - strategic humility in the animal movement - tips for enjoying a Thanksgiving that aligns with your values - reasons to celebrate a compassionate Thanksgiving - simple tips for the new vegan - last-minute Thanksgiving recipe inspiration - and more…

Do you have things that you would like to see included in future newsletters? Then send it to us at maddie@all-creatures.org.

Please make sure to subscribe to our newsletter!

In the Love of the Lord,
Frank L. Hoffman
and
Kindness,
Tams Nicholson

4. 2026 Winter Jam Events

For more details, contact Lorena at lorenavalenziveg@gmail.com. The CVA will donate $20 per hour to the animal protection charity of volunteers' choice.

1/09 SC Columbia
1/10 FL Tampa
1/11 FL Jacksonville
1/16 AR Little Rock
1/17 MO St. Louis
1/18 GA Atlanta
1/23 WV Charleston
1/24 OH Columbus
1/25 NC Charlotte
1/30 KS Wichita
1/31 MO Kansas City
2/01 TX Dallas
2/05 IN Evansville
2/06 IN Indianapolis
2/07 TN Knoxville
2/12 IL Peoria
2/13 TN Nashville
2/14 NC Greensboro
2/15 AL Birmingham
2/20 SC Greenville
2/21 OH Cincinnati
2/22 OK Tulsa
2/26 PA Reading
2/27 NC Raleigh
2/28 PA Pittsburgh
3/01 VA Norfolk
3/06 MS Tupelo
3/07 KY Louisville
3/08 MI Grand Rapids
3/12 LA Baton Rouge
3/13 MS Southaven
3/14 OK Oklahoma City
3/15 IA Des Moines
3/20 MO Springfield
3/21 LA Bossier City
3/22 AL Mobile
3/26 IN Fort Wayne
3/27 OH Cleveland
3/28 PA State College
3/28 MI Ypsilanti

Please support the CVA! At www.christianveg.org/materials.htm, you can find literature, T-shirts, bumper stickers and more, and donations are always welcomed!

2025 Newsletters Archive