Animals: Their past and future : the classic theological treatise on animal rights by Pember, G. H (2003) Paperback

by G.H. Pember

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77 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

George Hawkins Pember (1837-1910) was a theologian affiliated with the Plymouth Brethren.

Reviews

[A.E. Reiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had so many profound instructions from animals in my life that when I heard of the import of Pember's Animals instantly got a copy. As he says in the last chapter,"all have to obey and all, in some way or another, to rule" 62. For there are two things we must do, willingly submit to "lawful authority from God downward" and "exercise perfect self-restraint" with whatever power is given to us." I admit to the difficulty of submitting to lawful authority, but that is because we have seen so much outright unlawful authority exercised that we are really duty bound to resist. What about the hirelings all over the SW highways who want you to (unlawfully) declare whether you are a citizen. If we all resisted we would not be prisoners in our own land. Such a simple thing but the principle extends into the collective dimensions that build profiles of individuals from their purchases, travels, and extort this information from the unknowing under the guise of being their digital assistant. You cannot walk the sidewalk without being solicited from every store as you go by to come in and indulge your virtual appetite. That this is so deeply unlawful, even if it is not perceived so, is cause for every form of resistance against what Mr. Pember assays in his well known work, Earth's Earliest Ages.

If only the animals have minds untrammeled from skynet it might seem almost an inversion that we should rule them, but so we do. They supply us with opportunities to show "that we have not consented to the selfish maxim that might is right, whatever interests or passions are concerned." 63 The child with a pet, the man and his dog, or horse "should be learning lessons of justice, kindness and self-restraint." 64 And in case any of us are anti-vivisectionists, opposed to the animal torture and Mengelian tactics of science to "improve the human race" he says, "nor is it less incumbent upon the man of science to admit the claims of other sentient creatures, and to confess that it is not lawful to pluck the fruit from every tree of knowledge." 65 One has to enjoy the way he says it as much as what he says. I feel this deeply too, having worked in science and seen the dutiful obedient lab techs at their most ghastly, see "Pity" at 21 Stars Review (p. 200) http://www.sundresspublications.com/2... Richard Adams, Plague Dogs, and Franz Kafka's of the mouse, the dog and the ape, or Barry Lopez Apologia. Come to think of it I have an entire website dedicated to this at Excess of Biological Extinction http://humanbotany.blogspot.com/. So many entries there Pit Pony Paradise http://humanbotany.blogspot.com/2009/... but to list a few: Tortoise Mirror, Blake's Wilderness, Bear, Badger, The Tree Became a Goat, Black Carp /Symbolic Snail.

He holds to account those who do act with justice, kindness and self-restraint, reminding us that "with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" which indeed is always being done, even as we speak, for none of us can escape the burden of our own thoughts and acts. They affront us in every circumstance. If you doubt it just change your thoughts for one day and go around thinking and saying that you love all people everywhere, are concerned for their welfare, pray for them, and bear their agonies. Which does not mean by the way that you forfeit justice and discrimination at all, but that you see in their distress yourself and more than that. Just for one day. When that comes back upon you you will know with what measure you mete you will be measured again.