Group's Pew Ads Would Encourage Churchgoers to Protect Their 'Temples' This Easter
For Immediate Release:
April 19, 2011
Contact:
Kristin Richards 202-483-7382
Morgantown, W.V. - Prompted by reports that churchgoers are more prone to obesity than nonchurchgoers—and that West Virginia is the fattest state in the nation—PETA has sent an offer to Chestnut Ridge Church, one of the largest churches in the Mountain State, to place public service announcements on the pews that depict a fit Jesus next to the words, "Resurrect Your Health—Go Vegan." In return for putting up the health-promoting ads, PETA has offered to throw the church a vegan cookout with faux ribs and veggie hot dogs. In its letter to Tim Haring, senior pastor of Chestnut Ridge, PETA explains that the ads would encourage the congregation to care for their bodies—God's temples—by switching to a healthy, plant-based diet.
"Churchgoers can truly celebrate life this Easter by adopting a healthier, more humane diet and going vegan," says PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich. "Vegans are less prone to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes than meat-eaters are—and they show mercy for all of God's creatures each time they sit down to eat."
For more information, please visit PETA.org.
PETA's letter to Pastor Tim Haring follows.
Tim Haring
Senior Pastor
Chestnut Ridge Church
2 pages by fax
Dear Pastor Haring,
On behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our more than 2 million members and supporters, I am writing to suggest that Chestnut Ridge Church place PETA's pro-vegan ad on your church pews. The ad, which depicts a muscular, fit Jesus standing in front of the empty tomb, reads, "Resurrect Your Health: Go Vegan" (see the attached image). In return for bringing this potentially lifesaving good news to your congregants, PETA would be happy to throw you a vegan cookout, complete with faux ribs and veggie dogs (and with our without our famed Lettuce Ladies), in order to kick off your new commitment to healthy eating.
In light of West Virginia's ranking as the most obese state in America as well as a recent study that found that young adults who frequently attend religious activities are more likely to become obese than those who don't, our hope is that the advert will encourage your congregants to shift toward a healthy vegan diet.
As you know, the Bible teaches us that our bodies are temples, so it's scandalous that the faithful are actually less healthy than those who don't attend services. We have the solution: A healthy vegan diet provides all the nutrients that our bodies need to thrive, but without all the artery-clogging saturated animal fat and cholesterol found in meat, eggs, and dairy products. The American Dietetic Association—the nation's largest group of nutrition professionals—reviewed hundreds of studies and concluded that vegetarians and vegans have lower rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer than people who eat meat.
In addition to becoming healthier, each of your congregants who goes vegan will save more than 100 animals a year from the horrible cruelty of the meat, egg, and dairy industries. As just a few examples, chickens and turkeys have their throats cut while they're still conscious, piglets have their tails and testicles cut off without being given any painkillers, fish are suffocated or cut open while they're still alive on the decks of fishing boats, and calves are taken away from their mothers within hours of birth.
Jesus' message is one of love, compassion, and mercy, yet animals raised for food are treated in ways that shock the conscience of all kind people. It mocks God to treat His beloved animals with such disdain.
In closing, encouraging your members to adopt a healthy, nonviolent vegan diet will help them resurrect their health and treat God's creatures with compassion.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours in Christ's Light,
Bruce Friedrich
Vice President