By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent

HAMILTON, Ohio — The Bible teaches that animal agriculture – specifically, confinement animal agriculture – is wrong. At least that is what the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) would like people to believe, said Wes Jamison.

In addition, David Martosko said people are more likely to believe HSUS on issues rather than anybody who is opposing them, including farmers. Both spoke at the Ohio Cattlemen’s Assoc. Roundup, which had “Cattlemen Care” as its theme.

The HSUS is trying to motivate and mobilize traditionally religious people against animal agriculture, Jamison said. They decided they had to get the Christian argument on their side or they were at a dead end, he added.

“What I want to say to Ohio farmers, and in every state where the Humane Society is active, is that they are going to try to build a coalition with religious groups in the state to come out against animal agriculture,” he said. “The Humane Society can come in with some very sophisticated arguments and begin to confuse people and begin to tell them ‘God doesn’t want you doing what you’re doing.’”

One of the arguments HSUS uses is that God notices every sparrow that falls, but it leaves out “but you’re worth more than two sparrows.”

“As is always the case with scoundrels, they will misuse religion, particularly the Christian religion, by selectively taking out bits and pieces that support their cause while leaving out the clear teachings of the Bible, that not only are you committed but commanded to eat animals and to do so joyfully” Jamison said.

People involved in animal agriculture have never been comfortable and are not accustomed to talking in these terms. “If animal agriculture does not begin to become comfortable in talking about its religious and moral justification, eventually they’re going to lose,” he said.

Martosko said, “If farmers and ranchers want to survive in the age of the HSUS, they’re going to have to take matters into their own hands and start to turn public sentiment against the organization.”
The way to win is to fight the opponents, not the issue. The HSUS enjoys an unparalleled level of credibility and respect, he said, mostly unearned, because the public is confused about what they stand for. “You’ve got to change that dynamic or you’re just whistling past the graveyard,” he said.

The way to change public opinion is to go negative, as in a political campaign. Martosko does not think farm organizations need to do that; perhaps another organization, a third-party group such as the American Humane Assoc., could begin a campaign to change public opinion.

“You have to be willing to do some things that shock and outrage in order to get people’s attention,” he said. “Once you’ve got their attention you can tell them ‘you’ve been sold a bill of goods.’
“I’m not talking about making scurrilous, libelous, untruthful accusations against anybody. I’m simply talking about telling the truth.”

That truth, according to Martosko, is, that HSUS raised $32 million after Hurricane Katrina and won’t account for all of it, and that it raised a lot of money on the claim that it was going to care for Michael Vick’s dogs and never did. He said its whole campaign on puppy mills is based on “smoke and mirrors.”

“Start painting a more accurate picture of HSUS and if that feels negative, then so be it,” Martosko said. “I think the picture is negative. If that’s not the case, then say ‘Hello, vinyl shoes.’”