A Grave Situation
Silk is not something you'd call controversial. Think about it: soft, glimmering, cool to the touch... it's beautiful! But there is a small controversy around it, one that also connects to a world-wide controversy.
While spending four straight hours writing a paper about the said substance, I grew very intimately acquainted with the ins and outs of silk. So when I read that animal rights groups like PETA were and are protesting against it, I wanted to investigate.
The basis for the complaints resides in the process by which silk is produced. After the silkworms have spent three to four days spinning their little cocoons, the products of their hard work are gathered and steamed, killing the silkworms while they take a well-deserved siesta. I will admit, when I read that, I was rather revolted, and my hackles rose. The poor little wormies.
But, the Bible says that "Into your hand [every beast of the earth is] delivered. 3" Genesis 9: 2. And God specifically gave man dominion over every living moving thing in Genesis 1:26. That, however, does not mean we can do whatever we want with them. Animal abuse is a horrible thing and completely against God's will.
Now, contrary to what you probably think I'm trying to say here, I don't really have a problem with how silk is produced. I wish there were a better way to harvest the silk strands, but I don't believe that killing the silkworms in their own cocoons is wrong. Every being has a purpose, and the silkworms's is to produce silk. I fully believe that God intended the silkworms as a blessing to bestow that lovely substance known as 'silk' upon mankind.
What I am getting at is that the killing of silkworms in their cocoons reminds me strongly of something that being done to a completely different species. This species was made in God's image ("Let us make man8 in our image, pafter our likeness." Genesis 1:26) and is placed above all beasts in importance to our Creator ("Fear not, therefore; nyou are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:31). Thousands, millions of this species are eradicated every day. They are not attacked by a different species, but by their own species. And the ones attacked are not soldiers, who can defend themselves. They are the weakest, the smallest, the ones who cannot defend themselves in anyway. They have no voice to protest. They cannot negotiate. They are attacked in the one place that should be their stronghold to keep them from harm.
In an article protesting the gathering of down from birds and the use of silkworms for silk, PETA's website says that, "Silk production causes painful death for insects" and "most of the insects raised by the industry don’t live past the pupa stage, as they are steamed or gassed alive in their cocoons.Approximately 3,000 silkworms are killed to make every pound of silk." One wonders how they can feel so indignant about insects (haven't they ever stepped on an ant?) and not take a stance on abortion "because [their] focus as an organization is the alleviation of the suffering inflicted on nonhuman animals." While I respect their mission to eliminate animal abuse, maybe they should turn some of their passion to putting an end to something far more pressing and important: the abortion of human beings.
My question is, how can a group that screams bloody murder about the gassing of silkworms not see the real bloody murder in abortion?
References
"Down and Silk: Birds and Insects Exploited for Feathers and Fabric." PETA. 19 Jan 2013. <http://www.peta.org/issues/Animals-Used-for-Clothing/down-and-silk-birds-and-insects-exploited-for-fabric.aspx>
While spending four straight hours writing a paper about the said substance, I grew very intimately acquainted with the ins and outs of silk. So when I read that animal rights groups like PETA were and are protesting against it, I wanted to investigate.
The basis for the complaints resides in the process by which silk is produced. After the silkworms have spent three to four days spinning their little cocoons, the products of their hard work are gathered and steamed, killing the silkworms while they take a well-deserved siesta. I will admit, when I read that, I was rather revolted, and my hackles rose. The poor little wormies.
But, the Bible says that "Into your hand [every beast of the earth is] delivered. 3" Genesis 9: 2. And God specifically gave man dominion over every living moving thing in Genesis 1:26. That, however, does not mean we can do whatever we want with them. Animal abuse is a horrible thing and completely against God's will.
Now, contrary to what you probably think I'm trying to say here, I don't really have a problem with how silk is produced. I wish there were a better way to harvest the silk strands, but I don't believe that killing the silkworms in their own cocoons is wrong. Every being has a purpose, and the silkworms's is to produce silk. I fully believe that God intended the silkworms as a blessing to bestow that lovely substance known as 'silk' upon mankind.
What I am getting at is that the killing of silkworms in their cocoons reminds me strongly of something that being done to a completely different species. This species was made in God's image ("Let us make man8 in our image, pafter our likeness." Genesis 1:26) and is placed above all beasts in importance to our Creator ("Fear not, therefore; nyou are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:31). Thousands, millions of this species are eradicated every day. They are not attacked by a different species, but by their own species. And the ones attacked are not soldiers, who can defend themselves. They are the weakest, the smallest, the ones who cannot defend themselves in anyway. They have no voice to protest. They cannot negotiate. They are attacked in the one place that should be their stronghold to keep them from harm.
In an article protesting the gathering of down from birds and the use of silkworms for silk, PETA's website says that, "Silk production causes painful death for insects" and "most of the insects raised by the industry don’t live past the pupa stage, as they are steamed or gassed alive in their cocoons.Approximately 3,000 silkworms are killed to make every pound of silk." One wonders how they can feel so indignant about insects (haven't they ever stepped on an ant?) and not take a stance on abortion "because [their] focus as an organization is the alleviation of the suffering inflicted on nonhuman animals." While I respect their mission to eliminate animal abuse, maybe they should turn some of their passion to putting an end to something far more pressing and important: the abortion of human beings.
My question is, how can a group that screams bloody murder about the gassing of silkworms not see the real bloody murder in abortion?
References
"What is
PETA’s stance on abortion?" PETA. 23 Jan 2013.
<http://www.peta.org/about/faq/What-is-PETAs-stance-on-abortion.aspx>
"Silk."
18 Jan 2013. Wikipedia. 19 Jan 2013.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk>"Down and Silk: Birds and Insects Exploited for Feathers and Fabric." PETA. 19 Jan 2013. <http://www.peta.org/issues/Animals-Used-for-Clothing/down-and-silk-birds-and-insects-exploited-for-fabric.aspx>
Wow. Well said. One wonders at the magnitude of such selective blindness.
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