There’s a wonderful scene in Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger where the younger sister, Franny, tells her brother she is going to stop with Jesus and go to Buddha. The cause of this apostasy? You are worth more than many sparrows. Franny wanted to see every creature as of equal value. Zooey explained that human beings, even the worst human beings, are of infinite value because they bear a family relationship with Jesus. We in the United States love our pets (a $138 billion industry!) and we enjoy watching cat memes. But the reason the Church keeps emphasizing respect for life is that the Son of God lived and died and rose again for us, that we as people have an eternal destiny that even the softest Easter chick or the cutest puppy does not.
JULY152023
By Church Staff
