Editor's Note: Dr. Marcum has graciously stepped aside this week to allow house-mate "Ernie," an eight-year-old domestic short hair tabby cat, the opportunity to provide analysis on results of great personal concern from the May 1997 Presbyterian Panel Survey.
If you're like most Human Americans, you have a cat, dog (shudder!), bird (yum!!!) or other creature (roaches don't count!) sharing your household. I had "The Big Guy" do some checking; he found a Gallup Poll from 1996 which showed that 57% of U.S. households have a cat or dog (although, by the fur of my chinny-chin-chin, I can't figure out why 43% of households have a dog and only 31% have a cat).
Big Guy tells me results from the May Panel survey mark the first-ever systematic analysis of where Presbyterians place their furry and feathered friends on the continuum that puts homo sapiens just a notch below the angels. The results are, shall we say, eye-opening, especially to those of us with three eyelids.
I will give you P.H.s ("Presbyterian humans") credit; a majority of you, including 81% of members, 80% of elders, 86% of pastors, and 87% of specialized clergy, agree that animals, as creatures made by God, have inherent value in God's sight. I'd be more reassured if the "strongly agree" responses (included in these totals) were greater than 27% (members), 24% (elders), 32% (pastors), and 35% (specialized clergy). But I am glad that only 1% in every sample responds "strongly disagree." (I tried to get Big Guy to tell me who these "misanimalists" are, but darn! if the Panel doesn't protect human confidentiality.)
Still, it comes as little surprise to me that only about one in five of you believe animals should have the same moral rights that human beings do, although I'm encouraged that many of you, ranging from 31% of members to 20% of pastors, are still wrestling with the issue (as I interpret the "neither agree nor disagree" responses). If you want to believe that humans are somehow distinct in morality from us "lower life forms," well, what can I say? Nobody's purrfect!
I think you go too far, however, when--as about one-half of members (47%) and elders (49%) and a third of pastors (32%) do--you "disagree" that human beings developed from earlier species of animals. Maybe that belief makes it easier for you to consign my (our?) four- legged brethren to the laboratory. At any rate, majorities of 70% (members), 75% (elders and pastors), and 73% (specialized clergy) "agree" that it is right to use animals for medical testing if it might save human lives.
Only a few of you--ranging from 10% of pastors to 15% of members--are brave (smart?) enough to declare yourselves "definitely" to be supporters of animal rights. About the same%ages (10%, members; 12%, elders; 11%, pastors; 5%, specialized clergy) respond "definitely not." When the "probablies" are parceled out, it's clear that more of you accept than reject the animal-rights label, but in only one sample--members--does a majority describe themselves this way (51%).
Finally, I'm puzzled by the responses to this statement: nature is really a fierce struggle for survival of the fittest. I see where half of pastors (49%) and specialized clergy (50%), and almost two-thirds of members (66%) and elders (65%), "agree" with this statement. What's with the rest of you? Obviously you've never had to whine and mew for what seems like hours to get the Big Guy to put a piddlin' handful of well-deserved food in your bowl!
Well, that's that. Now, back to a nap, then some bird-watching, the latter an activity I see in the Panel survey that I share, at least occasionally, with seven out of ten of you P.H.s.
When the Big Guy gets it done (later this spring, he tells me), the full report on this Panel survey will be available for $5 from PDS. Call (800) 524-2612 and order PDS #70360-97252.
The Presbyterian Panel Summary describing other results of this study is currently available online.
Email the author: Jack Marcum
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