Hog Waste in Eastern North Carolina - Essay Example

Hog Waste in Eastern North Carolina HOG WASTE IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA Titus Rock Manickam Order No. 286780 13 April 2009 HOG WASTE IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA How does the teaching of the scriptures address this problem The scriptures teach that consumption of hog is not allowed. It says in Leviticus 11:7-8; "And the swine, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you." The hog is also indirectly associated with evil power. It says in Matthew 8:31-32, "And the demons begged of him (Jesus), "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters. It also says in Proverbs 11:22, "Like a gold ring in a swine's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion." The swine is just another animal with all the instincts and emotions of fear, anger, contentment or hunger. But the scriptures appear to depict the animal's dispositions that include habits other than just chewing cuds. The swine is known to eat more than cuds. They consume anything from garbage including dead animals and human waste. Thus, the swine is categorized with animals that are not "clean". They cannot be counted among animals like the sheep, goat, deer, and so on that consume only grass and herbs and are categorized as "clean" (Douglas S. Winnail). The scriptures do not directly condemn the swine as the devil or his protg. However, the scriptures do not have nice things to say about the swine. Symbolically, the swine is unclean. What rules, principles, virtues, ends, ideals, etc., are pertinent in understanding and shredding light on the problem from theoretical and specifically Christian perspectives From the Christian perspectives, the hog is associated with meanness and laziness. The points expressed in the scriptures about the hog do little to dissociate it from such negative attributes. Once the hog has had its fill with food it normally resigned to a corner to slumber the rest of its time. God made all things wonderful and this includes the swine. The swine or hog is not meant for human consumption from its natural standpoint. In the present times, hog meat can be neutralized from the effects of salmonella through vaccinations (Jeffrey A. Husa et al). However, in the times when the Old Testament injunction for not eating the hog was made, the scriptures emphasized that as people of God to serve as a model for the nations around them, the Israelites were to abstain from hog meat for its specific dietary habits. The hog could eat anything. It was not restricted to chewing cuds alone. By the same argument, the hog could also do many things that did not make it an ideal choice for culinary purposes. The hog could grunt, struggle violently, bite, kick and heave. The hog did not observe the basic niceties when it was about to be killed. This contrasted with the disposition of animals like the sheep and goats that did not have to be trussed up when they were slaughtered. What does the theological tradition say about this problem (This will require doing library research in books on theological ethics Theological tradition is varied. There is no single view. Some theologians say that the law about not eating the hog does not apply now. They hold to the scriptures when Apostle Peter was famished and had a vision of "a great sheet let down by four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' But Peter said, 'No, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean'. And the voice came to him again a second time, 'What God has cleansed, you must not call common (or unclean)'" (Acts 10:11-15). There is yet another theological tradition maintaining that the law about not eating unclean food holds good even today. They say that such animals are not proper for consumption as food but are useful for other purposes for which they were created (Douglas S. Winnail). Theological tradition does not have a firm and foundational view on the subject. What sort of communal life or what breakdowns in communal life, provide the seed bed for this sort of problem to arise and flourish Rising population and food shortage provide the seed for this sort of problem to arise and flourish. The hog is a delicacy for millions of people around the globe. The demand for hog meat is increasing. In 2006, in the United States alone the top four pork-producing companies accounted for 63% of the global market. With such a size, it is not surprising that hog farms in eastern North Carolina are now worth $1 billion from $2.6 million in 1988 (Dr Michael Broadway and Clyde E. Dixon). What different sort of communal conditions would begin to address the problem by offering the possibility of a different way of life People will take to the streets. In the event the hog meat is banned, it will create chaos. A different way of life must address the social and economical criteria that govern the existing communal conditions. A voluntary and educational approach can marginally influence people to switch over to other type of food. However, it is not feasible to offer a different way of life without specifically identifying what is the different way of life. At the moment, the demand for hog meat is rising. People will have to be informed about the ill effects of hog meat when compared to other sources of "clean" meat. This is a difficult proposition given that hog manufacturers use high technology to offset the ill effects of hog meat (Dr Michael Broadway and Clyde E. Dixon). What sorts of initiatives have churches and/or non-church groups taken to address similar problems The churches are highly divided on this issue. Hence, there is little action from the side of the churches except for ministerial admonitions against consumption of hog meat. Non-church groups tend to be more motivated on the environmental hazards caused due to hog wastes. Hence, they are more effective. Non-church groups such as Alliance for Responsible Swine Industry and Halifax Environmental Loss Prevention (HELP) played key roles in mobilizing opposition to the swine industry. HELP protects communities from environmental and economical threats posed by large-scale livestock operations. HELP links the surge in corporate hog farms to the location of those farms in black or native American communities. These facilities posed dangers to public health as well as drove small minority farmers out of business and damaged economic and cultural sustainability of traditional agrarian communities (Dr Michael Broadway and Clyde E. Dixon). Drawing on what you have studied, what strategies and approaches can you propose for a church to deal redemptively and reconcilingly with the concern My approach to the problem is to reduce the intake of hog meat. Hog meat has health issues and an indiscriminate consumption could prove to be harmful. I would, therefore, suggest that people refrain from consuming hog meat in their daily diet. I would suggest that every time they are tempted to buy hog meat they buy alternative food product such as goat meat or chicken. This can happen three out of four times. It is great if it happens four out of four times. But this would be too much to expect. I would settle for cutting down on the amount of consumption. I do not subscribe to complete abstinence from hog meat. What to do about and with hog waste in the community Hog waste management in the community is a challenge and the solution is there to deal with the issue except that it is costly and everyone is prevaricating on footing the bill. North Carolina researchers have spent six years and $17.3 million trying better ways to manage hog waste than the giant open-air pits that threaten rivers, wells and air quality. The state's study ended with the announcement that there are plenty of cleaner alternatives, but they are expensive and the farmers are shying away from footing the bill. They want the state to look after the bill payments. They also know this is a long and hard process. Hog waste can be handled with systems that burn waste, treated in enclosed tanks or recycled into usable water. Some systems even generate electricity or other energy and the farmers can sell these. If the project is successful, hog farmers would gradually switch to a waste management system that would put a stop to leaking the waste into rivers or pollute the air with ammonia and pathogens and rid the environment of hog manure stench. However, none of the alternative systems is cheap enough and even the cheapest technology could cost at least four times as much as lagoons. A lagoon on an average-size hog farm costs about $650,000. As of now, no one has committed to paying for alternative system. Pork company executives expect the state to provide incentives for new technology, already having spent million on research studies. Everyone is eyeing the state for footing the bill for the alternative system (Farmers seek state help on hog waste). Sources: Acts 10:11-15, The Bible, Revised Standard Version, Zondervan Bible Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Copyright 1964, Twelfth Printing 1980 Dr Michael Broadway and Clyde E. Dixon, Hog Farming in North Carolina, Shaw University Divinity School, 286780_6009282-3314 hogwaste big paper.doc Jeffrey A. Husa et al, A comparison of the safety, cross-protection and serologic response associated with two commercial oral Salmonella vaccines in swine, http://www.aasp.org/shap/issues/v17n1/v17n1p10.htm Amy Jill Levine, Misusing Jesus, How the church divorces Jesus from Judaism, The Christian Century, http://www.christiancentury.org/article.lassoid=2761 Breeds of Livestock, http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/swine/ Douglas S. Winnail, Do you really want to eat that Living Church of God, http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/lcg/studytopics/lcg-st.cgicategory=Christianity1&item=1116549049 Farmers seek state help on hog waste, The News Observer, 09 March 2009, http://www.newsobserver.com/703/story/416138.html God's Dietary Laws: Abolished in the New Testament, http://www.giveshare.org/Health/dietarylaws.html Kevin Malarkey, Sometimes the Center is the Wrong Place to Be: An Examination of Isaiah 66:17, The Bible, http://www.publications.villanova.edu/Concept/2007/07_papers_word/Malarkey-SometimesCenterisWrongPlacetobe.doc Leviticus 11:7-8, The Bible, Revised Standard Version, Zondervan Bible Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Copyright 1964, Twelfth Printing 1980 Matthew 8:31-32, The Bible, Revised Standard Version, Zondervan Bible Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Copyright 1964, Twelfth Printing 1980 Proverbs 11:22, The Bible, Revised Standard Version, Zondervan Bible Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Copyright 1964, Twelfth Printing 1980 What Animals Can Teach Us About Spirituality, http://www.whatanimalscanteachusaboutspirituality.com/2006/12/holidays-highlight-spiritual.html Read More