The bible informs every dimension of human life, including the decent treatment of animals

John Fitzgerald in his letter (February 19, see link below) quotes Thomas More and William Shakespeare, as he welcomes a Stormont Assembly debate on hunting.

Animal welfare is not a faddishly new, or a ‘woke movement’ theme; connected to industrialisation, urbanisation, progress and technology.

A Victorian drinking fountain in Belfast tells a different story. The Calder drinking fountain for animals is at the opposite end of Queen’s Square from the Albert Clock.

The small monument is to the left of a pedestrian crossing, and carries two inscriptions: ‘Blessed are the merciful’-and-’A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast’.

The bible informs every dimension of human life, including the decent treatment of animals.

Our moral reasoning and moral systems are rooted in biblical values.

One prominent blogger, the Rev David Robertson of ‘Weeflea.com’ fame, describes ‘History’ as: ‘His-Story’.

Dr James Hardy, Belfast BT5

• John Fitzgerald’s letter: ‘Stormont MLAs have a unique opportunity to end hunting practices that belong to the Dark Ages

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Editor