Several scriptures across different faiths emphasize the importance of treating animals with kindness and compassion. For example, Proverbs 12:10 says, “The righteous know the needs of their animals, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.” And Deuteronomy 22:6-7 tells us, “If you come on a bird’s nest, in any tree or on the ground, with fledglings or eggs, with the mother sitting on the fledglings or the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. Let the mother go, taking only the young for yourself, in order that it may go well with you and you may live long.”
Similarly, Hindu scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita and the Mahabharata highlight the principle of non-violence and urge compassion for all beings. Islamic teachings also emphasize the merit of good deeds towards animals, equating them with good deeds towards humans.
“Jelly, shown here in an article about Kornegay’s experiments, suffered from damaged ligaments and weakened muscles after developing muscular dystrophy. He used her and other dogs to search for pharmacologic therapies for the disease—an effort that has failed so far.” – PETA
But somewhere along the line humankind’s egos greatly expanded… and its sense of morality sadly diminished. Being given dominion (hate that word!) by God over all of creation was like being given the keys to daddy’s brand, new Mercedes and told only to pull it into the driveway…but instead we hopped in, burned rubber, raced down the street, and ended up wrapping it around a tree. Dominion is a license for self-indulgence. Stewardship – what humankind was actually given – is a responsibility of altruism.
One example of cruel exploitation and abuse of animals is their use in cosmetic testing. In my opinion animal testing for cosmetics is an abhorrent, archaic, evil, nonsensical practice that should be outlawed worldwide. Many countries have already banned animal testing for cosmetics, with the European Union leading the way. A total of 45 countries have now prohibited such testing, including the entire European Union, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Israel, India, New Zealand, and others. If you’re not sure what cosmetic animal testing is or what it entails, you can learn more here.
Let’s just be real for a minute, okay? Animal testing for cosmetics isn’t necessary! According to the PETA.org website: “As hard as it is to believe, animal experiments for cosmetics and household products continue even though non-animal tests are widely available. Instead of measuring how long it takes a chemical to burn the cornea of a rabbit’s eye, manufacturers can now drop that chemical onto cornea-like 3D tissue structures produced from human cells. Likewise, human skin cultures can be grown and purchased for skin irritation testing. Read more here about these and dozens more non-animal tests currently in use that are faster and more accurate at predicting human reactions to a product than animal tests ever were.”
Personally, I don’t wear a lot of makeup. I don’t know whether it’s because of my old age, or because I don’t like the way a lot of makeup feels on my face, or because I’m an advocate of the natural look. But the little bit of makeup I do use is all cruelty-free, as are all my other toiletries, hair products, household cleaners, soaps, detergents, and clothing.
I can’t imagine looking in the mirror every day, applying layers of various skin, eye, and lip products to make myself more beautiful… while knowing full well that every day – day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year – innocent animals had to suffer unimaginable physical and emotional pain and torture for it. Where’s the beauty in that?
