Jamie Richards- Making Nature Sacred #2

"Purely gratuitous malice toward the most helpless of God’s creatures violates the deepest nature of humanity as well as of God.”

Between pages 52 and 53 of John Gatta's novel, "Making Nature Sacred," he reveals an episode that created a significant impact on me, considering my significant affiliation with animals. In this recollection, Gatta describes the experience of Quaker John Woolman in an effort to illustrate the correlation between humans and "brute creation." He states that Woolman threw a stone at a bird in his childhood and killed a mother robin. In recognition of this action, he then proceeded to locate the mother bird's nest and kill its chicks. Although seemingly a bit harsh in today's logic, Woolman felt it was his ethical duty to perform this feat, as he was personally responsible for the removal of these baby birds' only source of nurturing. One can not help but wonder if this reaction was ethically and logically just. It should be noted that the wildlife rehabilitation centers of today were non-existent in those days. However, should Woolman have attempted to raise the babies himself? Or, given an apparent lack of prior experience, was it morally just to end the chicks' lives? I personally feel as if, had I been put in a similar scenario, I would have felt it my responsibility to provide for these babies in any possible manner. In other words, I would have, more than likely, attempted to raise the chicks myself. It is notable, though, that although I do not necessarily condone such a decision, I understand his decision.