Posted on 12/21/2007 3:21:38 PM PST by Nasty McPhilthy
Monks at a Lowcountry monastery are looking for a new source of income.
Mepkin Abbey, a Trappist monastery on the Cooper River, announced Thursday it will cease its egg production business following pressure from an animal rights group.
The phaseout of the industry, which has sustained the brothers for more than 40 years, comes after attacks by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Earlier this year, and again this week, PETA charged that the birds at Mepkin Abbey were caged in cramped quarters and suffered inhumane practices. PETA urged shoppers to boycott Mepkin Abbey eggs, which are sold at Piggly Wiggly and other grocery stores.
Abbot Stan Gumula has disputed PETAs claims, but said the continuing dispute detracts from their life of prayer, work and contemplation.
We will be looking for a new industry to help us meet our daily expenses. We hope to find a source of income that will respect this tradition of work on the land and care for the environment.
Gumula said the brothers who make their home at Mepkin had begun discussions under the late abbot Francis Kline but had postponed a decision because of his illness and death last year.
The egg business, which supplied among its customers at the Charleston Air Force Base, will be phased out over the next year and a half.
The 28 monks, who had 28,000 chickens, also have a gift shop and sell the Earth Healer brand of fertilizer for gardens.
Were delighted to learn that Mepkin is getting out of the cruelty business and we hope that we can work with them to remove the hens from these cages, PETA vice president Bruce Friedrich said.
No matter what the abusers religion, its wrong to abuse one animal, let alone 20,000 of them.
PETA is a communist front environmentalist wacko group!
I hope the monks sell all the chickens to KFC!
All I can say is LOL!
Gee, but it was okay to throw puppies in dumpsters right?
This is about Marxist anti-Christ Enviro-fascism. Of all the huge egg companies they could have harassed (that have lawyers btw), they find an abbey.
Lord, thank you for sparing your daughter her ignorance...
For you know what I would do if there.
I suggest PETA write a check to the Monastery to help them in this time of crisis as they have crippled the Monks of their income.
What’s so funny about these these animal rights extremists browbeating monks?
The monks are far to nice to say it in public, but where are the good lawyers who can help them to say “Eat Me” to these maroons. Is it gonna take a revolution? If so, name the place and give me time to get there.
I’m definitely having chicken tonight!
Is the Monks of Skete next, for their cruelty to German Shepherds?
Out of the cage and into the bucket. The genius of PETA never ceases to amaze me.
Those hens are going to become chicken noodle soup, Bruce. Are you really that stupid? Just paw the ground once for 'no' and twice for 'yes.'
PETA is a communist front environmentalist atheist wacko group!
Peta stinks beyond belief. They are nothing more than a cheap money laundering act for politics.
No, PETA should be forced to come get the chickens, build a deluxe condo for them and take care of them for life.
PETA is nothing but a Communist front organization, along with Green Peace and whatever “look good” organizations.
Wow...I didn’t know that Piggly Wiggly still existed! Back when I was a kid out on my paper routes, I would stop at a Piggly Wiggly that was near my house.
I’m glad PETA wasn’t around back then, as I would have set up an ambush and egged the goofy idiots, and the shot them in the butt with my BB gun.
Hey Abbot Stan don’t you answer to a higher power? Tell them you’ve decided to open a mink ranch.
The 28 monks, who had 28,000 chickens
I was going to ask where the 28 thousand chickens went.
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