Blessed Are the Pure in Heart, Who See God as Compassion for ALL. Dr. Chapman Chen

In his important work The Dominion of Love, U.S. animal rights activist and autodidactic theologian Norm Phelps (1939-2024) argues that Jesus’ saying, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8), means that when we are pure in heart, we confront our base motives regarding the eating of animal flesh, the wearing of animal skins, and other forms of animal exploitation such as animal experimentation and horse racing. Per Phelps, purity of heart enables us to stop rationalizing and beautifying animal abuse, and instead recognize it for what it is. In doing so, we come to see God as compassion extended to all living beings (Phelps 2002, 152–154). The following is my paraphrase of Phelps’s interpretation.

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. This Beatitude calls on us to be vigilant against a subtle but dangerous tendency: the ability to deceive ourselves in order to justify withholding compassion from those who need it most—especially when it serves our own pleasures. A heart that is pure is free of deceit; our intentions are sincere and without disguise. We act for the reasons we acknowledge, not under false pretenses. When we are pure in heart, we don’t mistake pride for divine favour, greed for divine generosity, or cruelty for divine approval.

With purity of heart, we use our intelligence—something we often take pride in—not to create elaborate justifications for harm, but to seek ways to uplift those who are powerless. We don’t use our intellect to craft clever excuses for exploitation and abuse.

We consume animal flesh, eggs, dairy, and wear animal skins because we enjoy them—not for necessity. We hunt and fish because we take pleasure in killing. We visit circuses and zoos because our entertainment outweighs concern for animals' suffering. We experiment on animals hoping to spare ourselves from pain and disease, though the torment we inflict is often far greater than the discomfort we seek to avoid.

When we have pure hearts, we don’t hide these motives behind excuses or complex reasoning. We don’t pretend, against all logic and science, that animals can’t suffer as we do—or that their suffering doesn’t count because they supposedly lack self-awareness. We don’t claim that God created these feeling creatures solely for our use, or that their pain is somehow part of divine intent. We don’t justify our dominance with talk of the "food chain" as if that natural order gives us moral license to kill and consume at will.

Purity of heart means being honest with ourselves about our true motives. When we look clearly at what we’re doing, all our attempts to rationalize, beautify, and sophize animal abuse crumble—like the emperor’s imaginary clothes in the fable. Once we see the harm clearly, many of us can no longer keep participating in it.

It is much easier to commit evil when we believe it serves a noble cause. Slavery, segregation, the Nazi death camps, Soviet gulags (and Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution)—all were rationalized as being for the greater good. Today, the ongoing mass suffering of animals—sometimes called an “eternal Treblinka”—is also justified in the name of good.

The lies we tell ourselves don’t just obscure the wrong we do—they also separate us from God. God is always present, always available. It is our own lack of purity that prevents us from sensing the divine. When our hearts are pure, we perceive God clearly. We understand that God is compassion, that God is love, and that this love embraces every sentient being in existence. And if we wish to reflect God’s image, then our own love and compassion must likewise include all living beings under our care.

Norm Phelps was an American writer, activist, and leading voice in the animal rights movement, particularly known for his work bridging spirituality and animal advocacy. He was a longtime member of The Fund for Animals and later a founding member of the Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians (SERV). He authored several influential books, including The Dominion of Love: Animal Rights According to the Bible, The Great Compassion: Buddhism and Animal Rights, and The Longest Struggle: Animal Advocacy from Pythagoras to PETA. #VeganChrist #VeganGod #VeganChurch  #VeganTheology

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