"Not Good Enough. Churches MUST do their bit towards God Creatures.
Their track record is shameful."

I've been following this post with no small interest. Paleif, firstly let me say I hate the live trade industry, but it's a tricky situation. I have a friend who is a live export farmer and he hates people who are against it with an equal passion as you hate those who continue the barbaric trade, however, with that said I'll explain why I've used your quote to open my post.

Churches will NEVER do anything to elevate the status of animals for one very good reason. The delusion of mainstream religions claims that only people have a soul. Only people have an "after life." Therefore, they consider animals beneath humans and whilst there are some notable exceptions ie: Seven Day Adventists, most religious organisations will always place the welfare of humans above that of animals.
Pale, forget religious organisations. If you truly want to help the plight of farm animals, might I suggest you start an 'farm animal' fund which takes donations of both food and money. eg: Money to buy bales of hay and feed stock. Organise or hook up with people prepared to lend their time and trucks to transport the food to drought stricken areas. It's happening already but can always be enlarged to cover wider areas.
I don't have a lot of money, but I'll always put my hand in my pocket to help out our four legged friends and wildlife. I will not however, give my hard earned money to perpetuate the myth or contribute to the wealth of religious organisations.

turnrightleft.
As said several times before Churches need to show SOME concern for Gods Animals.
Here are people who ae making a real difference. they ought to just support them.
http://www.aussiehelpers.org.au/
Not one penny goes in wages. All donations straight to farmers.
Public donations is different to the tax money that the Government treat as their own.
If I want to supply stock feed and put in fifty thousand or a hundred thousand dollars I want all that money going into feed. not wages for Salvos to sent some paid person to wspa a prayer.
I want each farmer to get say five grand of feed and water.
If I am giving the one hundred or say five hundred thousand that MY right.
I am sure the farmers would perfer it.
The issue here ius as I said before That according to their head person - They have never even thought about the Animals.
Pretty poor show all round.
Peter costello does not stop the oithers helping. I have not heaqrd of Peter writing the church Leaders that are helping the Aussie helpers say. dear Mr Church Leader hoew dare you help animals with water and feed.
He has not said- Dont help Animals. He has not told churches they cant help with feed and water when raising funds for a farmers appeal.
Peter Costello get the blame for everything. Hes a figures man. He knows if you save a farmers stock it help people.

Logically, after appraising your posts, I can't help but feel you're not really requesting what is best for farmers.

Assertion one: Salvos funds should be able to be used to feed stock.

My reply: I suppose you can argue that, but compared to EC and drought declared funds, it's a drop in the ocean. I reckon the salvos are better off focusing on what they do best.

Assertion two: Perhaps we should review the drought funding and vote on it.

My reply: Unlike the small assistance the salvos can provide, this funding is significant and meaningful. Your suggestion can only jeopardise it, harming farmers far more than the minor salvos funding would help. I can't express in words how much damage this would do, while your salvos suggestion, whilst nice sounding, would do nothing.

Assertion three: The church needs to show concern for animals.

My reply: Fair enough, but again, won't help farmers much.

The core of your arguments are weak - yes, you mention some reasonable ideas with schools helping farms and so on, but the idea that salvos funding could in any way approach the EC and drought assistance funding is laughable and contrary to the big picture.

What keeps getting ignored in these debates, is what the best way
to deal with drought is. Donated fodder is all very well, lots of
feel good hormones etc, but its not addressing the bigger picture.

Govts can't legislate for rain and weather predictions are not yet
that accurate. The best thing that can happen when drought looms,
is for farmers to cut numbers and destock, millions less mouths to
feed means more food for those carried over. Its too late once the
paddocks are bare and blowing and everyone is shedding tears.

Our meatworks could easily introduce extra shifts and channel that
meat into the global system. 200-300 workers can slaughter a million
sheep a year, thats a million kg of fodder a day saved. The real problem lies
in our inflexible employment policy in meatworks.
Why not fly them in from China or the Philipines, when they are
required? They can earn 10 times as much here, as back home and
would surely love to come. They can go home with full wallets and
boost the economies of their countries too.

But that kind of modern thinking is beyond politicians, unions and
others with vested interests. So the net result is more starving stock
on our tv screens, subsidies and now blaming the salvos.

Hey, we have to see the big picture, not the heart on your sleeve
picture.

Aime

Well if you were to throw your hat into the ring to take over the running of the Savos and work together with Yabbys advise along with the force of your members.

God would be served well. You might find these people some light at the end of the tunnel-

http://www.aussiehelpers.org.au/

Its people like yourself who do have a soul that keeps people like us going.

Yes Yabby you are absolutly right. So why dont they get in and actually do something to support just that.

Churches must be brought to heal regarding their arrogant lack of leadership to Gods creatures.
Farm Hand Appeals drought appeals given millions and not a "thought" - to animals.
Not only now regarding the cruel battery intensive farming of poultry birds. Nothing about pigs stuck in areas they cant stand turn. .
Not one word about the light sentences given in courts. Not one bible class?
We didnt ask them for funds Aime
We asked them for something else- Coopertation Leadership
To speak out about Animal Cruelty of all types.
May God Forgive them because I certainly cant.
fyi Aime-

http://www.livexports.com/hughwirth.html

Places can become desert. Farmers out there are destroying their own lives and frittering away public money by persisting where it's obvious to anyone that it isn't changing for the better. It's called cutting your losses. They took a risk in a changing environment (that they could have helped to worsen). The least they could do is take responsibility for those decisions, where possible.

Part of the problem is the idea that you should grow anything anywhere. I do not subscribe to this view especially when resources are limited. Why grow rice for example, in a desert? Rice is grown properly in countries with high rainfall and monsoon conditions. It's asinine to grow it where there are few water resources for what should be very obvious reasons. Open irrigation like that in a scorching dry country is ridiculous and should never have been permitted.

People need to grasp the simple fact that where resources are limited efficiency and wise management of those resources is paramount, as people are finding out slowly but also stubbornly refusing to learn. Politicians won't show leadership especially ones that win votes by popularism because those same stubborn fools will throw them out of office. Generations of farmers have applied farming principles of different climates to this continent with disastrous results for the land and river systems. It's a painful truth that farmers will have to face. States and political leadership have likewise been incompetent but I wonder whether they were trying to protect their political positions because of the farming industry.

As for the humane treatment of animals I have to say that is a political leadership issue like most progressive reforms. There is a lot wrong with state governments. They are rewarded for being populist and keeping the status quo, rather than for showing leadership and making difficult decisions. Like for example slavery/suffrage to which millions of people were opposed, political leadership is absolutely necessary. Perhaps as far as free range produce goes, photographs could be placed on the packaging to remind people that the decision they are making has consequences.