Americans are accustomed to the outrageous tactics of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), but the group's in-your-face advocacy is increasingly calculated to offend, provoke, and otherwise show contempt for America's religious faithful. In a new report released today, the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom documents how this animal rights group hijacks religious rituals and institutions in an attempt to impose its stated philosophy of "total animal liberation."

The eye-opening new report -- "Holy Cows: How PETA twists religion to push animal 'rights'" -- chronicles PETA's controversial assaults on the sacred scriptures and traditions of Roman Catholics, Protestant Christians, Jews, Mormons, and Muslims. The report also includes an inventory of scripture contradicting PETA's assertion that only vegetarians can claim to be observant Christians, Jews, Mormons, and Muslims.

"The world's great religions are under attack by disrespectful PETA activists who twist scripture and history to suit their goals," said David Martosko, director of research at the Center for Consumer Freedom. "The animal rights movement has never shied away from offending people, but PETA should leave churches, synagogues, and mosques out of its vegan Holy War."

To spread the gospel of vegetarianism, PETA's full-time "faith-based campaigners" work under the direction of a campaign coordinator who has publicly advocated "blowing stuff up and smashing windows" as "a great way to bring about animal liberation."

PETA has recently begun holding protests at houses of worship, even suing one church that tried to protect its congregation from Sunday-morning harassment. PETA's billboards and other advertisements taunt Christians with the message that livestock "died for your sins," misrepresent the teachings of the Mormon faith, and even make the false claim that Jesus was a vegetarian. PETA even paraded a statue of a cow dressed as the Pope in front of Catholic churches.

PETA claims, contrary to a wealth of rabbinical teaching, that ritual kosher slaughter is inherently cruel. It directs Jews to abstain from eating lamb during the Passover seder. PETA's infamous "Holocaust on Your Plate" campaign crassly compared the victims of Nazi genocide with farm animals. And it buys Internet advertisements falsely warning Muslims that meat labeled "Halal" is typically unfit to eat.

"Holy Cows: How PETA twists religion to push animal 'rights'" can be downloaded at

The Center for Consumer Freedom is a nonprofit coalition supported by restaurants, food companies, and consumers, working together to promote personal responsibility and protect consumer choices.