Oh boy, this Trappist monastery down in South Carolina (where my parents once went on a spiritual retreat) has been busted big time for alleged cruelty to the chickens that produce the eggs the abbey sells to support itself.

Birds are crowded, starved to stimulate egg production, and left to flap around and slowly die once injured. All this despite the monks’ claim that they have a sacred mission to husband animals and care for the earth. Have a look at the PETA undercover investigation here. And here’s the New York Times story.