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Some people are not going to like what I say--and I'm not a troll, trying to upset people for fun. And I must confess, I have not read all 91 responses to this post. I started to, but I found so many of them so selfish and so oblivious of the sufferings of animals, concerned only with their own pleasure and convenience, I could not bear to read any more.
Morally superior is not the way I would characterize the person who is vegan by choice, based on perhaps both health issues, concerns for the planetary ecology, and most of all, the hideous sufferings of animals in factory farms. I would say instead that the person who cares about not just their own health and longevity, but who has empathy for suffering beings, is troubled by the injustices: this person is one with more empathy and a higher spiritual development. Just simply that.
Everyone has a chance to develop in this direction, so it's not productive to condemn anyone because they're not there yet. But you can't help but notice how self-centered some of these posts are.
Some people are not going to like what I say--and I'm not a troll, trying to upset people for fun. And I must confess, I have not read all 91 responses to this post. I started to, but I found so many of them so selfish and so oblivious of the sufferings of animals, concerned only with their own pleasure and convenience, I could not bear to read any more.
Morally superior is not the way I would characterize the person who is vegan by choice, based on perhaps both health issues, concerns for the planetary ecology, and most of all, the hideous sufferings of animals in factory farms. I would say instead that the person who cares about not just their own health and longevity, but who has empathy for suffering beings, is troubled by the injustices: this person is one with more empathy and a higher spiritual development. Just simply that.
Everyone has a chance to develop in this direction, so it's not productive to condemn anyone because they're not there yet. But you can't help but notice how self-centered some of these posts are.
1. You're assuming there are levels of spiritual developments. By assuming that, you must also assume that all living things have one of these spiritual developments. If that is true, then plants also have spiritual developments. And if that is true, then I ask - who are you to dare decide that a plant's spiritual development isn't worth nurturing and rescuing from the unwashed masses that feel it's acceptable to destroy them just because they can, and their bellies need filling? Since when do plant spiritual developments not matter?
Your digestive system has several craps available. None of them will be given on behalf of your moral or ethical choice not to eat flesh. All your digestive system cares about, is whether or not you are feeding it appropriately for its existence within the human body.
Really though - that's such a load of hogwash. Spiritually higher level of development? My cat probably has a higher spiritual level of development than most people on this forum, and she's an obligate carnivore.
1. You're assuming there are levels of spiritual developments. By assuming that, you must also assume that all living things have one of these spiritual developments. If that is true, then plants also have spiritual developments. And if that is true, then I ask - who are you to dare decide that a plant's spiritual development isn't worth nurturing and rescuing from the unwashed masses that feel it's acceptable to destroy them just because they can, and their bellies need filling? Since when do plant spiritual developments not matter?
Your digestive system has several craps available. None of them will be given on behalf of your moral or ethical choice not to eat flesh. All your digestive system cares about, is whether or not you are feeding it appropriately for its existence within the human body.
Really though - that's such a load of hogwash. Spiritually higher level of development? My cat probably has a higher spiritual level of development than most people on this forum, and she's an obligate carnivore.
I once used this as an example: ok, so we are not going to kill any living thing; vegans and vegetarians will continue the inform us how awful we are and how we only care about ourselves: well, what about the holier than thou who will not kill a living thing, do they ever pick a flower? If they do, have they just taken some nectar away from a bee, that might otherwise not have a lot to eat? I guess that is a different story, right? I might add, how many vegans and vegetarians also support abortion? OK, I am off on a tangent, but I am just trying to make a point. I am not here to debate pro choice versus pro life, but to remind us, most everyone believes in killing for some reason. I am an animal lover, I support no kill shelters and it breaks my heart to see any animal dead, by the side of the road or because someone wanted to go hunting just because they think it is fun, not for the meat. I cringe when I hear people talk about how much they hate squirrels and would like to kill everyone of them, but I also realize two things: 1-if we do not kill animals many will eventually starve to death or die a death much worse than shooting them and 2-humans have been eating meat since the beginning of time. For those who do not want to consume meat or meat products, that is your choice, but it doesn't make you superior to anyone and it doesn't make you right. It is a choice, nothing more..
I'm a vegetarian, not a vegan, and I do not act morally superior at all. I don't even mention it to anyone, unless they ask why I don't eat meat, and then I say I just don't like it. I never get preachy.
But I have had plenty of omnivores say, look at this nice juicy steak (or burger, or fried chicken or whatever), I bet you wish you could have some. Or the people that say that if meat wasn't eaten the cows, pigs and chickens would overrun the world.
So this does go both ways with some people.
I so often came across SAME reasons omnivores gave justifying their meat eating, even When i try to be discreet about my vegetarianism.
I once used this as an example: ok, so we are not going to kill any living thing; vegans and vegetarians will continue the inform us how awful we are and how we only care about ourselves: well, what about the holier than thou who will not kill a living thing, do they ever pick a flower? If they do, have they just taken some nectar away from a bee, that might otherwise not have a lot to eat? I guess that is a different story, right? I might add, how many vegans and vegetarians also support abortion? OK, I am off on a tangent, but I am just trying to make a point. I am not here to debate pro choice versus pro life, but to remind us, most everyone believes in killing for some reason. I am an animal lover, I support no kill shelters and it breaks my heart to see any animal dead, by the side of the road or because someone wanted to go hunting just because they think it is fun, not for the meat. I cringe when I hear people talk about how much they hate squirrels and would like to kill everyone of them, but I also realize two things: 1-if we do not kill animals many will eventually starve to death or die a death much worse than shooting them and 2-humans have been eating meat since the beginning of time. For those who do not want to consume meat or meat products, that is your choice, but it doesn't make you superior to anyone and it doesn't make you right. It is a choice, nothing more..
Not to mention how many millions of moles, rabbits, voles, mice, etc. die from growing grains, fruits, and vegetables. Run over by tractors and other heavy equipment. Habitat loss from clearing the land. Fish and amphibians killed by pesticide runoff and eutrophication of ponds and lakes. Bees, aphids, and other insects killed by pesticides.
The death toll is much smaller than factory farming, and I'm not suggesting no one should be vegan because if this. But the idea that no animal had to die for your dinner is misguided and naive.
Not to mention how many millions of moles, rabbits, voles, mice, etc. die from growing grains, fruits, and vegetables. Run over by tractors and other heavy equipment. Habitat loss from clearing the land. Fish and amphibians killed by pesticide runoff and eutrophication of ponds and lakes. Bees, aphids, and other insects killed by pesticides.
The death toll is much smaller than factory farming, and I'm not suggesting no one should be vegan because if this. But the idea that no animal had to die for your dinner is misguided and naive.
I never thought of this and the similar posts that have been presented. I may just bring these points up to my oh-so-holier-than-thou acting vegan friend who continues to send me e-mail articles about how meat eating is cruelty to animals. How many habitats were destroyed to harvest the vegetation for his supper I now wonder?
Vegan or omnivore, for every human being who reproduces, you could also say that they are contributing to the destruction of another species plant or animal on this planet because as forests and oceans are being diminished to provide for the burgeoning human species, other species are paying the price with the danger of becoming extinct. But that's another topic.
None of us are holier than thou no matter how we choose to eat.
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