I am periodically taken aback at how some people react to my veganism. Most of the time they are just indifferent. "That's nice", they say. Or, "I could never do that. Pass the roast beef, will you?" But on a few occasions the reaction is a bit more...adverse. The rise in tension is almost palpable. It is almost as instead of stating I don't eat meat, they heard me say I don't eat human babies or something.
Now let me make it clear that I haven't always approached things...diplomatically. But fortunately that phase was very brief. In a household where some are vegan and some are not I learned, thanks to a very patient wife, to be a bit more tolerant of others. Not that I always accept their claims but I try to come up with better, more peaceful ways to discuss my views while letting the fact of my veganism speak for my convictions. So I don't compare the meat industry with concentration camps or eating meat with that of eating human babies*.
However, we as humans have this really interesting reaction to threat of the polemical kind. When we have a strong reaction to someone's position we will sometimes make up things to show how bad the other person really is. I don't believe that this is always intentional. In fact, I believe it is quite often the case that it is subconscious and therefore unintentional. Nonetheless I see it happen. I am sure I've even done it myself.
What happens is we will state our position, someone will vehemently disagree, an argument will ensue and even if the whole event was amicable on the surface, if you give it some time and go back and ask either of the people what was said you may find that either or both have some interesting takes on the conversation. I have been accused of doing and saying things that I know I never said or did. Or, which is most often the case, the other person only remembers what I said and nothing about the details surrounding why I said it.
Conversation about veganism can be very difficult because we aren't just talking about our health. If I believe an apple a day keeps the doctor away and someone else believes differently I doubt much will be made of the discussion. But veganism has ethical implications tied to the word and so the discussion is much more than simply dietary. This is why many have gone to stating that they are on a "plant based" diet instead of using the ethically and politically charge "vegan". I personally have decided to stick with vegan because I want people to know, even if that knowledge is only culturally instinctual, that my choice to not eat meat is ethical. I also do this knowing that very few people want to hear it. They would rather I just eat my salad and shut-up. But even when I do not say anything, they will assume I did and, well, that's that.
No, I don't believe in "live and let live". I believe in respecting and loving those around me, but that doesn't mean I am going to capitulate on my morals or ethics. If that offends some (and it will) I can live with that. But my actions have to be more than reactions, they also have to be true and personally initiated actions for my part. I don't see how people can think indifference is anything other than insulting. Many today seem to think that "tolerance" means I accept everything someone else says as true (at least for them) and therefore beyond question or objection. Doing that is simple patronizing and not tolerance at all. Real tolerance is to disagree with someone else and yet still respect and love them. But because of this misunderstanding, thanks to some pedants in so-called institutes of higher-learning, people think you are being "intolerant" if your words or life suggest they could be wrong.
Of course the problem runs a lot deeper than the dictionary definition of a word. It comes down to a fundamental misunderstanding of relationships between humans, animals and the environment. Contrary to what one may think (and I admit that it sounds counter intuitive) to patronize someone the way I described above is an ultimate expression of self-interest and preservation. It is saving your own face and skin all in the name of "peace" or "tolerance". In other words you really aren't doing anyone any favors. Society needs men and women of conviction. People who will stand up for what they believe even if the entire society stands against them. Not for bad things or wrong things, but for what is right and just. If, when I die, the only thing people remember is that I was a christian and vegan, then I'm good with that. Those two words alone say a lot about who I am.
________
* A lot has changed since I wrote this piece. I have sense seen that being "nice" doesn't ultimately work for the animal welfare movement. I don't wish to be rude either, but being honest and up-front is essential to people taking our message more seriously. I also believe that there are way too many similarities with Nazi concentration camps for us to ignore. Even Jews who have survived the horrible ordeal see the comparison. This isn't to diminish or even equate the one with the other but rather to emphasize the overt tragedy of both.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Monday, May 26, 2014
Microbeads - Mega problem
Sometimes I wonder if there isn't any length we as humans won't go to in order to destroy ourselves and all around us. For a people so obsessed with self-preservation I'm simply amazed at our myopic ignorance of the oncoming, self-created doom. I heard someone refer to this as a "death urge". Whether we are speaking about war, slavery, oppression, animal abuse or the environment it matters little. It all comes from the same source. Death urge, sin nature, shallow end of the gene pool, call it what you will. It is mind numbing to think about and even more horrific to watch.
The latest that has come across my path is microbeads. Tiny bits of plastic put in our cleaning supplies, including shampoos and toothpaste, to help in the cleaning process. They are so tiny, in fact, that water treatment plants can't filter them out and they wind up in our waterways by the ton. There they cause any number of problems. The best part is they last a loooong time (aka, forever) and cannot be cleaned up. They are now a permanent part of our ecosystem. You can read about it here where there is a whole campaign to stop this menace:
http://beatthemicrobead.org/en/
The thing I wonder about is how much companies, including government oversight agencies, knew about this? My guess is they knew all about it. But I can come up with at least three possible scenarios.
1. They knew about it but ignored the problem (idiocy).
2. They didn't know about it and proceeded in blissful ignorance (stupidity).
3. Some or all of the various groups involved knew about the problem but assumed somebody else would figure out how to solve it (SEP).
Right now there isn't any way to tell what scenario to choose, and even after the air has cleared of the poop that hit the fan, all parties involved will have added their own personalized spin to the story so we may never know. Needless to say, this is just one more example of humanity at its best and we all get to pay the price while the big bosses have made their millions. Just eat the green stuff. It isn't really human. That's just a myth.
The latest that has come across my path is microbeads. Tiny bits of plastic put in our cleaning supplies, including shampoos and toothpaste, to help in the cleaning process. They are so tiny, in fact, that water treatment plants can't filter them out and they wind up in our waterways by the ton. There they cause any number of problems. The best part is they last a loooong time (aka, forever) and cannot be cleaned up. They are now a permanent part of our ecosystem. You can read about it here where there is a whole campaign to stop this menace:
http://beatthemicrobead.org/en/
The thing I wonder about is how much companies, including government oversight agencies, knew about this? My guess is they knew all about it. But I can come up with at least three possible scenarios.
1. They knew about it but ignored the problem (idiocy).
2. They didn't know about it and proceeded in blissful ignorance (stupidity).
3. Some or all of the various groups involved knew about the problem but assumed somebody else would figure out how to solve it (SEP).
Right now there isn't any way to tell what scenario to choose, and even after the air has cleared of the poop that hit the fan, all parties involved will have added their own personalized spin to the story so we may never know. Needless to say, this is just one more example of humanity at its best and we all get to pay the price while the big bosses have made their millions. Just eat the green stuff. It isn't really human. That's just a myth.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
But God said...!
As a vegan one of the comments I frequently hear from my Christian brothers and sisters (and I love each and every one of them) is, "But God said we could eat meat". Because this happens so frequently, either explicitly or implicitly, I felt it important to voice my opinion on this now that I got some of my other opinions out of the way. Unfortunately this is where me and my vegan friends part company and I will probably be stripped of all my vegan memberships.
The problem with being vegan and Christian or, for that matter, anything and Christian, is that sometimes our ideals and reality clash in a great big ball of fire, leaving us dazed and confused. We would, sometimes, much rather ignore one set of facts in favor of another. However, I think it is when we are forced to accept a set of facts that we would rather ignore that we find ourselves facing what is true and necessary and therefore worthy of acceptance. We may not like it, but them are the breaks.
One set of facts that I was forced to accept early on is that the bible contains numerous passages that unambiguously tell us that God is o.k. with us eating animals. This is evident when Noah first exits the ark (Genesis 9:1-5). The law gives numerous regulations concerning what the Jews could eat and not eat (Leviticus 11). In the twenty-first chapter of John, Jesus encourages his disciples to eat breakfast consisting of some of the fish they caught. Even Jesus ate fish! (Luke 24:41-43). It would be extremely difficult for me to make a claim that eating animals is morally wrong in the face of these facts. Therefore the only conclusion I can make is that God is o.k. with people eating animals.
Let's be clear that I am coming from the position that I believe the Bible is the inerrant, inspired Word of God. All of it! So when I see the Bible say things like the above references I don't have the luxury of simply throwing it away because it doesn't appeal to me like many others do today. This is exactly the problem with liberal Christianity. Once we make ourselves and our opinions the rule by which we judge the truth claims of Scripture anything goes. I simply cannot live that way. It isn't reasonable and it simply doesn't work.
I have heard many attempt to explain how Jesus didn't really eat fish or God didn't really tell people it was o.k., but these attempts usually start with the presupposition that the Bible is full of errors or simply written by men. On a rare occasion someone makes a valiant attempt at explaining their position from the original languages, but these attempts are extremely weak and frankly I have yet to read any sort of explanation along these lines made by people I deem qualified to make them.
God spoke, and He is o.k. with eating animals.
But what does this mean for me and the other Christians out there who have make an ethical choice not to eat meat? Are their concerns invalid? Are they wrong? Are they fighting against God?
No, I don't believe so on all accounts. If my meat-eating friends would take a few minutes to actually listen to why some of us have decided to shun animal flesh they will probably find they actually agree with us more than they care to admit. But, on the other hand, the one thing that turns people off is the threat of a conversion. It makes people gun-shy and reactionary and therefore not very good listeners.
What this all means for me is two-fold. First, I can't simply condemn people or even look down on them because they eat meat. I certainly can't make a theological case for abstaining from meat based on a God given imperative (although perhaps I could make a theological argument on other grounds). This means, above all, I need to love my carnist brother and sister no matter what they choose to do.
Second, I must always remember that animals are not humans. This is the sort of confusion that lends itself to a number of unfortunate conclusions when this is forgotten. Animals are important. They are lovely, amazing, surprising and undeniably intelligent beings created by the Great Creator. But they are not humans. If they were then eating them would be a sin. God made man and women, not animals, in his image, and as such they will always be secondary (Genesis 1:26-27). This means when it comes to a choice between people and animals I must always choose people. They are precious to Him.
Yes, this means that if I were in a situation where I would have to choose to eat meat in order to reach someone for Christ, I would choose to eat the meat. Maybe not in America but if I were to do mission work in another country this opportunity could present itself and I am ready.
But that isn't the end of it. As a follower of Christ I am not simply allowed to follow the status-quo either. My entire life must be an expression of my relationship to my Creator. That means, for me, that I am not going to do something simply because the Bible says I can. Notice, I never said that the bible requires us to eat flesh (although the levitical priests might be so required). I, like so many others, choose to abstain because I have seen the abuse and cruelty leveled against creatures who cannot help themselves all for the entertainment and pleasure of the powerful. I have chosen to open my eyes and drink deeply of the horrors that we call the modern farming industry. And the abuse is prodigious. And for what reason? So we can wear clothes made from their skins? So we can eat more than we need and die from the results of morbid obesity? No thank you. I choose to not do so.
No, I won't condemn others, but I will challenge them. I will be the exception to the rule that drives people crazy because they can't get me to fit into their version of reality. No, the Bible doesn't say it is a sin to eat meat. But what it does say I must follow:
...whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
(James 4:17 ESV)
The problem with being vegan and Christian or, for that matter, anything and Christian, is that sometimes our ideals and reality clash in a great big ball of fire, leaving us dazed and confused. We would, sometimes, much rather ignore one set of facts in favor of another. However, I think it is when we are forced to accept a set of facts that we would rather ignore that we find ourselves facing what is true and necessary and therefore worthy of acceptance. We may not like it, but them are the breaks.
One set of facts that I was forced to accept early on is that the bible contains numerous passages that unambiguously tell us that God is o.k. with us eating animals. This is evident when Noah first exits the ark (Genesis 9:1-5). The law gives numerous regulations concerning what the Jews could eat and not eat (Leviticus 11). In the twenty-first chapter of John, Jesus encourages his disciples to eat breakfast consisting of some of the fish they caught. Even Jesus ate fish! (Luke 24:41-43). It would be extremely difficult for me to make a claim that eating animals is morally wrong in the face of these facts. Therefore the only conclusion I can make is that God is o.k. with people eating animals.
Let's be clear that I am coming from the position that I believe the Bible is the inerrant, inspired Word of God. All of it! So when I see the Bible say things like the above references I don't have the luxury of simply throwing it away because it doesn't appeal to me like many others do today. This is exactly the problem with liberal Christianity. Once we make ourselves and our opinions the rule by which we judge the truth claims of Scripture anything goes. I simply cannot live that way. It isn't reasonable and it simply doesn't work.
I have heard many attempt to explain how Jesus didn't really eat fish or God didn't really tell people it was o.k., but these attempts usually start with the presupposition that the Bible is full of errors or simply written by men. On a rare occasion someone makes a valiant attempt at explaining their position from the original languages, but these attempts are extremely weak and frankly I have yet to read any sort of explanation along these lines made by people I deem qualified to make them.
God spoke, and He is o.k. with eating animals.
But what does this mean for me and the other Christians out there who have make an ethical choice not to eat meat? Are their concerns invalid? Are they wrong? Are they fighting against God?
No, I don't believe so on all accounts. If my meat-eating friends would take a few minutes to actually listen to why some of us have decided to shun animal flesh they will probably find they actually agree with us more than they care to admit. But, on the other hand, the one thing that turns people off is the threat of a conversion. It makes people gun-shy and reactionary and therefore not very good listeners.
What this all means for me is two-fold. First, I can't simply condemn people or even look down on them because they eat meat. I certainly can't make a theological case for abstaining from meat based on a God given imperative (although perhaps I could make a theological argument on other grounds). This means, above all, I need to love my carnist brother and sister no matter what they choose to do.
Second, I must always remember that animals are not humans. This is the sort of confusion that lends itself to a number of unfortunate conclusions when this is forgotten. Animals are important. They are lovely, amazing, surprising and undeniably intelligent beings created by the Great Creator. But they are not humans. If they were then eating them would be a sin. God made man and women, not animals, in his image, and as such they will always be secondary (Genesis 1:26-27). This means when it comes to a choice between people and animals I must always choose people. They are precious to Him.
Yes, this means that if I were in a situation where I would have to choose to eat meat in order to reach someone for Christ, I would choose to eat the meat. Maybe not in America but if I were to do mission work in another country this opportunity could present itself and I am ready.
But that isn't the end of it. As a follower of Christ I am not simply allowed to follow the status-quo either. My entire life must be an expression of my relationship to my Creator. That means, for me, that I am not going to do something simply because the Bible says I can. Notice, I never said that the bible requires us to eat flesh (although the levitical priests might be so required). I, like so many others, choose to abstain because I have seen the abuse and cruelty leveled against creatures who cannot help themselves all for the entertainment and pleasure of the powerful. I have chosen to open my eyes and drink deeply of the horrors that we call the modern farming industry. And the abuse is prodigious. And for what reason? So we can wear clothes made from their skins? So we can eat more than we need and die from the results of morbid obesity? No thank you. I choose to not do so.
No, I won't condemn others, but I will challenge them. I will be the exception to the rule that drives people crazy because they can't get me to fit into their version of reality. No, the Bible doesn't say it is a sin to eat meat. But what it does say I must follow:
...whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
(James 4:17 ESV)
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