Those words I wrote then – “if”, are totally untrue today. With more information and experiences of a vegan diet, I’m certain this is how I will always eat and live.

And why not? I feel healthier, lost some pounds and have more energy than in decades! Even spiritually… being vegan has given me ethical grounding as well. I like living without harming.

So, there is no “if” to “factory-farm” meat, feedlot meat, free-range meat, organic meat, or, the most placating of all: “humane meat”. Nah… cross “meat” off my list entirely-

I do believe it is in our nature to evolve, and progress to our better world. Having respect for life, manifested in a vegan diet is the way.

And that they are not fond of PETA – good for them… but they dislike peta for all the wrong reasons.

They do not adocate healthier or more sustainable food… They advocate *not questioning* the bad foods that exist!

They particularly dislike Obama’s choice of Cass Sunstein for Office of Oversight and Regulation because Sunstein encourages open debate in public forums… About issues that would concern a community — so that they may be resolved in a grass-roots manner. Thus restoring some say in our immediate government.

And if one of the issues or “problems” that might be discussed would be… OF ALL THINGS – what we eat!!! Oh then the sparks would ignite!

But isn’t it about time that social gatherings included the open discussion about all the issues regarding animals, meat, sustainablity and ethics?

There’s good reason organizations like Weston Price and CCF would discourage such open debate… Knowledge always leads people to smarter choices. It discloses secrets and gives rise to better solutions.

Power only exists with ignorance and apathy. And I assure you CCF & WP operate under some very powerful strings.

Albert Einstein although not exactly religious in the dogmatic sense was influenced by Hinduism as well as other eastern philosophies as were many other prominent people of his times.

Also; Gandhi ate diary, drank milk, used honey regularly etc – maybe he should have practiced what he preached given your interpretation of his statement Provoked

Regardless, someone’s religious outlook or personal moral code is not decider of what is right or wrong. Also; what is even more ironic is that Hindu religious texts actually prescribe eating meat and serving them as sacrifices and religious offerings. This even includes bovine; cows which are considered holy are described as sacrificial animals which were meant to be offered to the Gods as well as eaten as per Hindu texts – A quick read of Swami Vivekananda’s complete works details this irony as well other such quirks.

In fact; there is a theory that the practice of untouchablity itself came about due to the refusal of some groups to consider the cow holy (this holy status was given due to various reasons such as increased importance in farming; for dairy; basic agricultural usage; result of myths and folklore in Hindu religion which gave it an almost mythical status; most importantly increased belief in the soul and Karmic theory etc – maybe there were a few crazy vegans there too )

Due to the refusal of these groups to consider cows or any other life as holy and their continued consumption of these animals as forms of food and use them for other purposes such as clothing etc they came to be ostracized by main stream Hindu society which had largely become Vegetarian and even vegan or partially vegan in some cases.

This is no different from the case of the Buraku in Japanese society who were treated even worse off mainly because of their dealing with animal carcasses and consumption of meat considered forbidden due to Buddhism and its version of Karmic Belief.

Gandhi was a Political Leader and Einstein was a Physicist; neither was a dietitian let alone someone fully capable of making an informed statement about this and even they do not entirely agree with your outlook as not using animals as food sources (they did consume animal derived products such as milk, diary, honey etc).

They only were against consumption of animal meat and even there Gandhi ate eggs (although he was not supposed to as per his religious beliefs as well as the community he was born into) if I am not mistaken.

So Provoked don’t get all self righteous about this!

Cheers and more Love

If civilization ever progressed enough then we would also be growing meat in labs.

But that’s not the point; the point is morality is subjective and someone like yourself seems to believe that everyone should hold the same moral standards as yourself (or at the very least similar to yourself). Well sorry but that ain’t the case; every body tends to have their own set of morals and what could be moral or immoral for someone could be the very opposite for another.

What matters is ethics or rather universal ethics which can be applied universally across all segments including across species. May be I would become a vegan the day a Lion would turn one too.

It is natural to consume other living beings either plant or animal or other forms of life like fungi(mushrooms – which are more animal than plant) and fish etc or any combination of them as suits the living being that consumes.

I believe you agree with this but have issues with any deliberate attempt to kill another animal. Well that is the way nature works; i.e. food is sought out deliberately!

We deliberately kill another living being such as a plant or an animal in order to eat it. So I don’t know if you have some kind of Materializing Device or a Magic Lamp that you use for getting your food but we don’t.

Also, just like animals are deliberately raised for slaughter as you put it; plants are also deliberately raised for slaughter – OK so?

However if your distinction was one between plant and animal life then it is both speciest as well as absurd. Both are living beings and are able to perceive pain in varying degrees based on their types of nervous systems as well as sensory inputs.

If you still however contend that for some reason pain as experienced by animals is greater then may be we could lobotomize them; may be fry the circuits in their brain or even better use genetic engineering to ensure that they have no brains just like most of the pushy “Ethical” Vegans out there! Hope that would make you feel much better, much much better!

Seriously; I see no reason for making a distinction between plants and animals; and I consider it a waste of time to argue with someone who takes of beig compassionate about One Group(put any group, race, nation etc) but discriminates, distinguishes and differentiates about the Another Group (put any group, race, nation etc) in and under the same context; but then I had nothing better to do than argue with a self righteous vegan.

Yes like stated in the comments above more people have switched to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle than in the past; of course we also have higher heart disease; diabetes; hypertension; etc too – So that kinda explains it!

Cheers and Love