Angels, Dominion, Responsibility

For my Christian readers who share that God gave us dominion over plants and animals for food, so they don't buy into the whole vegan thing:

Psalm 8 (From the New International Version ©2010)

LORD, our Lord,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

 1You have set your glory
   in the heavens.
2 Through the praise of children and infants
   you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
   to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
   the work of your fingers,
   the moon and the stars,
   which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
   human beings that you care for them?[c]

 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels
   and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
   you put everything under their feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
   and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
   and the fish in the sea,
   all that swim the paths of the seas.

 9 LORD, our Lord,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

“… made them rulers over the works of your hands.” Should you take this seriously? If you do, than the job comes with the responsibility to treat “everything under your feet” with respect; they are the ‘works of God.’ The bible doesn’t tell you to be vicious and cruel in the treatment of God’s creatures, nor to look away at the injustices perpetrated by others on your behalf. It says you are just “a little lower than the angel” and that you are “crowned with glory and honor.” How honorable is it to be nonchalant in your use of animal flesh that makes it to your kitchen through torture and cruelty? Your disregard of whether or not the animals you choose to eat were treated humanely is not glorious or honorable, it’s selfish and it’s easy. Look away and the horror isn’t really there. Don’t make the hard choices.

I’m not advocating that you not eat meat. I’m suggesting that you open your eyes to where your meat comes from and then make a choice to either eat meat that was allowed to live as it was intended to live or not eat meat. It takes work. It’s not easy. For me it was easier to just go without meat.

Maybe you can’t fathom a meatless world. I get that. Just do the work to make sure the animals you’re eating were treated properly. It’ll cost more. Maybe you can make up the difference by eating some meatless meals, or less meat at each meal. You decide. You’re the one that’s just a bit lower than an angel. 

Understanding the Real Cost of Your Choices

I wasn't going to write tonight, but an article in the news caught my attention and I am compelled to share it.

I turned 18 on October 20, 1967. Talk about a good time! Peace, love, sex, drugs, rock & roll, black light posters, weed, speed, and Boone's Farm Apple Wine, Jimi Hendrix, Janice Joplin, Ten Years After, and Woodstock. Demonstrations, revolution, we believed we could change the world!

I had friends that fought the Vietnam War and that fought in the Vietnam War. My generation expanded the use of drugs like no other. At what cost?

Fast forward to today. I get that it's cool to smoke dope and talk smart, but as in my generation, many of the young people that do so profess to be peaceful, socially conscious, and motivated to improve the world ... make a difference. They look down on the stodgy, less aware people and show a marked disdain for the rich.

Many of these people look upon American corporations like McDonald's and Wal-Mart as the devil for the shameful way they treat the environment, employees, and suppliers. They wouldn't be caught dead carrying their garbage in a Wal-Mart bag.

Hemp, organic food, backpacking through Europe, and diversity ... these kids could be described as 21st century hippies.

Back to the news article. The heading read, "Mexico cartel stitches rival's face on soccer ball." How's that for a graphic read? I had no problem with an instant visual. You? You feeling peaceful?

The article goes on to inform that more than 15000 people have been killed in the past three years, following a crackdown on cartels. Reporters are murdered (typically in gruesome ways) with alarming frequency just for reporting on drug trafficking. I don't see how this is making the world a better place.

You get a vote. Everytime you buy or use drugs, you're choosing to support torture and murder. You get a vote. From the moment you are informed, you are choosing to support drug lords who have no respect for life. None. Their idea of a day's work is to rape, mutilate, and murder anyone who gets in their way. Be an informed consumer.

Please, understand the real cost of your choices.

On the surface this doesn't look to be a post about my vegan journey, but it is. The reason that I choose to eat a vegan diet is because of the horrific way we treat our animals in life and in death. I understand the cost of eating meat in today's world. I get a vote.