The Vegan Religion

I was in a health food store recently, and asked the clerk a question. "Are you vegan? Could you please help..." That was as far as I got, before the conversation, or rather, her rant began and my mouth and business left her store.

A simple question about a product, turned into a tirade against being vegan, by a person who could have profited from the very people she was angry at.

I for one, believe that religion is something very personal that is between a person and their God. My diet is for anyone who cares to know about it, and for the people I ask questions of for clarity about a product. What this clerk did was something that took me by surprise, since she was the sales woman in the store I was visiting, who accused me of worshipping animals. Herein lies the problem.

As a woman who HAPPENS to be Christian, and who HAPPENS to be a vegan, I don't worship animals. But I respect their lives. I can no more take the life of an animal than I could a person, because in a world where there is nothing for all of us but death, life to me is precious.

I am hungry, I will pluck the fruit of a tree, or dig the root of a plant. Why must I cut the throat of an animal? In all religions, there is dogma that dictates whether or not a person who eats meat must do it by killing this way or that. But the key here is IF a person must eat meat. Not one religion dictates that a person has to eat meat in order to be of this religion or that. I could be wrong, but seriously, is there? Most religions call for a fast for some length of time, for what ever holiday or religious moment.

Even Christ, when passing out  the sacrament of Holy Communion, passed out bread. He blessed it, He brake it, they ate it, and drank His "blood", which was the wine. In no bible anywhere on Earth does it say He slit his wrists and poured it into a cup for anyone to drink. It is symbolic in every sense of the word. It symbolizes His suffering, and His death. It symbolizes how we all share a responsibility for that death by our lives, and our imperfect selves.

It is not stated in the bible that Christ was a vegan, or that he ate meat, or fish, or anything stronger or more protein filled than bread or wheat or corn. But Christ respected life, He lamented the animals that were suffering, and the world should take notice.

To say that anything and everything is given to humans to oversee, is a biblical statement, most likely one found in every religion. What this doesn't say is that it is our decision as flawed individuals, to do with the Earth what we like, consequences be damned. We are given dominion over the earth and all its inhabitants to maintain as a good steward, all these wonders.

Mountaintop removal coal mining, disturbs the land to a hideous degree, turning mountains into deserts, and the owners of the mine live no where near these monstrosities. Others suffer. They take the money and blood, sweat, and tears of their workers and pocket the profits. Cattle ranchers will raise cattle to the age of two years, and "finish" them on corn in crowed feed lots, that may or may not adjoin the slaughterhouse. The point is, we are given dominion over the earth. It does not mean to destroy, pillage, and plunder the earth, water and air, so that a few may profit, just because we can. This is called greed.

Use the land. Respect the earth. Honor the animals that give their lives so that others can eat. I don't agree with it, but as much as I would love to see the world turn vegan in my lifetime, I know that is not going to happen. But if those who would eat meat would do their buying at small family, organic  farms, be a part of the animal's life, be present when the animal gives up its life so they can fill their freezer, I would venture a guess that there would be much less meat eaten, and far fewer animals killed.

It boils down to respect. I don't worship animals. But I do respect them. I respect life, and I don't want another to lose theirs, so that I can have a taco, a pair of shoes, or a cool jacket. Where is the respect in that?