Meat Eaters vs Vegetarians In Spirituality
July 6, 2009 by akemi · 43 Comments
In “Spirituality Is About Anything And Everything In Life”, I confessed I don’t believe vegetarians are more spiritual than meat eaters. I wrote that with the spirit of acceptance and love for all, including meat eaters. I have issues with self-righteous claims that something (like vegetarianism) is better and holier than others. (Photo credit)
Well, I just finished reading Skinny Bitch
My idea of healthy meat eating practice
Let’s say I were a chicken. I understand I am domesticated and cannot survive in the wilderness, so I accept my life on the farm. This is okay with me. As long as I can enjoy the sun and the fresh air every day. I’d like to eat the fresh greens in the field and drink clean water. I’d like to roam around when I want. Maybe I want to play in the sand with other chickens.
If I get to do this, and after, say 4 months, you come to me and say, “It’s your turn today. We raised you for this family dinner.”, I’d accept it. I hope you slaughter me in a way that doesn’t cause excessive pain. A little prayer beforehand would be nice, too. And I hope you eat all the edible parts — please don’t just eat the breast meat and throw away the rest like worthless parts. Even the bones are good for broth, you know.
This is my idea of healthy meat eating practice. Raise the animals in a healthy environment (I didn’t particularly mention “organic”, but I think you get the idea this farm of my dream is very organic and clean). Eat with gratitude, not with gluttony. Then I don’t think it’s a cruel practice — after all, I smash mosquitos and ants. We are all killers to some extent — within reasons. When it is done to nurture lives in a good conscientious way, I don’t see sin in meat eating. Skinny Bitch, however, points out something incredible . . .
Skinny Bitch surprises me
The authors, Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, did a great job in researching nutrition, health, and food industry. It’s a great read for anyone, both men and women, who cares about themselves.
Now I knew most of the info on nutrition. I also heard about how unhealthy most animals are in the factory farms (that is, most meat sold in the market). But I thought “organic” meat was good. Maybe not as good as my dream farm, but close.
Wrong, they say. First, even the organically raised animals are slaughtered in the same slaughterhouses with conventional animals. And their description of what happens there is outrageous. I’m not sure if I want to quote — I’m afraid it may be too shocking. Well, just a little bit:
“Human” protocol calls for animals to be “stunned” before they are slaughtered. . . When done properly, using working equipment, this renders the cow (or hog) unconscious. But time is money, and slaughterhouses operate at lightening speeds, some killing one animal every three seconds. Because thousands of frightened, struggling cows are not easy to stun, it is extremely common for a “stunner” to miss his mark. . . (after a few pages, there are quotes of slaughterhouse workers admitting animal abuse. One says he has seen others take the stunner and “shove it up the hog’s ass” or “in their ears, in their eyes, down their throat”. . .
OMG. There is no priest supervising the killing and offering prayers? (I heard this was the old practice in Jewish and Islamic cultures.)
Feeding our bodies with the energy of others
In the aforementioned article, I wrote, “Eating is about feeding the body with other lives, whether they were plants or animals.” When we eat, we take in the foods’ energy. And this goes beyond nutrition as science has unveiled so far. We take in the life energy that is left in the foods.
Eating abused animals, then, is taking in the energy of abuse. And fear, anger, helplessness, and sickness of the animals. Obviously, this is no good.
Another problem in food industries and its regulations
Another issue with “organic” meat is the label of “organic”. In Chapter 9 “Have No Faith: Governmental Agencies Don’t Give A Shit About Your Health”, they maintain USDA’s stamp of approval is compromised to benefit the meat industry, which pays lots of money in the form of political contributions.
If you live in the US, read at least this chapter. It’s only 23 pages. Find out exactly how USDA, FDA, EPA, etc messes up their nation’s health. It’s an eye opener.
Meat eaters vs vegetarians
So practically, there is no way to eat healthy meat raised in humane compassionate way unless you raise your own animals. I have no intention to blame meat eaters, but at this point, I have to admit meat eaters are either cruel or ignorant.
I was an ignorant meat eater for years. Duh, no more. And you know, it’s better to correct the issue than staying ignorant. At some point, ignorance becomes no excuse. Because the social awareness is raised, thanks to people like the authors of Skinny Bitch.
Eating meat, thus supporting the meat industry, is synonymous to supporting animal cruelty, and that is not love. Plus we don’t need to keep those slaughterhouse workers doing what they do (you don’t think they enjoy doing it, right?). They can find other jobs that help them feel better about themselves. This is love, too.
Vegetarian nutrition
In the aforementioned article, I also wrote, “Eating is also about caring for our physical bodies. While we are incarnated, the condition of the physical body affects our soul.”
As I eat more and more raw plant based foods (fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds), I find them easier to digest. I used to have acid indigestion often, but no more. So it seems vegetarianism is a good way to nurture our body, thus more in alignment with our spiritual development in this aspect as well.
If you are concerned about the protein intake for vegetarians, check out this website. On the sidebar, there is Daily Needs Calculator, which will tell you not just the protein but all the detailed nutritional needs. In my case, my protein need is 40g a day, which is 10% of my overall caloric needs of 1600 kcal. (1 gram of protein produces 4 kcal.)
Then you can enter the food name in the Search window. I find a lot of vegetables are 10 or more percent protein. (And many, such as dark greens, are high in amino acid score). Fruits are low on protein, so as long as I don’t overeat fruits and ignore my veggies, and eat some nuts and seeds which are high in protein to achieve my caloric needs, I’m fine. Personally, I check my weight and body fat rate daily — if I’m losing lean body mass (muscles and bones), I’m in danger. Since I became a vegetarian this January, I lost a few pounds, but my body fat rate is the same or slightly lower, so I think I’m okay.
Eating is spiritual
Let me repeat “Spirituality Is About Anything And Everything In Life”. You are a spiritual being in the physical body, so you can’t not be spiritual. Everything in life affects your spirituality. Your eating habit affects your spirituality, and certain choices align with spiritual evolution better than others. You can’t compartmentize spirituality and insist what you eat has nothing to do with your spirituality.
Skinny Bitch also shines light on how we can create the New World of abundance. It says,
“the amount of land, food, water, and energy used to raise 10 billion animals a year for slaughter (in North America) could be used to grow food for all of the starving people in the world.”
Wow. Vegetarians (even better, vegans) solve the world’s food supply issue, improve environment, while improving our individual health. Cool.
Do you feel what you eat affects you not just physically but also emotionally, mentally, and spiritually? And if so, what actions are you taking to improve your life? Are you a meat eater and have hang-up with vegetarians? Please share in the comments.
