But then, it's never been so much the "health" issues for me but the ungodly way that animals are raised today under confined animal feeding operations.
Yes, I'm sure Jesus ate fish and meat -- but I wonder, would He partake of the flesh of an animal that had lived such a miserable life? I'm sure He was familiar with Proverbs: "The righteous man regards the life of his animal but the mercy of the wicked is cruel."
Christine, still happily munching fruits, grains and veggies :)
I've been doing Atkins for about the past year and weightlifting for the past few months and so I have been eating lots of meat and I've never felt better. Meat is an excellent source of B12 and other nutrients that are very important for neurological development and your immune system. My vegan friends seem like they are sick all the time and weak. I'm part of a toastmaster's group at my work and am going to give a speech on why you should try to save the animals by eating meat. Steven Davis, professor of animal science at Oregon State University, argues that over 300 million more animals would die each year in a pure vegan model than in a system that allows for grazing cows and other other animals because of the large number of animals killed by plows, pesticides, tractors, and other things. I think it is important to treat the animals well but you cannot entirely eliminate the killing of animals in any farming system. As for "gross" things, you can't eliminate them simply by not eating meat. There are lots of gross things that happen to vegetables which led to people being hospitalized after eating spinach not so long ago.
My vegan friends seem like they are sick all the time and weak.
Wow. I'd be curious to know what those vegans are eating. With all the great food options out there and recipes there's no excuse for not eating well.
In my wider meat-eating family, which is overloaded with diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol I seem to be one of the few who at age 61 has healthy blood pressure, weight, is taking no meds and am feeling pretty dang good. Can't remember the last time I had a cold. No arthritis or other such problems either.
Anyhoo, as the Good Book says the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking but peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. My point was mainly about how differently animals are raised today compared to how they were raised on my grandmother's farm. Eating them is one thing, abusing them is another. There was an eye-opening piece in the Washington Post several years ago called "They Die Piece by Piece" in which slaughterhouse workers said that they were being forced to kill so many animals so quickly on the line that some were still alive when they were being dismembered. To say that the USDA and FDA have not been doing a stellar job is an understatement.
I walk two miles daily and also do some light weights, my husband used to be a powerlifter and got me started in my thirties. Great way for people to keep their bones strong, seems to be working for me even though I don't use dairy. I had a bone scan done and my bones are good.
A great resource for these issues is the website of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference which seeks to support the family farmer as opposed to the giant agribusiness conglomerates which treat animals and workers badly.
I thinks this is why we are to say grace before eating our meals... Well balanced meals is the key; we are not to overindulge in anything we do and that includes what we eat. Ann
The book isn't dealing so much with pros or cons of a given way of eating; it deals with how the animals we eat are treated at the factory farms that now produce the overwhelming majority of the food we consume. Not about Pr. Curtis' latest deer, or the beef we get from farmers in our parish. It is about the chicken you buy cheap at Aldi's or pay well for at a restaurant. And it is a sickening story. The factory farms depend on perpetuating the myth that these meats come from traditional farms, but it's not true. The book is worth the read, so so we know exactly what our culture accepts in the preparation of the overwhelming majority of the meat it consumes.
Buy your meat from local farmers when possible, that way you can see how they are raised. Most of the local farmers I know will sell at least primal cuts, but you get a discount on buying half the animal or more. Or, find a local butcher who is buying from the farmers he knows don't process animals like the mega-companys.
Totally agree. We have a member who raises beef cattle and we buy a side from him every year. Finding the local piggy is my next order of business. We already getting eggs from a member that are fabulous - chickens running around her yard when we go to pick up the eggs!
Thanks Pastor Weedon, you've addressed the issue very succinctly. Thanks also for buying eggs produced by hens that are permitted to move freely about.
Lest anyone think I think poorly of anyone who eats meat, I grew up eating hamburgers just like anyone else and most of my family are meat eaters. After the advent of "factory farming" I think it has, however, become a moral issue. We now know that the lives of animals are more complex than we once thought and cows, pigs and chickens have the same sensitivity to suffering that our dogs and cats do.
For folks who choose to eat meat buying local from farmers one is familiar with is truly the best approach. The antibiotic, growth-hormone laden meat produced by agribusiness is unhealthy as well as cruel.
Even my husband says that the organic beef he buys at our local Mustard Seed is far superior to that at the large grocery chains.
10 comments:
Kill it yourself and you'll know exactly where it came from.
+HRC
Grossed out? Not this vegetarian!
But then, it's never been so much the "health" issues for me but the ungodly way that animals are raised today under confined animal feeding operations.
Yes, I'm sure Jesus ate fish and meat -- but I wonder, would He partake of the flesh of an animal that had lived such a miserable life? I'm sure He was familiar with Proverbs: "The righteous man regards the life of his animal but the mercy of the wicked is cruel."
Christine, still happily munching fruits, grains and veggies :)
I've been doing Atkins for about the past year and weightlifting for the past few months and so I have been eating lots of meat and I've never felt better. Meat is an excellent source of B12 and other nutrients that are very important for neurological development and your immune system. My vegan friends seem like they are sick all the time and weak. I'm part of a toastmaster's group at my work and am going to give a speech on why you should try to save the animals by eating meat. Steven Davis, professor of animal science at Oregon State University, argues that over 300 million more animals would die each year in a pure vegan model than in a system that allows for grazing cows and other other animals because of the large number of animals killed by plows, pesticides, tractors, and other things. I think it is important to treat the animals well but you cannot entirely eliminate the killing of animals in any farming system. As for "gross" things, you can't eliminate them simply by not eating meat. There are lots of gross things that happen to vegetables which led to people being hospitalized after eating spinach not so long ago.
My vegan friends seem like they are sick all the time and weak.
Wow. I'd be curious to know what those vegans are eating. With all the great food options out there and recipes there's no excuse for not eating well.
In my wider meat-eating family, which is overloaded with diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol I seem to be one of the few who at age 61 has healthy blood pressure, weight, is taking no meds and am feeling pretty dang good. Can't remember the last time I had a cold. No arthritis or other such problems either.
Anyhoo, as the Good Book says the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking but peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. My point was mainly about how differently animals are raised today compared to how they were raised on my grandmother's farm. Eating them is one thing, abusing them is another. There was an eye-opening piece in the Washington Post several years ago called "They Die Piece by Piece" in which slaughterhouse workers said that they were being forced to kill so many animals so quickly on the line that some were still alive when they were being dismembered. To say that the USDA and FDA have not been doing a stellar job is an understatement.
I walk two miles daily and also do some light weights, my husband used to be a powerlifter and got me started in my thirties. Great way for people to keep their bones strong, seems to be working for me even though I don't use dairy. I had a bone scan done and my bones are good.
A great resource for these issues is the website of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference which seeks to support the family farmer as opposed to the giant agribusiness conglomerates which treat animals and workers badly.
I think we can do better.
For what it's worth :)
It's better to just not investigate what you eat. Have you ever found out where gelatin (i.e. Jello) comes from? :P
I thinks this is why we are to say grace before eating our meals... Well balanced meals is the key; we are not to overindulge in anything we do and that includes what we eat.
Ann
The book isn't dealing so much with pros or cons of a given way of eating; it deals with how the animals we eat are treated at the factory farms that now produce the overwhelming majority of the food we consume. Not about Pr. Curtis' latest deer, or the beef we get from farmers in our parish. It is about the chicken you buy cheap at Aldi's or pay well for at a restaurant. And it is a sickening story. The factory farms depend on perpetuating the myth that these meats come from traditional farms, but it's not true. The book is worth the read, so so we know exactly what our culture accepts in the preparation of the overwhelming majority of the meat it consumes.
Buy your meat from local farmers when possible, that way you can see how they are raised. Most of the local farmers I know will sell at least primal cuts, but you get a discount on buying half the animal or more. Or, find a local butcher who is buying from the farmers he knows don't process animals like the mega-companys.
Jim,
Totally agree. We have a member who raises beef cattle and we buy a side from him every year. Finding the local piggy is my next order of business. We already getting eggs from a member that are fabulous - chickens running around her yard when we go to pick up the eggs!
Thanks Pastor Weedon, you've addressed the issue very succinctly. Thanks also for buying eggs produced by hens that are permitted to move freely about.
Lest anyone think I think poorly of anyone who eats meat, I grew up eating hamburgers just like anyone else and most of my family are meat eaters. After the advent of "factory farming" I think it has, however, become a moral issue. We now know that the lives of animals are more complex than we once thought and cows, pigs and chickens have the same sensitivity to suffering that our dogs and cats do.
For folks who choose to eat meat buying local from farmers one is familiar with is truly the best approach. The antibiotic, growth-hormone laden meat produced by agribusiness is unhealthy as well as cruel.
Even my husband says that the organic beef he buys at our local Mustard Seed is far superior to that at the large grocery chains.
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