Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Marie Carew on April 18, 2010 at 9:34am

Merry we meet,

I am a Christian witch and a vegetarian for over thirty years. It is hard to harm none when the consumption of our food is indeed an inhumane act of survival. However, many life forms must eat to survive, this is a fact of life.

Because we need to sustain our existence, it stands to reason that when we were created from the DNA of the Earth,the Earth made certain provisions to supliment our nutricinal needs.

The question now is: How do we do this humanely so that we do not harm the planets other life forms.

The argument that is most often posed to a vegetarian is that plants and vegetation may also have feelings. I believe every living thing has a right to survival. Therefore, all life deserves respect in how we raise it, kill it and prepare it for our consumption.

Being a vegetarian is being aware of your environment and taking care of the Earth around you.

If you take care of the Earth then she will provide and take care of you. The Earth has more vegetation than it has flesh. Human life may dominate animal and ocean life, but plant life and vegetation life dominates us all.
It is my belief that the Earth created plant life and vegetation life as a means of food, protein and medicinal sources to help maintain human lives.

To thank the Earth for her bountiful gifts, it is our responsibility to only eat as much as we need to survive and to plant the seeds nature leaves behind in her food offerings.

It is vitally importent that we replenish the Earths life so that we may all survive here in harmony.

Although we are harming one of the Earth's life forms because we are taking it for our survival, we are also giving back to the Earth the very life we took. This creates a balance in nature.

I believe animal life was not put on this Earth to be killed, held captive, or bred for food.

If animals were here for our consumption, nature would have provided away for them to leave us with their seed so (without having to breed them) we could plant and replenish their life and continue to birth their species.

Nature has made all non-human animals capable of killing other animals for their food by providing them with claws, beaks, teeth and skills to do so.

Only human beings need Guns, Traps, Bows and Arrows and other hunting weapons that are not nature approved to kill and prepare their prey for consumption.

It is my belief that If human beings need additional weapons and tools BESIDES their own cunning, speed, skill, teeth, claws and strength to hunt down, kill and process their food, then they were not meant to eat meat.

In the earliest teachings of the Bible, God was pro-Vegetarian.

Genesis 1:29-30 (New International Version) "I give you every seed bearing plant on the face of the whole Earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the Earth, all the birds of the air, all the creatures that move on the ground and everything that has the breath of life in it, I give every green plant for food."

Adopting a vegetarian diet creates a healthier way of life while saving the lives of others.

In peace,

Reverend Marie

Permalink Reply by Emily on April 18, 2010 at 10:31am

I agree with most everything you are saying, factory farming is cruel and incredibly inhumane, but I'm a bit stuck on your quote from the bible, I was asking you your opinion, not what someone else has written.

Permalink Reply by Marie Carew on April 18, 2010 at 11:09am

Merry we meet again,

My opinion involves the Bible. I am an animal activist, I do not condone any form of animal cruelty.

I quoted the Bible because so many of us have left behind some form of Christian roots, yet we are left with thinking that God allowed us to have dominion over animal life.

Some other quotes that I love that concern the topic of harming the Earths life forms are these:

The Dalai Lama once said: “Ultimately, the decision to save the environment must come from the human heart. The key point is a call for a genuine sense of universal responsibility that is based on love, compassion and clear awareness.”

While Mohandas Gandhi once said: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.) I

I believe if you can harm any life form without remorse, then you have no respect for life and therefore you have no respect for humanity.”

Being a vegetarian is a discipline that involves not just the food human’s consume, it is also a brand new way of living life. Turning vegetarian forces the human mind to reach its highest intellect. Being a vegetarian is a more humane and compassionate way of life.

The advantages to becoming a vegetarian are astronomical. If all mankind were vegetarian there would be no need for factory farming or inhumane and cruel treatments of animals. (The only disadvantage to becoming a vegetarian would be giving up the taste for blood and flesh that all non-vegetarians have become accustomed to.)

Bright Blessings,
Reverend Marie

Permalink Reply by Emily on April 18, 2010 at 11:29am

If your opinion involves the bible thats fine, just to clairify :) I would also agree on the numerous heath benefits of being vegetarian, although i don't miss the tase of meat at all

Permalink Reply by Marie Carew on April 18, 2010 at 11:43am

I feel the same. Meat has been absent from my diet for thirty years and I am glad. When I cook for others I am always told that they don't miss the meat either. (Just to clarify. Your question refered to seeking interpretations of "harm none" concerning the issue of eating plants right?) I used the BIble as a quote to drive my point of view home. My point of view being: Because human beings need to sustain their existence, it stands to reason that when we were created from the DNA of the Earth,the Earth made certain provisions to supliment our nutricinal needs. I added the fact that God gave us vegetation just to reiterate my statement, just in case it was not understood. "See look! Even back in those days they mentioned that the Earth's vegetation was put here for our food."

In peace,

Reverend Marie

Permalink Reply by Mildred Betty Wampler on November 23, 2011 at 5:54pm

I have never been much of a meat eater but recently read in the news that some stores are using a form of glue to make the scrap meat look like steak, that did it for me. They are also using it in animal food.

Permalink Reply by Marie Carew on November 23, 2011 at 7:58pm

I am going on 34 years as a vegetarian. I do not eat or wear ANY animal products. Do you know if there is a link to the information you just gave? I would like to read it.

Permalink Reply by Mildred Betty Wampler on November 23, 2011 at 8:30pm

I don,t know how to do the link thing but I saved it in my emails. How can I send it to you or even the group.

Permalink Reply by Marie Carew on November 23, 2011 at 9:03pm

Do they let you cut and past links here? I forget. My E-mail is paranormalphenomena@aol.com

Permalink Reply by Veronique Nicole Perrot on January 10, 2012 at 2:57am

Hello Rev Marie, excellent comments to which I heartily agree. I was vegan before discovering wicca personally. Wicca is a recent new experience in my life and i have much to learn. I think that "harm none' is similar to Gandhi's principle of "Ahimsa" or non-violence and that therefore it should include other sentient beings, not just humans. I feel wicca aligns with these principles but, like in many other religions, compassion is usually applied sadly to humans only.

Veganism or strict vegetarianism, as you correctly pointed out, is also a sound and intelligent solution to the environmental disaster and the rampant animal cruelty. It is also a plus on our health. In the end, it is a total win win situation for every living being on this Earth.

Permalink Reply by Marie Carew on January 10, 2012 at 8:20am

Merry we meet Nicole,

Although I am not Wiccan, I have been a practicing "Witch" for almost 40 years, my passion is animal welfare. It is a sad commentary when a human being will do everything in their power to defend their right to kill and be cruel. I believe mankind should Lay down their weapons and hatred and disarm their minds of hostility and cruel thoughts. Mankind needs to Seal up their mouths from the escape of unkind words and refrain their flesh from the evils of unkind actions. To make your body a grave yard of once living and now decomposing flesh is a violation against the mortal temple.

Once the human race makes acting and thinking with compassion their life’s mission, they will rise above their mortal flesh and only act with the pure spirit of their souls. The only meaning this mortal world holds is the meaning that human beings individually give it. What lives shall evolve. All things are random here. It is human minds that seek to make sense of it, not the spirit and not nature for both spirit and nature only seek to survive, while creator only seeks to create, randomly and prolifically. It is only mankind that seeks dominance and self importance.

It is mankind that has a need to dominate this Earth no matter the cost, Nature and the creator of life care not what mankind does. It is mankind that must care, it is up to mankind’s free will choice to show empathy, mercy and compassion towards the earth and her many life forms. This is called evolution. Mankind must use their free will choice to benefit this Earth and they also must use their free will choice NOT to cause suffering. Man's interference with nature is stopping the natural process of evolution. In other words, if we do not go back to natural living we are going to destroy the Earth.

The United Nations released a report stating that: A global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger. Dr Rajendra Pachauri, adviser to the Labour government on the economics of climate change and chair of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has urged people to observe one meat-free day a week to curb carbon emissions because livestock agriculture produces more greenhouse gas emissions than every train, truck, car and airplane put together. In this report it also states that and it takes 260 million acres of U.S. cleared forest to produce a meat-centered diet: On an average, 20 vegetarians can live off the land required by one meat eater. As I told fgh-1038628, One of my congregation members put it this way. Think of the size of a cow or any large animal used for meat, now imagine how many vegetable crops you can plant in that one area where just one animal stood.

Permalink Reply by Marie Carew on January 10, 2012 at 9:07am

When considering the words: "harm none" Because plant life leaves us their seed, this allows human beings to replenish their species naturally, while allowing the natural progression of nature to evolve and thrive without the interference of population control, breeding, bloodshed and species extinction.

Some hunters will tell you that to preserve life you should never eat, including vegetables - because you are not preserving all life by killing plant life to eat. You should also stop breathing because your immune system is killing living bacterial life inside your body. And lastly, you should never move a muscle and walk upon the ground because every step you take kills microbial life forms by crushing them.
Preservation is not about being afraid of what life form you may kill if you live and breathe, preservation is about survival and keeping a species alive while also keeping them safe from harm or injury.
To preserve a life is to protect and spare it from suffering and extinction.
All life struggles for its own survival.
Even when picking fruits and vegetables you must never damage and destroy the leaves and vines thus stressing the plants that are working so hard to produce the food that will grace your table.
It is only logical to assume that all life suffers when harmed, including plant life, but animal life suffers the most. This does not mean plants do not suffer nor does it mean that plants do not have a conscious. The primary emotional center in the animal brain is believed to be the limbic system which is absent in plants. Vegetation does not have a central nervous system it reacts to the elements of nature. A plant feels discomfort and stress, but its pain level is far less than that of an animals. Plants also leave us their seed so their lives are easily replenished something animals are incapable of doing.
When speaking of emotions and plants one must realize that In humans emotions are felt and experienced through the brain in plants they are experienced through the senses. Plant perception is sometimes called biocommunication. Plants communicate their emotions through their response to surrounding stimuli. All though a plant has no way of feeling human emotions or intentions, through their own highly attuned senses they do indeed emote and feel in their own way. A plant knows when it is being touched and when it is being spoken to. Far too little is known about the Organic Biofield senses of a plant but because we are not plants ourselves we cannot readily dismiss the fact that plants do respond to our presence.
Always remember, Nature provides for all of our needs without the destruction of animal life. In fact, vitamins, minerals, proteins and nutrients can all be found in both plant and animal life. The key to knowing which one was put on Earth for human edibility lies in the dangers of consumption. Plant life is more healthy and digestible then flesh.

It is a commonly known fact that plants that are talked to and fussed over do better that plants that are let alone. When harvesting, from plants or fruit trees always treat the tree or plant gently, being careful how you harvest so that you don't damage them, damaged branches and vines open an avenue for disease. Always talk to the plant or tree and always thank them for the gift of the food that you are picking.

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