It is going to be 1.5 years since I became vegan. I have been vegetarian for eight years. I urge all to consider becoming vegan or at least vegetarian. There are three reasons I gave up eating meat and then its byproducts:
1. It is the humane thing to do. To kill animals for food is not humane. Most animals, like us, have emotions, have feelings, feel pain, express fear, mourn, have families and deserve to live. The way that animals marked for murder are kept prior to being inhumanely slaughtered is horrendous. Many are kept in small cages and stalls unable to move around. They are often tortured. Those which are kept for breeding purposes react very much as humans do when their offspring are torn from then. There is a long period of mourning and a real feeling of loss. Factory farming is being banned in many of our states. Puppy mills are now being banned. An adopted dog is a happy dog. Why LOVE a puppy and KILL a chick ? It is up to each of us to at least give thought to the consequences of our desire to consume slaughtered animals. Each of us needs to make our own decisions when it comes to morality. To quote one of my most respected religious leaders: “Who am I to judge?”
2. It has been proven that eating plants and plant based foods is much healthier than eating meat and meat byproducts. Since I gave up meat I feel much both physically and mentally. Obesity is a major problem in our community, borough, City and nation. We have one of the highest rates of heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses. Children are exposed to sweets and other unhealthy foods rather than to vegetables and fruit. When we are at the checkout in a supermarket children are exposed to unhealthy snacks. At a conference at Jacobi the other day I suggested that we be proactive in encouraging our supermarkets to have fruit and not sweet unhealthy food at the checkout. I would love to hear a child say” I want that apple, peach, etc. rather than “I want those gummy bears”.
3. Being a man of faith I believe that it is contrary to the will of G-D to kill creatures created by G-D be it for sport or otherwise. In Genesis 1:29 G-D prescribes a plant based diet. In Deuteronomy 8:7-9 G-D names the seven sacred foods associated with Israel: all are vegetarian. The Bible states that we have a responsibility not to inflict pain on animals. Also in Deuteronomy it is clearly stated that there is no difference in the pain of people and the pain of other living beings when their young are torn from them since the love and the tenderness of the mother for her young ones is not produced by reasoning but by feeling, and this faculty exists not only in people but in most living things.
My hope is that many of my readers will give vegetarianism a try. It will not harm you. These days there are vegan and vegetarian restaurants throughout our great city. Others have vegan and vegetarian options. Faux meats are fantastic. In future columns I will suggest some great vegan and vegetarian restaurants. If you would like suggestions or restaurants feel free to contact me. I am hoping you try this for the sake of your physical well being, your spiritual side and most important for the quality of life for those living creatures with whom we share this imperfect sphere.
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