Meredith Forder teaches Self Management and volunteers to run Vedanta Australia. Meredith shares with us her thoughts on Vegetarianism.
“When I was seven I watched my uncle, a sheep farmer, cut a lamb’s throat. I was horrified and ran away screaming!
The thought of that beautiful lamb being killed for someone’s lunch haunted me for years, but becoming a Vegetarian was not an option in my meat-eating family. It was not until I was eighteen that I boycotted meat-eating for good.
Today, many people ask me why I became a Vegetarian and to avoid complication I simply say that I don’t like the taste.
If they probe further I tell them there are two reasons: firstly, vegetarian food promotes calmness and concentration and secondly, when you identify with all animals as much as you identify with your own family pet how can you possibly eat them?”
Following are some of Meredith’s favourite Vegetarian quotes:
“For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.” ~ Pythagorus (6th century BC)
“A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite.” ~ Leo Tolstoy
“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” ~ Albert Einstein
“The beef industry has contributed to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined. If beef is your idea of “real food for real people” you’d better live real close to a real good hospital.” ~ Neal Barnard, M.D.
“Vegetarian food leaves a deep impression on our nature. If the whole world adopts vegetarianism, it can change the destiny of humankind.” ~ Albert Einstein
“While we ourselves are the living graves of murdered beasts, how can we expect any ideal conditions on this earth?” ~ George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
“Flesh eating is unprovoked murder.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
“If man wants freedom why keep birds and animals in cages? Truly man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds them.
I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men.” ~ Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)
“Awareness is bad for the meat business. Conscience is bad for the meat business. Sensitivity to life is bad for the meat business. DENIAL, however, the meat business finds indispensable.” ~ John Robbins, Diet for a New America
“When we kill the animals to eat them, they end up killing us because their flesh, which contains cholesterol and saturated fat, was never intended for human beings.” ~ William C. Roberts M.D., editor of The American Journal of Cardiology
“We all love animals. Why do we call some ‘pets’ and others ‘dinner?’” ~ K.d. Lang
“If you knew how meat was made, you’d probably lose your lunch.” ~ K.d. Lang
“As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields.” ~ Leo Tolstoy
“Heart attacks… God’s revenge for eating his little animal friends.” ~ Author Unknown
“Men dig their graves with their own teeth and die by those fated instruments more than the weapons of their enemies.” ~ Thomas Moffett
“Animals, like man, feel pleasure and pain, happiness and misery.” ~ Charles Darwin
“Until he extends the circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.” ~ Albert Schweitzer
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” ~ Gandhi
“To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to Nirvana.” ~ Buddha
“The most energetic workers I have encountered in my world travels are the vegetarian miners of Chile.” ~ Charles Darwin
My response to the question “why are you vegetarian?” is: As I am unable to even consider killing another living animal, how can I be OK with someone else doing it for me?” I believe that society has made it acceptable for people to posses vitues and/or beliefs of loving animals, while buying pre-prepared steaks (etc) without any regard to the source of such a meal = an awful hypocrisy, with devastating products to our society, the animals, each individual person in that position and our environment.
When I return such a question about my lifestyle choice with “have you ever killed an animal for your own plate?”, it is rare that an affirmative answer is received!