Why do people eat meat? Or why refuse it? Representatives of both groups lead a huge number of arguments that seem to them undeniable and prove them right. The dispute between meat-eaters and vegetarians has been going on for more than one century, and although the share of the latter in the total population of the planet is steadily growing, this growth is not as rapid as it should have been being, taking into account the obvious for me the rightness of the philosophy of vegetarianism.
What's the matter? It seems to me that the problem is that the reasons for refusing animal food are given almost exclusively utilitarian. That is, affecting the almost always mercantile side of the issue. Strong statistics show that agricultural land would be used 16 times more efficiently, if humanity switched to vegetarianism, millions of acres of forest would be saved.
Scientific works convince us that vegetable food is abundant Healthier animal food. The industry is ready to supply materials for the manufacture of clothing, not inferior in beauty and practicality, materials extracted from animal skins.
Even pity for animals destined for slaughter seems to me not the most effective argument for abandoning animal food. Most people do not take direct participation in the killing of animals, and they are for them some abstract carriers of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Pity is a feeling that can only be applied to some specific object. And only people, endowed with a living and rich imagination, can test it for creatures that they have never seen (this accounts for a large proportion of vegetarians among that part of society that deals with creativity).
The arguments about the economic benefits of universal vegetarianism are divided into one indisputable proposition: "In my time will suffice". If To speak of the superiority of plant food over an animal relative to health, one needs to take into account one feature of man. The average person is much more appreciative in the life of pleasure, rather than health. This is said by a huge number of smokers, perfectly aware of the harmful nature of their habit, the river and the sea of alcoholic beverages, consumed by mankind, despite the undoubted and well-known harm of alcohol for the body. Is it possible to stop a person's statistical calculations showing that the life expectancy of people for whom meat is the staple food is considerably less than the lifespan of "herbivorous" people if it is consciously neglected health for the sake of dubious pleasures?
How can one persuade mankind to abandon animal food? It seems to me that it is impossible to answer this question without a preliminary answer to the question "Why is this necessary?" I will answer this as I see myself. Firstly, vegetarianism in my understanding is not just a denial of animal food for the sake of improving one's own health or the economic situation on earth. Vegetarianism is part of the philosophical teaching, the goal (or rather, the ideal, that is, the goal to be pursued, but not necessarily achievable in the foreseeable future) of which is the likeness of the kingdom of God on Earth. Indeed, the refusal to kill animals makes it impossible to kill a person, therefore, wars, slavery, crimes will become impossible! All people feel equal among equals and will always be able to count on the help of their neighbor. Universal peace and prosperity will come!
Philosophical teaching is not new and has long been widely known. His name is Christianity (It should be noted here that religion, which preaches vegetarianism - Buddhism, in my understanding, does not at all contradict Christianity, despite huge external and internal differences. But this is a topic for a separate conversation.) One can certainly object to such a statement: "The most of our population sincerely consider themselves Christians and at the same time takes in food, meat without any scruple of conscience! "Here, it seems to me, is the point of support with which you can and should turn the public consciousness in favor of vegetarianism. If a person sincerely believes himself to be a Christian, he must obey the commandments of God, one of which says: "Thou Shalt not kill." I want to note that the commandment in Christianity is an imperative, the failure of which deprives you of the right to be called a Christian. The commandment "Thou shalt not kill" does not allow interpretations and objects of the application. It's not said: "do not kill a man or not kill the animal. "Simply:" do not kill "!
Why do Christians continue to kill? Why is this, so obvious, contradiction not evident? It seems to me that in part, this is due to a vulgar understanding of the most people, the image of God as a kind of uncle in the clouds, accepting the souls of those who have perished, and sending them for sins, whom for heaven, for whom to hell. That is, the final evaluation of your soul will happen in an unattainable for your understanding, the future and there is always the opportunity to repay repentance. A person who calls himself a Christian forgets that each of us is a part of God and God lives in the soul of each of us. And the true repentance will be only when the deed in which you repent will be impossible for you in the future. Killing (animals) and using the fruits of murder, we kill God in our soul and lose the right to the expected retribution.
Perhaps, to some people, my reasoning will seem too strained. "How come?" Billions of people are engaged in killing animals, eating meat, and what? For them, all, the Gates of the Lord are closed? It can not be! "It is difficult for me to answer this question: there are sins committed by ignorance forgiven by the Lord But if you call yourself a Christian, then you simply must, in my opinion, to abandon the killing of animals. Otherwise, it turns out that you sin consciously and deliberately. And the Gates of the Lord before you are indeed closed.
So, vegetarianism is not just and not just a denial of animal food for health or out of pity for animals. In my understanding, vegetarianism is also a way to build a just society on Earth and service to God.
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