In regards to eating meat

[Monica]

Monica
From you posts. I'm assuming if you were to eat meat, you would feel guilt about it? due to the suffering of the animal.

Nope. Been there done that. After 15+ years of being a vegetarian, I had some serious health issues that no one could figure out. In desperation, I let an alternative health practitioner convince me to eat meat again. He insisted I was "too yin" and "needed the yang energy of meat."

So for about 2 years, I dutifully ate chicken, salmon, and even venison a few times.

Guess what - it did NOT help my problem. AT ALL.

So I returned to my true veggie self, and about 5 years later, found the solution to my health problems. It had nothing to do with meat. Nothing.

But during that time, I gained much more compassion for those with health issues. This is why I fiercely defend Carla's choices. We don't know what she has been through. She doesn't want to be a guru, and has even spoken approvingly of being vegetarian, but she cannot due to her health issues. It's unfair to HER, to use her as the poster child for "eating meat is ok - look, Carla does it!"

It's unfair to her to put her in that position. It puts a burden of responsibility on her. She has emphatically stated, even as recently as 2 days ago (on the radio show) that she's "Just a normal person." I love Carla dearly and will NOT allow people to put her in the position she clearly doesn't want to be in, or have her diet or lifestyle analyzed. I don't want anyone being analyzed. That's why I have consistently refused to analyze anyone's personal choices, even when explicitly asked to do so.

I keep trying to keep the conversation general and philosophical, but people keep insisting on making it personal. I've just had enough of that struggle.

My venture into meat-eating is also why I was able to understand yossarian's situation. Clearly, he had a reason for eating meat again. I can totally relate to it. I didn't judge him AT ALL, which totally disproves anyone telling me I'm judging those who eat meat. If that were true, then why didn't I pounce on yossarian? After all, he has left the fold, right?

When I was eating meat during those 2 years, I didn't feel guilt at all. I found it extremely unpleasant, and had to drown the meat in hot salsa to get it down. But I didn't feel guilt.

Why? Because I was doing it only to the extent necessary for the individual metabolism.

I did what I had to do. In my particular case, it didn't help. It was just a lesson in humility, to teach me to not make vegetarianism into a religion.

And I haven't. So I don't like being told I have, when I haven't.

This thread has been going on for 2 years now. It has the most views, and maybe the most posts, or any thread on the forum. Not once, until last night, have I said a single word about any particular person's choice of diet. It's not my place to decide whether, for example, yossarian 'should' eat meat. It's not my place to judge anyone's individual situation. I am quite acutely aware of this, because I sure didn't want my vegetarian friends judging me when I ate meat again during those 2 years! I know from experience what it feels like. That's why I haven't done that. So to be told I'm doing that, when I'm not, doesn't sit well with me. I have steadfastly refused to analyze other people, because I know from experience that we all have our own personal situations to deal with, and it's simply isn't my place to analyze anyone. Thus, I have discussed the spiritual and philosophical implications only.

This, despite being asked at least a dozen times, to analyze someone's level of purity regarding meat. "Monica, I only meat twice a week...can you please approve me and praise me?" Not in those exact words, but that is essentially what has been asked of me numerous times.

I refuse to be anyone's judge.

As Pablisimo stated, my view about the unnecessary torture and killing of animals is more steadfast than ever.

I have given up trying to convey to everyone, that there is a difference between have convictions philosophically, and judging others.

I have tried repeatedly, but what good is it, when they don't even bother to read the whole thread?

I cannot be expected to keep repeating myself, and spend MY time doing that, when they aren't willing to spend their time reading what has already been posted.

Hence, I'm going to cease participating in this thread, unless/until some new discussion arises.

To say that I'm running away from points made is absurd. Just simply absurd. I have hung in there all this time. I haven't run away, and I'm not running away now. I'm just tired of repeating myself.

I'm making a leap here please correct me if I'm wrong but do you assume, that 'aware' people who do eat meat are repressing there guilt about it?

I made that comment when I was angry. I had never said anything like that before in this thread. But I decided to go ahead and say it last night, because at that point, it didn't seem to matter what I said, or how I said it, anyway. No matter how respectfully, no matter how much I tried to be sensitive, compassionate, and understanding, it didn't matter. I was perceived as being judgmental, NOT because of what I said, but because of my views.

For the record, @ndy, I actually appreciated your honesty in post #1987. Even though I was the catalyst for your feelings, I felt nothing but love and compassion when I read your post. I sincerely mean that. I could see that you were struggling with some issues, and I genuinely hoped that you were able to work through them, in whatever way was for the highest good for you.

I don't assume anything about anyone, unless/until they get all butthurt when someone is expressing their opinions.

If people felt totally comfortable eating animals, they wouldn't care what I (or anyone else) thought about it. The very fact that there is such a strong emotional charge, and such a defensiveness, on this thread, indicates to me that yes, on some level they are struggling with it.

(I added the 'aware' cause I'm guessing some people don't much consider what they eat)

Exactly. I don't get nearly this strong of a reaction from my brother who really doesn't care one whit about animals. He just laughs and merrily takes a bite out of his steak.

It's the people who are aware, that tend to lash out.

Thank you for the respectful effort at understanding, @ndy!

Note: Post has been edited to fix a few typos and a few sentences added. No content was changed.