In regards to eating meat

[Shemaya]

My Vegetarian Phases

Know-it-all: In this early stage I knew that I was smarter than everyone else, and that my diet was the best for everyone else. I didn't realize until later that I was just alienating people and giving a bad name to vegetarians.

Extremist: After finding out the gruesome facts about factory farming, the meat industry, and animal testing, my empathy kicked in. But after being mocked for this empathy, I turned to the only place I knew about, PETA, and became an extreme vegetarian.

Morally superior: I was, after all, taking the so-called moral high road, and that made me a better person than anyone else who chose the so-called moral low road. I had no more tolerance of people thinking the inhumane treatment of animals was somehow acceptable. I was very judgmental and it was hypocritical of me to love animals but hate people.

Quiet: After I realized that I was just living my own life the way I wanted to live it, I scorned any type of conversation about my vegetarianism whatsoever. It was nobody's business but my own, and I didn't feel the need to proselytize. I was making personal amends for all my harshness in the preceding years. I felt bad for having been such a creep.

Informative: After clamming up for years about why I became a vegetarian, now when people would ask me about it (I never volunteered), I would give them all sorts of facts and sources. I was no longer trying to convince them, but was giving them some resources in case they were (actually) interested.

Moderate: Now after 15 years and many phases, you could say I've mellowed considerably and just become what I am: a person living life the way I want to, based on my own views, knowledge, and empathy. If people want to know why I'm vegetarian, I'll tell them in a few lines. It's up to them to inquire further if they're interested. I stand by my choices and believe they're the best choices for me. I realize everyone is at different stages, just like I was, and still am.

What do you intend by posting the above quote? Are you suggesting that any vegetarians here fall into one of these categories, which represent one individual's personal journey? Is this a judgment upon the vegetarians here and the way they discuss the subject matter? Please be honest.

Juste like I said:

I like what she said at the end, "I stand by my choices , and believe they are the best choices for me."

I appreciated her viewpoint and wanted to share it here.

There were no suggestions or judgments in my post, I simply liked what she wrote in her blog, and shared it to provide some catalyst for this thread. It's simply one person's viewpoint and reflection of a personal journey and personal changes through her experiences and use of catalyst.

I think we have already extensively covered in this thread the way the subject matter has been discussed, nothing new to discuss about that!

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A generic question: How can one create such an Earth, when they are still directly contributing to unnecessary suffering?

Just by paying my federal income taxes and living in the USA I am contributing to unnecessary suffering. You can ask the native Americans about that, because they are some of the people that have suffered because of what my tax dollars support, and there are right now many people and animals all over the world suffering because of my tax dollars. But I am not planning on leaving the country or not paying my taxes.

I can create such an Earth by using my gifts as well as possible and being the fullest expression of myself that I am.

Should all feelings of guilt be eliminated? What is the difference between unhealthy guilt that we should liberate ourselves from, and healthy remorse that comes from listening to our conscience? Or is all guilt unhealthy and in need of being liberated from?

That's a pretty long question and would encompass an entire world and life view.

Basically I hear you saying "Do you believe that the wages of sin is death?"

To which I would say, "There is no death, death is an illusion"

I do believe feelings of guilt that have arisen due to a programmed guilt -complex are best liberated by removing the programming. Other than that, I don't think any feelings should be eliminated. It's important to feel in order to heal, and healthy remorse can be a positive catalyst.