It is interesting that the vegetarians that I know, most times really, are not a fan of real vegetables outside of rice and potatoes. They often don’t eat broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, which I do eat and love. In fact, what they often eat are over-processed vegetables that are formed and flavored to look and taste like meat. Go figure. My goal is to keep the food that I eat in the same form that Jehovah provided it, with the exception of bread, which is my downfall. In other words, I want my food with as little processing as possible. If you go overboard regarding animals where will it stop? Plants actually sing and scream too. It’s just that human ears can’t hear it but they do have ways to measure the plant sounds. They also are living things. So, for me, I draw the line where Jehovah put it and that is that he gave animals to humans for food in the same way that he gave vegetation to them.
In my neighborhood we have feral cats. I am the meat-eater who organized a non-profit to come out and spay and neuter the cats and helped them catch the cats and donated a trap to them. The vegetarians in my neighborhood didn’t do that. We didn’t get all of the cats but we got most. And, I feel so sorry for the cats that I feed them everyday and go to the grocery store 2 X’s a week to buy food for them at substantial cost to me. I love animals and have no problem caring for them. But still they have a place in Jehovah’s creation and I respect that and I am thankful for his provision of meat. I actually have many reasons that eating meat doesn’t bother my conscience but it isn’t something that I choose to promote because each person can read what the bible says for themselves on this topic. I am not trying to convince anyone to eat meat or not eat meat, I just get irritated when someone tries to shame me and inputs bad motives to me, such as not respecting the sanctity of life. That is way off base and slanderous.
In Hawaii we have Filipino brothers and sisters and a Filipino brother who was an Elder before the vax killed him. He told me that he ate dog when he was in the Philippines. Would I ever eat a dog? No, I would not but I didn’t correct that brother because it isn’t my business and I don’t want to be master over anyone’s faith. I myself have eaten exotic animals, like crocodile, ostrich, buffalo, venison, rabbit. It’s important to respect each one’s conscience and to not shame anyone with our own personal extrapolation of the scriptures. Like the first century, I think we should pay attention to the necessary things and the other things will fall into place when Jehovah makes correction.
