A priest a vegetarian?

[paarsurrey]

Some veggies eschew meat for ethical reasons, others for health reasons and still others for environmental concerns. Many have combined concerns.

Today's Animal rights movement, for example, was founded largely on the moral principles outlined in Peter Singer's Animal Liberation.

There is no compulsion to eat meat, if one does not eat meat, it is OK, but to link it with ethics and morals is to misunderstand ethics and morals, please.
Regards

 

[stvdv]

Cutting trees and vegetation is also not good.
Is killing snakes and serpents good please?
Regards

Correct. Don't cut the tree, just eat the fruits [animal is sentient being]
We talk here about "killing for eating". Snake is no part of vegan diet
Regards

 

[paarsurrey]

Correct. Don't cut the tree, just eat the fruits [animal is sentient being]
We talk here about "killing for eating". Snake is no part of vegan diet
Regards

Some Chinese eat snakes.
Why eat fruits which is the seed of a plant/tree, please? Why eat wheat and rice that are seeds of the plant, please?
Regards

 

[stvdv]

Some Chinese eat snakes.
Why eat fruits which is the seed of a plant/tree, please? Why eat wheat and rice that are seeds of the plant, please?
Regards

I already explained. Animals are sentient beings [meaning they have feelings]. Fruits, grains not.

 

[paarsurrey]

I already explained. Animals are sentient beings [meaning they have feelings]. Fruits, grains not.

PLANTS HAVE FEELINGS TOO
Plants have feelings too | Pursuit by The University of Melbourne
Regards

 

[paarsurrey]

I already explained. Animals are sentient beings [meaning they have feelings]. Fruits, grains not.

PLANTS HAVE FEELINGS TOO
https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/plants-have-feelings-too
Regards

 

[stvdv]

PLANTS HAVE FEELINGS TOO
Plants have feelings too | Pursuit by The University of Melbourne
Regards

That is probably the reason that Gen 1:29 instructs us to eat seed bearing fruits. The fruits are dropped on the ground ready to be eaten. No feelings.

If you keep on arguing ONLY because you don't want to give up meat eating. No need. I do not judge you. You are free to do whatever you want. I only quoted the verse in the Bible that instructs us what to eat in Genesis. Everyone is free to accept this verse or not.

Did you know that monkeys eating seed bearing fruits spit out all the seeds. Once I was eating watermelon full of seeds, and ca. 20 monkeys joined me. Was a 6kg watermelon, God probably thought "too much for this guy, I'll send an army hungry apes". They scared me a bit sitting 50 cm away demanding watermelon [Not by speech but their faces said plenty]. Luckily intuitively I discovered the way how you can have apes accept you as their leader. So for about 30 min we had a nice lunch together.

 

[Valjean]

There is no compulsion to eat meat, if one does not eat meat, it is OK, but to link it with ethics and morals is to misunderstand ethics and morals, please.
Regards

What is your understanding of ethics and morals, then? Does morality consist in consideration of the rights or welfare of others, or in some abstracted, deontic divine command?

Some Chinese eat snakes.
Why eat fruits which is the seed of a plant/tree, please? Why eat wheat and rice that are seeds of the plant, please?
Regards

Fruits are not seeds. Usually their function is to attract feeders and be eaten, so the seeds can be distributed in the faeces of the feeders.

I already explained. Animals are sentient beings [meaning they have feelings]. Fruits, grains not.

How are you defining "feelings," and how do these relate to moral obligation? "Sentient" strikes me as more related to self awareness than feelings.

PLANTS HAVE FEELINGS TOO
Plants have feelings too | Pursuit by The University of Melbourne
Regards

Plants do react to stimuli; they do communicate, but I question their self awareness and capacity to suffer, which, to my thinking, are essential considerations in our moral obligations toward them. What selective advantage would there be for a sessile organism to evolve a physiologically costly but useless capacity like pain or suffering?

 

[stvdv]

How are you defining "feelings," and how do these relate to moral obligation? "Sentient" strikes me as more related to self awareness than feelings.

There is no compulsion to eat meat, if one does not eat meat, it is OK, but to link it with ethics and morals is to misunderstand ethics and morals

I already explained. Animals are sentient beings [meaning they have feelings]. Fruits, grains not.

PLANTS HAVE FEELINGS TOO

Correct. Don't cut the tree, just eat the fruits [animal is sentient being]
We talk here about "killing for eating". Snake is no part of vegan diet

That is probably the reason that Gen 1:29 instructs us to eat seed bearing fruits. The fruits are dropped on the ground ready to be eaten. No feelings.

Fruits are not seeds. Usually their function is to attract feeders and be eaten, so the seeds can be distributed in the faeces of the feeders.

Plants do react to stimuli; they do communicate, but I question their self awareness and capacity to suffer, which, to my thinking, are essential considerations in our moral obligations toward them

IMHO: Spiritual Life is a simple formula "Hurt Never, Help Ever". Killing is ultimate violence. Also animal killing.
I do not judge meat eaters, but I speak the truth. I was eating meat the first 25 years. That part of my life I was more violent, I do not deny. No need to feel guilty either. Then starting vegetarian life. Took a few years to cut out all the meat. I was honest in it; telling "I am still a killer now and then". I never make myself look better than I am. Even now being vegan, I kill now and then. Took albendazole some time back to kill "worms in the intestines" and stepped on some ants etcetera. It's all about honesty. You can fool yourself, you can't fool others. Animals feel pain, so killing them [or have others kill them for you] means you are violent. However beautiful you put it in words.
I do have respect for American Indians and Eskimo's who have the greatest respect towards the animals they use to eat. When I was in transition to vegan and not enough will power yet to stick to it, I tried to pray double when making mistakes [and even there I was lacking sometimes]. It's all about honesty and respect for me.

To explain this to a meat eater is almost impossible, because the subtle effect of meat eating is "violence". All of us know "touch a man's food and you touch him [meaning he gets upset]". Animals generally don't like it either; talking about feeling. Just watch youtube with lions/tigres and how unwilling they are to share. Trees are vegan, and share their food with us. Watch monkeys in India, they are known to steal your fruit bags. I discovered a way to stay in charge of them, but if you don't know they get your food, unless you fight them off and be strong.

Like in the Bible, parables are the easiest to convey such a message as "meat eating related to morals".

Hypothetically suppose you are a nice looking young man meeting a wonderful young girl. Love on first sight. You are the loyal trustworthy doggy type of guy. She on the other hand is a feisty cat person. She also has an adorable pussycat. A persian cat. She loves her cat. After a while even you start loving her cat. She also brings in a plant, her most favorite one [she could only bring 1 cat + 1 plant]. But these 2 were her most beloved ones. The 4 of you are like a family.

Then one sad day something bad happens and your cat-loving-woman has to choose. You, cat, plant. One has to get out [reason unimportant]. Hint [you have been very nice to her and she still loves you a lot; the persian cat has also been good, and the plant also]. No escape possible. All are good. Still she MUST decide.

What do you think she will choose to keep, and why? [I think there is our answer to this]

 

[stvdv]

How are you defining "feelings," and how do these relate to moral obligation? "Sentient" strikes me as more related to self awareness than feelings.

IMHO: In the below context talking about "Sentient" means just simple "Feelings like pain etc". So "self awareness", NOT "Self Awareness".
[There is "self awareness" meaning aware of your "lower self" and there is "Self Awareness" meaning aware of your "Higher Self".]

Difference between human and animal: Human has the chance to get Self Realized. Animals do have a sixth sense and loads of feelings. But no Self Realization.

Words in english or dutch language often messes up what is meant. Sanskrit can be more precise. Animals are conscious of pain, being hurt [see youtubes on "dog reunion with their previous/first owner after 10 years etc". Very obvious dogs are very loyal and "feel very much". Most dogs are more loyal than humans. So talking morals I think quite a few dogs have higher morals than certain demonic human lookalikes [I don't call them even animals; would be denigrating towards animals]. Some claim "meat eating" has nothing to do with morals and ethics. I disagree obviously.

Some Masters say "The path is small, very few will reach". Or others say "1 of 1000 starts the search. 1 of those 1000 are steadfast and continue. 1 of those 1000 reach the goal. Meaning 1 in 1000 million reach Self Enlightenment [7 in the world]. Very small path so to speak.

 

[Valjean]

IMHO: In the below context talking about "Sentient" means just simple "Feelings like pain etc". So "self awareness", NOT "Self Awareness".
[There is "self awareness" meaning aware of your "lower self" and there is "Self Awareness" meaning aware of your "Higher Self".]

When I speak about self awareness in a general sense I'm not speaking of enlightenment or samadhi. I'm speaking of the awareness of self as a separate entity. I think awareness of self as an entity impacts moral consideration, as does an organism's ability to experience pain, suffering, joy &c, as well as its desire to continue living, which, itself, is an artifact of awareness of futurity.

Difference between human and animal: Human has the chance to get Self Realized. Animals do have a sixth sense and loads of feelings. But no Self Realization.

This is a religious differentiation based on a belief in expanded or mystical consciousness. Until such a thing can be determined and measured it carries weight only with true believers.

 

[stvdv]

When I speak about self awareness in a general sense I'm not speaking of enlightenment or samadhi. I'm speaking of the awareness of self as a separate entity. I think awareness of self as an entity impacts moral consideration, as does an organism's ability to experience pain, suffering, joy &c, as well as its desire to continue living, which, itself, is an artifact of awareness of futurity.
This is a religious differentiation based on a belief in expanded or mystical consciousness. Until such a thing can be determined and measured it carries weight only with true believers.

I agree with that. That's why I prefer to be vegetarian. I don't like it that animals are hurt for my satisfaction. Plenty of non-animals food choice for me. When I started vegetarian I did it because it felt the right thing to do. Kind of common sense. I did not yet feel so bad for the animals. But it felt the right thing to do "non violence". After many years I became much more sensitive to feelings and I could not eat it anymore.

So you really are what you eat. Also emotional. Being a sensitive human, or a less sensitive human. Of course many other considerations making you sensitive. But diet is a great help to become more in tune with your feeling has been my experience. And I like that.