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By Barb - 20 Aug 2012

In Reference to: Our Sermons in General

Every week I feel blessed to read another sermon. I am so grateful to you Pastor Frank. I forward them to my sister and at first she made no comment, but last week she wrote back to say "This is so wise'". She is very religious but cannot stop eating meat. I believe that your sermons will help her to rethink her food choices. I wonder why all these ministers on television ignore animal cruelty.

Imagine all the people who would be exposed to animal cruelty and the Truth if we could have just one minister like Pastor Frank?   Also, I wanted to try having conversations with meat-eaters about animal cruelty. I was going to speak in a soft low voice and remain calm.

Last week at work four co-workers were talking about sharks and how the dorsal fin is sliced off by the Japanese and the shark swims without it. I said "No, the shark sinks and slowly dies."

I thought this may be my opening. I said "In Asia millions of dogs and cats are brutally killed for food." They said "How awful". Etc. I said "Well, we do the same to pigs and cows." Silence from them.

I continue "It's the calves I pity most because they are drug from their mothers after birth and crated for veal if they're male. Nine months safe in their mothers womb just to go through the birth process, just to be slaughtered for us to drink their mother's breast milk." Silence again.

Then after 10 seconds Brett says "That's really pretty sick." Lynn and Kirk say nothing. Ted laughs and says "Yum... veal." I say "Imagine their fear and their longing for their mother. They cry for her." Ted gets angry and tells me that animals for made for us to eat and that I am saying this for political reasons and that animals can't even Feel Their Death, they don't cry for long, and God made animals without the ability to think." He is a hunter, a tea-partier, and was raised on a farm as a child. He is also an angry man.

Last year I heard him tell a co-worker that he feels so much stress that he Needs To Go Hunting. I say "Animals can absolutely think and feel pain and fear and longing." He is loud now, telling me I am insulting his intelligence. We continued for another minute. Twice more he said I am insulting his intelligence when I spoke up for the animals.

Then I said "No, you insult mine actually."  It became ugly. I was not speaking softly but I was not loud. Ted is nearly shouting at me. His face is red. I feel sick, heart pounding, very upset on the inside. Ted walks away.

Lynn says "I think you can eat everything in moderation." I say "Even if someone dies?" She says nothing. I say "I understand the addiction. I had it too." She says "I'm not addicted." I say "Can you stop?" Silence. I felt so upset for the next 3 hours that I don't know if it was worth it, or if I did any good, or just provoked Ted even more. I am trying to begin another conversation but I am nearly dreading it.

Perhaps I should remain quiet at the workplace? Some days I feel like an outcast. Kirk (diabetic and gay) told me a few days later that he doesn't eat meat anymore. He watched a film about vegetable smoothies and how food can heal your body. He was able to cut his medicine in half one week later. His partner lost 12 lbs. It had nothing to do with animals though. He said "Please don't tell anyone that I'm veg because I don't want the added stress."

Maybe being veg and gay is too much for him? I hugged him and brought him vegan cookbooks. Should I stop speaking out when I know there is a hunter in the room?

Sorry this got so long,

Barb