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A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 


Priorities and Character - 30 Jan 2006
By Mary T. Hoffman

Maybe it’s a matter of priorities. I wonder if those who drop out of vegetarianism ever really had a deep conviction, ever internalized the tremendous suffering (the billions of animals abused to provide “food” or other products), as well as the sheer torment of each individual creature?

Even if a person were to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle “just for health reasons,” wouldn’t he or she soon learn about the ethical or moral reasons for moving up to a vegan lifestyle and to continue learning even more?

But then, I guess it must be a matter of character that determines priorities. If the desire for a morsel of “food” or the insecurity of “not fitting in” or a possible “inconvenience” causes one to turn her or his back on the suffering of others, one must have a weak character. Of course, if one happens to be a sociopath, lacking empathy (more common than people want to believe), that’s another story.

I also wonder why in most societies a person who feels no empathy with the sufferings of those in his or her group is considered a sociopath or a psychopath, but a person who turns his or her back on the sufferings of “those others” (human or animal) is considered “normal.” “Those others” may be human enemies or any non-pet animals. Isn’t this insane?

After having discovered the joys of going vegan, I can’t think of a single rational reason for anyone wanting to fall back to the “bad old days.”

Go on to: Pastor Oxymoron - 31 Jan 2006
Return to: Christian Love or Agape - 29 Jan 2006
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