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veggies.jpg (6769 bytes)fruitbowl.jpg (6391 bytes)Christian Vegetarianism
and Non-Violence

Comments by Maynard S. Clark
24 Oct 2001 (2nd)

Those who seek a "rational system" of thought and behavior may wish to reflect upon their own beings.

Animal beings suffer.  That's what MEDICINE is about, the suffering of material (physical) human beings.  To be "animal" is to realize what the Psalmist wrote millennia ago: "Time and circumstance happen to them all."

But, we also see the (cultural?) emergence of (social?) wisdom, including knowledge about healthful behaviors and practices, and even medical knowledge.   (Consider, from a Biblical perspective, the old book from the 1960's, None of These Diseases, by S. I. McMillen, or some of the health books by the Seventh Day Adventists.

If at least one set of religious/wisdom traditions, those of the Middle Easterners (Jews claim that they came from Abram, who came from Iraq) talks about the religious hope to be free of illness and disease and injury (many OT references, consider the Koran, also, talking about such hopes, and look also at the thinking of Parsis, and the health traditions of India ALSO discuss what has been called Ayurvedic medicine) think that human health is an important issue, perhaps we can BEGIN our metaphysical reflections here.

Does human life make sense in the context of the more extensive material or physical world?  And, more broadly, does sentient life (in general) make sense in the context of the physical world?

The peoples of India have gone round and round on this one, but I suggest that those who believe in Intelligent Design have reason to ask first (1) whether Intelligent Design makes sense in the context of human existential experience of themselves and (2) whether human experience of the health wisdom of vegetarianism makes the teachings of Intelligent Design far MORE palatable than they would be without the practice of wholesome, healthful, informed vegetarianism.

I firmly believe that Intelligent Design is HARDER TO SWALLOW by nonvegetarians than it would be for vegetarians, who can begin to see the potential for MORE harmony (at least in the original creation) than the nonbelieving (and nonvegetarians) can see.

In fact, MANY of the Biblical teachings (and, if we want to be ecumenical with Muslims, Christians, and Jews, consider ONLY the part up to Abraham, if you wish) make life BETTER, if we think them through and don't insist on following the errors of those who are "accidentally" in front of us "as" "religious leaders".

Going vegetarian in a responsible, healthful way makes the CREATION seem sensible. Assuming our "stewardship" role makes more sense as an ethical vegetarian.

Maynard S. Clark

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