Jesus and Isaac Bashevis Singer
Jesus said:
"...the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who planned to settle
accounts with his slaves. As he began the settlement, one was brought in who
owed him ten thousand talents; but as he had nothing to pay, his master
ordered him to be sold, as well as his wife and children and everything he
had, and to pay. Then the slave fell down and implored him, 'Have patience
with me and I will pay you everything.'
"So, in pity for that slave his master released him and canceled his debt.
But as that slave was leaving he met one of his fellow slaves, who owed him
a hundred denarii. Grabbing him by the throat, he said, 'Pay me what you
owe!' Then his fellow slave fell down and implored him, 'Have patience with
me and I will pay you.' But he refused, and went and threw him into prison
until he should pay the debt.
"When his fellow slaves saw what was done they were greatly distressed and
they went and told their master everything that had occurred. Then his
master summoned him and said to him: 'You contemptible slave! I canceled all
that debt for you because you begged me. Should not you have pity on your
fellow slaves as I had pity on you?'...
"And so," Jesus concluded, "will my heavenly Father do to you, if each of
you does not heartily forgive his brother."
Shouldn't Jesus' words in Matthew 18:23-35 above apply not just to forgiving
others, but to mercy and compassion towards others as well?
In the preface to Steven Rosen's 1987 book, Food for the Spirit:
Vegetarianism and the World Religions, Isaac Bashevis Singer writes:
"When a human kills an animal for food, he is neglecting his own hunger for
justice. Man prays for mercy, but is unwilling to extend it to others. Why
should man then expect mercy from God? It's unfair to expect something that
you are not willing to give. It is inconsistent...
"I'm not against organized religion," says Isaac Bashevis Singer, "but I
don't take part in it. Especially when they interpret their religious books
as being in favor of meat-eating. Sometimes they say He wants sacrifice and
the killing of animals. If this is true, then I would never be able to
comply. But I think God is wiser and more merciful than that. And there are
interpretations of religious scriptures which support this, saying that
vegetarianism is a very high ideal."
Go on to: John Robbins' Nutritional Data
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