In regards to eating meat

[Ali Quadir]

Thank you for sharing that, Shemaya. It helps to alleviate the feeling of loneliness and general lack of support I have been feeling regarding my comments in this thread. I know my behavior and words deserve some rebuke of their own. However I also do know that I am not the only one who feels this way, and that there are multiple others who just won't participate in this thread, period, for the same reasons.

It is nice and convenient to package up all these feelings people are having and wrap them in a tidy bow of "immense guilt and shame they are denying from being meat eaters" and be off on one's merry vegan way. But even if that were true- how is that compassionate?

I too thought that was rather unpalatable. The ease with which other peoples behaviors are judged is saddening. The amount of flak you received for voicing your opinion was equally not deserved. And the reason I open my mouth now.

I don't participate in this topic because it gives me a bad taste to my mouth. I am a vegetarian myself. But I've figured out a long time ago that the "superiority complex" many vegetarians have and wield over others is contraproductive... I really don't like to discuss the subject, especially not with other vegetarians. To my experience it always ends up in holier than thou crap. You just can't reason with 'us'.

Jesus said something very appropriate "What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'" And I think that is very relevant in this context.

Vegetarians who shut up about their chocies and are supportive to everyone who wishes to reduce their use of animal products, and non judgmental to everyone else do exist.

I fear though that this topic is representative for the majority of us. I think the best we can do is ignore it in the hope it goes away.