Theos-Talk Archives (February 1997 Message tl00538)

At 12:17 PM 2/24/97 -0500, you wrote:
>
>Christine:
>>MKR wrote
>>>I agree that a lot of experimentation has to be done and will be done.
>>>I have been a vegetarian (lacto) all my life and eat spicy food and has
>>>seen no problem with protein needs. My family is also lacto vegetarian.
>>>Most of my neighbors think we save a lot of money by being a vegetarian.
>>>
>>>Also most of the people in India are
>>>vegetarians and even those who eat meat only eat may be once a week and
>>>some only once a month, because meat is very expensive. Also on all holy
>>>days of Hinduism, no one eats meat.  I have known several diabetics and
>>>have not seen any problem with vegetarian food.
>>>
>>Shame on you Doss - this looks like an attempt to impose your view on we
>>meat eaters.  Can you not accept that different matabolisms (perhaps
>>racially determined), different climates and different lifestyles impose
>>different dietary requirements.  India may be famous for it's gurus, but
>>not, I think, for its great intellectual and technological genius.  Horses
>>for courses.  Am I smelling that old TS lack of respect for difference
>>emerging here on this list?
>
>Christine,
>
>I really think that any time that someone voices an opinion is an
>imposition of views (passive or aggressive, meaning is same).  Thus, I know
>I've been guilty many times, as I am now.  And I greatly enjoy it when
>somebody voices it straight from the heart, and not covered in roses.
>Roses are nice, but only if they're genuine, and some are covered with
>thorns.  Thus, Doss, Chuckie, Alan, Ann, etc., are all imposing on us.
>
>When I was a meat eater, I resented statements that meat eating will
>prevent you from being in touch with your higher self, as if us meat eaters
>were doomed to be mired in our muck.  As I witnessed, vegetarianism,
>proclamations of doing good for man/womankind, and spirituality does not
>prevent people from talking badly of one another, does not prevent people
>from being control hungry, and does not prevent conflicts among people and
>within themselves.
>
>When I became mostly vegetarian (still love sushi), I kept on being asked
>whether I would like to share in the meat dishes by people who knew my
>diet.  Worse still, sometimes they would literally wave a plate of steak
>right under my nose to tease me.  This is not because I lectured to them
>about vegetarianism.  In fact, due to my meat eating past, I am very
>sensitive about staying quiet about it, and making it blend in as much as
>possible.  When I am invited to other people's house for dinner, I do not
>request special treatment.  I just quietly eat the vegetables.  On the
>other hand, my meat eating friends won't stay quiet about it.  In fact,
>this weekend, I went out for Dim Sum with members of this carnivorous
>household, and THEY wouldn't stop talking about how good meat was and why
>on earth anyone would want to eat vegetables (with statements like, "Look,
>Thoa, there's something green approaching.")  Finally, I told them that if
>they keep this up, they're going to start hearing the virtues of
>vegetarianism from me.  I'm going to start writing odes to broccoli.
>
>Anyway, forcing habits on yourself before you genuinely believe in it, is
>self-defeating.  It's better to feel your belief first and then change your
>habit accordingly.  Don't change your habit just because you want to be up
>to other people's standards.  Their standards may not be that great,
>anyhow.
>
>BTW, India was one of the earliest birth places of math, sciences, and
>religion, while most everyone else was busy conquering with clubs.
>
>Thoa


   Everyone I deal with know that I am a strict lacto vegetarian and have
had no problem any time I went for any dinner or parties. See also my msg
about the trick I learnt from a vegetarian Congressman.

mkr


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