http://www.rethos.com/provoked What's happening for you on Rethos.com en-us I was reminded by someone who commented on my blog (www.animalperson.net) that Dr. Will Tuttle's World Peace Diet: Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony (http://www.amazon.com/World-Peace-Diet-Spiritual-Harmony/dp/1590560833) is great for people on a spiritual path, as well as those interested in doing the right thing for the planet and all its inhabitants. Tuttle talks about some of the main points here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLgGnP0pWzM Here are some Tuttle quotes, as well as some of my own connections: --"Seeing beings rather than things." --We are attached to food... Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:50:07 -0400 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1268 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1268 Richard, You always write so well and you are very thoughtful about your responses... this is greatly appreciated! Rather than being motivated by a purely moral position, I feel that, on my own spectrum of choices to "do what is right" re food, I am motivated first by health. Ethics and morals are secondary, rather close behind the primary consideration... but still... Health-wise, for my body-type, metabolism, digestive processes, spiritual energy, and clarity of mental function, I thrive on live foods. When I eat mostly cooked foods, I am sluggish, foggy, and gain an extraordina... Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:53:09 -0400 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1268 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1268 This has been a tricky issue for me, having to define morality and ethics, life and necessity. I agree, culture and history are not a valid arguments, for a variety of reasons. Eating a vegan diet may be appropriate, but I believe a very limited meat diet (perhaps once a month) is healthier because animals have chemicals plants just don't. I also believe animals should be picked out from the wild, not kept in unnatural environments. As long as they are picked out in proportions that ensure the survival of the species, it follows my moral guidelines. If I could convert sunlight in... Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:43:57 -0400 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1268 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1268 Richard, Of course, I respectfully disagree. If it is not morally justifiable to take the life of another without necessity--and it is not necessary for us to eat animals--then deciding to eat meat cannot be called ethical. It doesn't matter what we've done in the past or why. What we know, right now, is that the animals we slaughter unnecessarily are sentient. They experience pleasure, pain, boredom, frustration and terror. And they are "subjects of a life." They are subjects of their own lives. And those lives deserve respect, which comes in the form of not subjugating and slaughtering t... Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:00:23 -0400 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1268 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1268 Lucid writing. But, many people make many excuses to eat what they find tasty. Yet, others have considered the ethical implications of their diet and decided eating meat is indeed moral and justifiable. Aside from the fact human evolution was made possible from the consumption of meat, cows do something we just can't, they turn grass into valuable proteins. Our agricultural system is a much bigger problem than is the meat industry, as the former reinforces the latter. It kills entire species, polluting and suffocating ecosystems. Eating a tofu burger from commercial soy is just ... Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:45:08 -0400 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1268 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1268 Mary, A thoughtful, intelligent, and conscious article... thank you! A few people I know fall all along the food consumption spectrum, and they all have some kind of rationale for why they choose what they choose. I do too, and it is a challenge for my willpower and conscience. I feel down to the fiber of my being that I would thrive on a vegan mostly raw foods diet... the one friend who is versed in ayurveda agrees... but it is a great test to actually accomplish this! No excuses, just stating that I agree with you and at the same time have compassion and empathy for everyone who str... Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:46:40 -0400 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1268 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1268 Mary, Thanks again for another pointed piece about animal rights and veganism. I must admit that I am one of those people you refer to in the piece that still rationalizes the consumption of dairy. However, I am well aware of the hypocrisy of my decision - I have just been unable to must the energy to change my lifestyle while being a college student. However, it is something I think about enough, and that I one day hope to reconsider thoughtfully. I have an article request for you! Can you write a piece regarding whether or not the consumption of dairy/meat that would otherwise go b... Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:09:01 -0400 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1268 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1268 A wonderful and intelligent rant Mary! Our culture shapes us to be consumers because we live in a consumer-culture - If we can change or at least affect the type of consumerism that pervades our society, than perhaps we can make a lasting change for our future generation. At the very least, we can affect those around us, particularly our children. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:20:35 -0500 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1172 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1172 Mary offers an unflinching look at the rank hypocrisy that pervades our culture. The questions she raises about the treatment of animals are good ones--questions that need to be answered if our society is to have any moral bearing at all. Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:49:39 -0500 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1172 http://www.rethos.com/news/view/1172