View of Western Meateaters

[Penumbra]

Hi everyone.

I'm curious as to how people here perceive those who eat meat, especially those who are from western religions that generally have never been taught that eating meat is wrong. Do you view them as immoral, accumulating bad karma? Or do you view them as well-intentioned but ignorant? Or something else?

Thanks for any responses!

-Lyn

(I'm a non-religious westerner and a vegetarian, mainly for environmental, health, and ethical reasons.)

[Eastern Mind]

Not necessarily well intentioned, but ignorant, yes. Accruing karma? Yes, but not as much as those who should know better. I'd rather befriend a generous meat eater than a pompous greedy adulterous vegetarian any day. Vegetarianism is just one aspect of the dharma. There is a lot more.

Thanks for the questions. I know they are making me think a little. (or a lot.) I'm sure others feel the same way. May I ask why, as you consider yourself non-religious, are you asking?

Aum Namasivaya

[TatTvamAsi]

Your reasons for being vegetarian are no different than Hindus' themselves. Except, vegetarianism has been practiced by Hindus for thousands of years and is incorporated into the philosophy.

As to perception of those who eat meat, west or east, is simple:

Vegetarianism is civilized and non-vegetarianism is not. :D

Except, again, I don't know why americans like to worship dogs?!? I always thought if I was a meat eater a nice puppy sandwich would be quite tasty! ;) Why the bigotry towards other animals (cows, chickens, sheep, pigs etc.)?

Of course, this is in jest to get you dog-lovers to realize how "nasty" it is to eat an animal; cute or otherwise!


Hi everyone.

I'm curious as to how people here perceive those who eat meat, especially those who are from western religions that generally have never been taught that eating meat is wrong. Do you view them as immoral, accumulating bad karma? Or do you view them as well-intentioned but ignorant? Or something else?

Thanks for any responses!

-Lyn

(I'm a non-religious westerner and a vegetarian, mainly for environmental, health, and ethical reasons.)

[OmSriShivaShakti]

I eat meat of many kinds including beef, but I do not think it is forbidden in Hinduism. I think that since people are by nature omnivorous, vegetarianism would simply be going against nature.



Except, again, I don't know why americans like to worship dogs?!? I always thought if I was a meat eater a nice puppy sandwich would be quite tasty! ;) Why the bigotry towards other animals (cows, chickens, sheep, pigs etc.)?



I have found myself thinking the same thing. I think the reason is that in Western religions such as Christianity certain things are regarded as absolutely good or absolutely evil, so certain animals like snakes come to represent evil in those faiths and other animals such as lamb in the case of Christianity come to represent good and innocence. Another reason would be that pet-owners develop emotional attachments and relationships to their pets which they would never break and as a result, they see their pets as something better than just another animal.

[Eastern Mind]

May i suggest you read the previous threads on vegetarianism. No poing seeing this movie again.

Aum Namasivaya

[Penumbra]

Thanks for the replies.


Thanks for the questions. I know they are making me think a little. (or a lot.) I'm sure others feel the same way. May I ask why, as you consider yourself non-religious, are you asking?

Aum Namasivaya
I like learning about religions and cultures, and trying to understand how various people come to view our world. I've read some holy texts such as the Qur'an, Bhagavad Gita, and the Bible, and have taken classes on religious studies, but nothing substitutes for getting out there and talking to people. Most people I know don't know a thing about eastern religions, but I'm interested in learning about as many viewpoints as possible.



Except, again, I don't know why americans like to worship dogs?!? I always thought if I was a meat eater a nice puppy sandwich would be quite tasty! ;) Why the bigotry towards other animals (cows, chickens, sheep, pigs etc.)?

Of course, this is in jest to get you dog-lovers to realize how "nasty" it is to eat an animal; cute or otherwise!
I agree. It's very inconsistent. People would be horrified if their pet was killed but think nothing of their dinner.


I have found myself thinking the same thing. I think the reason is that in Western religions such as Christianity certain things are regarded as absolutely good or absolutely evil, so certain animals like snakes come to represent evil in those faiths and other animals such as lamb in the case of Christianity come to represent good and innocence.
I don't think that's the case for most Christians. Maybe some fundamentalists think like that, but none that I have personally met thought that snakes are evil. My dad's a Christian and he bought me a pet snake when I was little. :)

I think your second point about developing an emotional attachment is the real reason.

-Lyn

[OmSriShivaShakti]

Yes, I did mean for the second point to be emphasized, sorry if that wasn't clear. But I was just trying to contrast the two faiths because of the monism in Hinduism vs. the distinct good/evil in Abrahamic faiths such as Christianity.

[Penumbra]

Yes, I did mean for the second point to be emphasized, sorry if that wasn't clear. But I was just trying to contrast the two faiths because of the monism in Hinduism vs. the distinct good/evil in Abrahamic faiths such as Christianity.
Yes I agree there. Abrahamic religions tend to have a very black-and-white view of the world.

-Lyn

[connyxoberst]

this is a topic i've been struggling with for a while. i understand that it is viewed as bad karma to slaughter and kill animals and i understand the hows and whys of vegetarianism in hinduism. however, there are some key points that stick out to me at least on a common sense level that confuse me.
i understand that killing animals and other living beings brings on negative energies and therefore negative karma [oh the lesson i was just taught last week with flies, so frustrating] which is why i think that hunting for sport or to just kill for the sake of killing is completely inexcusable and disgusting. i also find the conditions that animals are kept on farms for mass production food is horrific and the use of hormones in said animals are screwing with our development in ways scientists wont be able to recognize for years to come.
that being said, i do not view animals souls as being on the same level as humans. i also dont believe that the reincarnation process includes animals and especially not plants. unless a specific lesson needs to be learned and an exception has to be made. i can be open to a human soul needing to learn the patience of a redwood tree or something like that. but still i feel like humans come and go as humans and animals as animals for the most part.
i feel as though when humans were brought into existence we were set apart to be able to follow dharma in all forms. i believe we were given an intellect set aside for only us, no other being on the planet has our abilities. but i do believe that the way of thinking we're meant to master and follow comes subconsciously to the beings that cannot think for themselves.
i'm sure everyone can agree that within our world the natural state of everything is to be perfectly balanced. the herbivore eats the plants, the carnivore eats the herbivore, and when the carnivore dies it becomes the plants that the herbivore eats. without the carnivores the herbivores would become so over populated there wouldnt be enough plants on earth and everything would be thrown off balance.
the natural make up of a lion for example depends on the nutrients only found in meats to keep its body moving and growing naturally. same with the herbivore. its body is made to run off plant fibers to achieve growth and energy.
since the beginning of time, man has been an omnivore. depending on both plants and animals to sustain growth. our body is naturally dependent on both. i think if all man stopped consuming meat, the natural balance of the world would be so far thrown off that in a couple decades, we wouldn't even recognize it.
i believe that two people walking side by side can both step on a tiny ant at the same time and only one of them receives the bad karma attached to the action. the one who intentionally stepped on the ant, wanting to kill it would receive the consequential karma, not his companion who didn't even realize the ant was there.
i believe that there are two things surrounding meat consumption that would result in bad karma:
1. eating an animal that you brutally killed, or wasting the flesh of an animal that died for your purpose
2. believing in your heart that it is wrong. for even if it isnt, you are calling to the universe to bring bad energy because of it.

does this make sense?

[Ganeshprasad]

Pranam

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah


An enlightened person, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].
(5.18)



that being said, i do not view animals souls as being on the same level as humans. i also dont believe that the reincarnation process includes animals and especially not plants.

Hindu scripture does not support your view.


but still i feel like humans come and go as humans and animals as animals for the most part.

rebirth is not of the species but the soul, according to its desires.



without the carnivores the herbivores would become so over populated there wouldnt be enough plants on earth and everything would be thrown off balance.

this is rubbish, the law of jungle takes care for itself,

only human with its insatiable desire to taste the meat has brought the imbalance and in the process killing off the environment.





does this make sense?



　
　
Not really, although you have every right to have your view, they are not backed by any scriptures or even humanity. We can feel the pain if we were to witness the cruel end of this animals.

Different bodies are simply like different vehicle on the road but what matters is the driver in them.

Living force within all being is the same, only difference is the level of consciousness

We see all living being"equally" because the paramatma is situated in all of their hearts, .
Seeing the oneness of all living entities is to see the paramatma and the atma, who is the true living entity in the body.



Ideally no living life should be killed (ahimsa), but the shastra says all life lives at the expense of another's life. Even if you are vegetarian, you must take the life of so many plants to sustain your body.

According to the development of consciousness, pain is experienced by different forms of life differently. It is more sinful to harm those life forms that have developed higher conscious awareness, as their suffering will be greater. According to the scriptures, plants have the lowest conscious awareness, and therefore it is much less sinful to take the life of a plant over a human (or cow, dog, chicken, etc.). Still sin will be involved, but the harm caused is much less than the harm caused to a fully conscious living entity.

The scriptures also state that cows have the highest conscious awareness of all life forms prior to the human species. Thus of all animals it is the most sinful to hurt a cow. In addition to this, cows and bulls are given special status as they are considered our mother and father. If your mother or father was killed, it would not be unreasonable for you to protest it.

Jai Shree Krishna

[connyxoberst]

Pranam

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah


An enlightened person, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].
(5.18)



Hindu scripture does not support your view.



rebirth is not of the species but the soul, according to its desires.





Living force within all being is the same, only difference is the level of consciousness

We see all living being"equally" because the paramatma is situated in all of their hearts, .
Seeing the oneness of all living entities is to see the paramatma and the atma, who is the true living entity in the body.



Ideally no living life should be killed (ahimsa), but the shastra says all life lives at the expense of another's life. Even if you are vegetarian, you must take the life of so many plants to sustain your body.

According to the development of consciousness, pain is experienced by different forms of life differently. It is more sinful to harm those life forms that have developed higher conscious awareness, as their suffering will be greater. According to the scriptures, plants have the lowest conscious awareness, and therefore it is much less sinful to take the life of a plant over a human (or cow, dog, chicken, etc.). Still sin will be involved, but the harm caused is much less than the harm caused to a fully conscious living entity.
Jai Shree Krishna


i have not yet read scriptures, just stories and quotes from scriptures, so i hope you can forgive my ignorance at the moment.

"rebirth is not of the species but the soul, according to its desires"
i agree to the point that i believe the next life is determined by its desires, the karmic balance of the lives preceding, i just think instead of it determining what you come back as, it determines WHO and WHERE and how hard you will struggle.

so basically you are saying that a plant is below us in consciousness, but an animal is equal?
so does that mean if in your next life you come back as a lion you will still have enough consciousness in your heart to eat grass instead of hunt?
or is it that the herbivore animals have a higher consciousness than the carnivore or omnivores?

[Eastern Mind]

Namaste:

Here is my take. Others may differ.

Patterns of reincarnation do have to do with past karmas. Often people also remain within a family, or with a close friend. For example, you might give birth to your grandmother if the two of you were close. This is because the disembodied soul 'hangs around' in familiar places. A strong desire may also determine a birth.

Normally we do not reincarnate as animals, although it does happen. One example is alcoholics. They die so confused and addicted, they are often reborn as dogs to live out that karma. Another time is in a sudden tragic accident. The soul body has no time to prepare in this case, and enters the other side very confused, and may latch onto (into) the first creature it sees. But these situations are unusual.

Animals have lesser evolved souls than us, and are of a slightly different nature. Animals who are in groups (ants, bees, birds, etc) have what are termed 'group souls'.

Aum Namasivaya

[Hiwaunis]

Thanks for the replies.


I like learning about religions and cultures, and trying to understand how various people come to view our world. I've read some holy texts such as the Qur'an, Bhagavad Gita, and the Bible, and have taken classes on religious studies, but nothing substitutes for getting out there and talking to people. Most people I know don't know a thing about eastern religions, but I'm interested in learning about as many viewpoints as possible.


I agree. It's very inconsistent. People would be horrified if their pet was killed but think nothing of their dinner.


I don't think that's the case for most Christians. Maybe some fundamentalists think like that, but none that I have personally met thought that snakes are evil. My dad's a Christian and he bought me a pet snake when I was little. :)

I think your second point about developing an emotional attachment is the real reason.

-Lyn


Pranam,
People here in Texas eat rattle snakes and the balls of a goat (they call them mountain oysters). I have come to learn that people will eat anything that doesn't eat them first.

As for me I am a vegatarian. I was taught to eat meat by my parents. There is a passage in the Bible, Genesis ch1, vs 29 in which God tells man what he should eat. The next verse states what animals should eat. Then, later in that same Bible God changed his mind and decided to let people eat meat. I am not sure of the chapter or verse. If anyone wants the facts I can provide them.

Anyway I questioned family and friends about meat eating. I could not get any sensible answers so I decided to go with the original command. I was later introduced to one of the Hindu faiths which my teacher informed me that being a vegatarian would benefit my meditation practice.

FYI, I have not eaten meat for over 20 years and my health has not been affected at all.

Namaste,

[Ganeshprasad]

Pranam


i have not yet read scriptures, just stories and quotes from scriptures, so i hope you can forgive my ignorance at the moment.
so basically you are saying that a plant is below us in consciousness, but an animal is equal?





It is not for me to judge, we are all ignorant that’s why we suffer in this material world, the fact you are asking questions it is a great start, the danger is if you speculate you may not always arrive at correct knowledge.

Eating sleeping mating and defending is common to all the animals, pain and suffering is felt amongst all sentient being this is un denying fact, that is why there is a lot of emphasis on ahimsa in Hindu Dharma
what sets the human apart is their ability to discriminate between right and wrong, good and bad, human life is to enquire in to, the reason for life, the secret of creation if we just dwell in eating, sleeping, defending and mating then there is no difference between them and us.

Infect we come second best compared to animal kingdom in those four departments. We work very very hard all our life to amass a lot of wealth for what? So that we can do what they do! An elephant can eat more, monkeys are better at sex, bear can sleep better (we need pills) and they can also defend. Look at the lunacy of our defence, we have enough power to destroy the world.

Point here is if we don’t use our intelligence to know the absolute truth then we are wasting our valuable human life, and if our propensity is to enjoy the material life, then animal or a plant kingdom offers a better facility, like if one is overly attached to sleeping then the bear life or a hedgehog life is more suitable. This is a simple example to illustrate how the system works, of course there are complex reasons as to why and how this Karma works. Lord Krishna Says ‘Ghana Karmno Gati’ The intricacies of action are very hard to understand

And he further explains

yam yam vapi smaran bhavam
tyajaty ante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya
sada tad-bhava-bhavitah

Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.
B.G 8.6




so does that mean if in your next life you come back as a lion you will still have enough consciousness in your heart to eat grass instead of hunt?

If some one comes back as a lion then it will follow its natural instinct.

Jai Shree Krishna

[Spiritualseeker]

Namaste,

When I feel ready and my practice is matured enough I will perhaps become a vegetarian. Until then I think I shouldnt rush into it and then perhaps a year or two for now I find out that I dont want to follow Sanatana Dharma. So let me take it slow until I feel God guiding me towards the vegan way.

-juan

[Eastern Mind]

People here in Texas eat rattle snakes and the balls of a goat (they call them mountain oysters).


FYI, I have not eaten meat for over 20 years and my health has not been affected at all.

Namaste,

Here in Alberta, the Texas of Canada, they call them 'prairie oysters' and its calves, not goats. That culture is ridiculous, but I love them all the same. I've been veggie now for 35 years. It is flesh after all, corpses of animals. I also had many issues with it in childhood. one was the animal screaming.

Aum Namasivaya

[connyxoberst]

fish and poultry: same as animals? or a step down between animals and plants?

i have cut pork and cow from my diet. not sure about the lighter meats though, wanted some opinions

thank you!

[Hiwaunis]

Here in Alberta, the Texas of Canada, they call them 'prairie oysters' and its calves, not goats. That culture is ridiculous, but I love them all the same. I've been veggie now for 35 years. It is flesh after all, corpses of animals. I also had many issues with it in childhood. one was the animal screaming.

Aum Namasivaya


Pranam,
I am curious, why are the names changed. For example, why is cow meat called beef and pig meat called pork? Why is goat and calves balls (testicals) called oysters? In mexico they eat menudo and barbacoa which is cow brains and linning of the stomach. In the south they eat chitterlings which is the pig intestines. Why the fancy names and not what it really is, cow brains, cow stomach and pig gutts, etc?

Namaste,

[bhaktajan]

Q. fish and poultry: same as animals?

"anima" means Soul in Latin [it is obvious that this word "anima" also, implies 'animation' for that is the priniciple constitution of the presence of the Soul's life-force].

Eyes, Limbs method of reproduction [male + female] and the acts of eating/sleeping/mating/defending are all common traits of a life-forms [humans require free-will descrimination to accomplish these things].

Manu-samhita states, 'poultry has least karma' [can some one corroborate this please?].

But now adays the meat industry implicates patrons in a very messy matrix of blame [funky/tangled/impersonal brand of Karma] because of the vast overlapping source of multi-contributing accessories-to-the-crime.

Factory-farming & Pharmacutical engineering and Water & Land management factors accure a tangled web of karmic-obligatiopns that only subside when a soul takes birth to experience the same "quality-of-life" that the beasts were put through in service to others passing pleasures once upon a prairie frontier in some distant time and backwood butcher's caress.

[sunyata07]

Namaste,

I view meat eating in the West as a mix between ignorance and to some extent, the lifestyle of individuals within a society. The ignorance of course comes from not understanding the karmic benefits of abstaining from eating the flesh of living beings, but the lifestyle could play an even bigger part than that I think. The attitudes of the society towards meat eating is a big factor on whether or not people are going to be more prone to vegetarianism. A lot of Westerners are of some Christian background, and a lot of them will quote from the Bible (or as best as they can) about how animals were created for man's domination, and many will interpret this as being the greenlight for eating meat. The Bible even states that it's ok to "eat every moving thing that liveth" (Gen 9:3) except for consuming the blood, sometime after the Great Flood. Even if a Westerner isn't the religious type, some of them are often indifferent about the issue and continue to eat meat anyway.

I think if you are considering or are becoming vegetarian, it is a good idea to go slowly. I don't see the benefit in suddenly giving your diet a 180, mostly because you'll need to start changing your lifestyle and knowing what kind of vegetables and cereals you'll have to include in your diet to give yourself the right kind of nutrition. Take your time. Study your options. When I became vegetarian a few years ago it was more of a realisation that I hadn't eaten meat in over 2 weeks and that I was really ok with it. I thought to myself I could keep this up. And while I'm still only a pescatarian vegetarian, I have been keeping fish in my diet for health reasons. I think I may eventually move onto full vegetarianism in the future, and thereafter maybe even veganism? It's hard to say until I get there first. Good luck to everyone who is going green!

[Eastern Mind]

You make a good point about the context of a society. The west has developed its own unique brand of vegetarianism. I am not sure when exactly I realised vegetarianism was even an option ... probably at about age 16 or so, maybe even later. This is true on many facets of life. Many Indians don't know brown rice exists.

Still the misconceptions are rampant. A lot of westerners think vegetarians eat only vegetables because of the root word beginning. Herbivore would be even worse, I suppose. (Can't imagine living on herbs alone.)

Aum Namasivaya

[Sagefrakrobatik]

Pranam

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah


An enlightened person, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].
(5.18)



Hindu scripture does not support your view.



rebirth is not of the species but the soul, according to its desires.



this is rubbish, the law of jungle takes care for itself,

only human with its insatiable desire to taste the meat has brought the imbalance and in the process killing off the environment.







　
　
Not really, although you have every right to have your view, they are not backed by any scriptures or even humanity. We can feel the pain if we were to witness the cruel end of this animals.

Different bodies are simply like different vehicle on the road but what matters is the driver in them.

Living force within all being is the same, only difference is the level of consciousness

We see all living being"equally" because the paramatma is situated in all of their hearts, .
Seeing the oneness of all living entities is to see the paramatma and the atma, who is the true living entity in the body.



Ideally no living life should be killed (ahimsa), but the shastra says all life lives at the expense of another's life. Even if you are vegetarian, you must take the life of so many plants to sustain your body.

According to the development of consciousness, pain is experienced by different forms of life differently. It is more sinful to harm those life forms that have developed higher conscious awareness, as their suffering will be greater. According to the scriptures, plants have the lowest conscious awareness, and therefore it is much less sinful to take the life of a plant over a human (or cow, dog, chicken, etc.). Still sin will be involved, but the harm caused is much less than the harm caused to a fully conscious living entity.

The scriptures also state that cows have the highest conscious awareness of all life forms prior to the human species. Thus of all animals it is the most sinful to hurt a cow. In addition to this, cows and bulls are given special status as they are considered our mother and father. If your mother or father was killed, it would not be unreasonable for you to protest it.

Jai Shree Krishna

I remember having a disucssion similar to this in a philosophy club were we were talking about the contemporary ethicist Peter Singer who wrote "animal Liberation." At the time i was taking a biology class and at the meeting we were talking about killing fish and insects is it ethical? Do they suffer? and one point I brought up is that do they have a Central Nervous System if so than we can deduce that it is probable that they suffer and feel pain.


I also wanted to add that I am currently reading the Ramayana and I am at the part where Ram is building a life for him and his wife in the forest. Well according to the author Ram ate meat. The Author explains that because he is a Kshastri??? Its more excuseable. There are parts of the Bible that would seem to suggest God promoting a Vegetarian lifstyle choice.

[Sagefrakrobatik]

Pranam,
I am curious, why are the names changed. For example, why is cow meat called beef and pig meat called pork? Why is goat and calves balls (testicals) called oysters? In mexico they eat menudo and barbacoa which is cow brains and linning of the stomach. In the south they eat chitterlings which is the pig intestines. Why the fancy names and not what it really is, cow brains, cow stomach and pig gutts, etc?

Namaste,

I dont know I could be wrong but i dont think you would get alot of customers to your resteraunt if you had Pig Intestines or Goat Testicles listed in your menu!! Goat Testicles EEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWW!! I remeber watching this movie called Faces of Death and in it this rich White people went to some non western country and ate monkey brains. It was vicious they took this poor little monkey and put him in the middle of the table and put him in this cage hanging from the table and shut the table only leaving enough room for the monkey's head. It was smaller than most monkeys and they Banged its head until they killed it then ate its brains. One could thing about being a vegetarian is you to have to be as disgusted with were your food might have came from.

Today kind of reminds me of this post. I went to an Indian Orthodox church and right before i walked in the church some guy was roasting a pig right next to the entrance!! It was not for the Indian congregation it was instead for the Polish catholic community who shares the church.

[Hiwaunis]

I dont know I could be wrong but i dont think you would get alot of customers to your resteraunt if you had Pig Intestines or Goat Testicles listed in your menu!! Goat Testicles EEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWW!! I remeber watching this movie called Faces of Death and in it this rich White people went to some non western country and ate monkey brains. It was vicious they took this poor little monkey and put him in the middle of the table and put him in this cage hanging from the table and shut the table only leaving enough room for the monkey's head. It was smaller than most monkeys and they Banged its head until they killed it then ate its brains. One could thing about being a vegetarian is you to have to be as disgusted with were your food might have came from.

Today kind of reminds me of this post. I went to an Indian Orthodox church and right before i walked in the church some guy was roasting a pig right next to the entrance!! It was not for the Indian congregation it was instead for the Polish catholic community who shares the church.


Pranam,
MONKEY BRAINS! GOOD LORD!
Is it that we will eat almost anything if we don't know what it is? And then after we have eaten it, if it taste good then it's o.k. even if it is something gross and disgusting? But isn't changing the name some what misleading? I guess most people just don't even care.

Monkey brains, I'll put that right up there with puppy sandwich (hotdog).

Namaste,

[chandu_69]

I also wanted to add that I am currently reading the Ramayana and I am at the part where Ram is building a life for him and his wife in the forest. Well according to the author Ram ate meat. The Author explains that because he is a Kshastri??? Its more excuseable.

Before firing off too many questions you should mention the verses where it is said Shri Rama Ate meat.There is No mention of Sri Rama eating meat.


There are parts of the Bible that would seem to suggest God promoting a Vegetarian lifstyle choice.As pointed out by Scottmalaysia in a different thread Biblical god changed his mind later on and recommended eating meat.

here is the post on this subject By Jndas Ji
http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/spiritual-discussions/28150-did-rama-eat-meat-2.html

[RamaRaksha]

Totally agree with Ganeshprasad's views. Good points.

We must realize that it is the atma that is eternal, we may have taken different life forms before and after. Not just human life. We are God's classsroom and each life form can teach us something.

The real issue is about causing pain, not whether we eat animals or not. Right now because of meat eaters, animals are living a life of hell. In some meat packing factories, they stun the animals senseless before thefy are killed. Unfortunately, sometimes the stunning does not work and the animal is carved alive! Imagine some knifing you while you are alive!

In most western restaurents a live lobster is dunked into boiling hot water to cook it! Imagine yourself being thrown into hot boiling water!

If you were to put a hook thru a dog's jaw and yank it around, blood flowing all over, they would call you a cruel person. But a fisherman does that same thing to a fish and it is called a sport!

This is why the ancients echewed meat. For the record, we don't have conclusive evidence that plants do not feel pain, but the ancients felt so and so far we have no evidence that they feel pain. If we do find that they feel pain, then we are no better than animal eaters.

[DavidC]

As pointed out by Scottmalaysia in a different thread Biblical god changed his mind later on and recommended eating meat.

The Nazarean Essenes (vegetarians) seemed to not consider that god to be the Biblical god and certainly did not consider what later writers wrote about Moses or any other prophet allowing meat-eating to be right. The later Essenes may have been influenced by the Buddhists, but Egyptian historical records show the Essenes were around since the theoretical date of the exodus. I think they and Egypt were influenced by Sanatana Dharma.

Whatever Scottmalaysia said would be like saying 'the Vedic god changed his mind and recommended eating meat' just because a minority of Hindus do. I stated it that way because there is also not necessarily one Biblical god and there was certainly more than one in the Near Eastern cultures that influenced the Bible. The first sentence of Genesis can be read 'In the beginning, gods created...,' and I think there were also two varying creation myths in it: one referring to Elohim and one referring to YHVH. If not there are at least Elohistic and YHVHistic interpretations--so if anyone has some idea of 'the' Biblical god they should ask for some more educated opinions in the forum about that.

This is getting off-topic, but a few relevant divine names in Judaism are 'Shekhinah (feminine) & Shaddai (almighty, which is sort of destructive,) YHVH (sometimes paired with a love goddess--and Lakshmi is one,) and Borem (creator, similar to Abrahm, who married Sara) and if those two triads sound at all familiar perhaps Bible students should see how the Essenes are similar to Sanatana Dharma and what the source of the Bible may be and how corrupted most sects versions are.