An important principle of Jainism is related in the Sutrakritanga<\/i> (1.11.33) which explains, \u201cA man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Jews, the Talmud (Avodah Zorah<\/i> 18B) forbids the association with hunters, not to mention engaging in hunting. So if people are going to be true Jews or Christians, they should follow the tenets of their religion. Otherwise, anyone may profess to be of any religion, yet not be a true follower because of failing to regard the principles.<\/p>\n
Some Jews and Christians are convinced that sacrificing animals, as mentioned in certain parts of the Bible in the Old Testament, justifies meat-eating. But in the New Testament Jesus preferred mercy over sacrifice (Matthew<\/i> 9.13; 12.7) and was opposed to the buying and selling of animals for sacrifice (Matthew<\/i> 21.12-14; Mark<\/i> 11.15; John<\/i> 2.14-15). One of the missions of Jesus was to do away with animal sacrifice and cruelty to animals (Hebrews<\/i> 10.5-10). So how can Christians continue to sacrifice animals for the sake of their tongue if they claim to be followers of Christ?<\/p>\n
We especially find in Isaiah<\/i> where Jesus scorns the slaughter and bloodshed of humans and animals. He declares (1.15) that God does not hear the prayers of animal killers: \u201cBut your iniquities have separated you and your God. And your sins have hid His face from you, so that He does not hear. For your hands are stained with blood. . . Their feet run to evil and they hasten to shed innocent blood. . . they know not the ways of peace.\u201d Isaiah also laments that he saw, \u201cJoy and merrymaking, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine, as you thought, \u2018let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.\u2019\u201d (22.13)<\/p>\n
It is also established in the Bible (Isaiah<\/i> 66.3), \u201cHe that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man.\u201d In this regard St. Basil (320-379 A.D.) taught, \u201cThe steam of meat darkens the light of the spirit. One can hardly have virtue if one enjoys meat meals and feasts.\u201d<\/p>\n
In an article called \u201cThe Golden Age Must Return: A Catholic\u2019s Views on Vegetarianism,\u201d written by the Chairman of the Catholic Study Circle for Animal Welfare in London, Reverend Basil Wrighton, it establishes that a vegetarian diet is consistent with and required by the tenets of Christianity. The article further explains that the killing of animals for food not only violates religious tenets, but brutalizes humans to where violence against other humans becomes inevitable.<\/p>\n
In this way it can be understood that a true religionist, one who is always thinking of the welfare of others, never tries to cause anxiety for any creature, human or otherwise. Therefore, we should understand that killing other living entities for one\u2019s food is an act of cruelty to others and should be avoided.<\/p>\n
So, even though there are areas in the world where a meatless diet is difficult to follow, or that meat is a basic part of a region\u2019s cultural ways, we must consider that if we really want peace, we must also think of the well being of others. That includes the other nonhuman living beings. It is not that we must always go out of our way to provide the animals with all the comforts of home. They can usually provide for themselves, at least those in the wild. However, we should find alternatives to killing animals to satisfy our appetites, especially when there are plenty of other healthy foods available. Otherwise, there must be reactions to such violence. We cannot expect peace in the world if we go on unnecessarily killing so many millions of animals for meat consumption or through abuse.<\/p>\n
As As Newton’s third law of motion states, for every action there must be an equal and opposite reaction. On the universal scale this is called the law of karma, meaning what goes around comes around. This affects every individual, as well as communities and countries. As the nation sows, so shall it reap. This is something we should take very seriously, especially in our attempt to bring peace, harmony, and unity into the world. If so much violence is produced by the killing of animals, where do you think the reactions to this violence goes? It comes back to us in so many ways, such as the form of neighborhood and community crime, and on up to world wars. Violence breeds violence. Therefore, every several years there is a big war in various areas of the world which causes wholesale slaughter of people. This is a reaction of nature for the immense cruelty produced by humankind. Humanity may not see this, but the reaction must be there. Thus, quarrels and wars appear between any group, such as Protestant and Catholic, Russia and Afghanistan, Muslim and Christian, or so many others. This will continue unless we know how to change.<\/p>\n
Isaac Bashevis Singer, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature, asked, \u201cHow can we pray to God for mercy if we ourselves have no mercy? How can we speak of rights and justice if we take an innocent creature and shed its blood?\u201d He went on to say, \u201cI personally believe that as long as human beings will go shedding the blood of animals, there will never be any peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
In conclusion, we can mention the March 10, 1966 issue of L\u2019Osservatore della Domenica<\/i>, the Vatican weekly newspaper, in which Msgr. Ferdinando Lambruschini wrote: \u201cMan\u2019s conduct with regard to animals should be regulated by right reason, which prohibits the infliction of purposeless pain and suffering on them. To ill treat them, and make them suffer without reason, is an act of deplorable cruelty to be condemned from a Christian point of view. To make them suffer for one\u2019s own pleasure is an exhibition of sadism which every moralist must denounce.\u201d Eating animals for the pleasure of one\u2019s tongue when there are plenty of other foods available certainly fits into this form of sadism. It stands to reason that this is counterproductive to any peace and unity we wish to establish. It is one of the things we need to consider seriously if we want to improve the world.<\/p>\n
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<\/a> Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) has dedicated himself to spreading the deepest and most practical levels of spiritual knowledge about the soul–our real identity. Though this world may give us numerous challenges, when we rise above the basic materialistic view and its limited search for solutions, our evolutionary development on all levels greatly accelerates. By recognizing that we are all spiritual beings who are, basically, attempting to achieve the same essentials for our existence–namely love, acceptance, harmony, peace, and happiness, not to mention the ordinary needs of food, water, clothing and shelter–we can reach a new level of cooperation with each other. Stephen has written many books on this and related subjects and studied with A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada<\/a> becoming initiated into the spiritual line of Brahma-Madhava-Gaudiya sampradaya. He is also president of the Vedic Friends Association<\/a>. srinandan@aol.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n