It is very typical for people to give up something for Lent. I find a lot of people just choose something that isn't a "healthy" habit and give it up, not thinking about the true reasons we are called to fast. This is unfortunate because sacrifice is a beautiful, difficult, and growing time during Lent!
I have practiced fasting from something during Lent, first as a child not knowing the significance, and later as an adult after I discovered the beauty and holiness in it. I have given up some typical things, and also some rather strange ones-but all with the intent of drawing nearer to Christ, depriving myself of a luxury to focus on what really matters, and doing a small sacrifice to reflect the true sacrifice Christ made on the Cross of Calvary. For the past three months or so I have been trying to think of what I should do. I also think it is important to not only grow in piety to God but also be called into action from what I give up. I wanted to focus each week on different social justice issues or things that actively bring me to live God's Kingdom here on earth. As I was pondering this, I felt God prompting me to give up meat. I thought, "that's nice, but why?" I always ask people who are vegetarians why they are so, I have not heard one answer that would ever convince me to do it myself. I sort of knew that eating meat isn't very good for the environment, and I have never really looked into the treatment of animals when it comes to eating it. The closest I have gotten to actively pursuing justice for animals in my food consumption is buying eggs from free-range farms. And even that I don't totally know why....
So I will tell you my initial reasonings for giving meat up for lent, and then go into why I have now decided to be a vegetarian. (Yikes I can't believe I just wrote that.)
1. In third world countries, meat is a luxury. When I was in Kenya meat was cooked only for a big celebration (we killed the fatted goat) or when we were hosting someone special. I also has chicken when I was invited somewhere, which was maybe twice. Even then, it is not the "choice cuts" and you eat every last bit-I watched a women scrape out the marrow and eat it. If I choose to not eat meat, I will think about the rest of the world that doesn't get that luxury and yet another thing that sets me apart as way upper class compared to most of the world.
2. Not eating meat will help me reflect on the sanctity of life. By not eating meat, I am respected the animal that would have been slaughtered. I also want to think about what the sanctity of life means: from the factory farmed animal, to the child sold into sex-trade slavery, to the AIDS orphan, to the drug addict down the street, to the homeless man on the corner, to the single mom trying to raise 5 kids by herself, to the child who dies because of lack of clean water, to the iraqi child, to the lonely old man with no one to visit him, to the aborted baby that could have been, and I could go on and on.
So those were my initial lenten reasons, and they still hold true. Anyone who knows me knows I am a self-proclaimed carnivore. I love steak and fried chicken and wings and corn dogs and the like. So this is really making me think as I grab the vegetarian choice! I LOVE MEAT!
Okay, so now onto why I decided to become a vegetarian for real. Oh man I cannot believe this is happening to me. Okay read on friends....
1. Becoming a vegetarian is the number one way to reduce your carbon footprint. Eating meat is like driving a big SUV. Worldwide livestock farming causes 18% of the worlds greenhouse emissions. All the world cars, boats, planes, and trains only account for 13% in comparison! I did not know that. Livestock farming also contributes to deforestation. Trees need to be cut down to make room for pastures and to grow food to feed the cows. More than 260 million acres in the U.S. alone has been cleared to grow grain to feed farmed animals. It is also a cause of extinction to indigenous plant species. "The impact of countless hooves and mouths over the years has done more to alter the type of vegetation and land forms of the West than all the water projects, strip mines, power plants, freeways, and subdivision developments combined."
2. Eating meat is very inefficient and promotes the continuation of poverty. It takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce 1 pound of edible meat. Let's think about where that 16 pounds of grain could go besides to make a one portion of a meal of me on an average night. Eating/farming meat is an inefficient use of grain. The price of grain has gone up significantly, which means more hunger throughout the world. And we are using grain to feed cows so the rich can enjoy a nice steak now and then. That is so messed up! Then think about the water used in meat production-1 pound of meat takes 50,000 liters of water. It just does not make sense to contribute to the livestock farming industry if I claim to care about the poor and hungry throughout the world.
3. It I believe God cares about His creation, and left humans in charge to care and love it, then I have to believe He cares just as much about His animals. And if the earth will indeed one day be reconciled, I think it is safe to assume He means ALL of His creation, not just humans. Therefore, I don't think God is pleased with the way we get our meat. As I have been researching, the treatment of animals in factory farming is horrific. As most of you know, I am not an "animal lover" by any means, but that doesn't mean I approve of torture to animals. Factory farming is just that. It is another example of how the privileged exploit the weak to get what we want. We want meat, we want it cheaper, therefore we inject animals with crazy chemicals, pack them into small quarters, never let them fully live, and torture them, and kill them inhumanely so we can save 2 dollars on a package of ground beef. Even as I right this I am realizing how sick this is. I know this was not God's intention for his creatures. But, here in America at least, we can turn off what we don't want to hear to not have to deal with the problem! We eat the meat without know what the animal has been through, we buy the shoes without thinking of the 7 year who made them in a third world, we drink the coffee without evening imagining the labor a poor farmer went through without getting a fair wage. That is how we function in our society.
These are my main reasons thus far. I will continue to explore it and ask questions. Like what about eating locally owned, farm raised poultry? How about milk, cheese, and eggs-how is the dairy industry affecting the world? I don't know yet. I am open to insights and discussions on this. Here are some links to interesting sources on all of this:
goveg.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D8wSEHTbVk
http://www.alternet.org/story/12162
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1839995,00.html
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