Jeff Popick

You jump in the shower, grab a bar of soap, lather up, take in the sweet aroma of the bubbles and all is well with the world. You sure ‘bout that?

In modern America, virtually all commercially available major brands of bar soap, even those that are 99 and something percent pure, are made from animal fat. Due to the obvious “gross factor,” manufacturers don’t like to call it animal fat so they put it on the label as tallow or sodium tallowate. Some of the brands you may think are the purest just simply don’t even list the jargonized ingredients. For a moment, let’s put the gross factor, or the illogic of rubbing oneself with animal fat to make oneself clean aside.

It all depends on what the burger is made from ... A 408 page report by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that 18% of greenhouse gases are coming from animal agriculture – meat and dairy, that is. Therefore, what many people are eating is contributing more to global warming than the entire transportation sector of the United States.

Low calorie and vegetarian recipes are an often synonymous terms, which is one reason why vegetarians and vegans typically don’t suffer from the obesity epidemic that plagues the rest of society. Many obese people often say that they’ve “tried every diet,” but what this usually means is that they’ve tried every “diet fad” and not the one way of eating that fosters thin bodies. Ironically, vegetarians and vegans are stereotyped as being thin, so why not join the “thin club?”

In my own early learning of the “forbidden fruit,” I was taught that Eve tempted Adam with an Apple which he then ate. Then, when God found out about it, He was very angry because He had previously prohibited the eating of apples – hence the forbidden fruit – and cast Adam and Eve out of Eden (paradise). This concept immediately prompts many questions from inquisitive minds such as why are apples forbidden? But because there are no logical answers to this or any of the other questions that stem from this scenario, the religious leaders and clergy generally finish the question and answer session with the all-encompassing “The Lord works in mysterious ways.” I beg to differ.

Instinctively and innately we are a world of animal lovers. In the United States alone, there are well over one hundred million dogs and cats. It is difficult to come to the realization that owning “pets” out of a love of animals is backwards logic. A good example of backwards logic is banging your head against a wall because it feels good when you stop.

People who swallow vitamin C have vitamin C in their bodies. It’s a silly thing to have to point out because it simply goes without saying. It should be equally silly, but unfortunately is not, to point out that people who swallow meat; i.e., fear, aggression and violence, have these elements in their bodies.

Do a search on vegetarianism and veganism and you will find a wealth of information. Nowadays there are numerous genres of books, each genre dealing with specific aspects of a vegan and vegetarian lifestyle. Health and weight control, animal welfare, theology and spirituality, recipes and cooking, philosophy, the environment … and the list goes on. You name it and it’s out there. And, while there’s something to be gained from almost any book you read (on this topic or any other for that matter), there are a few classics that land on your bookshelf, get recommended to friends and get read again and again.

I know a man who says he loves animals. He really believes he does. Unfortunately, he is very much like millions of people around the world. I used to be a lot like him, too. I’ll call this man Jonathan.

What is a vegan? I’m glad you asked. Perhaps the best way to fully understand the definition of the word vegan is to first have a better understanding of seemingly less confusing words.

Would you rather live your life in a paradise or in a hell? I’m going to assume that you would choose paradise, since virtually every sane human on the planet would.