SPIRITUALITY

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.

Ever since human beings broke the bonds of trust they had with God in the Garden of Eden, and disobeyed the Lord, the earth has become filled with horror, pain, and suffering for both humans and non-humans.

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.

For more than two decades, we have been struggling with the conflicts that ethical vegans have faced within the Church.

People who have a deep empathy for every living being upon this earth naturally seek to live more compassionately. They do everything in their power to end the suffering of every other living being, whether human or non-human. They stop eating animals. They stop wearing animal skins and using any product or services that exploit animals. They become vegans.

Should we move away from Democracy-–which is really just a rule by the elite (humans)-–to an Omniocracy (a government of, by and for all living beings). The European Union has added nonhumans to their Constitution, as have Switzerland and Germany.

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.

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.

We all want to go to Heaven. Even if some of us don’t believe that Heaven really exists, who wouldn’t want to go there if it did? Certainly, all good “God-fearing” Americans believe that Heaven is a wonderful place of eternal bliss … and, oh yes, ruled by a totalitarian dictator. So if the pinnacle of happiness exists under a dictator, why do we embrace democracy? There’s a stinging lesson here and maybe more than one.