Introductions - Why Vegetarian?

[Chris Tinney]

How fun! Welcome.

Just thought I'd say hi and introduce myself.
Im the founder of VegHaven :)
This is me :)~

I'm traveling for the next year on The Peace Tour..

I'm Vegan for for both health and ethical reasons.
My intention in starting VegHaven was to create a Social Network that makes a difference!

Thanks for coming and please jump in and tell us about yourself :)

What made you become Vegetarian?

How did you find your way here?

We can't wait to learn more about you!

Namaste,
Chris

[Anita Karenina]

Dear cassandra,
I am sorry to tell you that the milk industry causes grief to cows beyhond belief. Please do look into it, it is an awful reality. Plus, if you get eggs from the stores, do not let them fool you with the cage free standards. They are far from ideal. ask the chickens!
Thank you for being vegetarian so far.
Anita

[Cari]

This video did it for me:


While surfing youtube one night (*12/13/07* to be exact), I found the above video and watched in horror and disgust. I became deeply depressed and found myself tearing up or balling my eyes out at night for the next week. I immediately gave away my meat/dairy produce and stopped eating meat. I've slipped up with the eggs and milk only because they put it in everything! I couldn't resist the Christmas cookies; however, I have not and will not purchase anything in the future that contains anything that comes from animals. This video has changed my life forever.
Now, I feel like I live in a world full of barbarians -- my family included. I wish more than anything in the world for people to start caring. Caring about all living things, less about themselves. The human population is more disgusting than roaches, more toxic than bleach, and more violent than T-Rex was, to me we are at least. Forget racisim, I'm ashamed to even be the same BREED as some of the people on this planet!

On a good note -- I'm ecstatic about my diet -- I can't change the world, but I can change myself.

[Anita Karenina]

My darling,

I know so very well how you feel. I feel the same way you do. It is hard, to be aware of it all and see humans the way we did before. No way. I believe most people are scared of changes. What became of me since i started looking around and stopped thinking just about myself? I started to discard friends, acquaintances, family members....and so on. But i promise you, i much prefer a life on lonelyness than to be a part of this sick, vile and futile society. I have a wonderful vegan partner, lots of people i meet at Animal rights protests and gatherings, and we support each other. We fight for those who cannot defend themselves. I carry leaflets in my bag all the time and pass them on as i see someone wearing fur, and i see the way they look at me: They could not care less for what happen to the rabbit or the fox or the cat. It is heartbreaking and i feel angry at times. But i must go on on living like this, otherwise life makes no sense at all. Not to me. Not if i cannot help the helpless.
Much love to you
Keep in touch if you wish
Anita

[Chris Tinney]

What a great discussion. WOW.

Thanks cari for sharing and yes I believe you sorted through that and came to the same concusion I have come to. Change start with us!

"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.

This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."
Sign hanging in Einstein's office at Princeton

Once one tapsinto this energy and flow of compassion they would never want to go back.
I'd rather have one compassionate friend than 1,000 unconcious ones.

That is the very purpose of this community... to bring like minded people together!

Namaste

[Cassandra]

I forgot to add that I very rarely buy eggs from the store. Also, I now only use the european butter that I can identify all the ingredients. My main problem with why I'm not vegan is that a lot of stuff in the supermarket has dairy products in it. Moneywise, with what I make from my job, I could not afford living on food from Mother Earth (the only completely vegetarian supermarket in town). I do try to buy organic food and do limit my consumption of milk to adding in coffee. I'm glad Kraft now has orgainic mac and cheese that lists the cheese as not having rennet or animal enzymes in it. It's hard to identify all the ingredients in the food at the supermarkets. With all the scientific names, sometimes I can't tell what an ingredients is. I do really like veggie burgers. I agree that eating out is hard to do when you're a vegetarian. More than one place has lied about not having meat broth or fat in their food. Trust me, those restaurants never saw me order anything ever again from their place. Anita Dias, I feel the same way when I see people wearing fur coats. When I was younger, I tried to convince peope to not wear fur coats including family members. Sadly, they wouldn't give them up and still wear them.

[Anita Karenina]

Dear CAssandra, i can see you are aware of most things and that you are making an effort, for the animals, thank you sooooooo much. However.....
Rarely still means you buy them and i would like you to explain why you do so, when you know that it is dubious and unethical and causes the animal suffering. If you condemned the fact that animals are being kept for our benefit, whether they are caged or not, to buy into this trade seems contradictive. You see, for me, animals are not on this planet to please humans, i see them as creatures with their own purpose, i respect them and ultimately, because they cannot speak for themselves, i speak up for them. It does not mean you should and will do the same. But as you said, you did not like the treatment they get by the meat industry, so what makes you believe the dairy industry treats them better? Perhaps you have not looked into it enough, but i do suggest you do darling. A milking cow that has her milk poured into your coffee ends up on pet food or on somebody's shoes. Is that any different from those who are bred for meat only?????

I do hope that is people like you that see the awful reality that make the changes....changes we make for ourselves the animals and the world. Please look into it. I am sure you do not need to make a huge effort.

Be well, and be kind....
Anita

[Deborah Akbar]

I quit taking prescriptions almost 3 years ago and thats when I stopped meat and as much unnatural stuff as possible.

[Cari]

Awesome!! We really do need to quit taking as much prescriptions as possible or else the entire population (minus the ones in "power") is going to become vegitative zombies who don't think or feel the way humans are supposed to. I rarely take over the counter drugs myself...my body seems to know how to heal itself if I give it time.

[pradtf]

cari,

the body's natural state is to be healthy. 'sickness' is an indication that something is wrong and the body is trying to repair the damage. doing drugs generally interferes with this process and weakens the body's ability to heal itself.

consider diarrhea. it happens because you've been consumptively naughty and the body is trying to clean up. now if you do the kaopectate (whose chemical name is the formidable sounding bismuth subsalicylate) thing, you are preventing the body's cleansing process. it's a bit like making your house filthy and then shooting the hired cleaning person. (since most people can't afford to hire a cleaning person and do the cleaning themselves, you are literally shooting yourself).

if you want to read an uncompromising 'second' opinion on all this by someone who really speaks his mind (may be he's a sagittarius too) take a look at dr bernarr zovluck's article Alternative Healing...What Nobody Understands right here.

in friendship,
prad

[Cari]

WoW thanks for the link! He answers a lot of questions and gave me some great pointers!
No wonder I literally feel sick when I don't get enough sleep. People always want to pressure me to go out or "worry about sleep later," but I do not feel well when my sleep is taken away from me. Also, I didn't know that I should rest my eyes as often as possible when I'm sick -- makes sense.

[pradtf]

i found quite surprising too when i read about the eyes a few years back. it really does make sense though from many perspectives. when the body is trying to heal itself, the less it has to do, the better. it's a pretty straightforward application of the law of conservation of energy - the less you use in one place, the more that is available in another ... which is why animals have the good sense to fast if they ever get sick since digestion is hard work. most people though either eat to "keep up their strength" or do drugs.

glad you found the link useful.

in friendship,
prad

[Kathy]

My name is Kathy and I live in Miami Florida!

I've been a Vegetarian for 4 months now and I am so proud of myself and feel so great about not eating meat! I'm going to school to be a Vet and my love for animals is soooo strong. I worked at a vet's office and the doctor and a co-worker were both veggie heads/vegan. So they inspired me a lot! I watched "meet your meat" and cried myself to sleep, I had no idea what a disgusting, gruesome, horrible, industry it was. Ever since that night I have not touched meat! I didn't think it'd be this easy! I'm so happy now and I love to look at cows and just smile lol Sounds corny I know, but it's such a peaceful feeling :)

I have a new respect for pasta (lol) and I LOOVE VEGGIES :)

I am a member of the ASPCA and PETA. I don't necessarily believe in EVERYTHING that Peta preeches, but a lot of it seems great so far :)

I have "buy cruelty free" stickers on all my school folders and have given some to friends too ;)

Well that sums it up. I love animals and WILL spend the rest of my life fighting for them, and with them. It's what I was sent here for :)