Other holidays do too, but the more dominant emotion that both Thanksgiving and Christmas evoke for me, for example, is sadness. Sadness at the senseless slaughter of all those sentient beings who would rather stay alive. Who so deserve to stay alive.
Easter, on the other hand, being such an important Christian holiday, stirs up more anger in me not only because animal beings and products are the theme of this equally secular holiday, but because of the Christian justification of animal use. This justification hits even more close to home as all of my siblings and parents are active church members, I currently work in a Christian retirement home, and live in a small town with a seemingly disproportionately large and vocal Christian population.
This isn't to say that I'm anti-Christian per se. Religious upbringing (indoctrination some would say) can be hard to shake, and I believe that being vegan is the Christian thing to do. (In my opinion, you can be vegan without being Christian, but you can't be a true Christian without also being vegan. Otherwise, it would render the term "Christian" empty and meaningless.) It isn't to say that Christianity doesn't have lots of doctrine that supports veganism. Christ himself, I believe, (whether you view him as a once living or mythical figure) was vegan at heart, and would be vegan if he were alive today. And it isn't to say that I don't know of some very fine vegan Christians.
But the fact of the matter is that most Christians aren't vegan, the Bible does not explicitly endorse veganism enough, and Christian teachings are actively misused to justify animal exploitation. The word dominion, for example, has been bastardized to mean domination instead of stewardship. And if ANY group of people could be thought of as having a mandate to care for all of God's creation (if you happen to believe in any of the various forms of creationism), wouldn't it be Christians? Secular vegans rightly believe that all sentient beings are worthy of respect, that caring for them is the ethical thing to do, the morally right stance if you will. But Christians, one would think, would have an even deeper reason to not use and abuse any living creature if they truly believed that God loves all. Sadly, most Christians do not adhere to this. And in a sense, I believe this makes animal cruelty all the crueler and morally wrong when inflicted by a person who espouses to being Christian.
On a more personal level, it irritates me that my Christian family has no real interest in why I'm vegan. They're all smart, so unfortunately I can't lay the blame on them not being bright enough to grasp vegan principles. And while it's possible (okay, likely) that I'm hugely projecting here, I sometimes get the sense that while they're a bit sad I'm not "saved", they're actually quite pleased with themselves for tolerating my "vegan lifestyle" and for not saying too much about it. Actually, for the most part, not anything. In this way, they can view themselves as liberal without having to examine their own morals and their own role in perpetuating animal violence. Can you tell this bugs me? Because a part of me feels that if they truly thought I was an intelligent and moral person, they would actually listen to what I have to say. Ah, family dynamics. No wonder so many vegan organizations suggest concentrating on strangers rather than family!
Another aspect of Christianity and veganism is that on a certain level I think Christians are even harder to reach than folk who aren't religious. Because while you would think the Golden Rule would hold even more weight with those religiously inclined, Christians in particular seem to feel that their god has given them permission to do whatever the fuck they want with animals use and abuse other animals as they see fit. It's almost as if you have to do an extra layer of work: No, the cruelty and death we inflict on other sentient beings is wrong, no, we don't have the right to do that, AND no, we don't have God's permission to do so.
Where I stand on animal sentience and rights is pretty clear to me. Not so clear is Christianity. Having been immersed since birth (similar to how society immerses us in trying to accept animal use/abuse as normal), I still want to accept the good of this religion while rejecting the bad. I remember as a small kid arguing with my mom that if God was perfect and just then of course Jews and Muslims would be going to heaven as well, in large part because I think kids naturally have a strong and innate sense of justice. By the time I was twelve I vacillated between thinking I'd be a church minister when I got older, or an atheist. Talk about all or nothing, snort. Instead, I've been on the believer-agnostic-atheist circular loop numerous times, and that will likely not change. Which is fine, because ultimately what you DO is more important than what you say or believe.
I still believe that the Christ figure (whether real or mythical), was a fine dude and a social revolutionary of his time. An early feminist (he believed women could be teachers, and working women, even prostitutes, were not untouchable), animal liberator (that whole Temple thing), and champion of the poor and downtrodden. I often quip that I get along with Jesus just fine, but that it's his dad I have issues with. And would give a real piece of my mind to, if, um, given that chance.
Anyway, thanks for listening to my Easter rant. Please hug a bunny if you can this weekend, or donate to a rescue organization that provides homes to these fellow beings.
A peaceful and blessed Easter to you all! :)
What a great post! Thank you for writing this. I'm a bit taken aback that even Canadians seem to have, at least someplaces, that christian cloak of whatever it is that makes them often so proudly obtuse. I keep encountering my fantasy that Canadians are so much more...I don't know...grown-up or something than Americans...and when I see something that counters that it boogles my mind a little.
Supposedly Ghandi said something to the effect that he he liked Christ ok but that he didn't care much for christians. You two (and me) might have enjoyed conversing. :-)
Enjoy your holiday, ignore the yahoos, and remember that old saying about prophets not being without honor...except in their own country. I think that means something like that we tend to be not seen/heard clearly by those closest to us.
I will hug a bunch of bunnies on your behalf this weekend. :-) You give yourself a hug please.
Great post, HGV. You hit on many of the reasons I am Christian (trying every day to live like Christ) but find it difficult to become a belong of to a fellowship of people that doesn't given animal use and abuse a second thought.
In my experience, the distinction between vegans and non-vegans (Christian or otherwise) is:
[1] Have you really thought about life, fear, and death from an animal's perspective?
[2] If you have, are you sufficiently compassionate to violate social and family customs and remember their perspective, no matter its cost to opinions of you?
Quite simply, those of us who have actually thought this through will NOT harm or kill animals, and we will NOT ask others to do it for us. (It's interesting that many vegans I know make no effort to avoid thinking--as writers and readers, we think things through, including their consequences on the web of life around us.)
Most people who have not thought this through, I believe, would be vegan if they really did think about it, or if they did have to harm or kill the animals themselves. (Not talking about hunters, of course.) It's just too comfortable to close their eyes tight and pretend hatchery shredders and factory farms and bolt guns and suffering and disease have nothing to do with what they're eating.
Thanks so much! I needed this piece that expresses perfectly what so many of us "believer-agnostic-atheist" animal-rights activists feel at Easter and other Christian holidays, filled as they are with undeniable hypocrisies. I especially love and relate to your quip: "I get along with Jesus just fine; it's his dad I have issues with." Indeed, how could a LOVING Father allow factory farms or other atrocities done to His precious creation?! Why were humans given so much power and free will, when we obviously can't handle them? I seriously don't get that. It is Easter! And man, in his infinite wisdom, says, "Let us express our love of the Father and praise His Son, the Lamb of God, by killing a lamb and eating her leg?" I mean, seriously? How are we all not completely schizophrenic? :/ A peaceful, blessed, and nonviolent Easter to you.
I enjoyed reading this great post HGV! It echoes many of my thoughts/experiences as well. I too was in the circular treadmill of "faith/question/doubt/belief". I settled on the latter because evidence based "belief" just feels right for me. Everyone has their own journey and it's not mine to direct.
I agree though, the most totally annoying thing about 99% of religious doctrine is the "license to use" nonhumans - Talk about "gOd" made in man's image! I always shudder to think of all the things "he" lets us do to nonhumans (and each other).
I'm celebrating today in the joy of nature's renewal and the infinite variation and wonder of earthly matter... I hope you have a fine day as well. <3
Oh... The point about family not asking about veganism? Hunch from experience: (they already know!) ;)
Great post! There was a document that Christ lived a pretty much vegan diet. According to the scriptures Christ ate a mostly plant base and raw plant diet. Most of my family are celebrating today as Easter without the lamb. Wishing you all a very Blessed Easter day <3
First, a big Thank You to all for your lovely and thoughtful responses, and a huge apology for not replying sooner. Your comments were read and enjoyed (certainly not ignored), but life has this habit of getting in the way...
@veganelder: Thanks. I have to say though that my town is probably not representative (small, with a large wave of Dutch Christian immigrants coming over post WWII with conservative values held intact), so likely (hopefully?) not as reflective of typical Canadians as other Canadians!
@Tom: You're one of the very fine vegan Christians I was referring to. :)
And yes, thinking things through is so vital! Along the line of that famous adage "the unexamined life is not worth living", I think we should add "and the unexamined faith is not worth having." ;)
@Apps55...aka Janet, snort: You're welcome! I'm pleased it helped. I like to think that if there is an all-knowing and all loving God, that s/he is just as sad and upset and bewildered as we are. Human beings must be such a disappointment! Because if God is perfect and just, then animal use/abuse would be displeasing to him + her just as much.
@Bea: See comment to Janet above. Plus, yeah, are we made in God's image, or have we made Him (if God does exist, then s/he would be both him AND her IMO) in ours? Will we ever find out for sure? ;)
@Cdlitestudio: Thanks for dropping by! Yes, I've heard that assertion about Christ as well, and it makes sense to me. Hope you (and all of you above too!) had a wonderful Easter.
Again, my apologies for not getting back to this post sooner.
This is a wonderful post. I agree with it all. I once sent a letter to the minister at my ex-church and a packet of religion-based information and a CD with suggestions for a sermon on animal welfare and Christianity. He never even responded. I also called a Quaker group that was having a BBQ and asked if violence against animals didn't conflict with their pacifist beliefs. I do try to control myself - sometimes! But I did really want to know.
I even pointed out Genesis 1:29, which seems to get skipped when teaching the Bible. That's basis enough for me to agree that Christians should be vegans. And then there's 'Thou shall not kill', which, unless I'm reading incorrect translations, doesn't specify. It doesn't say 'Thou shall not kill only humans, unless they are part of a group of humans that your country decides they must eradicate or it's a human your society says must die'. It says 'Thou shall not kill'. Period. We are not granted the right to take a life, any life, human or otherwise.
Faith and following a religion, i.e. Christianity, is not easy. We are supposed to do what is right and we should want to do what is right. That means sacrifice. That means compassion. And maybe God is punishing us for killing and eating animals. We kill them and eat them and by eating them, we kill ourselves, both spiritually and physically. God gives people who eat animals more heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses. Isn't that a sign?