REASONS (NOT) TO EAT MEAT: The EFFA Perspective

Ask someone "Why do you eat meat?" and here are some of the main answers you will hear:

1. "Not eating meat would be unhealthy. We need meat to survive."
Our Response: There has been tons of research conducted on this topic in the recent and not-so-recent past - on whether or not becoming and being a vegetarian can be detrimental to one's health. There are results on both sides of the debate that can either "prove" that it can be, or prove that it is absolutely safe. Whether you're a lacto-ovo vegetarian, a vegan, or a carnivore, you'll find something to prove you are "right". So, it boils down to choice. Which "results" do you want to believe? We want to believe the results that will prevent more animals from suffering and being killed instead of the results that promote the killing of animals. When faced with moral decisions, you should always make the compassionate choice. Remember: One of the great things about our ability to choose is that it allows us to choose an ethical path.

2. "I like the taste of meat. I can't imagine giving it up completely."
Our Response: Many people who eat meat find it very tasty. However, the fact that meat is tasty doesn't make it OK to eat. We must remember how this meat got to our table. We at EFFA believe that the taste is actually part of the temptation, part of the test of how advanced we are in our compassion. A person on a higher level of consciousness will be willing to give up the taste because the life of the animal is more important. Remember: Just because something is pleasurable doesn't make it right. When pleasure comes at the expense of another living thing's life, this pleasure will have negative consequences. Also important to remember is that while it's best to give up eating meat completely, any step you take to minimize your meat consumption is a good one.

3. "If God didn't want us to eat meat, He would not have made it so tasty!"
Our Response: We're not a religious organization, but, using the same logic, - If God didn't want us to overindulge in alcohol, He would not have made it so tasty. If God didn't want us to get addicted to cocaine, He would not have made it so pleasurable. If God did want us have sex with our friends' wives or husbands, He would not have made them so attractive. Using these examples, we can see how flawed the initial comment is.

4. "I don't care if a cow dies... or a pig, let alone a chicken!"
Our Response: This type of thinking usually comes from a lack of empathy for the suffering of other living beings. Humans are, in many cases, more intelligent than other animals, but this does not give us the right to make them suffer for our benefit. Over the course of many centuries, we have created and clung to the belief that other animals are here to serve us and to be our food. We believe this because it allows us to continue killing them, despite the obvious signs of suffering. We are here to remind you that other animals suffer and feel pain, fear, and depression much like we do. A self-centered approach is far too common in the world today. Many people only empathize with their own problems, or the problems of their family. They don't really care about the suffering of other people or animals. We believe that it is very important to open our hearts to the suffering of others, especially innocent beings (which is what animals are) and to help them in any way we can. Concentrating only on our immediate problems might seem alright, but, in fact, it will lead to a wasted life. Even if you're not interested in growing your compassion towards other living beings, we encourage you to at least respect their right to live. Remember: All animals have the right to live, not only humans. There are many alternatives these days to eating meat, alternatives that do not involve causing suffering and death to other animals.

5. "Becoming a vegetarian is too much of a hassle/too hard/too expensive."
Our Response: Becoming a vegetarian is not hard. The hard part is to break one's addiction to meat. Any addiction is hard to break. This can be done more easily if you have the motivation of compassion behind you, and the desire to end the cycle of suffering. Finding vegetarian alternatives to your typical meat dishes is fairly easy these days. Even if you have to drive or walk a little farther to buy food, the positive change you create by not having other animals killed in your name will easily outweigh the little extra effort you have to make. Sometimes, we have to go the extra mile to even out the playing field. As for cost, vegetarianism does not have to be expensive. A little research goes a long way, and there are plenty of sites out there that can provide you with low-cost, healthy alternatives to meat.

6. "Eating meat is natural. We're part of the food chain."
Our Response: The "food-chain" argument is a concoction that was invented to make it morally acceptable to eat meat. Please refer to Belief # 7 in our Statement of Beliefs to find out more.