On my way to the shops recently, I came across a small group outside the mall. They wore Guy Fawkes masks and held laptops showing videos of animal suffering. Their banner read: Anonymous for the Voiceless.
All my life I had pushed this issue aside and carried on eating meat. But one phrase on their placard stopped me in my tracks:
“Why are my taste buds more important than the suffering and death of another living creature?”
That line wouldn’t leave me. I watched two of the videos they recommended — one by Ed Winters (UK), the other by Gary Yourofsky (USA) — and for the first time I felt obliged to reconsider my standpoint.
What I Didn’t Know
Of course I knew animals were killed for meat. But I had never really thought about the dairy industry.
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- Cows must be artificially inseminated to produce milk.
- Their calves are taken away soon after birth so humans can consume the milk.
- The calves’ stomachs are then used for rennet, a key ingredient in many cheeses.
- Chickens in the egg industry live in conditions so brutal they barely warrant description.
- Now I understand why vegans put dairy and meat on the same level. There is no such thing as humane suffering or a humane death.
Cultural Defences
In the same week, I read about Air New Zealand serving vegan burgers on flights to the USA. Carnivores were furious. MP Nathan Guy tweeted:
“Disappointing to see Air NZ promoting a GE substitute meat burger. We produce the most delicious steaks and lamb on the planet – GMO and hormone free. The national carrier should be pushing our premium products.”
So — jingoism as a defence for cruelty?
Religion and the Blind Spot
Years ago, when I still believed in God, vegetarian friends asked me why I ate meat. I had no good answer.
Looking back, I see how Christianity itself shaped my indifference. The Bible tells us that:
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- God preferred Abel’s animal sacrifice over Cain’s vegetables (Genesis 4).
- Humans were given permission to eat meat (Genesis 9).
- Animals lack souls and need no salvation (Genesis 1).
- Humans are to rule over animals and nature (Genesis 1).
- Sacrificed animals were required to cover sin (Hebrews 9).
- This world will one day be destroyed and replaced (2 Peter 3).
With such narratives, why give thought to the suffering of animals or the destruction of the environment? When was the last time you heard a sermon in church encouraging veganism?
By contrast, many Hindus are vegetarian. In Hinduism, animals are treated with greater respect — perhaps because of reincarnation, perhaps because there is no idea that this world is disposable.
My Challenge
In conclusion, I challenge you to watch either Dominion or Land of Hope and Glory. If you do, you may find yourself with no excuses left to remain a carnivore.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. The more helpless the creature, the more it is entitled to protection.”
— Mahatma Gandhi