Vegan and vegetarian brothers and sisters

[Cushi]

31 minutes ago, M'Awan said:

Wow, avocado is nice. I see strawberries and lettuce. Good for you, Brother Jack eating vegetables with your fruits. Loved the spaghetti too.  Be careful about the dressing. Olive oil I believe. High fat cream would be nice but bad for one with high cholesterol like me. Do you make the salad as you go or do you follow a recipe? I like balsamic vinegar with toasted bread.

I like som tam (Thai green papaya salad) with pickled small black crabs. Crazy spicy the one I ate in Bangkok. 

Oops, it's not vegan.

Time to go to the border town of Hatyai for some Thai food. 

 

https://www.yumsome.com/vegan-som-tam/

Sprinkle lots of crushed toasted peanuts

 

I guess they do kind of look like strawberries. They are actually tomatoes. Instead of spaghetti, it’s spiralized cucumber. Sometimes I use zucchini. I never use oil. I squeeze half a lemon into it as dressing. Although I eat a mostly fruitarian diet, I don’t limit myself to fruits alone. I also eat salad, nuts, seeds, non sweet fruits and occasionally vegetables when I eat out 

[Naturale]

When you eat huge amounts of salads every kind of raw veg etc and with so many ways to vary them and have baked potatoes, brown rice, millet etc you feel so energised and don't even miss junk food.

I like buckwheat pancakes with cheese and tomatoes on top when I feel like something that resembles a pizza

 

Cold pressed oils in dark bottles ideally organic (keep in a cool place with lid tight) are really healthy and so good to make a salad dressing with.  You need good fats!

Don't heat them though as they then become toxic.  You can use a high quality coconut oil to cook with.

Edited July 16, 2019 by Naturale

[Cushi]

5 hours ago, Naturale said:

When you eat huge amounts of salads every kind of raw veg etc and with so many ways to vary them and have baked potatoes, brown rice, millet etc you feel so energised and don't even miss junk food.

I like buckwheat pancakes with cheese and tomatoes on top when I feel like something that resembles a pizza

 

Cold pressed oils in dark bottles ideally organic (keep in a cool place with lid tight) are really healthy and so good to make a salad dressing with.  You need good fats!

Don't heat them though as they then become toxic.  You can use a high quality coconut oil to cook with.

Thanks but the medication I take greatly reduces my metabolism and rice and potatoes put weight on me like crazy. I seldom eat potatoes or rice. I guess the only time I eat food cooked with oil is when I eat out. I do have some oil that I bought to make rice with but I haven’t used it in a while. 

[Witness1970]

On ‎8‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 4:25 PM, Brother Jack said:

Actually, in the new world, we will most likely be vegan. Many vegetarians still consume diary products like milk, eggs and cheese. In the new world we will have no reason to consume those things. Animals produce eggs and milk for their young, not for human consumption 🙂

I can understand how cows produce milk for their young. But in what way are the eggs produced for their young. Once the young chicken, bird, whatever is born, what do the eggs laid by the mother benefit the young. I have never seen a young chick eating an egg.

 

The June 8, 1976 Watchtower, pages 12-15, had an article on vegetarianism.  When I read this article years ago, I didn't know much about vegetarianism. This article mentioned Natural Hygiene and Ja'in vegetarians. I always thought that vegetarianism would be a healthy way to live. I just never got a chance to try it because my family was always eating meat and I just went along.

 

In the 1990's, I studied extensively about Natural Hygiene, which is actually a total science of health. The word hygiene originally meant health, but has grown to be associated more with cleanliness. I also worked with a couple of Hindus. One was a vegetarian and the other was a Ja'in vegetarian. Ja'in vegetarians will not eat anything that grows underground, like potatoes or carrots. Vegetarians also fall into different groups. There are vegans which are very strict, refusing even to use animal products in clothing or shoes, and refusing to use honey because you have to rob beehives to get it. There are vegetarians who eat only vegetables, there are ovo-lacto vegetarians who add milk and eggs to their vegetarian diet. There are people who call themselves vegetarian who still eat fish and chicken. (When you speak of being vegetarian, some people say, "you still eat chicken and fish, don't you?" I guess you could respond by saying, "it depends on how my garden does.!" I have never picked any fish or chicken out of a garden!)

 

I have heard vegetarians say that eating a pure vegetable diet can be very expensive unless you grow your own fruits and vegetables. I worked with one woman who was a vegetarian who people said kept a bad odor. I have read a vegetarian publication that stated that when someone switches from a meat-based diet to a vegetarian that it would produce some malodorous flatulence.

 

I have read a lot of things over the years.

Edited July 16, 2019 by Witness1970

[Hope]

Quote

It has been christened the marrot.

In the past year, several prominent restaurant chains have added plant-based burgers, sausages and ground beef to their menus, embracing a growing consumer demand for vegetarian products that simulate the taste and texture of meat.

But Arby’s is going in the opposite direction. Rather than invest in such alternatives, the chain has unveiled a product designed to poke fun at fans of meatless meat: a carrot made from turkey.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/business/arbys-fake-carrot.html

 

At last! 

 

 

 

[Cushi]

59 minutes ago, Witness1970 said:

I can understand how cows produce milk for their young. But in what way are the eggs produced for their young. Once the young chicken, bird, whatever is born, what do the eggs laid by the mother benefit the young. I have never seen a young chick eating an egg.

 

The June 8, 1976 Watchtower, pages 12-15, had an article on vegetarianism.  When I read this article years ago, I didn't know much about vegetarianism. This article mentioned Natural Hygiene and Ja'in vegetarians. I always thought that vegetarianism would be a healthy way to live. I just never got a chance to try it because my family was always eating meat and I just went along.

 

In the 1990's, I studied extensively about Natural Hygiene, which is actually a total science of health. The word hygiene originally meant health, but has grown to be associated more with cleanliness. I also worked with a couple of Hindus. One was a vegetarian and the other was a Ja'in vegetarian. Ja'in vegetarians will not eat anything that grows underground, like potatoes or carrots. Vegetarians also fall into different groups. There are vegans which are very strict, refusing even to use animal products in clothing or shoes, and refusing to use honey because you have to rob beehives to get it. There are vegetarians who eat only vegetables, there are ovo-lacto vegetarians who add milk and eggs to their vegetarian diet. There are people who call themselves vegetarian who still eat fish and chicken. (When you speak of being vegetarian, some people say, "you still eat chicken and fish, don't you?" I guess you could respond by saying, "it depends on how my garden does.!" I have never picked any fish or chicken out of a garden!)

 

I have heard vegetarians say that eating a pure vegetable diet can be very expensive unless you grow your own fruits and vegetables. I worked with one woman who was a vegetarian who people said kept a bad odor. I have read a vegetarian publication that stated that when someone switches from a meat-based diet to a vegetarian that it would produce some malodorous flatulence.

 

I have read a lot of things over the years.

Well I didn’t mean the baby chicks would eat the yolk, but that it was used for them to grow into chicks. Although I eat a vegan diet, I don’t consider myself a real vegan because I still wear animal products and I find nothing morally wrong with eating or wearing animals. Jesus ate animals and he was perfect. I just don’t think it’s the best diet for optimal health. That’s just the opinion I have based on the tons of research I’ve done. Many vegans think it’s morally wrong to eat animals and wear animal products. They try to elevate animals to the same position as humans. Humans were made in God’s image, not animals. Jehovah ordained that we could eat animals and use them for clothing.

What I do find wrong is how many animals that are raised for food are treated. I’ve seen videos of baby calves taken from their mothers only to have the mother crying for her baby days on end. These cows are separated from their baby’s and used to generate milk for humans, who ironically, are way past the milk drinking stage. Once they can’t produce milk they are killed for their meat. Chickens are pumped with hormones to get bigger and are kept in small enclosures with feces everywhere. Many of these chickens literally go insane. I’ve seen male baby chicks fed into grinders while still alive. To me that’s wrong. Not eating animals, but mistreating the ones you raise for food. We do it the right way at the bethel farms. As far as wearing animal products go, I believe wearing an animal benefits you way more than eating one. Eating an animal only benefits you for a few hours but using one for clothing can benefit you for decades. Look at sheep. They don’t shed their wool and they have to be sheared. If they aren’t sheared, the sheep can’t regulate it’s body temperature and overheat and die. Why not use that shorn wool for clothing instead of wasting it?  

 

I’ve eaten honey about 4 times since being vegan. It doesn’t bother me. I actually spent more money on groceries when I was eating the standard American diet than I do as a vegan. Keep in mind that I eat about 95% fresh produce and about 30% of it is organic. In my experience I have found that it’s only more expensive only when you buy all organic. I just buy fruits where you eat the skin organic, like apples, pears and peaches because of the pesticides. Fruits like watermelon, pineapple, cantaloupe, and avocados I don’t buy organic. You just have to be a smart shopper and know where to get your produce. I get most of my produce from Aldi because they have good prices. As far as odor goes, when you first start eating mostly fruits and vegetables you may smell or have bad breath because your body is detoxing. Once your body becomes clean, it goes away. I hope this isn’t too much information but when I do #2 or have flatulence there is no odor. I don’t have bad or morning breath either. 

Edited July 16, 2019 by Brother Jack

[Qapla]

21 minutes ago, Brother Jack said:

when you first start eating mostly fruits and vegetables you may smell or have bad breath because your body is detoxing.

 

Are you saying Jehovah recommended/gave a toxic diet to Noah when he gave him meat to eat?

 

Perhaps a better way to phrase things would be to say "your body is adjusting" - otherwise, not only would we be saying Jehovah gave us toxic food to eat - we would also be saying Jesus ate a toxic diet when he was on earth.

[Cushi]

4 minutes ago, Qapla said:

 

Are you saying Jehovah recommended/gave a toxic diet to Noah when he gave him meat to eat?

 

Perhaps a better way to phrase things would be to say "your body is adjusting" - otherwise, not only would we be saying Jehovah gave us toxic food to eat - we would also be saying Jesus ate a toxic diet when he was on earth.

Look, I’m really not trying to turn this into an argument. I believe Jehovah gave man meat to eat so the human race could survive. I’m sure back in Jesus’ day the meat wasn’t processed and prepared in such an unhealthy way like it is today. Jehovah told them to roast their meat. Many meats aren’t cooked like that today. For Example, today many meats are fried and I think everyone knows that’s unhealthy. 

[Qapla]

I'm not trying to have/start an argument either ...

 

However, while you may believe man was only given meat as a stop-gap, others may believe Jehovah planned to give mankind meat all-along - that is why our body can digest it and gain nourishment from it.

 

The fact is, the Bible does not say if meat was intended to be part of man's diet from the beginning or not ... not in so many words - that is why the FDS says we should not be dogmatic about things the Bible does not clearly state.

 

It is fine that you find your diet healthy for you ... but, when you call what others eat "toxic" it does not sit well with everyone.

 

I do not mean to offend ... I am just trying to show that there are ways of expressing things without insulting what others eat/do.

[Cushi]

21 minutes ago, Qapla said:

I'm not trying to have/start an argument either ...

 

However, while you may believe man was only given meat as a stop-gap, others may believe Jehovah planned to give mankind meat all-along - that is why our body can digest it and gain nourishment from it.

 

The fact is, the Bible does not say if meat was intended to be part of man's diet from the beginning or not ... not in so many words - that is why the FDS says we should not be dogmatic about things the Bible does not clearly state.

 

It is fine that you find your diet healthy for you ... but, when you call what others eat "toxic" it does not sit well with everyone.

 

I do not mean to offend ... I am just trying to show that there are ways of expressing things without insulting what others eat/do.

Well judging from the human digestive system, it appears humans were designed to eat what was described in Genesis. I really don’t want to go into that. I simply answered his post and if you go back and reread my post, I never singled out meat as the thing causing the body to be flooded with toxins. I simply said when you start eating mostly fruits and vegetables your body will detox. I never said that meat was the cause of the body being toxic. The body can get toxins from all kinds of food. It can also be environmental reasons. I don’t even eat meat and when I go raw I detox for a day or two. I wasn’t even talking about meat.

[Witness1970]

@Brother Jack  You obviously know what you are talking about. It is true that our bodies have to detox when it can. We have a limited supply of nerve energy, not the same as physical energy. This nerve energy is used for digestion, assimilating food, utilizing the food, and eliminating waste. Digestion is the biggest user of that energy. After the food is digested, it has to be assimilated for our use. Conversion of glucose to glycogen, and glycogen back to glucose are going on all the time. If the body does not have enough energy to remove the toxins, they can be stored in layers of fat on the body.

 

(Correct me if I am wrong) I believe that glycogen is stored in the liver for later use. It can be converted to glucose to be stored in the muscle and used when needed. When necessary glycogen from the liver can be converted to glucose for use by the body. When the body has enough glucose it can convert glucose to glycogen to be stored in the liver.

 

When someone fasts or eats fruits, the body uses less energy for digestion and then can use the extra energy for removing wastes. When these toxins are circulating through the blood stream and through the lungs, it can cause bad breath and even the sweat can smell worse.

 

It is not that meat is toxic. When we make poor food choices, the toxins can build up on our bodies. If we continue to eat, or eat too much, the body does not have energy reserves to remove these toxins and they build up. When cells in our body die and are replaced, those dead cells are also toxic and have to be removed. If the energy is not there to remove them they are stored in fatty tissue on our body to be removed later.

 

It has been said that if everyone would reduce their meat consumption by just 10%, 1) they would be healthier, 2) the effect on the environment would not be so negative (raising large herds of cattle for milk production and human meat consumption negatively affect the environment), and  3) the cruelty to animals on the large animal production farms would be decreased.

 

All of these would be improved if the meat consumption was reduced by just 10%.  Also, better diet choices would have the effect I mentioned in the last paragraph.

 

I still don't see any benefit to chicks that comes from a hen continuing to lay eggs. 

Edited July 17, 2019 by Witness1970
edited for clarity

[Naturale]

On 7/16/2019 at 6:11 PM, Witness1970 said:

I can understand how cows produce milk for their young. But in what way are the eggs produced for their young. Once the young chicken, bird, whatever is born, what do the eggs laid by the mother benefit the young. I have never seen a young chick eating an egg.

Jack was simply saying that wild birds lay eggs to produce their young.  They only lay during their breeding season so they are ferilised eggs which then hatch into their chicks.  They don't lay unfertilisd eggs.  They don't lay eggs for human consumption.  The eggs we buy in the shops are not fertilised as they are produced by domesticated birds.  It isn't reasonable to think there will be chicken farms in the new system.

Edited July 18, 2019 by Naturale

[Witness1970]

34 minutes ago, Naturale said:

Jack was simply saying that wild birds lay eggs to produce their young.  They only lay during their breeding season so they are ferilised eggs which then hatch into their chicks.  They don't lay unfertilisd eggs.  They don't lay eggs for human consumption.  The eggs we buy in the shops are not fertilised as they are produced by domesticated birds.  It isn't reasonable to think there will be chicken farms in the new system.

I don't expect any large farms in the new system; chicken, beef, dairy, etc. But Jehovah did create both wild animals and domestic animals. Is it possible that someone could have some chickens around just for their own use? I love scrambled eggs. I think I could eat them a few times a week forever.

 

(Genesis 1:25) . . .And God went on to make the wild animals of the earth according to their kinds and the domestic animals according to their kinds and all the creeping animals of the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
 

Are you telling me I can't have scrambled eggs in the new system?

Edited July 18, 2019 by Witness1970

[BenJepthah]

2 hours ago, Witness1970 said:

I don't expect any large farms in the new system; chicken, beef, dairy, etc. But Jehovah did create both wild animals and domestic animals. Is it possible that someone could have some chickens around just for their own use? I love scrambled eggs. I think I could eat them a few times a week forever.

 

(Genesis 1:25) . . .And God went on to make the wild animals of the earth according to their kinds and the domestic animals according to their kinds and all the creeping animals of the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
 

Are you telling me I can't have scrambled eggs in the new system?

Many wild fowl will continue to lay and attempt to sit a nest until they hatch one live chick so it is possible to harvest a nest and still have the hen raise a brood. Pheasants for example and Alligators 🐊 If one really wants some scrambled 🍳 

[Meditate!]

15 minutes ago, BenJepthah said:

Many wild fowl will continue to lay and attempt to sit a nest until they hatch one live chick so it is possible to harvest a nest and still have the hen raise a brood. Pheasants for example and Alligators 🐊 If one really wants some scrambled 🍳 

Good points from yourself and @Witness1970.

 

I think there  is a lot of supposition on what we will be eating in the NS. Who really knows what Adam would have ended up eating. There is so little to go on. Same as with other things.. having children or even marriage. 

 

It is true that whilst we are not to be cruel to animals as seen by the instructions in the  LAW (which is common today via intensives farming etc.. we have no real clue on this) animals are for man.. and not just (presently) eating.. they are recruited for all sorts of work.. hard work at that.

 

The extremists of the world are influencing others with a disjointed bias. They seem to have given animals as many 'rights' as humans. That is not Jehovah's view. There are 'ultra vegans' now. Definition: A person that only eats plants if they died a natural death without human interference.

 

This extremism is generally not kept within the circle of their fraternity but generates lobbyists and activists. It is by nature (no pun intended) a divisive force as it is a division between those who are with them and those not.  We do not want to be affected by this and develop an us and them either in this forum or in our congregation. We have been counselled not to push remedies for example. A/ we do not know the effect, despite good intentions, these will have on others and B/ no dietary advice or medication is pushed by the organisation. Regarding diet i have only found the phrase used 'balanced diet' mentioned. Of course, if not careful,  we can imply that others are not eating healthily if they don't eat a certain way. Each must make their own decisions on this.  

 

This does not mean no one can give their personal experience of course. If someone has found something that suits them, great.. that is their affair and we shouldn't dissuade them from it by our own personal preferences.  on the other hand we need to be careful not to become an evangelizer or excuser for our own views.

 

My own brother, not a witness, is always finding some 'new' concoction or food and I 'should' be trying it too. I have lost count of these events and BTW he still looks ill most of the time. I have to let it go in one ear and  out of the other and make my own mind up. But, it is uncomfortable to be told or implied that what I'm eating is always wrong.

 

Will we eat meat in the NS or drink milk? Or definitely only eat RAW vegetables?. I don't know!  We can accommodate each others views in the meantime though, can't we?

[Naturale]

4 hours ago, Witness1970 said:

Are you telling me I can't have scrambled eggs in the new system?

I wasn't telling you anything.  I was just explaining what Jack had meant since there seemed to be confusion over it as you had said   "I have never seen a young chick eating an egg".  He was simply saying that the purpose of an egg is to produce a chick.   Wild birds lay eggs to produce their young.  They are fertilised eggs since wild female birds have contact with a male.  Wild hens lay only a couple of clutches in a year so only about 10 to 15 eggs total per year.

Edited July 18, 2019 by Naturale

[Naturale]

4 hours ago, Naturale said:

 It isn't reasonable to think there will be chicken farms in the new system.

Due to decades of genetic manipulation and selective breeding domesticated hens produce 250 to 300 eggs per year so totally contrary to nature as wild hens lay only 10 to 15 eggs annually.  Like all birds hen lay eggs only during breeding season and only for the purpose of reproducing.  This unnaturally high rate of egg-laying results in frequent disease and mortality.  

Edited July 18, 2019 by Naturale

[Old]

6 hours ago, Naturale said:

 It isn't reasonable to think there will be chicken farms in the new system.

No IMHO? 

Why single out chickens, why not just say "It is not reasonable that we will not have farms in the new system?"   

Imagine, free range cows, sheep, chickens, turkeys, deer, bison, fish etc.

[McKay]

The word detox used in the context of food science is snake oil. We all detox. That's what the liver, kidney, and colon are for. We all can process four substances: carbs, fat, protein, and alcohol. Everything else gets filtered and excreted naturally, barring some physical disease. Do man-made chemicals build up in our systems? Yes, thus why we get cancer. There is no perfect health in this system. There is no optimal diet either.

 

Also, the matter of animal products in the new world may be a moot point. We know the planet will not revert back to the exact way it was before the Flood because the scriptures show we will always have the seasons. If that's the case, meat may be the standard from here on out. Will animals be treated with dignity? Yes. All non-human lifeform eventually becomes food for another, even bacteria. There is no reason to assume that will one day change unless we are allowing sentimentality to trump reason, facts, and truth.

[Old]

 

 

25 minutes ago, ZDR said:

....

Also, the matter of animal products in the new world may be a moot point. We know the planet will not revert back to the exact way it was before the Flood because the scriptures show we will always have the seasons. If that's the case, meat may be the standard from here on out. Will animals be treated with dignity? Yes. All non-human lifeform eventually becomes food for another, even bacteria. There is no reason to assume that will one day change unless we are allowing sentimentality to trump reason, facts, and truth.

Good point on toxins

Seasons were defined before the Flood. (Genesis 1:14) 14  "Then God said: “Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to make a division between the day and the night, and they will serve as signs for seasons and for days and years. "

Season are a result of the earth tilting. Is this going to change for some reason?
 

 

 

[Hope]

33 minutes ago, Old said:

 

 

Good point on toxins

Seasons were defined before the Flood. (Genesis 1:14) 14  "Then God said: “Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to make a division between the day and the night, and they will serve as signs for seasons and for days and years. "

Season are a result of the earth tilting. Is this going to change for some reason?
 

 

 

If the Garden was located in a warm sunny part of the world, perhaps clothing was unnecessary for warmth. When people moved north, however, I can imagine more covering would've been needed.

[Naturale]

8 hours ago, Old said:

No IMHO? 

Why single out chickens, why not just say "It is not reasonable that we will not have farms in the new system?"   

Imagine, free range cows, sheep, chickens, turkeys, deer, bison, fish etc.

Because we were talking about eggs.

[Naturale]

7 hours ago, ZDR said:

Also, the matter of animal products in the new world may be a moot point. We know the planet will not revert back to the exact way it was before the Flood because the scriptures show we will always have the seasons. If that's the case, meat may be the standard from here on out. Will animals be treated with dignity? Yes. All non-human lifeform eventually becomes food for another, even bacteria. There is no reason to assume that will one day change unless we are allowing sentimentality to trump reason, facts, and truth.

We don't know that the planet won't be be how it was before the flood.  The new scrolls will progressively reveal new information in the future as to how things will be.

 

We do know however that Jehovah’s purpose is to provide a righteous administration for all creation. Everything will be brought back into full harmony with Jehovah according to his purpose.   Unity and peace will reign among all his creatures in heaven and on earth. (Ephesians 1:8-10)

 

 

[Witness1970]

13 hours ago, Naturale said:

I wasn't telling you anything.  I was just explaining what Jack had meant since there seemed to be confusion over it as you had said   "I have never seen a young chick eating an egg".  He was simply saying that the purpose of an egg is to produce a chick.   Wild birds lay eggs to produce their young.  They are fertilised eggs since wild female birds have contact with a male.  Wild hens lay only a couple of clutches in a year so only about 10 to 15 eggs total per year.

Sometimes I say things to be joking. This may not always come across well. I need to get better at letting people know when I am joking. Sometimes I forget to use the emojis. Maybe that would help.

[McKay]

4 hours ago, Naturale said:

We don't know that the planet won't be be how it was before the flood.  The new scrolls will progressively reveal new information in the future as to how things will be.

 

We do know however that Jehovah’s purpose is to provide a righteous administration for all creation. Everything will be brought back into full harmony with Jehovah according to his purpose.   Unity and peace will reign among all his creatures in heaven and on earth. (Ephesians 1:8-10)

 

 

I actually do hope the earth reverts to its condition pre-Flood.

 

Also, on being in harmony with Jehovah’s purpose, I remember years ago the WT used to comment on matters related to animals’ abilities seeming contradiction to Jehovah’s purpose (snakes producing venom when everything was designed to eat only plants, etc) and it was sometimes suggested that these animals may not have been created that way in the beginning and adapted over time. But last year at the convention, there was a video about the mongoose that changed my view a bit regarding animals. It explained that the fur is designed so that the mongoose is able to withstand the attack of cobras. Was this is an intended feature? Well, why not? Animals aren’t supposed to live forever. Certain species can be invasive if left with no natural predators. Isn’t it possible (even likely) that Jehovah designed every creature with a specific role to fulfill but ALSO to serve as food for another animal further up the food chain? Just taking the example with the mongoose, what if the cobras had nothing to control their population? Wouldn’t that affect the rodent population substantially? And wouldn’t that have a further effect?

 

My point is that “unity and peace will reign among all his creatures” does not preclude the need for everything living to eat, not to mention the need for scavengers to clean up animals that die from natural causes. I find it very interesting that humans were perfectly willing to accept the “natural order” of human superiority to animals and accepting that certain behaviors seen by animals are not “vicious” but natural, and that it was only in the last century that a kind of “hippie” mentality of peace and love started to muddy that distinction. I see this in my state where bear hunts have become necessary to cull the population. People protest this out of concern for the bear’s feelings. But I promise that bear would have no problem eating that protester if it got hungry enough. Our compassion for animals has to have limits.

 

A few years ago, a baby squirrel fell out of a tree and was gasping really hard. It was clearly injured, maybe even dying. What to do? Some friends suggested I should take it to Squirrel Rescue and nurse it back to health because it was a helpless baby. But here’s the problem: the mother was in the tree and didn’t even bother to come down to check on the baby. As far as it was concerned, the baby was gone. Besides, that baby squirrel might die but a snake would surely find it and eat so it can go and do its job on the earth. In the end, I let the circle of life do its thing instead of intervene. Why? Because Jehovah already put into place mechanisms to account for those “tragedies” and they don’t always need human mediation. We’re stewards, not masters.