Side note: Sorry this blog has been so long neglected! I am hoping to blog more consistently as a practice of writing and reflection.
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I love meat. Red meat, poultry, fish, game - all of it is delicious. Growing up meat was often at the center of my family's meals. I have enjoyed attending countless BBQs. The day after my last day of high school track, my friends and I had a "bacon party" which consisted solely of consuming a scary amount of bacon, burgers and meatballs. This was so enjoyable that we had another bacon party later that summer. I have had a dream since high school of roasting a whole pig in my backyard. You get the idea.
But now I am deciding to give it all up. Why?
Well, I am living with two people who are vegetarians and one person who is vegan in a city that may be the vegetarian capital of America during a year of service that includes seeking to live out the values of simple living and ecological justice. I have known for a long time that there are compelling reasons to forgo meat, but I have never committed to it. Now it seems hard not to. I am immersed in an environment which has catalyzed and supported my efforts to more fully align my practices with my values. I am choosing to eat a plant-centered diet because it is more ecologically just, frugal, ethical, and healthy.
I would like to note from the start that I don't see anything inherently wrong with eating meat or other animal products. In my view, there is not anything necessarily wrong with killing an animal for food; it is simply a part of how God's good creation runs. However, the question for me is not whether eating meat is allowed in principle but whether in practice it is beneficial on a personal and societal level. I believe that all of our actions and habits are value-laden and formative. What values does my consumption of meat reflect (and generate)? How might my consumption of meat impact my relationship with other people and the earth? When I reflect on these questions, it seems to me that forgoing meat is a more beneficial way to live.
Becoming a vegetarian is a way to live more lightly on the earth. The production and transportation. of meat requires a significantly greater amount of water and energy as compared to growing the same amount of food. In my mind, it is pretty clear by now that the way we humans (especially in America) are living is not sustainable and our relationship with the earth is seriously out of whack. Giving up meat for me is a way to become a better steward. And it's not only about saving mother nature; climate change disproportionately affects the lives of the poor. And when malnutrition is still so prevalent it seems that increasing my consciousness of my food consumption and examining larger food systems can only be a good thing.
I am also motivated by the desire to live a simpler life. Meat is expensive! While produce is expensive as well, there are ways to eat a plant centered diet that is extremely affordable and still delicious. My house of six has a shared budget of $115 for food each week, and we have come in under budget every week. One week we spent under $50 on food for the whole week! Intentionally forgoing meat also gives cause for examining what I truly need versus what I simply want.
On top of this, the meat industry is marked by a continuing history of animal cruelty. While I have been generally aware of this for some time, I never really felt too bothered by it, but I think that is only because I chose to not be bothered by it and rationalize it. While I said I don't see anything wrong with killing animals for food, the factory system that is set-up to raise and kill animals seems to me at the very least to be morally dubious.
Finally, a vegetarian diet can be more nutritious. There must be an emphasis on the 'can' because a vegetarian diet can also be very unhealthy. Cutting out red meat in particular can be beneficial, and hopefully eating a plant centered diet will lead me to be more conscious about food choices in general.
I hope that with intention and reflection becoming vegetarian will help me to more fully live out the values that are guiding my year of service. The reason that I am writing this blog post is to contemplate the action that I am taking so that it may be not only about not eating meat but also shape who I am becoming and the way I am in the world.
Of course, there are plenty of alternative practices to becoming a more just, healthy, frugal person in this area than giving up meat entirely. One could reduce one's consumption of meat by being a six days a week vegetarian, or if meat is a larger part of one's diet starting with something like meatless Mondays. One could also cut out all red meat but still eat other meats, or simply reduce portion size. Another option would be to only eat meat that one knows is raised ethically. I'm sure there are other ideas out there as well.
I do have at least one area where I will compromise: If it would be inhospitable or culturally insensitive to not eat something that contains meat, then I would eat it.
And I am still eating dairy and eggs - that'd be real hard for me to give up! (So much respect to all the vegans out there). I'm not sure about fish yet. Still pondering that one.
Whether this is a forever commitment or not, I have no idea. I realize changing life circumstances can change a lot of things. But at the very least I will stick with it through my year of service. With this blog post there is no turning back on that.
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