vegans are pussies

Recently I saw a blog post where the author gave their take on a link between atheism and veganism. Since I am both atheist and vegan, I found this interesting. I know that the two are not mutually inclusive, but I do know that all the vegans I’ve met are also atheists, but unfortunately not the other way around!

The obvious link between the two lies in a rejection of the norm, a higher level of thinking and rallying against indoctrination. Personally, I became a vegan in November ’07 after being a vegetarian of some sort for close to six years because I am seriously disgusted by the thought of eating flesh and hormones, etc. Furthermore, milk is vile, is meant for babies and reminds me of a lactating woman (pregnancy creeps me the fuck out).

Being a vegan had no influence on becoming an atheist for me, but I realize how how the two just make sense together.

As an atheist, I don’t believe in an afterlife. There is no divine power that’s going to save my soul and take me to heaven for all eternity but not my little baby pug. This being said, why should I think of myself as higher than my dog, or any other animal, that I may (directly or indirectly) take their life? By no means am I a radical vegan, but I do not believe that humans are so much more important than animals that we should be able to do what we want with them.

I came to an “ah ha!” moment while reading God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens. He doesn’t talk about the treatment of animals in religion too much, but he does talk about how religion dictates that humans are above all other creatures and downright selfish.

“Religion teaches people to be extremely self-centered and conceited. It assures them that god cares for them individually, and it claims that the cosmos was created with them specifically in mind. This explains the supercilious expression on the faces of those who practice religion ostentatiously: pray excuse my modesty and humility but I happen to be busy on an errand for god. Since human beings are naturally solipsistic, all forms of superstition enjoy what might be called a natural advantage."

Later in the book, he says “Before Monotheism arose, the alters of primitive society reeked of blood, much of it human and some of it infant. The thirst for this, at least in animal form, is still with us.”

Because an undoubted majority of the world is brainwashed by religion, a majority (though lesser) believes in the animal sacrifice and the humans rule all mentality as put forth in religious texts. Specifically, in Genesis, god gives man authority over all animals (and all that was created). It makes sense to me that whether conscious of it or not, people don’t see veganism as a valid way of life because we are told that animals were put here for our benefit.

Jewish Kosher law says that their animals must be “humanely” slaughtered with a razor sharp knife so that there is no suffering. Animals killed with a knife that is not sharp or has a dent or nick cannot be eaten (sold to the gentiles). The Talmud says that "The mistreatment or cruelty towards animals is prohibited only when there is no profit or utility therefrom." So great, they don’t really permit hunting for fun, but you can hunt for pelt.

There’s a whole lot of animal slaughtering in the Old Testament. The annual Passover sacrifice where a lamb or kid is offered. After it’s blood drained, its carcass is distributed according to Jewish law. The righteous will, in fact, dine on whale meat when the messiah arrives, and god drowns all of Egypt's horses and kills the livestock as part of his plan to liberate the Israelites. (Side note: funny how less popular religions are marked satanic for sacrificing animals.)

The bottom line is that for me, it makes sense for someone who openly rejects religious indoctrination as an atheist, to also reject the farming and eating of animals as an idea that comes from god. Yeah, you may think animals taste good, but doesn’t heaven also sound good? Atheists should consider going vegan, if not because you care for the animals, your health, the environment, but because you wanna stick it to the religious peeps. End of story.



Here are a bunch of bible quotes about animal cruelty and human-centrism.

Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you. -Genesis 9:3

¹Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

²Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

³Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

⁴For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 1 Timothy 4:1-4

Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. - Acts 10:13

One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. Romans 14:2

Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even: And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering. And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD. - Exodus 29:38-41

the vegan lament

Since last week was Thanksgiving, and I visited my hometown, the annoyance of being a vegan around die hard meat eaters was constantly eating at my nerves. Around certain people, something as simple as eating means that I have to defend myself and insist that I eat more than lettuce and bread. Around certain people, I have to lay out my diet and tell them from which foods I get which nutrients as if the average meat eater is healthier than I am (doubtful). Being a vegan around some people is really fucking annoying.

Let’s take Thanksgiving dinner for example. My brother insists on making fun of what I eat and basically equates veganism with some type of eating disorder. “God, why don’t you eat anything? Here, eat this. (Throws his water bottle at me). Just give her a plate of lettuce. Go eat a leaf...”

“So, what DO you eat?”
“Anything not from an animal.”
“So, do you drink milk?”
“No. I don’t eat anything from an animal.”
“So, what about eggs?”
“That’s from an animal.”
“But they don’t die, the eggs don’t hurt them. They want you to take them.”
“Nope, nothing from animals.”

One of my friends from New York called me after Thanksgiving and asked, “Did you eat lots of turkey?” I almost lost it. He was joking of course, but it’s not funny and no I did not eat turkey or green bean casserole or even pumpkin pie. IT’S REALLY NOT FUNNY, it’s really fucking annoying.

In addition to dealing with the actual comments, there’s the obstacle of trying to go out to an American restaurant to eat, which is pretty much inevitable in a small town. The very experience is unbearable pain that I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. My family went out to dinner on Saturday night to a place the brother mentioned above brilliantly chose. At non-vegan restaurants I never ask them to cook me anything because I don’t trust the chef will make a truly vegan meal and worry there will be butter on my food, or they’ll cook it on a meat infested grill, etc.

At this particular restaurant, the only vegan options on the menu were guacamole and chips and their house salad. I ordered both. After eating every last morsel of the guacamole, the house salad came out. It consisted of a huge plate of romaine lettuce, 1 cherry tomato, 2 cucumbers and a small scoop of shredded carrots. I regret not having photographic proof of this insulting meal, but it’s all true. After looking down at my plate and laughing, I asked the waitress for more than 3 veggies for my salad. She kindly returned with about 4 more veggies to add to the heap.

It’s around this time that I just want to scream or run back to NYC where I can comfortably eat my non-animal food products in the comfort of my own business/life and dine at one of many vegan restaurants I know and love. What is the big deal anyway? I definitely feel punished for not wanting to imprison and slaughter animals and drink cow milk when there’s no way in hell any of us would eat human flesh or drink human breast milk. And to me, no, there is no difference.

I’ve been a vegan for over 2 years and I don’t plan on going back to the dark side... ever. Making snide remarks and LOL comments about me eating meat or not being a “real person” (yeah, I’ve gotten that one too) because of my eating habits is something I’ll never understand.

The rant stops here. This post is partially in response to the article in the New York Times called Animal, Vegetable, Miserable, and partially in response to everyone getting on my nerves at Thanksgiving.