Posted March 14, 2012 by Whitney Calk
Are you ready to bust some more myths? Here we go!
Look to your left. Now look to your right. Do you see any cavemen nearby? No? I didn’t think so. It’s 2012, people, not the Stone Age.
Sure, humans have eaten meat throughout history, but does that justify eating it today? Absolutely not. There’s significant evidence that we’re better suited to a meat-free diet. For example, carnivorous animals have claws, a short digestive tract, and long, curved fangs. Humans have flat, flexible nails, and our so-called “canine” teeth are minuscule compared to carnivores’. Also, human teeth are better suited to biting into vegetables, fruits, and grains than tearing through tough hides. We also have a long digestive tract, which means that the nasties in meat stay in our bodies for a longer time.
And seriously, the health problems associated with eating meat—including heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and obesity—should be a huge indication that we aren’t meant to eat meat at all. Humans are capable of making ethical decisions, and we can get all the nutrients that we need from eating plant-based meals. It’s time to quit making excuses and start making a difference for not only animals and the environment but also our own health. How can we do that? By going vegan, silly.
I’ll admit that religion is definitely a tricky topic to tackle with some people. It can be difficult to say what we need to say while also trying not to step on anyone’s toes, but, hey, someone has to set the record straight, right? Might as well be us!
According to the book of Genesis, God created animals, including human beings, on the sixth day. In Genesis 1:28, God says, “[H]ave dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” It’s worth noting that immediately after that, in Genesis 1:29, God states, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.” Just sayin’.
Whatever the word that is translated as “dominion” means, it definitely does not mean that we have the go-ahead from God to eat animals. In fact, most religious experts recognize that “dominion” is more accurately translated as “stewardship” and that the meaning of this text is that humans are supposed to be stewards and guardians, protecting and respecting these beings—not eating them.
Regardless of your beliefs, we all have a choice when we sit down to eat. We can add to the level of violence, misery, and death in the world, or we can respect all living beings by not eating them and by not supporting any industry that exploits and abuses them in any way. I don’t know about you, but the latter sounds like the better option to me.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Aside from the fact that animal testing is terribly cruel—for example, U.S. law allows animals to be burned, shocked, poisoned, isolated, starved, drowned, addicted to drugs, and brain-damaged—92 percent of ALL the drugs that are shown to be safe and effective in animal tests FAIL in human trials because they simply don’t work or are too dangerous. The bottom line is this: While people and animals suffer in similar ways, different species vary so greatly physiologically that data can’t be accurately carried over from one species to another.
Unlike crude, archaic animal tests, non-animal methods usually take less time to complete, cost only a fraction of what animal experiments cost, and are not plagued with species differences that make relating the experiments to people difficult or impossible. Sounds like a no-brainer to me!
Well, that’s it for this week, but don’t worry—we’ll be back. In the meantime, tell us below which myths you’d like to see us bust next!
Till next time!
peta2 Street Team Coordinator + lover of vegan food, cats, animal rights, Dawson's Creek, and Harry Potter.
Too long to explain here, it's long enough for a novel.
Father loves to farm, be self sustainable, loves to read, he's a antiques/vintage auctioneer, art student, and looks like mr. Rogers. My mother is a Montessori teacher and is amazing with children, all about local organic foods, loves gardening, cooking etc. my sister who is nine years older than me was into indie music and introduced me to all sorts of things at a young age. This all rubbed of on me and from that base I grew into similar things. I'm an INFJ
I'm tall, a geek, nacho - obsessed, I love sewing and Cath Kidston, also I'm vegetarian (wannabe vegan.)
Well let's just say life ain't always beautiful but it's a beautiful ride. I love all my pets and would do anything for them. I have one dog, two cats, a ferret and my babygirl shaymin,(the cutest hedgehog alive) I'm into all different kinds of music. I'm a singer myself and love art.
I love animals about as much as rock, heavy metal, tea, and coffee. Hoping to make a difference and help animals through PETA!!!
I want to get into marketing but not have to rely on people which have different morals and worldviews than I do to hire me. While I'm figuring this out, I want to show everyone what I believe in and spur them into action against injustices.
Life On A Tour Bus
I am Angela. When I am not helping animals I am listening to music, reading, or playing video games. My spirit animal is a fox and I love nature. What else is there to know? Want to know anything about me, need advice or anything message me :)
278 days ago
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A very long time ago (not sure when exactly…) when the Bible was written, animals were killed more humanely. They weren’t hung from killing machines waiting to have their throats cut and be boiled alive in defeathering tanks. They weren’t forced to suffer through the horrors of feedlots. As time has passed, humans have become more and more greedy and gluttonous. Also, I am not sure that all parts of the world that people were living in at the time were capable of growing fruits and veggies all year round. Meat, unfortunately, was the only thing constantly in season.
287 days ago
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I know God made animals for us to eat, it says in the Bible (don’t know where exact)… But He didn’t say hang them from their feet, kill them slowly, and let them suffer.. I think as time went on, people just didn’t care for the animals God made.. If you truly love God, you should love and care for His animals.. People ask me this often ,” God says, eat the animals, they are clean for you. So why do you think it is wrong?” … I think the treatment to kill the animals have gotten harsher than in the B.C. … There was no slaughter houses, no scolding water, so I do think it’s wrong to toture animals just for food… God also made vegetables and fruits, which taste delish
and no harm with veggies.. I don’t not hate meat eaters, I love them as equal as everyone else.. I’m a Christian veg, and proud of it!!
~May God bless, love you guys!!
375 days ago
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what about “your just one person. your not making a difference.”
or “since humans started eating meat, our brains are 7 times bigger then they should be”
or “you don’t get any protein”
376 days ago
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do me a favor and bust “but it’s not like old Bessy (a cow) free when someone becomes a vegetarian! Bessy still dies and ends up in pieces in a fridge. You’re not saving any animals!”
and
“you’re disgracing and disrespecting the animal when you don’t put it to use. It’s already dead!”
I hate it when people say those things. I try to explain to them that what they are saying is’nt really true, but I guess I’m not saying it right ’cause they always ignore me.
370 days ago
1
“you’re disgracing and disrespecting the animal when you don’t put it to use. It’s already dead!”
- theres so many other ways to put an animal to use aside from food and testing, dogs for instance, they are used to gain money by showing, they are great friends and they can be excellent gaurd dogs to, some are used to save lives like the life gaurd dogs, seeing eye dogs. cats are good to keep the mice population down in a house or barn, horses, horses are amazing, who needs a car when you gotta horse? XD i have one and if places would allow it id ride her everywhere.
“your just one person. your not making a difference.”
- your not just one person when your standing up against this with thousands of other people whove joined peta or other orginizations for the benifit of an animal. right? its like saving up, if you start saving your money for something special, every penny counts. one person can change the world, i mean who ever thought of peta, it mustve started some where, look how much that one persons changed this world by bringing everybody on peta together.
390 days ago
0
I know people that say you need all 5 food groups INCLUDING meat and dairy. That’d be a good myth in my eyes.
421 days ago
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A question I struggle to respond to is – ” but if we stopped eating meat there would be no animals”.. I know it’s bull but give me a valid comeback please?
424 days ago
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I love this! Gives me more comebacks for when people try to criticize me for being vegan!
425 days ago
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animal testing is so stupid why test on a sweet loving animal when people could test on murders and rapists, i mean if someones willing to inflict pain on others then they should be ok with it be inflicted on them.
431 days ago
0
How about “But God tells Noah that we can eat meat!”
294 days ago
1
God says we “can” eat meat. But that doesn’t mean it is at all the right choice to make. From my point of view, why would you eat meat? It’s packed with hormones, drugs, rotting flesh, and stress. Plus that was a living animal that once was just a baby, was torn away from it’s mother, and was killed just for your one meal. To them it was about life itself!
431 days ago
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love it!