I'm fed up with the vegetarians
“Well, just eat the chips.”
This whole debate boring me somewhat, I’ll finish it off today. Plutarch returns in Dilemma 66 with an emotive appeal about blood and gore. More ancient superstition rather than reality. And if the superstition of the classical world isn’t enough, St Paul turns up assuring everyone that it’s all right to eat meat ’cos the god of the Christians says it’s all right. The Bible is its usual inconsistent self and even seems to be advocating eating things alive (Genesis 1:29). Also, it’s easy to forget that plants are living things, which means that almost nothing natural we eat isn’t already dead. Chrysostom turns up to irritate everyone with his Christian asceticism, which pretty much makes all good things bad. Pope Pius XII isn’t impressed, although his view appears to be that animals don’t have (emotional) feelings, quite ignoring that they still have a nervous system.
I remain on the side of nature. Humans as omnivorous creatures have a choice, although the all-meat diet is clearly lacking the balance that the all-vegetable diet has. I, as a convicted omnivore, prefer a combination of the two. In fact, my view is that if you don’t eat to excess, and you exercise in some way, various diets are unnecessary unless they are specifically beneficial (e.g. someone who is allergic to nuts or wheat). Diets are a waste of time against genetic dispositions, and I didn’t notice that my landlady in Cambridge got any thinner because of her vegetarianism.
Some people will find meat digusting and offputting. Others may find that many vegetables have the same effect on them. Others will also note that we’re not really designed to be herbivores only.
I think that this is as good a point as any to stop. I may post here during the next three weeks while I’m away in New Zealand for the winter holiday, but I’ll be leaving the ethical dilemmas behind. More of them next month when we’ll resume with a fairy tale.
I remain on the side of nature. Humans as omnivorous creatures have a choice, although the all-meat diet is clearly lacking the balance that the all-vegetable diet has. I, as a convicted omnivore, prefer a combination of the two. In fact, my view is that if you don’t eat to excess, and you exercise in some way, various diets are unnecessary unless they are specifically beneficial (e.g. someone who is allergic to nuts or wheat). Diets are a waste of time against genetic dispositions, and I didn’t notice that my landlady in Cambridge got any thinner because of her vegetarianism.
Some people will find meat digusting and offputting. Others may find that many vegetables have the same effect on them. Others will also note that we’re not really designed to be herbivores only.
I think that this is as good a point as any to stop. I may post here during the next three weeks while I’m away in New Zealand for the winter holiday, but I’ll be leaving the ethical dilemmas behind. More of them next month when we’ll resume with a fairy tale.
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