I have always been very impressed with Japanese spirituality and agree that it is a good practise to thank god or those people who get food on your table, it is most important.

However, by giving thanks in a detailed way, anyone could point out the problem immediately. Let me give an example.

“Thank god for the food, thank the farmers for their hard work on the fields, thank the fisherman for their bravery in the rough seas, thanks to the workers who pack and transport the food, thank the cook for the the wonderful meal”

Does the above thanksgiving sound good? well, let’s be more detailed to spot the problem.

“Thank god for the food, thank the farmers for growing and harvesting the crops, thank the farmers for breeding the animals, thank the fisherman and slaughter house for slaughtering the animals on my behalf, thank god for all life on earth”

Does the above sound better? It’s the truth.

People of this world, get real. Educate our young properly without hiding facts and ugly truths.

~The earth nourishes itself and all living things on earth, however, humans nourish themselves at expense of the earth~

~I shouldn’t be here too long or my computer will need to recharge, which means power stations burn more fossil fuels and give out more carbon ?~

peaceout people

I doesn’t make a difference whether we decide to eat or not to eat meat. The point is we shouldn’t eat anything more than enough. And we must not forget the thanksgivings to the people who bring the food to our tables, such as farmers, fishers, slaughter workers, factory workers, transporters, cooks, and also all the life of animals and plants. That’s why the Japanese people traditionally say “Itadakimasu” before having a meal, then “Gochisousama” after finishing that.

By the way, I was staying in England for almost a year when I was a student. Now because of that, I can not donate my blood to anyone in Japan, forever. It’s Mad Cow Disease, you know. I may have some potential risk of BSE, so the government refuse my blood. Mercury will go out of your body naturally if it is not that too much, but Prions do not. Well, what can England do to me? Will they stop bleeding cattle, please? I mean, it’s just a joke though.

I wasn’t a vegetarian when i was a child, i went to McDonalds, etc..(in Asia)
You made another good point about vegans being activist, chanting ‘go vegan’ and stuffs..i can’t speak for them.

However, being vegetarian isn’t a bad thing like most people assume in Asia. After being vegetarian for more than 20 years or so, I can truely feel the benefits of being one.
(blood circulation is at it’s peak)

Haha, enough of my personal story, but one thing is for sure, no matter where i go (slaughterhouse/ the local fishery/ wet market/ even resturants)
Do you know how awful the smell of death and rotting meat is when i go to these places?

I know that you have kill animals your whole life (as you mentioned earlier), i’m not going to talk about that, but i have a challenge for you. It’s a game. i’m not asking you to go vegan don’t worry haha. Just try eating ‘full’ veg for a week or you may go fully on ‘white’ meat (fish only diet, no salmon or strong tasting meat). After you complete the challenge, walk into a fishery/ slaughterhouse/ or even restaurants.

(note: you may not need to reply to my comment here, but at least try it and feel the difference for yourself)

~somethings in life, somethings you’ve never dreamt of, somethings you do might actually surprise yourself, change for yourself and find the best way of living life, why?, life is short, live it~

~the worse discrimination throughout my life is being vegetarian, if anyone reading this thread needs a mental/phyiscal challenge in life, try a week of being vegetarian, yes, only a week in your entire life~

peaceout, good luck again

Jonathan, likes and dislikes depend on each person, however, because humans are omnivorous doesn’t mean they taste good. Or rather, basically most of the tasty livestock are herbivores(cows, pigs, chickens, goat, sheep, deer, and so on and on.) As you’re a vegetarian, you may taste better than I though. I suppose you might be just joking, so I don’t take it so seriously anyway.

The humbleness here is not to obey someone without a word, but to be self-confident without forcing one’s opinions on another. We tend to keep silent until we get really angry and become unable to stand it any more. That would sometimes make foreign people misunderstand as if we’re hiding something. So I’m making my voice heard as much as possible. This is a kind of self-examination, and I don’t think it disgrace.

We do not force Hindus to eat beef. That is a humbleness. We do not force Muslims to eat pork. That is a humbleness as well. And vice versa, as PeeCee mentioned (Thanks PeeCee,) they don’t demonize us for what we eat. This is one of the civilized rules to organize the world better. So you keep on being a vegetarian, but do not force someone to become one. I mean, if you hope to understand the humbleness. Some vegetarians are known as the severe activists who shout something like “Go Vegan!” to others. They are the very disgrace to all other mild and harmless vegetarians, I think.

It is ironic that you said “make a change for not anyone else but yourself.” Because the phrase should be kept in our minds respectively. It should not be used toward other people, or it makes no sense. But I dare say, the money and techs for “The Cove” should be used to make a change in their own country first, not in a small town of Taiji. Thank you.

points you made about species getting extinct in other countries are valid.

If you want to shame them online, don’t follow in their footsteps in reality. (dolphins/cow, w/e)

~the emotion you felt right after your first slaughter, remember that moment?, its when you know the difference between right and wrong~

no matter how young/old you were, how adapted you were to the environment you were brought up in, guilt is always there to help you change, make a change for not anyone else but yourself.

peaceout, good luck in finding your true self, pigkiller, may your soul rest in peace.

you mentioned about being humble, a japanese virtue, well all i can say is that you are a disgrace to the Japanese people.
(assuming that you are a Japanese from Japan that is)

I’m Asian and non-religious but I’m a Vegetarian, tell me about being humble again?