Do You Have To Be Vegan To Be Spiritual?

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Why I’m not a Vegan
A while back I attended a service at a spiritual centre in London Ontario
The guest speaker presented a message about veganism.
She’s a naturopath and social worker, became vegetarian when relatively young,
and then eventually adopted the vegan lifestyle.
It was an excellent presentation and the pictures and the video we’re heart warming, and at times painful to watch. 
It made me stop and think.
And that was my incentive  to write this blog.

Let me explain what I mean by vegetarian and vegan.
To me, a vegetarian is someone who does not consume any kind of “meat”.
That includes seafood, fish and fowl.
That’s right, not even chicken.
Nothing with a face, or a mother [as a friend once told me].
And yes, I know lettuce has a head, 
And corn has ears
And potatoes have eyes. 
But let’s not confuse things here.
To me Veganism takes vegetarianism one step further.
No animal products consumed internally or externally.
That means no eggs, no milk products, and no leather.
I understand that some Vegans even avoid honey or even refuse to have domesticated pets.

Anyway, back to my story.
I became a vegetarian back in the late 80’s.
I’d been thinking about it for a while, and read a number of books about the subject
[Diet for a New America, Diet for a Small Planet]
And had done some research.
My youngest daughter decided to try the vegetarian lifestyle, and I agreed to join her.
My reasons were threefold.
In addition to it being more “spiritual” from my perspective, I figured it was
a better dietary choice
1. for my health
2. for the animals
3. for the environment.
I made that decision, just before a cross-country drive with my oldest daughter, from London Ontario Canada to Edmonton Alberta. And then, joined by my wife and youngest daughter, on to Victoria Island in British Columbia. Overall a great trip except for one thing.

In those days it was quite difficult to find a vegetarian option in a restaurant. 
Especially in a fast food joint, compared to the way it is now. I almost lived on egg salad and cheese sandwiches. Oh yes- and ketchup flavored potato chips.

Sorry, I’m running out of Time, so I’ll continue this blog in a couple of weeks.
Stay tuned :-).

Keep manifesting only good things 🙂
Tony

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