I have a passionately vegan grandchild. It is not so much that she doesn't like meat, she assures me, as that she objects to how those animals are treated before they become dinner. I have to agree with her point, even though I was raised on a small family farm with lots of animals and animal products with every meal. Today's factory farms are a horrible testament to greed, as well as how misguided ideas can become cultural traditions.

Her Christian church teaches that if one doesn't actually beat them for no reason but the fun of it, it's okay to use modern farming and slaughter methods because animals have no feelings. She is struggling with that concept because in her heart she loves all creatures. My farm raised position that I don't mind eating a chicken so long as it got to live a good life as a chicken were not satisfying, so I went to the Bahá'í Teachings to see if I could find some solace for her.

That's the latest article from the Baha'i site at BellaOnline.com.

Spirit, Animals & Humanity
Kindness to animals and recognition of the unity and interconnectedness of all Creation is an important principle of Bahá'í theology.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art183213.asp

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