The Myths of Meat … (02/12/14)
There is something I’d like to share with you that is extremely important to me — something that could prove to be very helpful to you & yours as well. So won’t you please bear with me a bit while I share? … 😉
You see, I was recently languishing in a bit of a quandary. It seemed that every time I engaged others in open & honest discussions about animal rights or animal cruelty, almost every time I finished making a salient point about one particular argument, my meat-eating &/or dairy-imbibing “opponent” would simply ignore my statements and change the subject.
“But meat is healthy”, he would say …
So I would calmly show that it most certainly isn’t.
“But we humans are designed to eat meat … We are omnivores”, he would then counter … So I showed him calmly that we most certainly are not.
“But I need to eat meat to get my protein”, he then would say, changing the subject once again … And so once again, I would explain slowly & calmly why that position too is not scientifically accurate.
And then at some point — almost invariably, he (or she) makes another new argument … and then hastily leaves our discussion.
It happens over & over & over again … I chat with these folks earnestly for hours & hours and never seem to have any real exchange of information — mostly because there are simply so many arguments out there to distract us; so many arguments in support of the meat & milk industry that it is very easy for folks to keep hoping from one to the other — always landing on one they happen to like and then using it to justify their continued support for a practice that is patently inhumane, undeniably unnecessary & per se cruel.
As such, I have decided to write this thorough — and thoroughly Peace-full — summation of the vegan position; where every single major pro-meat & every single major pro-milk argument is gently & factually addressed in one place … right here in this article.
I simply figure that if any of you are truly going to keep eating meat &/or continue to consume dairy products (and I realize more than a few of you are going to continue to do so), at the very least you could do so consciously; at the very least you could knowing “the facts”; at the very least you could do so without suffering from the delusional mass of misinformation about the meat & milk industry that has inundated us as a society.
Yes, this synopsis took more than a bit of time to compile — and yes, it might take a few minutes of your time to read, and yet I feel it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for you to do so. After all, while there are indeed many other very important issues facing humanity these days, our meat & milk consumption is far & away the most important one to the health of our selves, to the happiness of our loved ones and to the ultimate survival of our species.
Of course, as far as I am concerned, I will continue to Love & Care for each & every one of you whether you go vegan or not. I will “hate” what you are supporting and detest what you are doing to the animals, of course, and yet I will Love & Care for YOU regardless.
After all, that is what Love does, and that — at least for me — is what Friendship means.
If you are yourself a meat-eater or milk-imbiber, please read on and see if your favorite rationale is mentioned, and please let me know if I have forgotten to address any others you might use … 😉
Other than that, as allWays … enJOY!
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“Mitigating the Myths of Meat”
Myth #01) “Animals are stupid, and therefore don’t really suffer that much” … This is FALSE!
Animals may not be as intelligent as you or I, and yet they are just as sentient, just as aware of their own existence, just as afraid of death, just as capable of forming emotional bonds with loved ones, and just as capable of suffering from imprisonment & abuse & pain & death.
Myth #02) “The suffering really isn’t that bad in most farms” … This is FALSE!
Over 99% of the animals killed for food around the world (more than THREE THOUSAND of them EVERY SECOND) suffer immensely & horrendously for the entirety of their lives. This fact is very well-documented and beyond debate.
Myth #03) “Eating meat is necessary for human health” … This is FALSE!
Again, the evidence is overwhelming that the human body is actually damaged by eating animals &/or consuming animal secretions. Studies linking meat & dairy consumption to heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis & obesity abound and must be considered. It has also been shown that vegans live lives that are not only noticeably healthier, bit significantly longer as well.
Myth #04) “Humans are omnivores … It’s natural for us to eat meat” … This is FALSE!
Once again, science simply does not support this at all. As if the health benefits of going vegan were not proof enough that we humans are herbivores (“frugavores”, actually – animals designed to eat a large amount of fruits & nuts), the physiological makeup of our bodies bears a MUCH closer resemblance to herbivores than true omnivores or obligate carnivores.
[NOTE: the previous four myths, comprising the first four chapters of the book version of “Mitigating the Myths of Meat”, are already online. So simply go to http://
Myth #05) “We need to eat meat to get our protein” … This is FALSE!
At least as far as we humans are concerned, plant-based sources of protein are FAR superior to animal-based ones. Besides, from where do you think those same animals get that protein in their flesh? That’s right … plants! Getting our protein from plants simply cuts out the “middle man”, and cuts out both heart disease & unethical callousness in the process.
Myth #06) “We need to eat meat to get our iron” … This is FALSE!
Not only are plant-based sources of iron abundant and efficient, higher levels of meat-based iron (a.k.a. “Heme Iron”) has been directly linked to heart attacks in humans.
Myth #07) “We have to eat meat to get our Vitamin B12” … This is FALSE!
Vitamin B-12 is actually not found IN meat at all, but is rather produced by bacteria that happen to grow well in & on meat and other animal products. Humans actually need a surprisingly small amount of B-12 to live healthy lives, and there ARE (especially in the west) plant-based sources for B-12 (e.g. fortified soy milk & wheat grass, organic & water-washed vegetables & fruits). Oddly enough, the vast majority of people who are B-12 deficient are actually meat-eaters, and as we get older and our ability to absorb B vitamins diminishes, we would ALL benefit from a mild B-12 supplement, not just vegans.
Myth #08) “But meat tastes great” … This is FALSE!
Raw, bloody, uncooked & unseasoned meat does NOT naturally taste good to humans. We cook our meat to make it chewable and we season it to make it palatable, and then we become physiologically addicted to it (It’s true!) which makes it seem as though it “tastes good”. In reality, meat is objectively repulsive to humans, which is why we naturally feel sorrow when we see an injured animal, and why we naturally feel disgust when we see a dead one.
Myth #09) “But I crave meat” … This is actually a powerful reason to STOP eating meat, not a reason to continue doing so.
Most of the things we physiologically crave are extremely damaging t our health & well-being, and meat is certainly one of those things.
Myth #10) “Going vegan is too expensive” … This is FALSE!
Yes, many governments have been bought out by the meat & milk industries, making vegan alternatives far more expensive than they could be and animals products far cheaper to buy than they are to produce. Despite this flagrant criminality (our government officials have been placed in office to serve us to make our lives better, not to kill us to make their own lives better), it is still cheaper to eat a balanced, vegan diet than a meat & milk infested one.
And besides, even the most lavish of vegan diets is still much cheaper than cancer or heart disease.
Myth #11) “Going vegan is too inconvenient” … This is FALSE!
Once you get used to it (which normally only takes a week or two), going vegan is actually quite easy. This is especially true in the west, where vegan alternatives abound and are becoming more & more prevalent every day. Besides, when it gets right down to it, you aren’t giving up anything by going vegan. You are simply leaving alone what wasn’t yours in the first place.
Myth #12) “Vegans are cruel to plants” (otherwise known as “Plants have feelings too”) … This is FALSE!
First of all, while there is growing evidence that plants are indeed more aware of their surroundings than once believed, they are certainly not sentient on the same level as animals. Plants have no brains, no eyes, no hearts, no central nervous systems, and no central limbic systems. As such, it is somewhat ludicrous to attempt to compare the suffering they experience when harvested to the suffering animals experienced when murdered. In addition, if one is sincerely concerned for the welfare of plants, the going vegan is again the superior alternative, as Far more plants are “murdered” every day to feed meat & dairy livestock than are consumed by a plant-eating human. Personally, I support a diet that is completely “kill-free” (primarily fruits & nuts, with some respectfully harvested vegetables & grains thrown in), and ye if you choose to kill to live, then killing plants is BY FAR the least cruel alternative.
Myth #13) “Other issues are far more important. Why don’t you focus on human problems instead of the animals?” … This is FALSE!
First of all, there is no universal law mandating that we can only dedicate our time to only one social issue. Personally, I am a vegan who champions several other social causes as well.
AND, as it turns out, there truly is no other issue more important than veganism in the entire world. Meat & dairy consumption are not only killing us & our loved ones. They are also the most significant contributors to global warming, species extinction, world hunger and the current global shortage of fresh water.
Myth #14) “Veganism is so extreme” (otherwise known as “We need balance in life”) … This is FALSE!
Sit calmly and think about it for a moment: Which is ore extreme – the vegan who says that all sentient beings deserve the right to live without being imprisoned, tortured and murdered, or the meat-eater who says “I like the way meat tastes, and I’m more important than animals, so they need to die for me”? Was Martin Luther King Jr. really an “extremist” for demanding basic civil liberties for blacks? Was Gandhi really an “extremist” for demanding basic freedom for the people of India? Was Anne Hutchinson really an “extremist” for demanding that women be treated with equality? Of course not! Is there really any difference when it comes to vegans and the animals?
Myth #15) “I don’t eat much meat” … Great! Then it won’t be too difficult to give it up entirely for one month (the amount of time it normally takes to wean one’s self from any physical addiction).
Besides, even if you don’t eat much meat, every time you choose to do so, you are asking the meat&milk industry to imprison, abuse and murder yet another animal for that fifteen minutes of palate pleasure.
Myth #16) “I only eat cruelty free meat” … This is FALSE!
There is no such thing! Many of the most egregious cases of animal cruelty have been documented on “cage-free” and “small-family” and “animal friendly” farms. Besides, no matter how well an animal is treated before its murder, it is still forced to suffer a cold, cruel death to make it to your plate.
Myth #17) “I only eat fish, and fish do not feel pain.” … This is FALSE!
Research is now showing that fish experience pain the same as you or I (“Oh, so that is what all that flopping around in the boat is about”) …
In addition, many species of fish have been found to exhibit high traits of intelligence and personality development; including monogamous relationships, emotional attachment to their youth, and the ability to recognize individuals of other species and interact with them consciously & independently.
Myth #18) “But I’m already a vegetarian, and that makes it all OK.” … This is FALSE!
I also was a vegetarian for nine years before discovering the horrifying truth that THE MEAT INDUSTRY & THE MILK INDUSTRY ARE ONE & THE SAME!
On top of that, milk cows – even before they are hauled off to be slaughtered at the tender age of 4 – actually suffer far greater traumas & abuses than their meat-cow cousins. Milk, just like is meat, is murder – with a heavy dose of mutilation thrown in as well.
Myth #19) “But I need milk products for my calcium” … This is FALSE!
In a bizarre twist of irony, milk products do not only not provide a form of calcium that is easily digested by humans, they actually raise the acidity levels of the human body, and thereby end up leaching calcium AWAY from human bones. Milk doesn’t make strong bones – it makes brittle ones. Milk doesn’t “do the body good” – it actually kills it!
Myth #20) “But the milk & meat industry provides so many jobs”… So did the concentration camps in Germany & Poland during World War II.
Think about it.
Myth #21) “God put animals here for us to use as we wish” … This is FALSE!
In the Bible, it is God (YHWH) who wishes us to eat only fruits and nuts in Genesis 1:29. Importantly, this command was given humans BEFORE “The Fall”, whereafter fallen angels posing as God (the Elohim) altered that commandment and told us to eat the very animals that God wanted us to tend and care for.
And besides, IF God truly wanted us to murder animals for our pleasure, why would He give them the ability to suffer so mightily while we did so? What kind of God would do such a thing, and why on Earth would anyone want to worship such a sadistic deity even if He did exist?
Myth #22) “You have no right to criticize my choice to eat meat” … This is FALSE!
I have no right to criticize the decisions you make that do not have victims. I have every right to defend those innocent beings that your choices are terrifying & violating & torturing. You cannot “live and let live” while murdering others, my Friends, and your “right to choose” is invalid the moment that choice robs another being of the same privilege.
Myth #23) “Lighten up. You vegans are so offensive and preachy” … This is FALSE!
Vegans have chosen to CARE for the downtrodden, and we have chosen to do something about it. If you find the animal cruelty that we expose to be offensive, then maybe you should look in the mirror at what is causing that suffering, instead of at us for pointing out the same. In essence, vegans are not telling you what to eat. They are telling you what you are already eating.
Myth #24) “I can’t go vegan, because I don’t want to make others uncomfortable” … Fair enough.
Just remember that purposefully doing nothing about an oppressive injustice is the same as actively supporting the same. You might be able to look away from this moral cowardice for a time, it is true, and yet you will not be able to escape your conscience forever. And woe to those who awaken too late to atone for what they have done to others – and to what they have NOT done FOR them!
Myth #25) “I’m just one person. Me going vegan won’t make any difference” … This is FALSE!
Every person who decides to go vegan directly saves the lives and prevents the torture of AT LEAST 30 animals every year (that figure is probably closer to 100-200 animals). This might not make that much difference to the entire world, and yet it will literally make a world of difference to those animals!
Myth #26) “But I’m already an animal lover” … This is FALSE!
It is impossible to be an “animal rights activist” or an “animal lover” while supporting a system that enslaves, abuses and murders animals. You might indeed fight against fur farms & whale hunting & dolphin slaughter, and yet if you are eating meat your diet is neutralizing your “activism”. You might indeed truly love your dog or your cat, and yet if you are eating pigs & cows & chickens, then you are only a “pet lover”, not an “animal lover”.
Myth #27) “You vegans aren’t perfect. You kill some animals too, so you’re all just hypocrites” … This is FALSE!
Veganism is not about being perfect; it is about striving to consciously live in a way that inflicts as little harm on other sentient beings as possible. Just because we might occasionally fail does not mean that the Caring Life that we try to lead is any less worthy or noble. Indeed, it is FAR better to try to live cruelty-free and fail every now & then, than to not try at all!
Myth #28) “But I’m an athlete, and need my meat for strength” … This is FALSE!
Many of the world’s greatest athletes are now vegans (including Germany’s strongest man, Patrick Baboumian), and many more are discovering every day the amazing performance-enhancing benefits that a vegan diet brings.
Myth #29) “But it’s natural for humans to kill animals” … It was also natural for us to rape women, enslave Africans, and murder our adversaries …
It’s called evolution, people.
Myth #30) “My eating habits are none of your business” … This is FALSE!
When the meat & milk industry that you support is flooding the hospitals of industrialized nations, destroying the economies of underdeveloped countries, and demolishing the global ecosystem of the entire planet, it becomes my business.
Myth #31) “Meat eating was necessary for the evolution of the human brain” … While the sociological & anthropological communities are NOT in agreement on this theory (many social scientist believe that it was the complex multi-tasking and high-level community interaction mandated by food gathering that led to the development of our neocortex), it is important to remember that we are talking about EVOLUTION here. Namely, IF our primitive meat-eating ways allowed our brains to evolve to their current state – IF meat-eating allowed us to become not only no longer dependent on meat for our survival, but allowed us to feel compassion for our animal cousins, why would we abandon that advancement by continuing to eat meat?
In other words, i evolution is desirable, then why on Earth would we choose to stop evolving by continuing to eat meat?
Myth #32) “Meat is sexy” … Uhhhh … No.
Meat is actually repulsive. There is a big difference. AND as far as sex is concerned, not only does the vegan diet help one become fitter and generally more physically attractive, but new research is also showing that a vegan diet is actually good for one’s sex life (if that is important t oyou).
Myth #33) “If we stop eating animals, they will take over the planet” … This is FALSE!
As more & more people go vegan, less & less animals will be bred for slaughter. Besides, Mother Nature does a very good job of balancing herd sizes with environmental resources, and was doing so brilliantly for billions of years before we humans came around … She really doesn’t need our help in this regard.
Myth #34) “What about lions? Lions eat meat … Are you vegans going to stop lions from killing antelopes?” … (Sigh)
Lions are obligate carnivores. Humans are not … Lions are lions. Humans are not … Lions kill other animals for need. Humans kill other animals for greed.
Myth #35) “You vegans are so arrogant” … This is FALSE! (ironically)
I can only speak for myself, of course, and yet there is a HUGE difference between arrogantly championing personal desires at the expense of others health & well-being, and courageously championing the rights of others at the expense of one’s personal ease & comfort. Just because a vegan is adamant about the rights of the downtrodden does not make him or her arrogant; merely passionate about compassion and zealous for justice.
Myth #36) “Global veganism would lead to an economic recession” … This is FALSE!
Actually, the opposite is true, and this is being empirically proven in burgeoning vegan communities all over the world. The more a neighborhood goes vegan, the more its members tend to invest in healthy food, small locally-owned businesses, a clean environment and economic abundance in general. Global veganism would indeed be the death of quite a few monstrously large corporations, and yet these are the very businesses that are currently destroying both our planet and our quality of life anyway.
Myth #37) “You vegans are PETArds. I’m going to eat & wear whatever the Hell I want.” … (Sigh)
No comment is necessary here, though I will note that the use of the word “Hell” in this attack is appropriate.
Myth #38) “What a out the natural cycle of life & death? Animals kill other animals and that’s just the way things are” … This is FALSE!
Obligate carnivores & true omnivores kill other animals, and they do so only when they need to to survive. Neither of these conditions applies to the VAST majority of humans on the planet at this time. If we are going to talk about what is “natural”, then we need to be careful. Do we really want to continue t make excuses for our barbaric past? Do we really want to remain “only human” when we have the ability right now to become Humane? Is it really in our inherent nature to imprison others who are weaker or less intelligent or less aggressive than we? Is that all that we can ever become?
I say NO! I say that we are more than “only human” … I say that we can be a force of Compassion instead of merely a cancer of consumption. And fortunately, there are already hundreds of thousands of vegans proving me right every day.
Myth #39) “If we all went vegan, thousands of farm animals would starve” … This is FALSE!
First of all, the world is not going to go vegan overnight (unfortunately). It is going to be a gradual process that is going to gradually build in frequency and popularity; a tempo of Awakening to which the populations of the domesticated animals will be able t easily adjust. Besides, I’m pretty sure that — if given the choice, every sentient animal in existence would definitely choose a longer life of freedom that ended in starvation over an shorter life of suffering that ended in violent murder.
Myth #40) “I wish I had your willpower” … YOU DO!
You are incredibly Strong and incredibly Kind and incredibly Ethical; and of this I have no doubt. Now all that remains is for you – one meal at a time – to choose to bring this True Self into Being!
In conclusion, while there is much more I could say about each of these myths (and much more I will indeed be saying at some point), and while there are indeed a few more myths I have yet to address (be sure to let me now if I forgot to mention your favorite!), I think this is enough for now.
May we all have the humility to set our cognitive dissonance aside long enough to see our animal Friends as the sentient cousins they are …
… and may we then then all have the courage to act accordingly.
Amen … Let it be so.
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