Letter of Interest
Hi!
I thought that you would be interested in hearing this one. It is an example of what is happening to many Christian youth as well as other youth now-a-days.
It seems when they turn vegetarian, they also become more pacifistic and are more concerned about other living species on Earth. It is a marked step in the spiritual evolution of the human species.
Vegetarianism was given our ancestors as a principle or commandment and many have left the commandment. Those coming to it today do so from a point of a Christian understanding, a way of living which makes them feel better about themselves.
Likewise, there are some Doukhobors who had left the commandment because they did not wish to be bound by worship and obedience (being subordination to some controling system or power -- they want to stay free), who have re-discovered the meaning of Vegetarianism through their Doukhobor understanding.
Being free means being free to make a choice and we respect and defend everyone's right to the freedom to do so.
I forward these articles simply for the purpose of keeping our members informed and aware of what's happening in areas of interest to Doukhobors.
Anon,
Webmaster
From: Joelle To: Veg-Christian Date: Wednesday, August 26, 1998 11:13 AM Subject: hello everyone!
hi! i'm relaively new here, so here's a bit of info about me:
i'm 20 years old. i am currently living with my parents in Maryland this summer but soon to move into my own apartment near school in Massachusetts. i attend UMassDartmouth and am majoring in Graphic Design. I was a full time student, but I'm going part time this year so i can work and save some money. i pay out of state tuition now, and if i'm a resident of the state of massachusetts for a year, then i can claim residency and reap the benefits of in state tuition! yay! i'm really excited about moving away from home, but i'm a bit nervous. my parents know i need to get out on my own, so they're helping me as much as possible.
i am also a newly declared vegan. i've always had questions about why we ate meat, but i never really gave it much thought. i was too afraid to keep questioning and to go against what i'd been taught. then, about a month ago, i was walking in DC with a friend who was visiting and we were approached by a follower of the Hare Krishna religion. he was a very nice man with an excellent sense of humor and the three of us (my friend, the guy and myself) talked about vegetarianism for almost 10 minutes. He gave us a cookbook that had lots of vegetarian recepies. the first few chapters talked about the benefits of vegetarianism along with very graphic accounts of the horrors of the meat industry. from then on whenever i ate meat, i would get naseous. i kept seeing the horrible images of animals suffering and i just couldn't take it. i went to church that sunday looking for guidance, and boy did i find it!! the sermon that week seemed to be directed at me. it was about how Jesus didn't come to this earth to bring immediate peace, but to stir things up. how confrontation shouldn't be avoided, and that you should stand up for what you belive in no matter what. i know the minister was talking about standing up for my beliefs as a Christian, and many would not see that not eating meat stems from those beliefs. "Thou shalt not kill" plain and simple.
since then, i've adopted a vegan diet. i don't want to support any part of the animal killing industries. i've had to learn to read labels and do research, as well as keep a balanced diet. it's challenging, but with God's help, i know i can do it.
well, that's me in a nutshell. hope to get to know all of you better. enjoy the day!
Friends through Christ, Joelle.