A few weeks ago Cait read something to us which I said sounded to me like Roman Catholicism in it's tone of 'thou shalt not' and we all seemed to agree. Having reflected long and hard on this subject, I am coming to the conclusion that this feels the same to me. I reiterate my highly comfortable position where I don't actually have to give up anything, but if we were talking about other 'transgressions'.... I might be finding this a while lot more difficult.

 

I have 'pets' which eat other sentient beings - and they are fed to them live. My frog and mantids all eat live crickets. Is this wrong? It's what they would eat in the wild. I must say that I have recently made the decision, as the mantids die, to move over to phasmids, which are vegetarian but that is at least partly convenience!  When I had a cat, she ate meat. I believe you cannot keep cats as vegetarians, although you can dogs? Any transgressions I made in caring for her were far outweighed by the mutual love and affection we had for one another. I cared for her as she was dying and she taught me about letting go. Amazing story - won't go into it here but it was incredible to me.

Also, in my work, I sometimes need to kill and set insects in order to identify them microscopically. This doesn't sit easy with me but, if rare species are to be found in order to protect areas and habitats (and therefore species), there is sometimes no other way. Am I making excuses to excuse what I do? Probably - I think that's human nature!

 

I have never tried to convert anyone to vegetarianism, and never would. It's a personal choice, like religion.

 

Someone raised the topic of fish. Something I have never understood is how someone who claims to be vegetarian can eat fish! Their choice, of course, but eating the flesh of any living creature cannot be called vegetarian! Otherwise I could be a teetotaller who only drank malt whisky!!

 

Love this discussion - it's really making me think.

 

Hope the weather doesn't turn out as bad as they are suggesting as it looks as though travelling could be a bit tricky tomorrow.

 

Love

Sarah