Food Issue
(Part 1)
"I am not
interested in
any religions
whose principles
do not improve
or take into
account the
conditions of
animals." Abraham
Lincoln.
The issue of
food represents
a critical point
in the Spiritist
studies and
discussions,
particularly,
when it comes to
the consumption
of animal
products (meat).
This article has
no boastful
scope to
asseverate
whether or not
meat should be
ingested as
food. That
belongs to the
innermost heart
of every person.
Nevertheless, it
is of paramount
importance to
bring
clarifications
to this problem
in the light of
Spiritism, which
has been
disregarded by
many people.
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Argumentations
of the
Spirits
In the
book
"The
Comforter"
(O
Consolador)
the
spirit
Emmanuel
was
sked:
129 - Is
it a
mistake
for the
man to
eat the
meat of
irrational
beings?
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And he
replied:
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“The ingestion
of the entrails
of animals is a
mistake of
enormous
consequence,
from which
numerous vices
of human
nutrition have
derived. It is a
shame such a
situation, even
because, if the
creature's state
of materiality
requires the
cooperation of
certain
vitamins, those
nutritional
values can be
found in
products of
plant origin,
without the
absolute need of
slaughterhouses
and butcheries.
We must
consider,
however, the
economy machine
of collective
interest and
harmony in which
so many workers
produce their
daily bread. Its
pieces cannot be
destroyed
overnight
without serious
damages. Let us
console
ourselves with
the vision of
the future,
being fair that
we work,
earnestly, for
the advent of
new times in
which the
terrestrial men
can do without
feeding on the
bloody remains
of their
inferior
brothers.”
(Emmanuel, 1997:
82.) [My
emphasis.]
In another work
by the same
spiritual
author, he
describes the
ontological
condition of the
earthling as
beings that
still
“delight
themselves with
the entrails of
their lesser
brothers as
in the
prehistoric eras
of their
existence, they
march against
each other to
the sound of war
hymns, unaware
of the simplest
principles of
brotherhood and
doing little in
favour of the
extinction of
selfishness,
vanity, of their
unhappy pride.”
(Emmanuel, 1996:
34.) [My
emphasis.]
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Besides
that and
to
corroborate
Emmanuel's
opinion,
the
assertion
by
Humberto
de
Campos,
in Letters
and
Chronicles, which
recommends:
“Start
the
renewal
of your
habits
by the
daily
plate.
Gradually
diminish
the
pleasure
of
eating
the
flesh of
animals.
The
cemetery
in the
stomach
is a
torment
after
the
great
transition.
The pork
loin or
fillet
of veal,
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seasoned
with
salt and
pepper,
do not
place us
too far
from our
ancestors,
the
Tamoios
and the
Kayapos,
who
devour
each
other.”
(Brother
X, 1991:
22.) [My
Emphasis.] |
With regard to
this torment in
the spiritual
world, André Luiz
(spirit), in the
book Nosso Lar, in
the homonymous
chapter as
this article,
exemplifies what
Humberto de
Campos already
mentioned above. In
the spiritual
colony Nosso
Lar, "many
newcomers (...)
redoubled
demands. They
wanted plentiful
tables, exciting
drinks,
escalating old
earthly vices
"(2002: 55). A
careful reading
of this chapter
demonstrates
that the problem
of feeding
almost
jeopardized the
existence of the
noble colony and
unprecedented
efforts were
needed to avoid
chaos. Andre
Luiz warns us
that our
idiosyncrasies
remain with us
and starting the
change from the
physical plane
is important in
order to enter
the spiritual
world in better
conditions.
It is
widely
known
that we
superior
beings
have the
role of
helping
the
progress
of the
inferior
ones.
It's not
what
happens
in the
world
though.
In the
book Missionaries
of the
Light, André
Luiz
shows
aghast
at the
theme of
vampirism
in the
Chapter
4.
However,
his
advisor
wonders
why he
finds
himself
horrified
and
describes
the
human
condition
that
instead
of
helping
the
lesser,
overwhelms
and
smashes
them: |
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(...) And how
about us whilst
in the realm of
the flesh?
Weren't our
tables
maintained at
the expense of
the viscera of
the bulls and
birds? On the
pretext of
seeking protein
resources, we
exterminated
countless
chickens and
sheep, pigs and
goats. We sucked
muscle tissues,
gnawed bones.
Not content with
killing the poor
beings who asked
of us guidance
for progress and
educational
values so as to
better meet the
Work of the
Father, we
dilated the
refinement of
millenary abuse
and inflicted in
many of them
certain diseases
that would
please the
palate with
maximum
efficiency. The
common pig was
confined by us
under a
fattening diet
and the poor
animal, many
times feeding on
leftovers,
should produce
for our own
delight certain
fat reserves
until they fell
down in
prostration at
all the weight
of sick and
abundant lard.
We used to keep
the geese in
fattening pens
for hypertrophy
of the liver, so
that we could
obtain hearty
pastes to
produce
delicacies that
became famous,
unconcerned of
the misconduct
committed with
the supposed
advantage of
enriching
culinary values.
Nothing in us
ached more than
the sad picture
of cows in calf
walking into the
slaughterhouse
so that our pots
transpired
nicely. We would
highlight, with
all the
responsibility
of science, the
need for various
proteins and
fats, but forgot
that our
intelligence, so
fruitful in the
discovery of
convenience and
comfort, could
afford to find
new elements and
means to
encourage
protein supplies
to the body,
without
resorting to the
industries of
death. We forgot
that the
increase in
dairy production
to enrich the
diet is a
sublime task,
for the time
will come for
Humanity when
the barn, as
well as the
Home, will also
be sacred (1997:
38).
André Luiz
(spirit)
comments in The
Messengers, after
many lessons
that he gathered
in the spiritual
world, that:
"(...) I began
to realise that
no one
disrespects
nature without
the painful
return shock all
the time. " (Op.cit. 2000:
218.)
In the Spiritist
Review issue
of April, 1858,
one will find
the assertion by
the spirit
Bernard Palissy,
who was an
illustrious
potter on Earth
and who now
inhabits planet
Jupiter. Allan
Kardec, in item
7 of the
interview asks
the Spirit to
establish a
comparison
between Earth
and Jupiter,
since he always
came to Earth
and has a moral
and cultural
baggage to
convey. Then a
series of
questions is
done in order to
better know that
planet. In
question 23,
Allan Kardec
asks: "What is
the staple diet
of the
inhabitants? Is
it animal and
plant like here?
". Then he
obtains the
answer: "Purely
vegetable, man
is the protector
of animals" (my
emphasis).
Anyone can
suggest a
position
contrary to that
alleging that
the condition of
Jupiter is quite
different from
Earth's
situation etc.
In fact, we
agree. That
planet is far
superior to
ours. However,
the
characteristic
of protecting
animals and
plant food
intake shows the
superiority of
that population
compared to
ours. And we go
beyond: it is
not something
unattainable.
Rather, it is
perfectly
feasible. They
no longer
require food of
animal origin;
here on Earth is
the same. And
even if such
behaviour is
still diverse,
it is not due to
a remarkably
biological need,
but a whim and
lack of
compassion
towards animals,
our brothers,
since we have
reached an
intellectual
level enough to
seek energy
resources from
other sources.
It is thus quite
clear the
opinion of Andre
Luiz, Emmanuel,
Humberto de
Campos and
Palissy himself
on the issue.
After the brief
presentation of
the thought of
the genii of the
spiritist
complementation,
we now present
the basis of
many
discussions. In The
Spirits' Book, the
illustrious
codifier, Allan
Kardec, asked
the immortals:
"Is the use of
animal food by
man contrary to
the law of
nature?"
(Question 723).
And the Spirits
answered:
"With your
physical
constitution,
flesh nourishes
flesh, without
this kind of
sustenance man's
strength
declines. The
law of
preservation
makes it a duty
for man to keep
up his health
and strength,
that he may
fulfil the law
of labour. He
should therefore
feed himself
according to the
requirements of
his
organisation."(2003:
344).
We quote the
words of the
writer Leonardo
Moreira on the
question above:
(...) by
studying this
intricate topic,
we must admit
two hypotheses:
Either hunger in
the world is
such that in
these
circumstances
would justify
meat eating as a
lesser evil, or
Spirits,
intelligently,
didn't find it
convenient to
provide a
definitive
answer to this
question in a
historical
moment in which
humans certainly
were not
prepared to
target against
the carnivorous
habit.
Apparently,
those two
factors should
have weighed so
that the Spirits
refrained from
further
explanation on
this topic.
Actually, the
previous
question of the
"Spirits' Book"
(SB 722) is
quite
interesting
because of its
subtlety and
should also be
considered in
this analysis
since the
"Spirits of the
codification"
account that
"Whatever man
can eat without
injury to his
health is
permitted to him
... "(2008: s /
p).
However, many
answers from The
Spirits' Book could
not be
scrutinised
because of lack
of moral and
intellectual
resources of
humanity of that
period. It was
necessary to
settle the
doctrinal basis.
The unfolding of
the issues would
come later. So
much so, that it
was necessary to
complement or to
detail some
points placed
there by other
fellow Spirits:
André Luiz,
Emmanuel,
Brother X,
Joanna de
Angelis, Victor
Hugo...
Many people
think that the
words “meat
nourishes the
flesh” justify
the lust for
meat eating. But
they forget that
we must strive
to gradually
decrease the
intake of meat,
otherwise the
alert of the
Spirits
aforementioned
would not make
any sense.
Unfortunately,
some people do
not even try to
reduce the
intake of this
kind food and
justify their
actions with the
above mentioned
statement, as if
it was a single
topic or even an
absolute and
undisputable
truth. They need
to eat meat
every day;
otherwise the
meal is not
complete. They
need to feel the
stomach heavy;
otherwise, they
have not had
lunch. Frankly,
it is at least
to completely
ignore the
knowledge that
would come
eventually. And
the Codifier
himself said
that Spiritism
would walk hand
in hand with
progress and
science.
Scientific
Argumentation
A study of
nutritional
status and
lifestyle in
vegetarians and
omnivores, in
Greater Vitória,
Espirito Santo,
has shown that
vegetarians have
a more adequate
nutritional
profile and
lower risk for
chronic Health
decay (Teixeira et.al, 2006).
In another study
in the same
city, the
cardiovascular
risk in
vegetarians and
omnivores was
evaluated. And
it was found
that the
omnivorous diet
of excess animal
protein and fats
enhances
cardiovascular
events, while
the lacto-ovo-vegetarians
and vegetarians
presented lower
cardiovascular
risk (Teixeira, et.al, 2007).
De Biase et.al. (2007)
conducted a
study with the
scope to examine
the levels of
triglycerides
(TG), total
cholesterol (TC),
low density
lipoprotein (LDL)
and high density
lipoprotein (HDL)
among
vegetarians and
omnivores. A
transversal
study was
conducted. 76
individuals, all
volunteers, took
part, 22
omnivores and 54
vegetarians. It
was concluded
that the
vegetarian diet
was associated
with lower
levels of TG, TC
and LDL in
comparison to
the omnivorous
diet. This
finding is
important
because high
levels of serum
cholesterol are
related to
arterial
diseases, events
that vegetarians
stand lower
chances of
having.
(This article
will be
concluded in
next issue of
this magazine.)
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