Veganisms

I have been vegan now for 8 months. I initially was only going to do it for a month just to see if it could control my horrific acne at the time. I got hooked and quick too. The very first week, I remember feeling renewed and a new level of relaxed. I felt like my inner hippy was revived and dancing with flowers growing out of her head and sunsets in her eyes (it’s amazing how good food will make you feel). The food was easy and fast to make and DELICIOUS. After about a month, I came across the very popular “What the Health”. Yup, it was clear I was on this wagon for the long haul.

After about 3 months, my face was significantly clearer. I still get occasional blemishes, but nothing compared to the acne breeding on top the hard acne balls that were buried beneath my skin along my jawline (shivers). Now, I’m so used to eating this way, when people ask me, “how is it going for you?” It just is. It’s going. It’s my life.

Now, I understand that animal rights has always been a HUGE factor as to why people go vegan. I admire the love and passion people have for animals. They are most certainly precious! I am a huge animal lover myself! However, as far as the ways these activists approach the whole ordeal, I believe, yeah, it’s good to fight for what you believe in, but in the end, no human will ever be able to accomplish freeing all the animals 100% from all cruelty. The same way as humans alone cannot end world hunger. Humans alone cannot end wars. The way humans alone cannot end global warming. There is always going to be someone with great power promoting the bad, the cruel, and the corrupt because the “whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19)

“Andrea, are you saying we should just give up on all of our efforts? We may not make 100% progress, but we have made progress!” Very true, and great progress at that that I support and appreciate! But, let’s think of it this way: If there’s a water leak in the ceiling, what would be the best approach? A) invest in a bigger bucket every time the previous bucket fills up, or B) Add a drain and fix the leak by replacing the rotten ceiling? My point: get directly to the source! Comparing it to the real world, there is ONE source that can, not only fix the animal cruelty problem, but also global warming, world hunger, corruption, wars…etc. Keep fighting for what you believe in, but don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. The great thing that is in store for all of creation!

So to those who are passionate about animal rights, here’s my biblical backing. Jehovah loves animals as much, if not more, than we do. He made them for our joy and man was given the responsibility to have them under subjection which, in my opinion, means to care for. In the end, we will all answer for our responsibilities (Luke 12:41). True, there used to be animal sacrifices, but not every animal was sacrificed in a massacre. Just think of it, each animal sacrifice needed to be in the best condition (Le 22:23-25). This means that this animal couldn’t be sick, nor harmed, nor have any form of disability. To achieve this, the animals all needed to be raised and cared for in the best conditions possible. Besides, God made animals, he’s the one who knows best on how to care for them. For every animal killed, he has the power to make a thousand more.

Also, the vegan diet can actually help you be stronger! Just think of the biblical vegans, the four Hebrews: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. By resorting to eating just veggies, they were in better health than the others! Surely, they had Jehovah’s help too, but that shows that, with endless amounts of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes that Jehovah created for us to eat, why wouldn’t that also be enough for us to, not only survive, but to live a healthy and full life?

With that being said, there is a stronger force going against us, and the only one who can and will defeat that is Jehovah. I am proud to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses because I look forward to the peaceful future of a happy life on a clean earth, with delicious fruit and vegetables along with amazing people and animals that will all live in peace. “The wolf will reside for a while with the lamb, And with the young goat the leopard will lie down, And the calf and the lion and the fattened animal will all be together; And a little boy will lead them.” (Isaiah 11:6).

Anyway, that is just my whole view on it. Going back to the water leak, B) should be the priority. Fixing the leak should be the priority, but obviously, you may be using the buckets in the meantime. I prefer to use most of my time examining the one who created it all who originated right and wrong and will take care of everything in the end. I am a Jehovah’s Witness first, before a vegan. The plant life style has really worked out for me and I plan to stick with it for as long as I possibly can and I plan to joyfully do whatever I can to support it as best as I could. It just makes me happy and I feel like it would be my way of expressing further appreciation for Jehovah’s creation of life.

In the end, I just want to be the vegan the old me would have liked meeting.

Here are some pictures of food I eat.