I spent 4 hours yesterday in a fitting room at Kohl's...

...trying on new suits for the wedding here in a week. 4 HOURS! Val and I knew I needed a new suit, since the pants on my other suit had snagged open a huge hole on a hymn book 8 months ago, and the suit is at least 10 years old. It wasn’t going to be cheap nor easy to repair the suit, since it was so old and worn. So, we went to Kohl’s to see if they had any suits that were vegan: no wool, silk or anything like that.

   We got there, and after a tiny bit of searching we found a plethora of suits that fit the bill, made of a polyester and rayon blend, made by Haggar. But, we wanted to make sure that everything fit correctly, so Val shuttled in pants, coats and new, white shirts while I tried on what she brought in. She would also give her opinion of how they looked. There were a LOT of choices, so it took a long time. I was REALLY tired of trying on clothes, and standing for so long.

   By the time it was over I had chosen a grey suit that I liked as soon as I saw it, a black suit that Val thought I should get, and 2 new shirts. I left behind a very pale olive-green/light grey suit, since I didn’t NEED 3 suits. Maybe in the future I’ll piock up a light suit like that...On Friday I’ll go get a few new ties to add to my tiny collection of non-silk ties.

   The best part is that with all of the in-store discounts and coupons we had, all of this came out to ~$281. Normally it would have been more than twice that ($600), but it was this particular store’s grand opening here in Centerville, and the nice manager gave us a 20% discount for using a Kohl’s card, instead of the usual 15%.

   I will post pictures when I get a chance, but I will say that I look smokin’ hot in the grey suit. Really.

Tradition: the thief of rational thought and spirtuality...

   I would like to start out this post by saying that comments for discussion are welcome from now on, on any topic I post about, or any questions you may have. I would also like to apologize to Mr. Raty and ask for forgiveness, if you feel I deserve it, for being easily offended and incommunicado. From now on, if I don’t think that I can reasonably discuss something without being defensive or angry, I will say so, and bow out. I will do my best to provide accurate info in a timely manner, but I won’t always make it. Please be patient and communicative all of you, and give me a chance. Sorry for being a jerk, Ben. I crave forgiveness.

  

   In an e-mail discussion with a friend of mine, he said that his soon-to-be father-in-law is “steeped” in tradition. He observed that people have a hard time breaking away from tradition because it means that they have to blaze their own path, which is hard. He also lamented how much it costs to plan a “traditional” wedding.

   My opinion, reinforced more and more as I ‘talk’ (more like answer questions when asked and then watch as the asker goes ‘nuclear defensive’) to others about being vegan, is this: that tradition, doing that which has always been done, or that which has been done for so long that it no longer has a clear beginning, takes away the decision-making opportunity for most individuals. I should clarify: the opportunity isn’t taken away, but most people, depressingly, never think about “why” they are doing something. They never evaluate the habits that they indulge in.

   Now, obviously, there are some decisions or habits that should only be made once, and then re-evaluated only out of necessity. I quote D&C 68:25 “And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents

  26 For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized.

  27 And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands.

  28 And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord.

  29 And the inhabitants of Zion shall also observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

  30 And the inhabitants of Zion also shall remember their labors, inasmuch as they are appointed to labor, in all faithfulness; for the idler shall be had in remembrance before the Lord.”

   Obviously regular prayer, scripture study, Sabbath observance, service and the like should always be done, especially if we have a testimony of it. But I would assert that we should always be cognizant of “why” we do these things, to always have a remembrance as to what purpose these activities serve. We should decide, early on, that we will obey the Word of Wisdom in all of its respects (see my post from Monday 7Apr08), that we will obey the Law of Chastity in all respects, and that we will commit ourselves to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it has been revealed in the latter days, and that we will teach our children these things, and do our best to see that they also live these principles as long as they are in our care. These sorts of things should be decided once, and then we move forward. There shouldn’t be any vacillation between whether we should do something right or not.

   Any of us who have served LDS missions realize the power of tradition in people’s lives. Religious tradition can be one of the most powerful forces on earth, promoting either righteous, valiant service in furthering God’s kingdom, or fostering the most stultifying ignorance imaginable. And unfortunately, this ignorance is not endemic to only those who are not members of the Church, but to those inside as well. I’m sure those of you who read this know of adults whose testimonies (if any) are borrowed from their parents or their forebears. They have no light of their own. These are the sorts of people who seem to be grateful to have ancestors who came across the plains as pioneers, or whose predecessors joined the Church while living in Europe in the 1850’s. They profess to be very blessed to be a member of the Church, but when asked to fulfill a calling, they decline. When asked to home teach, their dedication is minimal. When asked to volunteer for service, their hand never goes up. Tradition of Church membership has failed to help this person gain a burning, activating testimony. All they can do is mouth the words, but the feeling is absent. Their works don’t match with their protestations of faith.

  There are, of course, other traditions of equal or greater power outside of faith or religious promulgation. One in particular is food. I know, for myself, that I like to eat a lot of the things I ate while I was growing up. A favorite of mine is gorditas with limeade. Gorditas are flour tortillas, heated on a skillet, with refried beans, cheese, guacamole and BBQ sauce. Mmmmmm, yumminess! Before I was married, I had those almost every night for dinner. For a while I did without the guacamole, but I did the bean and cheese thing consistently. There were things that I wouldn’t eat, but they were few and far between. I didn’t like raw tomatoes, nor raw avocado. I am no stranger to the seduction of food, as is attested to by my previous record weight of 275 pounds. I was pretty much convinced that the only good food was the kind that I couldn’t fit into my mouth. No one said I was fat; in fact, when I told people how much I weighed, their response was a shocked “You don’t look that heavy!”

   There are good kinds of foods, and there are bad kinds. I don’t think that anyone will dispute that. If you feel like I am mistaken, let me know and I will be happy to discuss it, reasonably, with you. But, there are things to eat that are socially responsible and physically helpful/good, and things that are physically and environmentally destructive/bad. 85% of all grain grown in the US goes to feed livestock that is eventually killed so you can eat it. Furthermore, that grain is only partially digested and is dumped (intentional pun) out the back end of the cow. Livestock methane emissions are the 2^nd biggest contributor to global warming behind CO2 emissions from cars and factories. But, that cow poop has to be cleaned up somehow, so factory farms use ~10 million gallons of water per 10k head of cattle per day! PER DAY! And guess where that water goes? Nope, not to the treatment plant, but right in to whatever waterway is convenient, be it a creek, river, stream, whatever. In ~10 years the Ogalala aquifer will be dried up because of the use for the water to clean off cows every day. Range cattle are more destructive, but I will not comment on them right now.

   It is sufficient to say that clearing away the rain forest and turning verdant land in to desert only to satisfy a craving or a tradition is asinine or ignorantly destructive at best, morally reprehensible at worst, and an inefficient way to use our resources. Remember how 85% of US grain goes to livestock? How about using that grain to feed people instead of cows? Imagine how much space there is in the US, and how much of it is used to grow things. We could use all of that to feed ourselves instead of an ungulate horde. We’d save water, breathable air, and our ecosystems.

   I’m all in favor of making people pay full price for their meat, since the meat industry is one of the most heavily subsidized industries around (The dairy industry is another one). If it weren’t subsidized to the extent that it is now, the price of meat would go up ~300%. Maybe more. In fact, the cost is incalculable, due to the fact that clean air, clean water and diverse ecosystems are beyond value.

   Would you rather have that burger you're salivating over, or have good air to breathe? If you think I’m hyperbolizing, here is a fact for you Skippy: the rain forest is being cleared away at the rate of ~1 acre every 4 seconds. That’s, quick math everyone!, 21600 acres every day (15 acres/minute*60 minutes/hour*24 hours/day). I don’t have any comparison as to how much land that is, but it’s more than we can afford to lose since that land holds trees that convert the CO2 we emit back to oxygen we need to breathe.

   This started out as a discussion about tradition. Another name for tradition is habit. There are good habits and bad habits. Be aware that what you do, or say, or are affects those around you, possibly in ways you cannot comprehend. Be responsible for the things you do and the choices you make. Don’t do things just because you’ve always done it that way, but realize “why” you do it. Realize the consequences of giving in to habits that are destructive and harmful both to yourself, and to those who you are in contact with. Choose responsibly, choose products that are environmentally friendly, and ask yourself : “What is the real cost of this thing I’m buying? What effect will I have around me if I buy it? Whose efforts am I supporting? Do they care about me, or are they out for themselves, regardless of the cost?”

  Break bad habits. Substitute good ones, even if they cost more monetarily. In the end, the $ cost is lots less than not being able to breathe without coughing, isn’t it?

I'm sure I'm going to Hell for laughing...

...at this. There seems to be a LOLCat translation of the Bible, which is cute, but I’m sure I condemned myself by laughing at it.

 

If you need to know where LOLCats come from, check this site out.

When are you meat-eaters going to realize... (green words are links)

...that animals are not resources!?!?!?!

Animals are animals. They have feelings, they hurt and feel pain, they react to stimuli. Since they are alive, they also have spirits. Do you think God like it when people/you kill His creatures indiscriminately? Or to sate your addictions? Would you like to be referred to as a resource? They are not to be exploited, used, or abused only to satisfy your addictions. Just because you are too weak-willed to admit that you don’t even want to try and quit, or that you should, for your own sake and the planet’s, doesn’t make further slaughter any more justified. If you give the weak-assed justification “Everything in moderation” excuse, well, that means some drug use is OK, isn’t it? How about I pick up a prostitute once a month? That’s fine, isn’t it? It’s only once a month... How about a bit of murder? Once a year all right?

If you LDS people have a problem with this, I refer you to the 89^th section of D&C. The only place that it says that it is OK is in verses 12 and 13, where it says they are to be used sparingly, ONLY IN TIMES OF WINTER, COLD OR FAMINE!!!!!!!!!!! Not whenever you feel like it, nor when it is convenient, but out of dire NECESSITY! If you are going to die, then it’s OK, but not at any other time! Priesthood commemoration steak fries? OUT! Bacon and pancakes with milk for breakfast for Father and Son’s outings? Nope! Fried chicken at Elder’s quorum activities? Unnecessary...

Go ahead and try to justify your position and say “But Jordan, it references in verse 15 section 49:18, which reads “And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God;” Read this verse very carefully. Whoever tries to forbid me from abstaining from/not eating meat is not ordained of God. So, if you are going to tell me that I am wrong for not eating meat, I have a news flash for you: you’re the one who is wrong. My ward members who want to call Child Protective Services because I let my 13 year-old child choose not to eat meat (in other words, he chooses for HIMSELF!), you can shove off. You are the ones who are deluded.

Don’t tell me that eating meat in today’s world is ordained of God, especially here in the US. It isn’t. I’m pretty sure that Heavenly Father nor Jesus approve of factory farms (I haven’t read the whole article, I only provide the link to illustrate what a factory farm is. Don’t those breeding sows look comfortable?), nor of raping the earth or the water we drink in order to sustain them. There is NOTHING good that comes from eating meat or animal products of any kind. Those who claim otherwise are deluded and ignorant both of the extent to which meat/animal products contribute to diseases of every kind, and the extent to which the industies destroy everything associated with them. Those who claim so are either ignorant, at best of the devastation, or are being paid by the industries themselves, at worst.

In places like Argentina, where there are few vegan alternatives, you can still choose to eat vegetables. Here in the US, the only excuse someone has is that they are TOO DAMN/ F’ING LAZY AND/OR ADDICTED TO ANIMAL PRODUCTS THAT THEY CAN’T STOP. That’s it: you just choose not to. They aren’t necessary to us, they are a luxury item. There are better plant alternatives, but you are too lazy.

Don’t try and justify to me as to why you can’t stop contributing to wholesale desecration and slaughter of God’s precious creations. Cheese tastes too good to give up? Tough. Steaks are too good to pass up? Quit whining. Milk is better at giving calcium that vegetables? Get real, pull your head out, stop being a pawn of the milk industry and get educated on the realities of calcium. Animal protein is better for human consumption than plant protein? A question for you: Which is more complex and therefore harder to break down and digest, plant or animal protein? Remember that all protein has to be completely broken down and then reconstituted in order to be utilized by the body. I can’t use zebra protein if it is not broken down first. Neither can you. Which is easier to process?

Stop being a pawn, realize that you are addicted to animal products, and choose to not support the destruction of the earth. Methane emissions from factory farm animals is the 2^nd largest contributor to global warming. Where do you think all of the sewage from those farms go? That’s right, in to the water YOU DRINK! The rain forests are being cleared at a catastrophic rate in order to supply your meat addiction. Thanks a lot: In 20 years they will be gone and then we’ll all suffocate because you had to have a burger. You think I exaggerate? Hardly. I could reference painstaking studies that say that if we don’t stop de-forestation, we as a species will be doomed. Another question: how long has that flesh been dead that you are eating, whether avian, bovine or fish? MMMmmmm...rotting flesh. Delicious. And do you think that the USDA cares about protecting you? If you knew the truth, they are more concerned about keeping the businesses working, because the businesses then either kick-back to the USDA officials or they get other benefits, either monetary or otherwise. Also, the USDA has a dual mandate: protect consumers and protect the well-being of agriculture. Who do you think the USDA caters to more? Repeat after me, children...”CONFLICT OF INTEREST!” How much pus, growth hormone, antibiotics and morphine are in that glass of frosty cold milk that you just drank? Remember, factory farms are built for profit, not for taking good care of the cows, so a cow can be mistreated and still produce, even when it has been over-milked and its udders are sore and bleeding.

Admit you have a problem, and that there is a better way to live. Just because something has always been one way doesn’t make it correct or right. What is wrong has always been wrong, regardless of the situational circumstances. Don’t be too lazy to change yourself. The whole point of the gospel is to better ourselves. Commit to yourself that you will do differently, stop contributing to animal cruelty and therefore be a more responsible person.

For myself, I want God to be pleased with me, as he says in verse 13 of section 89: “And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine” Don’t you want him to be pleased with you?