adminIbo Foroma Rastafarian Perspectives —
FROM December 26 to 1 January, Rastafarians celebrate Kwanza or the Festival of First Fruits. During this time, Rastafarians encourage minimal consumption of cooked food, reserving room for especially fresh fruits and raw vegetables.
Sometimes referred to as the Ethiopian Christmas, from January 7 to 14, Rastafarians celebrate the Nativity of Christ. All celebrations are typically seven days and seven nights long with the eating of raw, fresh, dried or prepared fruits and vegetables occupying centre stage.
Even throughout life, Rastafarians strongly discourage the eating of all sentient creatures. Sentient creatures are self-aware living organisms that perceive pain and suffering exerted to them or their kind as they are hunted, kept in captivity (including zoos), and slaughtered.
Acts involved in butchering socially accepted victims of man-slaughter are no different from those applied when poaching endangered species. Both scenarios involve the killing of innocent individual souls, brothers and sisters from different mothers and fathers.
From the dawn of time, vegetarianism has been proposed and practiced by a great many great minds. “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” (Genesis 1:29)
Furthermore, every other creature was given vegetables for food. “And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.” (Genesis 1:30)
The author of this script is not necessarily Moses as the books claimed to be authored by him do record Moses’ own death. (Deuteronomy 32:50, 34:5 and Joshua 1:2)
The same as in science, plants or vegetables first appeared on the food pyramid as pure producers of nutrients through the process photosynthesis. The first generation of animals fed exclusively on plants. Carnivores, cannibals and omnivores later developed thenceforth.
Although controversial, this is evolution again witnessed when the (biblical/mythical) serpent lost its legs. In science serpents used to have limbs which they similarly lost through evolution. Evidence of these limbs can be accessed on Wikipedia.
In the Bible, like animals, humans used not to wear clothes, now they do. In essence, human beings are animals continuously developing (kaizen) or r/evolving.
Hyper-technology and modern advancements augment argument.
In a dynamic environment, species continuously adopt to changes and over long periods of time, they differ immensely from their initial form and structure.
Vestigial structures testify to this “theory” and prove that humans used to depend entirely on vegetation for food and survival.
Later on in the Bible, humans were authorized to eat certain species of animals mainly as a survival strategy, especially considering the harsh environments that dominate the context of the scriptures.
The following great minds had this to say concerning the goodness of vegetarianism/veganism/fruitarian-ism over carnivore-ism, cannibalism and omnivore-ism.
“For as long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seeds of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.” Pythagoras (570 – 490 BC).
“To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana.” Buddha (563 – 483 BC).
“The Gods created certain kinds of beings to replenish our bodies; they are the trees and the plants and the seeds.” Plato (428 – 347 BC).
“The soul is the same in all living creatures, although the body of each is different.” Hippocrates (460 – 370 BC).
Eating animals does not only injure the deceased animals, doing so also exposes individuals to a multitude of diseases including variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (vCJD) the human equivalent of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), foot and mouth disease, anthrax, campylo bacter, salmonella poisoning, chicken pox, avian influenza viruses, swine fever, nipah disease, obesity, gout, etcetera.
Again, routine application of a host of drugs including antibiotics, probiotics, gut acidifying agents,etc, used in the pig and related industries deleteriously impact the human body.
By eating meat, we share the responsibility of climate change, the destruction of our forests, and the poisoning of our water and atmosphere. Compared to artificial fertilizers, natural and organic (manure) farming promotes biodiversity, is eco-friendly and “green”.
The simple act of becoming a vegetarian will make a big positive difference in the health of our planet.
(www.rastafarianperspectives.com or www.rastafari.co.zw)
Online Reporter