Here are a few of my Notes from “The Ethics of Diet” by Howard Williams:

"Again Seneca writes:

‘How long shall we weary heaven with petitions for superfluous luxuries, as though we had not at hand wherewithal to feed ourselves? How long shall we fill our plains with huge cities? How long shall the people slave for us unnecessarily? How long shall countless numbers of ships from every sea bring us provisions for the consumption of a single month? An Ox is satisfied with the pasture of an acre or two: one wood suffices for several Elephants.' Man alone supports himself by the pillage of the whole earth and sea. What! Has Nature indeed given us so insatiable a stomach, while she has given us so insignificant bodies? No: it is not the hunger of our stomachs, but insatiable covetousness (ambitio) which costs so much. The slaves of the belly (as says Sallust) are to be counted in the number of the lower animals, not of men. Nay, not of them, but rather of the dead. . . . You might inscribe on their doors, “These have anticipated death." ' ” -Howard Williams , “The Ethics of Diet” p. 33

"Pythagoras abstained from eating meat around the age of 19 as he believed that abstaining from flesh kept the soul pure. Lamblichus, who studied Pythagoras, stated that the great mathematician ‘Enjoyed abstinence from the flesh of animals, because it is conducive to peace; for those who are accustomed to abominate the slaughter of other animals as iniquitous and unnatural, will think it still more unjust and unlawful to kill a man or to engage in war.’"

"Arthur Schopenhauer, the German philosopher said: ‘Since compassion for animals is so intimately associated with goodness of character, it may be confidently asserted that whoever is cruel to animals cannot be a good man.’"

THE PRACTICE OF FLESH-EATING - CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA
. p. 61

"In treating of the subject of sacrifices, upon which he uses a good deal of sarcasm (in regard to the pagan sacrifices at least), Clement incidentally allows us to see, still further, his opinion respecting gross feeding." -Howard Williams , “The Ethics of Diet” p. 61

"But I believe that sacrifices were invented by men to be a pretext for eating flesh, and yet, without such idolatry, they might have partaken of it." -Howard Williams , “The Ethics of Diet” p. 61

Here are some of my favorite quotes from my file on “Meat Eating:

"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me," saith the Lord. "I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats...and when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes." -Isaiah 1:11, 1:15-16

“Vegetarianism serves as the criterion by which we know that the pursuit of moral perfection on the part of humanity is genuine and sincere.” -Leo Tolstoy

“It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living by its purely physical effect on the human temperament would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.” -Albert Einstein

“Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” -Albert Einstein

“…only beasts satisfy their hunger with flesh, and not even all of those, because horses, cattle and sheep live on grass.” -Pythagoras

"...Pythagoras declared that the eating of meat clouded the reasoning faculties. ...he declared that judges should refrain from eating meat before a trail, in order that those who appeared before them might receive the most honest and astute decisions." "The Secret Teachings of All Ages..." by Manly P. Hall, p. LXVI

“He is a heavy eater of beef. Me thinks it doth harm to his wit.” -William Shakespeare from Twelfth Night

"For thousands of years different cultures have been aware that the types of food we eat have subtle effects on the mind. Herodotus, the Greek historian, reported that grain-eating vegetarian cultures surpassed meat-eating cultures in art, science, and spiritual development. In his writings it was his view that meat-eating nations tended to be more warlike and more focused on expression of anger and sensual passions." -Gabriel Cousens, "Conscious Eating"

"The connection between compassion toward, and non cruelty to, animals with world peace is directly linked morally and spiritually. Killing an animal for food is still a violent act. There is also a connection between justifying slaughtering animals for food or profit and taking the next step in the violent process, which is the killing of one's fellow human beings for some sort of "good" reason." -Gabriel Cousens, "Conscious Eating"

"The eating of meat extinguishes the seed of great compassion." -The Teachings in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra

"Compassionate eating leads to compassionate living." -Al-Ghassali (1058-1111) Muslim Philosopher

"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 (582-507 B.C.)

"While we ourselves are the living graves of murdered beasts, how can we expect any ideal conditions on this earth?" -George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

"His life in Paradise ended when he changed from his fruitarian existence to meat-eating! He has turned his intestinal tract into a "burial place" for putrefying, decaying animal foods." -Arnold Ehret (1866-1922)

"It is far better to be happy than to have our bodies act as graveyards for animals." -Clement of Alexandria (160-240)

"His life in Paradise ended when he changed from his fruitarian existence to meat-eating! He has turned his intestinal tract into a "burial place" for putrefying, decaying animal foods." -Arnold Ehret (1866-1922)

“And the flesh of the slain beasts in his body will become his own tomb. For I tell you truly, he who kills, kills himself, and whoso eats the flesh of slain beasts, eats of the body of death.” -Jesus, “The Essene Gospel of Peace - Book One” p. 36

“Let not a man make himself abominable with any living creature or creeping thing by eating of them.” -Millar Burrows, “Dead Sea Scrolls”

“We manage to swallow flesh only because we do not think of the cruel and sinful thing we do.” -Rabindranath Tagore

“My refusing to eat flesh occasioned an inconvenience, and I was frequently chided for my singularity, but with this lighter repast, I made the greater progress, from greater clearness of head and quicker comprehension.” -Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

“The person who is ignorant enough to believe that his nourishment depends on meat is in a horrible dilemma.” -George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

"Man has an infinite capacity to rationalize his rapacity, especially when it comes to something he wants to eat." -Cleveland Amory

“When you kill an animal, there is still uric acid in the blood that has not yet been eliminated. Unless you are eating kosher meat, which is dead animal flesh with the blood removed, then you are eating the blood which still contains the uric acid which has not yet been eliminated as urine. Urine is the by-product of blood. What comes out as urine was in the blood just moments before. If you did not kill the animal, then the uric acid would eventually be eliminated as urine. So in effect, if you are eating dead animal flesh, that's practically the same thing as drinking its urine. Try eating kosher meat without any spices...it has no flavor...the flavor comes from the uric acid...mmmmm uric acid...drink up...” -John Rose

“For the sake of love of purity, the bodhisattva should refrain from eating flesh. ... For fear of causing terror to living beings, let the bodhisattva, who is disciplining himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh. ... It is not true that meat is proper food and permissible when the animal was not killed by himself, when he did not order others to kill it, when it was not specifically meant for him. ... Again, there may be some people in the future who...being under the influence of the taste of meat will string together in various ways many sophisticated arguments to defend meat eating. ... But meat eating in any form, in any manner, and in any place is unconditionally, and once and for all, prohibited. ... Meat eating I have not permitted to anyone, I do not permit, and will not permit.” -Buddha

"Have you ever heard it said that if you tell a big-enough lie loud enough and long enough, sooner or later people will believe you? Welcome to the wonderful world of protein. No bigger lie has ever been told than the one that humans require a high-protein diet to maintain optimum health and well-being." -Anthony Robbins, “Unlimited Power” p. 182

“What’s the greatest marketing plan on earth? It’s making people think they’ll die unless they use your product. That’s exactly what has happened with protein.” -Anthony Robbins, “Unlimited Power” p. 183

“The Average piece of meat has fourteen grains of uric acid. Your body can only eliminate about 8 grains of uric acid in a day. In addition, do you know what gives meat its taste? Uric acid, from that now dead animal you’re consuming. If you doubt this, try eating kosher-style meat before it’s spiced. As the blood is drained out, so is most of the uric acid. Meat without uric acid has no flavor. Is that what you want to put in your body, the acid normally eliminated in the urine of an animal?” -Anthony Robbins, “Unlimited Power” p. 184

"The fat and ruddy eater who had just wiped his lips from feeding on a sirloin, whose blood was spouting in his veins and whose strength kindled that evil fire in his eye. It was not the voice of man one heard, but beef and brandy roaring for beef and brandy." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Animal source food is adaptive when there's not enough food, but in a world with abundant and diverse plant foods, animal source food is obsolete and only causes problems.” -William Harris, M.D.

“Chimpanzees do not bolt their food; they eat it slowly and often chew pieces of meat together with a small leaf. The brain appears to be the real treat of the hunt and it is the most eagerly sought-after part of the prey. Chimps need to work hard to reach the soft interior of a mammal skull. The mere fact that they spend so long breaking and biting off pieces of thick bone is enough to tell us that they feel the effort is worth the reward. The chimp's appetite for meat is so strong that younger animals can be seen gnawing on completely stripped bones several days after the kill.” -Leach,Michael: great apes (1996), p109

“Chimpanzee hunting is an all-male activity ... Hunting is very much a seasonal activity, tending to occur at times of the year when plant foods are in short supply, notably the dry season. This suggests that meat is a kind of emergency food. Hence, even though meat is only a small part of the diet of those chimpanzee populations that are known to hunt, it may nonetheless be essential for survival in poor-quality or seasonal habitats.” -Robin Dunbar & Louise Barrett: Our Primate Relatives (2000), p189

"In a seventy-year lifetime, the average American eats 11 cows, 1 calf, 3 lambs and sheep, 23 hogs, 45 turkeys, 1097 chickens and 861 pounds of fish." -Gary Null, "The Vegetarian Handbook" p. 114 [JR: 2041 animals if fish are one pound each.]

“The average meat eater is responsible for the deaths of some 2,400 animals during his or her lifetime.” -Jim Motavalli, “So You're an Environmentalist; Why Are You Still Eating Meat?” January 3, 2002 [www.alternet.org]

“I never liked steak in my life and never understood the appeal of something so difficult to chew and digest. There is no such thing as a good steak. There is no such thing as a good meat dinner. I think it's all bad. The way the animals are confined and cruelly treated throughout their lives, the way they are slaughtered, the damage done to the environment, and to the person's health who eats them. I'm not trying to offend you, but if you research what actually happens to most meat before it gets to your table, it is very alarming. What it does after it leaves your table is also alarming. I'm not asking you to become a vegetarian, but please, for your own sake, do some research, maybe even try to visit to a factory farm or a slaughterhouse.

The meat industry in the US alone claims over 6 billion lives annually, and those are just the non-human animals. Even when I ate meat, I understood several of the problems of eating meat, but I was too addicted to it to want to learn any more. However, after going without it for about a month, I didn't desire it any more.” -Ben

“If modern civilized man had to kill the animals he eats, the number of vegetarians would rise astronomically.” Christian Morgenstern

“I have no doubt that it is a part of the destiny of the human race, in its gradual improvement, to leave off eating animals.” -Henry David Thoreau

“The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men.” -Leonardo Da Vinci

"People often say that humans have always eaten animals, as if this is a justification for continuing the practice. According to this logic, we should not try to prevent people from murdering other people, since this has also been done since the earliest of times." -Isaac Singer

“A man of my spiritual intensity does not eat corpses.” -George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

“Animals are my friends and I don't eat my friends.” -George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

“We don't eat anything that has to be killed for us.” -Paul McCartney

“I believe that every man who has ever been earnest to preserve his higher or poetic facilities in the best condition has been particularly inclined to abstain from animal food.” -Henry David Thoreau

“A vegetarian diet is the diet most compatible with the health of the body, mind, and spirit, as well as the health of the planet.” -Gabriel Cousens, M.D. “Sevenfold Peace” p. 3

“The person who is ignorant enough to believe that his nourishment depends on meat is in a horrible dilemma.” -George Bernard Shaw

"Man has an infinite capacity to rationalize his rapacity, especially when it comes to something he wants to eat." -Cleveland Amory

“Custom will reconcile people to any atrocity.” -George Bernard Shaw

"If we believe in absurdities, we shall commit atrocities." -Voltaire

“Isn't man an amazing animal? He kills wildlife - birds, kangaroos, deer, all kinds of cats, coyotes, beavers, groundhogs, mice, foxes, and dingoes - by the millions in order to protect his domestic animals and their feed. Then he kills domestic animals by the billions and eats them. This in turn kills man by the millions, because eating all those animals leads to degenerative - and fatal - health conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer. So then man tortures and kills millions more animals to look for cures for these diseases. Elsewhere, millions of other human beings are being killed by hunger and malnutrition because food that they could eat is being used to fatten domestic animals. Meanwhile, some people are dying of sad laughter at the absurdity of man, who kills so easily and so violently, and once a year sends out a card praying for 'Peace on Earth'." - Preface to “Old MacDonald's (Factory) Farm” by David C. Coats

"The thinking man must oppose all cruel customs no matter how deeply rooted in tradition and surrounded by a halo. When we have a choice, we must avoid bringing torment and injury into the life of another, even the lowliest creature; to do so is to renounce our manhood and shoulder a guilt which nothing justifies." -Albert Schweitzer

“The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for whites or women for men.” -Alice Walker

“Since visiting the abattoirs of Southern France I have stopped eating meat.” -Vincent Van Gogh

"A human can be healthy without killing animals for food. Therefore, if he eats meat he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite." -Leo Tolstoy

Peace and Love..........John

I love these quotes, very inspirational.

I wonder how i can live a life without gluten, dairy and no meat but still feel balanced. It will happen, I just need to focus on veggies and fruit for the long run.

TY again for your support.

M

I eat the diet I eat because I enjoy it and it makes me feel good and is interesting to me. It's not a product of my ego. It's neither a self-righteous lectern nor bully-pulpit. It just is. Same goes for exercise. I do it because I enjoy using my body. I don't do it to make money or boast. I'm also well aware that the world and the survival game essentially combine to form a "killing machine" as the one fellow in the movie about Mango and Kveta said. Something always has to die in order to feed something else. What a crying shame that is. I don't place the lives of macro-organisms above those of micro-organisms. Does flesh-eating sketch me out? Uhhh, yeah. It definitely does, but I accept the world for what it is.