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One of the many arguments that people give for why they think we should eat meat is: "They ate meat in the Bible."
This BSB is in response to a reader who asked a question about that. He wrote:
I am a keen advocate of plant-based consumption for a sustainable world. I am curious how you would respond to people who would argue that "they ate meat in the Bible." (#2 in this slide from my presentations)
Dear Sir,
Before responding, I wish to clarify that I was raised in the deep South by an evangelical
father and a very loving Methodist mother. Speaking of my mother, I remember well a phrase she used often during my youth:
Jim, God gave you a brain and he expects you to use it.
That loving advice from my mother has probably played a significant role in my never-ending search for the truth about some of the most important topics in the history of humanity.
As for eating meat, I have "used my brain" to uncover three critical facts about our out-of-control consumption of all types of animal-based foods:
- From my own extensive research (15 years) of the scientific information available on this topic, I have learned that if all 7.6 billion humans on Earth tried to eat as much animal-based foods as the average American, it would take more than three planet Earths to feed us all--and we only have one.
- I know from numerous medical studies that a diet of mostly whole plants will prevent, slow, stop, or reverse most chronic disease in over 90% of the cases. No, we do not "need" to eat any animal protein to be healthy.
-
Finally, I know from many years of environmental study that human consumption of animal-based foods is one of the leading drivers of almost every ecological crisis we face,
including climate change.
Now, using my brain as my mother suggested, I began avoiding all animal products in 2003 and have made it part of my life's mission to do whatever I can to help bring this crucial knowledge about our "grossly unsustainable" meat-eating habits to the world.
If she were alive today, my mother would say:
Look at the data. Act accordingly, especially when the data reveals what amounts to a blinding flash of the obvious.
What about abortion? Or family planning? Another hot topic among many religions. What would my mother have said about the recent news that Ireland (a mostly Catholic nation) has voted to get rid of the law banning abortions?
That's an easy one. If I had shown my mother this chart that I created after 10,000 hours of study, I think she would've agreed wholeheartedly with my conclusion regarding the highly sensitive topic at the top of this list.
Question. When and how are we going to begin controlling (reducing) human population growth--the single biggest problem that jeopardizes our future as a species? So far, we have only taken steps to ensure that we continue to do just the opposite.
Due to a complete lack of "planet-management" by our leaders and inadequate family planning by the masses, we're now adding a net 230,000 people to our human population every day. That's like adding 365 new Birminghams every year.
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| Birmingham, AL, my parents' home for many years |
The Bottom Line. My mother may have summed it up like this:
Jim,
keep using your brain. Keep searching for, and reporting, the truth regarding the most important topics in the history of humanity. Jesus would expect no less of you. --
Agnes Stanfield Hicks
End note.
I
don't know if
my mother ever gave my four siblings the same advice she gave me about using my brain. But, being a bit old-fashioned, she grew up in an era when many families thought it most important that the oldest son went to college. And she told me often that she'd do whatever it took to ensure that I got that chance.
On the other hand, my father didn't want any of us to go to college--boys or girls. But, thanks to our mother, two of us did.
Be well, Jim
J. Morris (Jim) Hicks
CEO, 4Leaf Global, LLC
***************
Looking for Opportunities to Speak.
Since 2016, my research, writing and speaking has been focused on the sustainability of our ecosystem and our future as a species. With a primary emphasis on food choices, I call it the "most important topic in the history of humanity."
After all, what could possibly be more important to humans than the survival of our species?
Latest/future talks: Earlier this year, I spoke at a VegFest in Ft. Myers, Florida, at the
vsh.org in Honolulu and Kahului, Maui, and at the
College of the Holy Cross
in Worcester, MA. Upcoming talks are being scheduled at the NYC PlantPure Pod in October, in South Haven, Michigan in November and in Sacramento, CA, next February.
Later this year, my co-author, Dr. Kerry Graff, and I may be speaking at a Chinese Nutrition Association event in Nanjing, China. For more info, Visit our speaking page.
To schedule a presentation at a venue near you, please contact me at
[email protected]
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