Preface to "Food for the Spirit"
From wheeler@super.org Wed Feb 24 17:44:13 1993
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 10:30:13 EDT
From: wheeler@super.org (Ferrell S. Wheeler)
To: tms@cs.umd.edu
Subject: I. B. Singer
[Recently, I was able to read Steven Rosen's book "Food for the Spirit:
Vegetarianism and the World Religions" (Bala Books, 1987, ISBN 0-89647-
021-0). The preface of this book was written by Isaac Bashevis Singer
who won the 1978 Nobel Prize for Literature. He died several months
ago at the age of 87. What I found interesting was that very few of
the obituaries mentioned his vegetarianism and when it was mentioned,
it was only in passing. But, you will see from this short essay, that
vegetarianism was central to his world view. Yet, like so many others,
this will be overlooked by historians and treated like a mere fad.
Ferrell Wheeler -- wheeler@super.org]
Preface to Food for the Spirit
Copyright (1986) Isaac Bashevis Singer
Vegetarianism is my religion. I became a consistent vegetarian some
twenty-three years ago. Before that, I would try over and over again.
But it was sporadic. Finally, in the mid-1960s, I made up my mind. And
I've been a vegetarian ever since.
When a human kills an animal for food, he is neglecting his own
hunger for justice. Man prays for mercy, but is unwilling to extend it
to others. Why should man then expect mercy from God? It's unfair to
expect something that you are not willing to give. It is inconsistent.
I can never accept inconsistency or injustice. Even if it comes from
God. If there would come a voice from God saying, "I'm against
vegetarianism!" I would say, "Well, I am for it!" This is how strongly
I feel in this regard.
In orthodox religious circles, this would be considered heretical.
Still, I consider myself a religious man. I'm not against organized
religion, but I don't take part in it. Especially when they interpret
their religious books as being in favor of meat-eating. Sometimes they
say He wants sacrifice and the killing of animals. If this is true,
then I would never be able to comply. But I think God is wiser and more
merciful than that. And there are interpretations of religious
scriptures which support this, saying that vegetarianism is a very high
ideal.
Whether the mass of people accept the vegetarian interpretation of
religion or not really doesn't matter. At least not in my life. I
accept it implicitly. Of course, it would be wonderful if the world
adopted vegetarianism, on religious grounds or any other. But this is
not likely. I am a skeptic, it's true, but I'm also realistic. In any
event, what the people in general do will not affect me. I will
continue to be a vegetarian even if the whole world started to eat meat.
This is my protest against the conduct of the world. To be a
vegetarian is to disagree -- to disagree with the course of things
today. Nuclear power, starvation, cruelty -- we must make a statement
against these things. Vegetarianism is my statement. And I think it's
a strong one.
Author Steven Rosen makes a similar statement in his book. And
although I do not necessarily agree with everything he says, point for
point, I do find his work fascinating and convincing. He correctly
points out that various philosophers and religious leaders have tried to
convince their following that animals are nothing more than machines,
put on earth for our pleasure, with no purpose of their own. Mr. Rosen
smashes this idea, however, and every reader who is predisposed to the
vegetarian ideal will enjoy his logic and reason in doing this.
-- Isaac Bashevis Singer
Animal Rights and Vegetarianism
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