Should ethical vegans use fossil fuels?

Question

I just posted a question asking for vegetarian recipes, and read a Q in the Vegetarian and Vegan section. While doing so, it occurred to me that artificial additives in foods are derived from fossil fuels, and fossil fuels are formed from prehistoric plants and ANIMALS.

Verification: http://www.fossil.energy.gov/education/energylessons/coal/gen_howformed.html

If the choice to be vegan is an moral/spiritual/ethical one (rather than for health reasons), is there an ethical dilemma in vegans using fossil fuels (and everything derived therefrom)?

Where is the line drawn on not using "animal products" and why?

LOL. Very true Lilith.

James B. LOL.

I have a goal to reduce my own use of fossil fuel (eventually to zero, once all my garden is organically sustainable)... I guess that's why I was interested in asking the question. ;-)

EverMom... I never thought of that! :-o

Yoda, once more you are a voice of calm rationality, and beautiful, compassionate insight. I agree with all that you have said. You have a gift of expression and comprehension that I would love to emulate. I thank God for the spiritual fruits that He has granted you to bring to our table.

Answer 1

Here is my opinion upon all things vegetarian.

Animals soul's inhabit a lower plane of spiritual existence, but 'non the less' they benefit from the suffering of life (such that they may accend to higher levels). As such, all life forms deserve to live in order to suffer and improve.

Lower life forms have less conciousness of self and are treated with less care. Therefore it is more compassionate to eat plants than it is to eat animals (as animals are more concious of their existence). Bacteria are also living yet we destroy them every time we move. So although all soul's are of equal value, souls are at different stages of development.

Therefore all life circumstances are not equal. Every circumstance a soul finds itself manifest in fits perfectly to the present need of that soul. More enlightend souls have begun to produce 'fruit for the harvest' and tend to treat less enlightend soul's with more compassion. Therefore enlightened soul's should voluntarily accept a vegetarian diet.

Fossil fuels are DEAD animals, so eating dead animals does not harm the soul (it is not sinful). It is the killling of animals that are still alive and kicking (for the purpose of consumption) that ethical vegetarians disagree with.

What is the harm of eating an animal when it has died of old age? For how does that drive up the world demand for meat? Indeed Tibbeten buddhists (after reading the Tibbetan book of the dead) will bind the body of the deceased relative, and leave it upon the mountain side for the vultures to consume. Once the soul has left the body, the body is considered dead matter and therefore worthless.

In general, the compassionate soul should refrain from buying products that drive up the market demand for meat and its byproducts. That is my opinion. Purchasing animal products made from animals that died from disease or natural causes do not drive up the demand for slaughtering animals.

It is not against the law of God to consume meat, but it is regretable (a venial sin) to buy products that promote the mass slaughter of animals. Capitalist society promotes glutany for sensual pleasure by allowing meat sale to be under control of supply and demand. In some parts of the world, no plants are availible to support human diet (such as in parts of Mongolia). Mongolians keep heards of animals. However, they only kill what they need to survive. This measured form of life style is in harmony with nature. This lifestyle is not sinful.

What is regretable about western culture is that many people become glutenous and eat more than their metabolism requires. Meat is consumed not for need, but for pleasure. Animal products should be only bought for need, not pleasure. If one can gain the nutrition one requires from plants and supplements, then what need is there for consuming meat?

If a poor man and his family invite you to eat, it is regretable if you decide to decline his generous offering on moral objections: It is written in the Gospels that one should accept what is put upon your plate and teach the word of God to them. For one is judged less for what enters one's mouth than for sinfull words that leave it. Therefore all teachers (of all kinds) should consider carefully how they teach. Offended people tend to feel less inclined to become engaged in meaningful discussion , are less likely to open themselves to view points that are new to them.

Answer 2

I'm not a vegan, but I think any lifestyle/belief system can be taken too far. What you describe, I think, would be taking it too far. The animals in fossil fuel died long long ago. They weren't killed by humans so they could be turned into fossil fuel millions of years in the future. I think you could drive yourself crazy trying to draw too fine a line and miss the point of what you are trying to live entirely.

Answer 3

I think a lot of vegans try to not include artificial additives in their diet- I'm one of them. I try to keep the foods in my diet the closest to their natural state.

However, it is pretty much impossible to eliminate ALL animal products from your life. Society has not been set up in that way. Ethical vegans just try to limit it to a point that can actually done relatively easily based on the alternatives.

So yes, there is always a line.

Answer 4

Fossil fuels are primarily made of semidecayed vegetable matter from peat bogs and deep sea microorganisms. Very little animal content in there.

Molecularly speaking, plants are made of animals as much as fossil fuels are. Dead animals decay, their organic chemicals are absorbed by single celled organisms that release those chemicals into the soil as they die. The molecules in your salad were former animals far more recently than the ones in your oil.

Answer 5

Should an ethical vegan refuse to eat the organically grown vegetables from my garden? After all, I use manure. We would not have such an abundance of cow and sheep manure if it wasn’t for meat production.

Answer 6

I doubt that the fossils will be offended. And there's a difference between burning dead animals and eating them. But if you wish to have compassion on fossils you should disconnect all utilities, quit eating farmed food, wearing manufactured clothing, riding in motor vehicles and so on. Al Gore will be proud of you.

Answer 7

Ethically, no, they should not. If they are semi-vegan for whatever reason, then I should think they wouldn't care.

Answer 8

Smiles for a fun question, making us all ponder a bit, and some delightful answers!

Answer 9

THA LORD GAVE U DEM ANIMALZ TO EAT!

In all seriousness, why are you asking this in R&S?