Guest guest Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 An Ahimsa ThanXgiving - Fast 2009 Namaste Oh, no! Here it comes again! Those dreaded holidays where Vegans " waffle " between: A) Going to a family get-together and literally suffer through hours of staring at dead carcasses, watching as others gulp down – not chewing – these abused souls; B) Going to a family get-together and endure all those not so casual comments about anti-Veganism; C) Not going to these gatherings and trying to arrange a dinner for like-minded folks; D) Not going to these gatherings and staying by themselves with their Tofurkeys; E) Not going to these gatherings and wondering if we hurt the feelings of unconcerned/uncaring humans; F) Not going to the dinners, but arriving afterwards for " dessert; " G) Any other actions you wish to fill-in; H) Not going to these gatherings and fasting. That's right! I said FASTING. I will be fasting this ThanXgiving again - this has been a tradition since 1998. I hope some list members will be joining me on this day of torture, death, greed, selfishness and debauchery by doing the same. My fast is in HONOR/REMEMBERENCE/REVERENCE of the MILLIONS of animals that are tortured and abused, then slaughtered just for this one (1) day alone in the U.S. My fasts run from Wednesday until Sunday. Fasting achieves numerous benefits. It is a wonderful way to clean out the body as far as health is concerned. Spiritually, it also cleanses the soul. Originally, fasting was used to 'get closer to a higher being.' It was also used to rid sick bodies of diseases. This was copied from watching animals when they are ill. They either eat greens or nothing at all. Modern times has shown fasting to be a form of protest. Gandhi also used fasting to bring his point across. My fasting tradition has came about when I could no longer go to family gatherings for this 'holiday' and sit around a table infested with dead carcass and by-products. Even the 'religious' holidays were laughable as we traipsed to our building of worship only to march back to a home full of death, abuse and chemical irresponsibility. Previous years had folks pointing out that this is a time for family and friends getting-together to show their love and thankfulness. But, who needs a " Hallmark " holiday for this occasion? We can get together the other 364 days of the year without the excuse of a 'holiday.' I have had numerous opportunities to join like-minded folks for a holiday feast, but prefer to not look upon this holiday as a festive occasion. Om Shanti Live Simply So That Others May Simply Live Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 Sounds boring to me. I will have a wonderful day and give thanks to my loved ones and we will have a 95% vegan dinner, might be a sour cream dip if a guest brings one, and the meat eaters enjoy it just as much as we do. Being postive and sharing love is what it's all about. Different strokes for different folks. Happy Thanksgiving and eat hearty! Donna , " fidyl " <fidyl wrote: > > An Ahimsa ThanXgiving - Fast 2009 > > Namaste > > Oh, no! Here it comes again! > Those dreaded holidays where Vegans " waffle " between: > > A) Going to a family get-together and literally suffer through hours of staring at dead carcasses, watching as others gulp down – not chewing – these abused souls; > B) Going to a family get-together and endure all those not so casual comments about anti-Veganism; > C) Not going to these gatherings and trying to arrange a dinner for like-minded folks; > D) Not going to these gatherings and staying by themselves with their Tofurkeys; > E) Not going to these gatherings and wondering if we hurt the feelings of unconcerned/uncaring humans; > F) Not going to the dinners, but arriving afterwards for " dessert; " > G) Any other actions you wish to fill-in; > H) Not going to these gatherings and fasting. > > That's right! I said FASTING. > > I will be fasting this ThanXgiving again - this has been a tradition since 1998. > I hope some list members will be joining me on this day of torture, death, greed, selfishness and debauchery by doing the same. > > My fast is in HONOR/REMEMBERENCE/REVERENCE of the MILLIONS of animals that are tortured and abused, then slaughtered just for this one (1) day alone in the U.S. > > My fasts run from Wednesday until Sunday. > > Fasting achieves numerous benefits. It is a wonderful way to clean out the body as far as health is concerned. > > Spiritually, it also cleanses the soul. > > Originally, fasting was used to 'get closer to a higher being.' > > It was also used to rid sick bodies of diseases. This was copied from watching animals when they are ill. > They either eat greens or nothing at all. > > Modern times has shown fasting to be a form of protest. > Gandhi also used fasting to bring his point across. > > My fasting tradition has came about when I could no longer go to family gatherings for this 'holiday' and sit around a table infested with dead carcass and by-products. > Even the 'religious' holidays were laughable as we traipsed to our building of worship only to march back to a home full of death, abuse and chemical irresponsibility. > > Previous years had folks pointing out that this is a time for family and friends getting-together to show their love and thankfulness. > But, who needs a " Hallmark " holiday for this occasion? > We can get together the other 364 days of the year without the excuse of a 'holiday.' > > I have had numerous opportunities to join like-minded folks for a holiday feast, but prefer to not look upon this holiday as a festive occasion. > > Om Shanti > > Live Simply So That > Others May Simply Live > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 I must respectfully disagree with pretty much everything you've said about fasting: To function optimally your body needs vitamins, minerals, protein, and a little fat (as certain vitamins require fat to be absorbed) every day. If you want to cleanse your body of toxins, the solution is quite simple- don't ingest them! Instead of fasting, try a 100% organic, vegan diet- avoid hydrogenated oils, preservatives, and other junk found in many highly processed foods and instead eat lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and legumes. Doing this (even for a day) makes me feel great and I don't have to deprive my body of any vital nutrients. " It was also used to rid sick bodies of diseases. This was copied from watching animals when they are ill. They either eat greens or nothing at all. " The reason non-human animals often little or nothing at all isn't because fasting rids of the body of diseases, it's an instinct. Since spoiled / tainted food is a common source of illness, temporarily abstaining from food is the only way an animal can be sure they're not eating more of what made them sick. This doesn't mean that fasting fights diseases; certain vitamins and antioxidants actually do help your immune system. Hence any decent doctor will take a sick patient to drink plenty of fluids, and eat what you can. I have never seen ANY scientific studies that fasting benefits your health in any way; yes, it will slightly, temporarily lower some people's blood pressure but this is because if you're not eating, then you're not eating foods that raise it. Sorry but " people have been doing a long time " isn't evidence of it's validity or effectiveness. People practiced alchemy for 2500 years and yet we still can't turn lead to gold. Gandhi had some success leading a hunger strike as a form of protest against the British rule of India, but I fail to see what sitting at home starving myself would accomplish. I don't think it will result in the government finally ending the war/s or passing a decent healthcare bill or because they won't even notice. Frankly, fasting is just one of those fads that non-vegetarians snicker about and it serves as fodder for the veg*n stereotype: that we're all kooky hippies into all the new-age mumbo-jumbo. So without a second thought they conclude that vegetarianism is just another fad and we shouldn't be taken seriously. Yes, there will *always* be people who mock what they don't understand, but why give them an easy excuse? While I can completely understand not wanting to spend Thanksgiving with your family if they insist on gorging themselves on dead animals, there are more productive options on your list than self-starvation. If you're so inclined, you could actually set a great example for your meat eating family members by sharing some delicious veg*n food so they can see that you aren't you aren't actually missing out on anything. Lastly, the reason to celebrate these Hallmark holidays is because most of us work for a living and have precious little time to spend with our loved ones; so why would you pass up a chance to enjoy time with them? Of course, this is MHO; by all means fast if it's really what you want to do, but personally I'll be having a nice, 100% vegan dinner with my girlfriend. , " fidyl " <fidyl wrote: > An Ahimsa ThanXgiving - Fast 2009 > Namaste > > Oh, no! Here it comes again! > Those dreaded holidays where Vegans " waffle " between: > > A) Going to a family get-together and literally suffer through hours of staring at dead carcasses, watching as others gulp down – not chewing – these abused souls; B) Going to a family get-together and endure all those not so casual comments about anti-Veganism; C) Not going to these gatherings and trying to arrange a dinner for like-minded folks; D) Not going to these gatherings and staying by themselves with their Tofurkeys; E) Not going to these gatherings and wondering if we hurt the feelings of unconcerned/uncaring humans; F) Not going to the dinners, but arriving afterwards for " dessert; " G) Any other actions you wish to fill-in; H) Not going to these gatherings and fasting. > That's right! I said FASTING. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 Well stated, Davey. Hope you enjoy a lovely Thanksgiving Day! ~ PT ~ , " DaveyD " <dave4sale wrote: > > I must respectfully disagree with pretty much everything you've said about fasting: > > To function optimally your body needs vitamins, minerals, protein, and a little fat (as certain vitamins require fat to be absorbed) every day. If you want to cleanse your body of toxins, the solution is quite simple- don't ingest them! Instead of fasting, try a 100% organic, vegan diet- avoid hydrogenated oils, preservatives, and other junk found in many highly processed foods and instead eat lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and legumes. Doing this (even for a day) makes me feel great and I don't have to deprive my body of any vital nutrients. > > " It was also used to rid sick bodies of diseases. This was copied from watching animals when they are ill. They either eat greens or nothing at all. " > > The reason non-human animals often little or nothing at all isn't because fasting rids of the body of diseases, it's an instinct. Since spoiled / tainted food is a common source of illness, temporarily abstaining from food is the only way an animal can be sure they're not eating more of what made them sick. This doesn't mean that fasting fights diseases; certain vitamins and antioxidants actually do help your immune system. Hence any decent doctor will take a sick patient to drink plenty of fluids, and eat what you can. > > I have never seen ANY scientific studies that fasting benefits your health in any way; yes, it will slightly, temporarily lower some people's blood pressure but this is because if you're not eating, then you're not eating foods that raise it. Sorry but " people have been doing a long time " isn't evidence of it's validity or effectiveness. People practiced alchemy for 2500 years and yet we still can't turn lead to gold. > > Gandhi had some success leading a hunger strike as a form of protest against the British rule of India, but I fail to see what sitting at home starving myself would accomplish. I don't think it will result in the government finally ending the war/s or passing a decent healthcare bill or because they won't even notice. > > Frankly, fasting is just one of those fads that non-vegetarians snicker about and it serves as fodder for the veg*n stereotype: that we're all kooky hippies into all the new-age mumbo-jumbo. So without a second thought they conclude that vegetarianism is just another fad and we shouldn't be taken seriously. Yes, there will *always* be people who mock what they don't understand, but why give them an easy excuse? > > While I can completely understand not wanting to spend Thanksgiving with your family if they insist on gorging themselves on dead animals, there are more productive options on your list than self-starvation. If you're so inclined, you could actually set a great example for your meat eating family members by sharing some delicious veg*n food so they can see that you aren't you aren't actually missing out on anything. > > Lastly, the reason to celebrate these Hallmark holidays is because most of us work for a living and have precious little time to spend with our loved ones; so why would you pass up a chance to enjoy time with them? Of course, this is MHO; by all means fast if it's really what you want to do, but personally I'll be having a nice, 100% vegan dinner with my girlfriend. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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