LETTERS

The diet of Lent

Posted 2/11/16

To the Editor:

Wednesday marked the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period before Easter, when many Christians abstain from animal foods in remembrance of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in
LETTERS

The diet of Lent

Posted

To the Editor:

Wednesday marked the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period before Easter, when many Christians abstain from animal foods in remembrance of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert before launching his ministry.

But meat-free Lent is much more than a symbol of religious devotion to Christ. It helps reduce the risk of chronic disease, environmental degradation, and animal abuse. Dozens of medical reports have linked consumption of animal products with elevated risk of heart failure, stroke, cancer, and other killer diseases. A 2007 U.N. report named meat production as the largest source of greenhouse gases and water pollution. Undercover investigations have documented farm animals being beaten, caged, crowded, deprived, mutilated, and shocked.

Lent offers a superb opportunity to honor Christ’s powerful message of compassion and love by adopting a meat-free diet for Lent and beyond.

After all, it’s the diet mandated in Genesis I-29 and observed in the Garden of Eden.

Our supermarket offers a rich array of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, as well as the more traditional vegetables, fruits, and grains. Entering “vegan recipes” in our favorite search engine offers more products, recipes, and transition tips than we can use.

William Sanford

Westerly

Comments

2 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here

  • davebarry109

    Another Vegan heard from. Please keep your diet to yourself. There is nothing wrong with eating meat or anything else. Moderation is the key to life. For Vegans, their diet is their religion. As usual, I'm going to keep my promise to myself and eat meat for dinner each and every time a vegan writes a letter to the editor. Tonight is meatballs.

    Thursday, February 11, 2016 Report this

  • RISchadenfreude

    A person only needs to do two things to be a vegetarian/vegan:

    1. Don't eat meat.

    2. Shut up about it.

    The reason that Catholics are not supposed to eat meat on Fridays (later expanded to Wednesdays, as well) is that at one time the Vatican owned an interest in fishing vessels on the Mediterranean.

    Christ had nothing to do with a "meat-free" diet.

    Friday, March 4, 2016 Report this