You can not get to love by condemning others This article was inspired by a Vegan Activist condemning other Vegan Activists who recently participated on September 9th, 2017, in the WORLD'S LARGEST EVER animal rights march in Tel Aviv, Israel.
You can not get to love by condemning others for not condemning others.
You cannot get others to listen to you by condemning them for not doing what you think they ought too.
People who are out here speaking against violence and cruelty, but are not speaking against it enough for you...
You cannot get others to listen to you by condemning them for not doing what you think they ought too.
People who are out here speaking against violence and cruelty, but are not speaking against it enough for you...
You can not get to love by focusing anger and disapproval towards ones who are spreading love, joy, hope, and nonviolence. Even if you feel 100% self righteous in your rightness, focusing on the hatred is not the path to love.
It is a sadly misguided belief that condemning people as a group because of atrocities committed by some like them, is a path to creating peace and love. Or learning or growth or development of new ideas in those we wish to influence.
Actually that is charging down the wrong path, away from love and peace.
Just like the angry rhino in my dream this morning, charging at me threatening, intending to run me over! I ran away thinking he was going to squish me!
We vegans need to consider this when dealing with meat and dairy consumers as well as other vegans who may not be perfect.
Just like the angry rhino in my dream this morning, charging at me threatening, intending to run me over! I ran away thinking he was going to squish me!
We vegans need to consider this when dealing with meat and dairy consumers as well as other vegans who may not be perfect.
You can not spread seeds of love, and water them, through criticizing and blaming people because of where they were born.
Not for the religion they were born into, for the particular things they focus on and speak out for, not even for the reasons they have chosen or that have motivated them to be a vegan activist and speak out for animal rights.
Not for the religion they were born into, for the particular things they focus on and speak out for, not even for the reasons they have chosen or that have motivated them to be a vegan activist and speak out for animal rights.
Everywhere you look, you could point to the horrors of some “groups’” terrible actions. But that does not justify reprimanding and berating others who share some qualities of the people doing the crimes.
Do ALL “white” skinned people have to carry the albatross of shame and guilt of slavery?
Do ALL “brown” skinned people have to carry the shame and anger of slavery?
Do ALL muslims have to carry the shame and blame of crimes committed by some muslims?
Do ALL Israelis have to live as if guilty of the crimes of their governments and others who live violent ideologies?
Do ALL Americans have to live with the guilt of the crimes that created “America” and these violent ideologies?
What about South Africans?
What about ANYONE, anywhere, where they might have been born, due to no understandable, clearly knowable choice of their own?
Law of Attraction says that we are deliberate creators of our own realities.
But that doesn’t mean we HAVE to focus our purpose on the specific atrocities our specific country is perpetrating.
We have to find our voice and actions and purposes of creating love in the world, in positive, uplifting ways.
Not by ripping apart people who are out here, working for love because they are not condemning, or fighting against causes that are important to YOU.
Of course, I personally believe, that each person is responsible for learning what they can about the impact of their choices.
In everything we do.
What we eat. What we wear. What we are entertained by. What we spend money on. What we support with our thoughts, our time, our energy, and effort.
It is important that people learn about where they are born. It is important for people to recognize all the ways that they may be supporting violent ideologies. It is important for people to open up, more and more.
I think it would be wonderful for people to learn more about how they can spread love and joy into the world. To learn how to live causing the least harm as possible, in all ways, and also, to always do some good. Ahimsa.
This is an enormous world.
We are infinite beings living inside of finite, limited physical bodies.
We are infinite beings living inside of finite, limited physical bodies.
Focusing on anger, horror, violence, crime, terrible shit, etc., will keep us in a vibration of lack, despair, and downward spirals.
Many people might feel that focusing on the positive is shallow, not facing reality, or somehow, living with heads in clouds.
But another perspective of focusing on the positive, is that it creates more bridges to love than focusing on the negative ever could.
Vegans who are spreading the message of love and nonviolence should never be condemned because they were born into a country that was constructed on violence.
My country was constructed on violence.
Lots of horrific violence has been the basis of the foundation of the so-called country I grew up in. And live in still. Lots of gruesome actions were, acted out against people, for centuries. And still are, right now.
Does this invalidate my vegan message?
Am I to die in shame and blame because I live in a place that promotes violent ideologies in the world?
Am I only allowed to speak out for animal rights as if I also Focus my energy on all of the previous and current horrors happening in this country? And all of the other horrors that are actually happening right now? The slavery that's happening right now? The homelessness? The war against people of color? Child sex trafficking. Oppression of all kinds of people. All of the things that are going wrong there are so many things going wrong!
Am I only allowed to speak out for animal rights as if I also Focus my energy on all of the previous and current horrors happening in this country? And all of the other horrors that are actually happening right now? The slavery that's happening right now? The homelessness? The war against people of color? Child sex trafficking. Oppression of all kinds of people. All of the things that are going wrong there are so many things going wrong!
OR am I all the more powerful in my message of love because of where it is coming from?
Don’t you see that ripping apart people of peace because they happen to have been born into violent countries and violent ideologies is really just fighting against LOVE?!
Never fight those that are speaking out for LOVE!
Stop contributing to racism, as well as speciesism!
How can someone, a vegan, teach people to release Speciesistic beliefs, yet spew racist, prejudiced beliefs about other humans!?
“Oh, you vegan activists are Israeli’s, therefore you are responsible for all the cruelty against Palestinians, and therefore, your vegan message is invalid!”
Oh baby, what a short-sighted, small-minded, self- righteous, wrong thinking.
Of course they ought to learn about the horrors happening right in their own backyards!
But this is the exact argument so many meat/dairy consumers wring out in an attempt to deflect the importance of the vegan message!
How is your diatribe any different?
Don’t shoot your self in the hand with the other hand!
That will not further love and peace in the world!
Yah, there is a shit-ton of fucked up crap going on in the world.
Condemning Vegan Activists, coming together in massive numbers, because they are doing so in a place that is simultaneously committing crimes against humans, is pretty much, stabbing yourself in your own eye.
People growing up in violent places, with violent ideologies, have found a voice and passion to speak up, out, and against violence! They are coming together for a force of love and to spread kindness and compassion!
Ask them to consider learning more about the atrocities against humans in their own country.
Educate from a place of love and kindness!
Stop tearing people down because they aren’t perceiving through your specific eyes!
This is true too for vegans hoping to open meat/dairy eaters too.
Condemning meat/dairy eaters for all the crimes of the industries is never going to open the door of love for them to step into.
The more we push, criticize, and blame others for their ignorance and hypocrisy, the less they will be willing to listen, and the more they will lean towards the thing they are already doing.
Yes, it is true, I use the slap-in-the-face, wake-up-you-hypocrite!-message, at times.
Although it might feel self righteously delicious in the moment, I also am aware, that these methods are the least effective at getting people curious enough to take the time to listen long enough to actually learn something.
For me, that is the Ultimate goal.
Spreading the message of love and peace.
Then once people are listening with open hearts and spirits, coming from a place of love and peace, to explain the practical ways they can impact positive changes in their own lives.
Then once people are listening with open hearts and spirits, coming from a place of love and peace, to explain the practical ways they can impact positive changes in their own lives.
Some people have suggested to me, that politics is where I ought to be spending my time, effort, money, and energy.
Other people have suggested that rescuing “pets” is where I ought to be spending my time, effort, money, and energy.
Other people have expressed that I ought to get a practical “regular” job, get my head out of the clouds, and go pay some bills.
Some people think I ought to pay lots of money on University, and get a piece of paper, because that will validate me, and get me a “good job”.
Other people have expressed that I am crazy, odd, a wacko, and weird, because of the things that matter to me, how I dress, my ideas, or other things about myself.
Other people think that there are far more important issues in the world to worry about than animals.
Other people think that money is the most important thing, and that I ought to focus on making that.
Other people think because of the color of my skin, I am this way, or that way.
Other people think because I am American, I am this way or that.
Or they think my gender makes me this or that.
Or they think my age, or my social status, or my financial status, or any other thing you can decide to pinpoint about me, means anything about me.
Some people think I am an extremist who needs all others to think like me.
Some people think I am a party pooper, or that I bring people down because I point out violent ideologies that they adhere to.
Some people think I am obsessed with food, or health.
And this is just not right thinking.
None of this thinking will assist me in achieving happiness or health.
None of this will assist me in spreading love and joy into the world.
When we are angry, and pointing out others’ “failings”, “shortcomings”, “weak points”, or areas where they lack development, or interest, we can not generate interest, and love in them specifically, or in the world generally.
I invite you to really look in the mirror when you feel self righteous anger rising in you, and breath it in, and work through it until you can turn it around, and bring it back out, in the form of seeds of love.
Planting seeds of love and kindness. Then taking the time to water them, nurture them, and giving the time to let them grow, all the while, while releasing any claim or ownership, or final say in the outcome of how and when these seeds of love germinate, and sprout!
Be the seed. Be the nurturer. Don’t be a storm of destruction.
There is enough of that, more than enough, too much of that in the world already.
Be love. Make Love. Spread Love.
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