another green step

To celebrate Earth Day, I thought I'd share this very practical and encouraging post from Tracey Bianchi, a Christian creation care enthusiast and author of Green Mama, on cutting back a bit on meat for a number of very good reasons ...

I had a phase in college when I thought that perhaps I would become a vegetarian.  I had no real reason for doing so other than acting sort of hippie-ish seemed like an identity that I wanted to try on for a while.  That and a good friend at the time was a vegetarian.  Vegan was a little to extreme for my little experiment so I decided dairy would be okay, yogurt and ice-cream were close companions and I dared not part from them.

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all about chickens

Continuing on the theme of our tendency to value some animals differently than others, I'm grateful to animal advocate, filmmaker and friend Adam Durand for sharing "25 Random Things About Chickens" ...

I'm so tired of talking about me all the time that I've made a list of random things about my favorite animal: the chicken!  I'm willing to make huge sacrifices for these little guys, so I felt I should tell you why.  If you want to know more, check out my movie Fowl Play:

1. Chickens were domesticated from the Red Junglefowl of Southeast Asia.  Junglefowl are social forest-dwellers who perch, make calls, and look much like modern chickens. U nlike the ancestors of cows (the beastly "aurochs," the last of whom were killed hundreds of years ago), Junglefowl still co-exist with humanity, but they're thought to be facing extinction through interbreeding with domesticated chickens.

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forty-some days without meat?

With Lent beginning this Wednesday or next Monday for many Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians, an ever growing number of Protestants and Evangelicals are also looking to honor in some way the ancient Christian period of fasting leading up to Easter.  See, for example, an informative and encouraging review of the practice by Rev. Ken Collins. 

The first two traditions have typically included abstaining from meat in their fasting, though in some cases seafood is permitted, while in other forms of fasting even non-flesh animal products are avoided as well.  But I wonder if many of us who are descendants of the Reformation consider fasting from meat or other animal products in any capacity as a legitimate, even vibrant, way of honoring Lent?  

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eating more compassionately in 2012

Similar to two years ago when we shared a new year's resolution post which included tips for eating in a more animal-friendly way, I wanted to highlight a great article from CNN.com's eatocracy blog with reasonable and doable suggestions for eating more compassionately in 2012 (many thanks to Rosie Andre for sharing).  Written by Gene Baur, co-founder and president of Farm Sanctuary, this "5@5" food feature includes advice on eating less industrially and cruelly generated farm animals and products, eating more plant-based foods in their place, and even trying vegetarianism for one meal or one day a week. 

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my faith, God's animals and diet

I prematurely concluded our recent series on Christian voices for animals before sharing this heartfelt personal reflection from Canadian friend and animal advocate Anne Sturgeon ...

Having been raised in a loving Christian home, it didn’t feel like a huge step to believe in a loving, merciful God who wants to have a personal relationship with me.  What I do find difficult is being the best person I believe God expects me to be.  I keep returning to him knowing He will be there, waiting for me, prepared to forgive and ready to guide me, once again, if I choose! 

Since a child, I have been hearing and feeling God's loving, gentle, caring, compassionate, and merciful voice telling me to take care of His creation.  God frequently teaches me through my day-to-day life, and I feel that His handiwork clearly points to Him and His awesome, magnificent power.  God's Universe is so amazing and reveals His miracles every day.

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plant-based and faith-based blogs

We're closing out the series on Christians and veganism by highlighting a few friends who blog on plant-based eating.  They come from a range of Christian perspectives, but each have some great motivation and advice to share, even mouth-watering recipes in many cases, whether you're simply looking to eat a bit healthier or to include less animal products in your diet.

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what is a vegan?

I wonder what comes to your mind when you hear the word "vegan"?  Chances are you've heard the term by now, from media personalities like Oprah or Ellen, or perhaps socially- or health-conscious food outlets, or other animal advocates.  Maybe you even know some folks who are vegans, and have some idea what that means.  Or maybe you're not as familiar with the term, and find yourself somewhat skeptical of it.  "Veganism" can lend itself to legalistic or extreme connotations from the outside looking in.  I certainly felt that way about vegetarianism not that long ago, let alone an even stricter diet.

The purpose of this post and a few to follow is to look beyond some of the default criticisms and stereotypes of veganism to some of the very meaningful and positive motivations which prompt the lifestyle choice, even among Christians.  Please know we're not trying to push or guilt anyone into a new diet or way of life.  But just as we've featured other faithful ways of consuming more compassionately, including purchasing more humanely raised animal products or going without meat to various degrees, I've wanted to share more about veganism as another faithful, if more advanced, way of caring for God's creatures.

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Salmon CAFO's

The following is a thoughtful post from our friend and Christian author William Kruidenier on the question of eating fish in general, and industrially farmed salmon in particular ...

More than once, I have been asked by people who learn that I'm a "vegetarian" (vegan), "Do you not even eat fish?"  As an organic gardener who peruses numerous seed catalogs every year, I can't remember ever seeing seeds for a bush, vine, or tree that grows fish.  Why do people think vegetarians eat fish?  Or, why do people think fish are any less a form of meat than a cow or chicken?  Out of sight (beneath the surface of the water), out of mind, I guess.  I have been interested to read recently that new scientific research is showing that fish are every bit as sentient as land-based animals whose sentiency is finally being widely acknowledged.

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sustainability and creation care

It's been a true pleasure to get to know Anna Clark a bit the past couple of years, through our mutual involvement in the Creation Care community at SustainLane.  Anna, who is founder and president of the sustainability consulting firm EarthPeople, has gone out of her way to be a friend and encouragement to me and not one sparrow, and we've been privileged to share a number of poignant reflections from her on our blog, including "Bless our Pets?," "The Lorax Project" (a Dr. Seuss review) and most recently "Daniel's Diet."

Last year, Anna released her first book Green, American Style: Becoming Earth-Friendly and Reaping the Benefits (Baker '10), and she told me it included some content related to animal welfare and stewardship.  Anna and her publisher graciously sent me a copy for review, and I'm grateful to have finally had a chance to read it and to pass along just a few highlights which not one sparrow readers might especially appreciate.

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a question for you

One last post in our compassionate eating series (perhaps you're breathing a sigh of relief!) is really just a question for you, our friends and collaborators in the cause of God's creatures ...

We'd love to know if you've made any New Year's, Lent or other recent resolutions to be more compassionate in your dietary habits, whatever form that may take?  Maybe you've been working toward making more humane choices at the grocery store and eating out for a while now, or gradually adjusting to a less meat-intensive diet?  Or maybe you're an old pro at this.

Regardless, please share with us, so we can applaud you for your gumption and sacrifice.  And please let us know if personally or as a community we can be of any additional encouragement and support to you!  Feel free to post any responses here, on our Facebook thread or even on Twitter.

(photo copyright 123rf.com)