Compassion Will Cure More Sins than Condemnation

January 29th, 2008 · 26 Comments

I was chatting away on some vegan thread yesterday and was told, for the second time, that I’m not a vegan. Apparently this post, where I mention that I slipped, disqualifies me. Then there was the indirect attack thrown at me, “damned, stupid, half-vegans.”

I have to say, I’m not sure why deliberately having one non-vegan meal in over six months of vegan meals disqualifies me from being a vegan. I was in a social situation where there was nothing else for me to eat but pizza and Guiness (two of the things I miss the most) and potato chips and coke. But even if that weren’t the case, why does one meal out of 6oo make me a vegetarian (or as someone else called me, a carnivore)?

I’m sorry, I’m not going to categorize myself as a vegetarian. I don’t buy cheese or dairy products. However, I am on the fence about honey and sugar, and wool. When I shop I look for vegan products. I try my best to eat vegan when I’m not in my home, but I cannot control everything. The waitstaff at any given restaurant isn’t likely to know every ingredient, and the refining processes of those ingredients, in every meal prepared in the restaurant in which they work. Nor will they have the time to go into the kitchen and speak with the chef during the busy dinner rush. So, I do the best I can. And I feel good about my choices. I know I’m making a difference.

Yes, the exact definition of the word vegan is to consume (in any form) no animal products.

From Wikipedia: “The term “animal product” in a vegan context refers to any material derived from animals for human use. Notable animal products include meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, honey, fur, leather, wool, and silk. Common animal by-products include gelatin, lanolin, rennet, whey, casein, beeswax, and shellac.”

But does that mean I’m not a vegan? There are some people who will unequivocally say “yes, that is exactly what it means.” But I don’t agree with that. Whatever your objective, be it physical health, environmental impact, or animal welfare, doesn’t the first step start with a reduction in the consumption of animal products? Any change in behavior requires a period of adjustment and there will always be the occasional lapse in discipline. One step off the path doesn’t mean I’ve changed my direction.

Do you say someone isn’t a democrat if they voted green in the last election? Do you say someone isn’t a Catholic if they only go to church once or twice a year? Do you say someone isn’t a Jew if they don’t keep kosher at home? Or if they do keep kosher at home, but don’t when they eat out? Or how about the people who only recycle at home, are they not environmentalists to some degree? Lighten up people!

It’s this militant, self-righteous attitude that is most off-putting when people consider going vegan. To know you are going to constantly have to defend your decisions to other people is wearying, and forbidding. In this country, we all have the freedom to choose our own paths.

And finally, if we are so busy preaching compassion to animals, doesn’t that include compassion to the human animal?

“Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation.” –Henry Ward Beecher

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Tags: Philosophy · Vegan Life

26 responses so far ↓

1 Ray // Jan 29, 2008 at

Hey, you are a vegan. I learned a few things on your site like that beer has bits of creatures in it which I didn’t know. I don’t drink alcohol anyway though. I am a vegetarian, but sometimes think about becoming vegan. The Buddha taught that the important thing is compassion which leads to not killing nor being cruel, so it is not about being strictly vegan or vegetarian.
2 benjamin // Jan 29, 2008 at

These people simply need to let it go. To err is human, after all. Letting go is another teaching, along with compassion, that needs to be internalized. Along with letting go of materialism and things of this world, which in fact are followed by most vegans as part of their spiritual path, comes the attachment of the concept of being vegan. You slip, you fall, so what?
3 lane // Jan 29, 2008 at

Thanks Ray and Benjamin,
I really appreciated your comments, I guess I was more troubled by that attack than I thought. It’s not that I only want to hear my own ideas validated, but I honestly don’t see why a personal attack is warranted in this kind of situation. As you said Benjamin, “you slip, you fall, so what?” So I’ve gotten up, dusted myself off, and am back on my journey again.
4 the chocolate lady (eve) // Jan 30, 2008 at

Of course you are a vegan, for crying out loud! Wow, I cannot believe that with all the wretchedness in every phase of industrial agriculture going on folks would be picking on other vegans.
5 LaTease Rikard // Jan 30, 2008 at

In my book you’re a vegan. There are some people who are so rigid in their beliefs that they do not allow themselves to be human.
6 Maryann // Jan 30, 2008 at

Thanks for visiting my site and leaving that kind comment. I have been vegan for long periods in my life (not now) and understand, word for word, what you’ve written in your post.Especially your kindness to humans thoughts.
7 Sharon // Jan 30, 2008 at

Found your site through StumbleUpon, and this is my first time commenting here. Just needed to share that I completely agree with you. I had a similar experience, when I was first starting to go vegan. I posted to a vegan community asking how long it would be before dairy would start to make me sick. The reason being that I wasn’t sure I was ready to sacrifice my Mom’s Christmas lasagna, a longtime tradition for my family. I was immediately lambasted by people (who were even chastising my “unsupportive” Mom.)

Turned me off really quickly, but luckily I stuck with it and now my slip-ups are mostly accidentally. But I still absolutely consider myself a vegan, as you should too!
8 Chou // Jan 30, 2008 at

Interesting thoughts. I think you could easily apply that to just about anything–it’s easy to criticize others, but generally is only done when we, underneath it all, are unsure of our own self. I find that knowing who I am, being comfortable in my own skin of identity (be it religion, or food, or other) makes me more compassionate towards people who walk different paths.
9 Cookiemouse // Jan 30, 2008 at

1 out of 600? I guess that makes you at least 99.8% vegan which is not too bad. We’ll forgive you the 0.02%. We are all human after all.
10 Blog Review: Vegan Bits // Jan 30, 2008 at

[...] tried to figure out who wrote the latest article, "Compassion Will Cure More Sins than Condemnation", but there's no byline and it could have been either of them. I found by going back to [...]
11 Lisa // Jan 30, 2008 at

Wow, some people need to unclench… What I have found in my mere 4 months of being vegetarian is that there are so many shades of grey, it’s hard to categorize yourself in one of the two standard buckets anyway.
In my mind, you’re completely vegan, and those who jumped down your throat really need to relax. I’m sure a couple of them slipped at some point.
12 kara // Jan 30, 2008 at

I hear ya. We Vegetarians and Vegans should support each other.
Remembering compassion is not just for the animals but humans too.
Love your blog!
13 Elaine Vigneault // Jan 30, 2008 at

I think so long as you are currently avoiding animal products you can call yourself a vegan. Who cares what you did in the past, you’re a vegan now and that’s what matters.

Also, I sort of prefer the term veg*n in writing because it’s more inclusive. It includes all the various stages people may be at in their veganism journal. Veganism is definitely a journey and not a destination.

I called myself vegan way before I gave up all my nonvegan foods. Identifying as a vegan was a big part of the journey for me and helped me give up nonvegan foods. And even now I slip up every now and then, for example I still learn new things to look out for or ask about.

However you self-identify, that’s your business. It might not fit other people’s definitions, but don’t let that stop you from working on becoming the person you want to be, a person I hope is vegan
14 Kel // Jan 30, 2008 at

Of course you’re vegan! You just slipped up, that’s all - it’s easy to do when you’re starting out. Some friends ordered wonton soup at this place a while ago and I didn’t realize until I had eaten a bit that it had pork in the dumplings. D’oh! Oh well, better luck next time, right? An’ thanks for stopping by FlyingVegans, too happy blogging!
15 lane // Jan 31, 2008 at

After having such a negative reaction the other day, I experienced a moment of trepidation when I hit the “publish” button. Thank you for all your kind comments. It’s reassuring to know I’m not that far off base in my thinking.
I especially loved the statistics. .02% sounds a lot less damaging than three slices of pizza and a few Guiness’
16 Jennifer // Feb 7, 2008 at

hi again! i just wanted to give my two cents… i really can’t stand when people get on their veganer-than-thou soapbox and judge others on their degree of veganism, or success at veganism. you do what you can and as much as you can, and i certainly can’t fault someone for eating vegetarian rather than going hungry. everyone makes choices in life.

people who get all high and mighty about being a better vegan or being militant about calling someone out on being not vegan for an hour in 6 months make me cringe, because it gives *all* vegans a bad name, both among the vegans and among the non-vegans who are judging us by our decisions in life.
17 lane // Feb 7, 2008 at

“Veganer-than-thou” - love that phrase. I’m going to have to co-opt it for the next time I’m forced to write a post like this. (And I’m sure it will come up again!)
18 Convenient Vegan // Feb 16, 2008 at

Hi lane! It seems there are many of us looking at this as a journey rather than an absolute state. You are farther along than I am.
19 lane // Feb 16, 2008 at

Hi CV!

I guess I don’t understand why it’s a “veganer-than-thou” thing as Jennifer coined it in her comment above.

Personally, I would think that if you are militant about animal rights, you’d want everyone to start moving in that direction, regardless of how far they’ve gotten. I’m of the philosophy that every little bit helps.

I really like this post as well. I too am seeking to exclude animal products from my life. But I’m simply never going to be aware of all the processing the goes on in every item I consume.
20 Vegetarian Carnival #13: something for everyone! // Feb 17, 2008 at

[...] Wright presents Compassion Will Cure More Sins than Condemnation posted at Vegan Bits. Lane talks about being attacked as not being a “real vegan”, and [...]
21 vigilant20 // Feb 18, 2008 at

It’s too bad people act like that. It’s all the negativity that made me put of my decision to go veg for so long in the first place. And now that I am vegetarian, I get flack simply for not being vegan.
22 lane // Feb 18, 2008 at

The thing I find most ironic about all this is how do these militant vegans know they are actually 100% vegan?
I’m sorry, but in this society you simply cannot know every ingredient or the refining process of every ingredient in every dish you eat. Which means, by their definition, they are probably not vegan either!
23 LaTara Ham-Ying // Feb 20, 2008 at

Lane,

Thanks so much for encouraging me and letting me know that I am not the only one out there who runs into this. My current podcast deals with this issue. i share my thoughts on whether or not I am “a vegan”.

I am so antsy visiting other vegan forums because i just had the ridicule.

However I also look at the number of people I have helped transition without hassle and it is such a blessing to me.

Reading the comments here has helped as well.
24 nadir // Feb 20, 2008 at

the damned vegangelicals make me want to slit my wrists.

they even often make me want to gorge on anything that will make their hearts go up in agony and make their faces all awash.

about 8 years ago i stopped even calling myself vegan, as i hate how others view me in the same grouping with the vegan food police. eff you guys.

seriously, no one is better than anyone else, so while you one can judge anyone, by doing so you lose any credibility you had.
25 lane // Feb 20, 2008 at

It’s interesting how many people are so passionate about their particular cause that if you don’t follow their exact path, they’d rather have you in the other camp.
Personally, I don’t understand that behavior, but to each his own.
26 nadir // Feb 20, 2008 at

@lane: their is a dirty word for it too: fascism

nice to know that we get to live our lives the way we see fit though.