The Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)
Weekly Newsletter from Christian Vegetarian Association CVA - December 18, 2022
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)
1. Humility and Effective Communication
It is tempting to try to “educate” other people, with the idea being that once they have the facts they will make intelligent, informed decisions. The mind responds to more than facts, however. There are needs, desires, emotions, and other factors that color how we perceive the world. If we are trying to change hearts and minds toward creating a kinder, gentler, more sustainable world, we will need to listen as well as speak. Doing so, we will learn what matters to other people, which will help make us better advocates for vulnerable individuals and also help us become more compassionate.
Often, asking questions can be more effective than making statements of fact. Does the person we are talking to like animals? Is there an animal they love? We treat animals on farms as if their feelings don’t matter. Why do you think that’s the case? Such questions encourage people to connect the dots themselves, which preserves their sense of self-esteem much better than being told that they have been wrong for many years about eating animals. Meanwhile their responses give us a better sense of their needs and concerns, and we can gain new information that will make better and wiser advocates. For example, we might learn about challenges to becoming vegan, which can help us be more compassionate about their needs and better advocates as we attempt to address those needs.
Humility encourages us to recognize that we don’t have all the answer and sometimes when we think we have answers we are wrong. Humility helps us become better partners, better friends, and better advocates for social justice. But, it can be disconcerting to acknowledge that no question is fully settled, particularly in a world where there is so much information. If we relinquish the psychological comfort that comes from believing we have definitive answers to most of life’s challenging questions, can we retain a sense of equanimity and peace of mind? I’ll explore this next.
Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.
2. From All-Creatures.Org Ministry
We hope you are enjoying a wonderful Advent season. Peace be with you!
You will find today’s newsletter filled with helpful vegan, faith-based, and
animal rights information to keep you up to date with all that is going on.
All-Creatures.org Newsletter for December
14
In the Love of the Lord,
Frank L Hoffman
All-Creatures.org
and
Kindness,
Tams Nicholson
Executive Directress
All-Creatures.org
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