20 January 2008 Issue - Christian Vegetarian Association Update Newsletters


	Update Newsletters

Update Newsletters
20 January 2008 Issue

1. Leafleting Feedback

2. Upcoming Events

3. Letter to Commonweal Magazine

1. Leafleting Feedback

Joe writes: The Greentree Festival at Kirkwood in St Louis, MO on Sep 15-16 was worthwhile. Thanks to Rick who helped me on both the days and Mare who helped at various times on Sunday. And thanks to Eric, who helped me at the booth in the Festival of faith and culture event at Belleville, IL on Sep 8, which was also very worthwhile too.

At the Belleville event, people spent time asking us questions and talking to us at our booth. We were able to give away 100 booklets of “Are We Good Stewards” and also the other booklets such as “Christianity and Vegetarianism.”

At first, people seemed reluctant to approach our booth. Then I decided we stand in front of our table and hand out our booklets, asking people, “Would you like our booklet?” I was wearing the CVA T-shirt. Some refused, but we were able to hand out 3 boxes of booklets. One man was reading out booklet at the booth and he was impressed by the contents and thanked us for doing this.

2. Some Featured Upcoming Events

1/31 - TN - Johnson City - The Hoppers Family Gospel
2/1 - IN - New Palestine - Apologetix Christian Rock
2/1 - GA - Vidalia - The Hoppers Family Gospel
2/2 - IA - Kalona - Phil Wickham Christian Concert
2/2 - KY - Mount Sterling - Apologetix Christian Rock
2/3 - FL - Jacksonville - The Hoppers Family Gospel
2/4 - FL - Palmetto - The Hoppers Family Gospel
2/6 - MN - Mountain Lake - Casting Pearls Christian Rock
2/7 - TX - San Antonio - Women of Faith Conference
2/8 - MN - Minnetonka - Casting Pearls Christian Rock
2/8 - MS -Eupora - The Hoppers Family Gospel
2/9 - CA - Corona Phil Wickham Christian Concert
2/9 - OH - Girard - Apologetix Christian Rock
2/10 - CA - Anaheim - Phil Wickham Christian Concert
2/10 - PA - Beaver - Apologetix Christian Rock
2/15 - CA - Redding - Phil Wickham Christian Concert
2/16 - CA - Valencia - Phil Wickham Christian Concert
2/20 - PA - Johnstown - Casting Pearls Christian Rock

To find out about all upcoming leafleting and tabling opportunities in your area, join the CVA Calendar Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group.christian_vegetarian/ . Read the home page, and then join. You will then be able to log in anytime to identify upcoming events in your region.

Contact Paris at [email protected] if you might be able to help.

3. Letter to Commonweal Magazine

I was glad to see vegetarianism addressed in your July 13 issue (Bernard G. Prusak, "All We Can Eat?"). Unfortunately, I found the article itself disappointing. Prusak, who eventually rejects vegetarianism, fails to address almost all the reasons that Christian vegetarians would actually give for being vegetarian.

Foremost among these would be the Christian call to mercy, compassion, and the proper stewardship of the world's resources. This compassion is both for the innocent suffering of animals and for the suffering of humans that a meat-based diet contributes to in numerous ways. It takes, for example, an average of eight to twelve pounds of protein in the form of grains and beans fed to animals to produce one pound of animal protein. The remainder of this protein is lost to human consumption. And the demand for meat by the world's wealthy means that vast areas of many third-world countries are used to grow animal feed while the people of these nations go hungry.

The negative ecological impact of a meat-based diet is similarly enormous. According to a recent UN report, the livestock industry is responsible for more greenhouse-gas emissions than all forms of transportation combined. Researchers at the University of Chicago have found that switching from a conventional meat-based diet to a vegan diet saves more energy than switching from driving an SUV to driving a hybrid.

Human health is another important concern. Many studies have shown that vegetarians have significantly lower rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other serious health problems. Choosing a vegetarian diet is a powerful way of modeling God's love through nonviolence, compassion for animals, care for the earth, care for our bodies, and responsible use of the earth's resources.

John Sniegocki

Cincinnati, Ohio

The writer is professor of Christian ethics at Xavier University.

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