It was a very gradual thing over a period of years. I was a meat eater but increasingly I just did not like the taste, smell or texture of the meat being sold. It stank when being cooked, especially chicken, and was often too tough.
Modern day meats needed lots of spices, sauces or herbs to make them more tasty. It wasn't like that years ago. Eventually I reduced the amount of meat I bought. It just wasn't enjoyable enough.
The mental connection between meat and living creatures being slaughtered had not yet occurred to me. This is interesting because there must be lots of people in the world who - like me then - did not make the connection. It was simply a case of meat not being enjoyable.
Then one day I saw shocking videos of how farm animals were being tortured and slaughtered in a grossly inhumane manner in abattoirs. It opened my eyes.
Till that time I had been blind to it all. Now I saw the horror of animal cruelty that was happening daily to millions of creatures - and all my life I had been condoning it.
I reviewed my beliefs. My beliefs changed. I saw that it is wrong to kill and wrong to eat fellow beings, just as it is wrong to be cruel to them and torture them.
I decided never again to eat animals and to try to improve their welfare and rights of protection. I later learnt that many prominent people in history have come to the same conclusions.
Just because we have always eaten meat does not make it the right thing to do. We have always killed each other - and still do - but that does not justify the killing. In these times we have no need to eat meat and there are heaps of other good foods to eat.
The modern money making food industry with its horrific industrial farming - Factory Farming - is mostly based on meat products. Its constant multi-billion dollar advertising campaigns promote meat eating. Yet there is no concern for the welfare of farm animals - even though it is known they are sentient beings like humans who have emotions, feel pain and joy, love and sadness.
Religions do not protect animals. In fact some religiona are responsible for animal sacrificial slaughter and inhumane slaughter in abattoirs.
And most governments have little concern for animals. Their thinking is limited to money and jobs. Humanity is not economical it seems.
To change attitudes needs the efforts of individuals who are no longer blinded by avarice, prejudice, arrogance or the need to kill other beings.
It may be hundreds of years before all humans eventually change and respect animals as fellow beings but meanwhile we must not stay silent. We must speak out for them no matter what the odds. Then one day tomorrow's children may not be blinded to the reality of animal cruelty.
There is no need to kill to eat
There's no necessity for meat
All that we need the earth does give
So that we all may freely live
