Flesh Foods
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of the unnatural appetites. What more unpleasant sight to a reflective
mind than the beasts slain to be devoured? If the light God has given
in regard to health reform is disregarded, He will not work a miracle
to keep in health those who pursue a course to make themselves sick.
You may think you can not work without meat. I thought so once,
but I know that in His original plan, God did not provide for the flesh
of dead animals to compose the diet of man. It is a grossly perverted
taste that will accept such food. To think of dead flesh rotting in the
stomach is revolting. Then the fact that meat is largely diseased should
lead us to make strenuous efforts to discontinue its use entirely.
My position now is to let meat altogether alone. It will be hard
for some to do this—as hard as for the rum-drinker to forsake his
dram,—but they will be better for the change.
August 30, 1896.—I was somewhat surprised at your argument as
to why a meat-eating diet kept you in strength, for, if you put yourself
out of the question, your reason will teach you that a meat diet is not of
as much advantage as you suppose. You know how you would answer
a tobacco devotee if he urged, as a plea for the use of tobacco, the
arguments you have advanced as a reason why you should continue
the use of flesh of dead animals as food.
The weakness you experience without the use of meat is one of
the strongest arguments I could present to you as a reason why you
should discontinue its use. Those who eat meat feel stimulated after
eating this food, and they suppose they are made stronger. After one
discontinues the use of meat, he may for a time feel a weakness, but
when his system is cleansed from the effect of this diet, he no longer
feels the weakness, and will cease to wish for that which he has pleaded
for as essential to his strength.
I have a large family which often numbers sixteen. In it there
are men who work at the plow and who fell trees. These men have
vigorous exercise, but not a particle of flesh of animals is placed upon
our table. Meat has not been used by us since the Brighton camp-
meeting (held in 1894). It was not my purpose to have it on my table
at any time, but urgent pleas were made that such an one was unable to
eat this or that, and that his stomach could take care of meat better than
it could of anything else; then I was enticed to place it on my table.
The use of cheese also began to creep in, because some liked cheese.
But I soon controlled that. But when the selfishness of taking the lives