Zen Burger!

• Zen Palate owner James Tu is launching a fast food chain, Zen Burger, and a frozen food line. Hopefully they’ll have a lot of vegan stuff. If nothing else, Zen Palate got better at labeling their vegan offerings after Tu took over the chain.
• Only cause we’ve touched on it before, it’s worth noting that UK Mars bars have lost their Vegetarian Society seal of approval because they use battery-farmed eggs. Silly vegetarians with all their weird distinctions!
• The state of Florida has stopped serving special kosher and halal meals to prisoners. Instead, observant convicts will have to make do with vegan food. “Either you have a choice of violating your own religion beliefs or you’re coerced to only eat vegan.” Awwww.
• On a related note, BBC TV show “Casualty” has been forced to make a script change – replacing a politically incorrect Muslim bomber with an apparently more socially acceptable animals rights bomber. At least both terrorists would eat the same food in Florida prisons.
• And speaking of kosher, SuperVegan reader Catres let us know about Sacred Chow’s upcoming Rosh Hashanah dinner, which will be held on Friday, September 14. It’s a prix-fix communal table deal which includes vegan challah, and pitchers of kosher vegan wine, cocktails, and beer.

It’s a widely held belief that every time you masturbate, God kills a kitten. As we vegans conscientiously muddle our way through National Masturbation Month, it seems worth investigating if there’s any truth to this maxim.

The most complete study to date uses fairly conservative metrics and measures the deaths of American kittens (any gender, up to one year old) agaist the masturbation habits of American human males. Doing the math, it’s determined that there are well over 5000 acts of masturbation for each kitten death:

“The average American man can masturbate regularly for 22.5 years before he is responsible for the death of a single kitten. Indeed, with a life expectancy of less than 75 years, the average man will be responsible for only two or three kitten deaths in a lifetime of vigorous masturbation.”

So have fun at your Masturbate-a-thons, but do spare a thought for the kittens. (All these links are work-safe, believe it or not.)

Buddha don’t like killing, no matter what the reason’s for.

Well, for a couple days anyway. In honor of Vesak (Buddha’s birthday), the government of Sri Lanka decreed that no animals could be slaughtered, and no meat could be served. The extra-big deal this year was that meat was banned in tourist hotels, not just locals’ shops and restaurants.

Here’s some pictures of the festivities, none of which feature the crazy-awesome vegan food that I’m sure was in abundance. But I’ll take that as an excuse to trot out this years-old New York Times article about Sri Lankan food that still makes my mouth water.

For many, Easter Sunday, already an exceptionally eggy holiday, is a celebration of meat as well, as it marks the end of Lent, during which many Catholics abstain from eating meat. But Slovenian President Dr. Janez Drnovšek doesn’t think such celebration is appropriate. He explained in an Easter address: “Do really so many animals have to die when we celebrate higher consciousness and try to develop spiritually? The answer is clear: of course not.” Drnovšek has been vegan since 2005, and is an outspoken critic of animal testing and the E.U.’s livestock farming subsidies. He’s also a Christian, and never balks at combining religion and animal rights. As he said in an interview in 2005, “Jesus would be turning in his grave if he knew that mass slaughter of animals is carried out every year in his name.” Now that’s something to celebrate with chocolate eggs.

I have a dream that one day my vegan child who does not exist and your carnivorous kid will sit down at the table of brotherhood and be able to eat the same exact crap. I have a dream that one day I will live in a nation where I will not be judged by the content of my simulated food products but by how successfully it recreates what’s left out.

I have a dream that one day little Cheetos-eating girls and boys will be able to join their day-glo orange powdery hands with little Kitov-eating girls and boys as sisters and brothers in junk-foodilism.

Let freedom ring from your local kosher market! Let freedom ring from the internet! And when you devour your first bag sing, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank SuperVegan, we are free at last!”

Matzoh ball soup!

It’s Passover time and thanks to the interweb this no longer has to mean fashioning a Passover meal out of charoset and part of the seder plate, i.e. bitter herbs/parsley, salt water, and a football field length of matzo.

Isa Chandra Moskowitz has posted a matzoh ball soup recipe and also guest blogged at Heeb ‘n Vegan to serve up seder plate alternatives to lamb and egg. Here’s a site with potato kugel and charoset recipes, and PETA has created a Passover site that includes lots of recipes and reading. Also, the Vegetarian Resource Group sells the small cookbook Vegan Passover Recipes. And finally, there’s my personal favorite, chocolate-covered matzo.

Rev. George H. Malkmus

A Christian sect led by Rev. George H. Malkmus is redefining “vegangelical,” though their motivations are health-related rather than ethical. Today’s St. Petersburg Times features a profile of the Back To Eden Health Ministry Lifestyle Center, a vegan Christian health institute in Plant City affiliated with Malkmus’s Hallelujah Acres. Hallelujah HQ estimates more than 2 million people worldwide follow the vegan and 85% raw diet Malkmus claims cures “cancer, body odor, hair loss, diabetes and high cholesterol;” one of Eden’s owners says it cured his MS. The center attracts about 200 believers a year, who each pay $1,200 for a week of carrot juice, Bible study and gentle exercise.

Of course it can be tough going vegan at first, but if you’re looking for a low-cost alternative, you could buy Malkmus’s book, a Bible and 20 five-course dinners at Pure Food and Wine for less than a week at Eden.

Bloodless Revolution: A Cultural History of Vegetarianism From 1600 to Modern Times, (previously discussed on SuperVegan here, here , and here) proves to be an extensively researched book of the history of vegetarianism, with an emphasis on the merging of Western Christianity and Eastern philosophy. Tristram Stuart has published a valuable tool for those looking for the historical roots of much of the philosophical and religious reasons for vegetarianism.

As a vegan having read this book, there is no possible way a simple book review could do justice the the immense wealth of information Stuart has compiled. A critical understanding of the origins of vegetarianism serves several purposes, not the least of which is a reassurance that we are not alone, and that intellectuals have been promoting vegetarianism for centuries. Additionally, the book addresses the more controversial angles of vegetarian advocacy, be it the personal pitfalls of particular spokesmen for the cause, or the refutations and critiques brought forth against the advocates. Having an understanding of the battles already fought for the movement provides groundwork for the ongoing battles faced today.

Broken up into three main sections, I. Grass Roots, II. Meatless Medicine, and III. Romantic Dinners, the book travels through many incarnations of vegetarianism throughout the ages. Vegetarianism is embraced initially by those such as Pythagoras and Isaac Newton in an attempt to avoid brutal oppression of others, or to become a more humane individual as it was believed by some that eating meat lead to a more violent nature. In the Meatless Medicine section, individuals such as Pierre Gassendi and Dr. Cheyne preach of the benefits to the body to those who abstain from meat. In the Romantic Dinners section, the French Revolution and utilitarianism emerge to influence the leading vegetarians.

Some of the more interesting facts outlined in the book include the following: In the 1700′s both Rousseau and Gassendi questioned the notion of eating meat as being natural by pointing out a child’s instinctive preference for vegetable foods. The first mention of abstaining from eating eggs and milk in addition to meat is found in the writings of Joseph Ritsin, a radical vegetarian living in London from 1752-1803. Adam Smith recommends taxation of meat as a luxury good in the Wealth of Nations published in 1776. Gandhi, influenced by Shelly, became an advocate for vegetarianism only after traveling to London, after which he traveled back to India with a westernized understanding of vegetarianism that then lead to his famous work in non-violence.

Vegetarianism continues to evolve, looking vastly different today than many of the various forms Bloodless Revolution shows the movement to have taken. From a desire to cause less harm and oppression in the world, philosophers and religious thinkers alike continue to address society’s treatment of animals, inevitably converging on the question of diet and vegetarianism .

Jim Rutz: not sexually confused.

“Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality.” That’s the word today from self-described health-food fanatic Jim Rutz (best known for documenting miracles for Evangelical Christians) in “A devil food is turning our kids into homosexuals” over at the reliably repulsive WorldNetDaily.

I’m surprised he doesn’t accuse China of conspiring to emasculate the USA by turning our boy babies gay.

Ananthapura Lake Temple

The wires are abuzz with reports of Babia, a vegan crocodile who acts as guardian of Ananthapura Lake Temple in Kerala, India.

While the priests only feed the sixtysomething year-old Babia large quantities of boiled rice and jaggery, accounts differ as to whether the croc supplements this austere diet with the local fish.

(What, you don’t know what jaggery is?! Here, I looked it up for you.)

A Valentine’s Day protest in Mumbai

The militant vegetarians of Mumbai show no sign of lightening up. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that residents of the high-income Napean Sea Road area have repeatedly and effectively defeated anyone’s attempt to open a non-veg restaurant. Some choice quotes from the article:

When Pizza Hut tried to open a franchise near Walkeshwar last year, vociferous protests from area residents forced the company to turn the restaurant into the world’s first and only vegetarian Pizza Hut. But even that was not good enough and a few months later the new outlet was closed.

Sanjay Narang, a local restaurateur, owns the Roti chain of restaurants that serve northern Indian fare, such as tandoori chicken and rogan josh, tried to open one of his restaurants near a Jain temple. It was very unwelcome, Narang told the local press, and members of the Jain community living nearby spat on guests and pelted them with pebbles.

While there is certainly a dark underside of classism and religious discrimination to the situation (which we previously reported on a month ago), it’s hard not to feel good about it!

Though I grew up Catholic and attended many years of Catholic school, I don’t remember too much of what the Bible has to say about anything. However, some of the most memorable images from my childhood are those I saw in my religion textbook. I’ll never forget the fantastic illustrations of Heaven. Oh, how I wanted to be that kid cuddling with the lion and the lamb!

In spite of being subjected to these utopian images of cohabitation with animals in the afterlife, I was never instructed by my family or church on how to peacefully interact with animals in my present daily life. I was never told that folks could care for animals beyond treating their pets with love and care. Certainly, no one ever extended the notion that vegetarianism could be an extension of the Christian value of sharing God’s love with all.

The good news is that the folks at God’s Creatures Ministry are seeking to spread the word about the intersection of Christianity and animal advocacy. On Saturday, June 3, the NJ organization will host the Concern for All God’s Creatures Conference at Caldwell College. The event, which is open to people of all faiths, will feature several AR speakers, educational resources, music and more. Mark your datebook and bring a friend!

Original art by Jean Fitzgerald

Judy Carman, author of Peace to All Beings: Veggie Soup for the Chicken’s Soul is now collecting essays for her “Spiritual & Subtle Energy Experiences with Veganism” project. Judy writes:

In order to spark more interest in the animal suffering issue among the spiritual and subtle energy communities, I decided to send out this request to you for any experiences you may have had that suggest that using/eating animal products was destructive to your energy field and/or your spiritual life. Or you may have had experiences that demonstrate that refraining from consuming animal products actually enhanced your capacity for compassion, awe, inner peace, and/or the experience of interconnectedness with all life.

If you’d like to contribute or just want more info, write to Judy at judycarman@myvine.com.

Folks interested in this area of veganism might also wanna check out Judy’s website, Circle of Compassion, which hosts the Worldwide Prayer Circle For Animals as well as writings on the connection between New Age spirituality and animal advocacy.

“Buddhist Scriptures” translated by Penguin Classics

Anyone who knows me know that I’m not a particularly religious person. Though I was raised as a Buddhist, I’ve never really considered myself one. (It’s just so much cooler to call yourself an atheist.)

I recently picked up a Penguin Classics translation of Buddhist Scriptures from Strand for $4 bucks—75% off the cover price!—and I can’t be more thrilled about it.

A bunch of passages really made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, it’s either just the animal person in me or my inner Buddhist breaking out—maybe a combo of both. At the risk of sounding like a hippie, I think it’s pretty cool knowing that us vegans are carrying on enlightened thoughts shared by great minds that passed our realm hundreds of years ago.

from The Dedication of Merit—8th century

Let the animals be free from the fear of being devoured…

Let the bodhisattvas’ wishes for the well-being of the world become reality. May everything that these protectors intend be realized for all sentient beings…

Let all the sufferings of the world come to an end in me…

from Against Animal Sacrifice—Dated Between Year 964 to 1032

What need to destroy so many lives in quest of rich and exotic flavors? People gorge themselves from cup and tray to the music of reed pipe and song, as butchered animals scream on the chopping block. Alas! Could anyone with a human heart be so insensitive as this? That the whole world engages in this without realizing its error, surely this is [an] example of something so painful that one weeps endlessly with grief?

When you know that the creatures on your tray come, struggling and squealing, from the chopping block, then you are making their extreme anguish your greatest delight. You would never be able to get them down, even if you tried to eat them. Is it not the height of insensitivity?

It is not appropriate to take life in order to make one’s living. In the quest for food and clothing, some people may take up hunting, others fishing, others the slaughtering of oxen, sheep, pigs, dogs in order to make food and clothing, all with the thought of obtaining a regular livelihood. And yet, I find that persons who do not engage in such professions still have clothing and still have food to eat. By no means are they fated to die of exposure or starvation. To make one’s living by taking life is something that in principle is condemned by the gods…There is no more certain means than this when it comes to planting the seeds for rebirth in the hells and evil retribution in lives to come. How could you face such pain and not seek a different livelihood?

I tell you people that, if you have no other means to make a living, it is far better to beg for your meals. To live by killing is no match for bearing your hunger and dying of starvation. How could you not restrain yourself?

I pray that all will refrain from taking life, and that household after household will observe vegetarian fasts. The buddhas will be filled with joy, and the myriad gods and spirits will extend their protection to you. Armed conflict will for ever cease; punishments may never need be applied; the hells will be emptied; and people will for ever depart from the causes that produce the ocean of miseries.