1382:
If we denigrate and then abandon
certain aspects of traditional lifestyle (in our case the non-use of animals)
it doesn’t mean we have to argue with our friends about it, or make it a
condition of our friendship that they agree with us. We are not a recruiting agency. Vegans set certain ethical standards here. We’re the ones wanting to change others by way
of discussing these important matters, but, we can’t assume others have our own
same thoroughness of analysis. We
might participate in a discussion of ‘animal issues’, but it serves no one’s
interest to put pressure on friends or to quarrel with them or trash their feelings,
as if this subject is important enough to ignore how others feel about it.
If we ever get into a
discussion about the animals’ place in a human-centred world, we should be
attempting to draw a balance between uncovering a truth and being
non-judgemental about it. The trick here
is surely to not separate ourselves from others, to not give the impression
that we are leaving them behind, but at the same time not pretending we
accept something we personally find unacceptable.
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