The Vegan Pagan: Interstice the First
I've been following the Facebook conversation around my first post in this series, and I'd like to address a few things here that I hope will help to facilitate a more congenial conversation around this topic going forward.
First, to my fellow vegan Pagans: If you've allowed yourself to be baited into flaming on Facebook, you're not helping the animals, the Earth or yourself. Difficult as it is to do, you need to remain calm when you address non-vegans in cyberspace, even when you're treated unfairly. Remember what you believe in, and let your ethics guide your responses, not your anger. Thank you.
Second, to my fellow omnivore Pagans: Many of the arguments you've made on Facebook are addressed via the links I provided in my first post, so I would encourage you to peruse them. I would also encourage you to remember that I wrote my introductory post for the very reason that I was concerned about the possible tone of the conversation around this topic. So please think carefully before you comment. Thank you.
Third, to Witches & Pagans: I understand the need to foster a balanced environment around difficult topics, but I ask you to remember that I have not yet made an argument of any kind. When I do, it will certainly be appropriate to point interested readers to "the opposite argument". Further, I hope to provide the sort of pro-vegan information you can point to for balance when others write anti-vegan blog posts. Thank you.
Finally, to the peaceable Pagans who commented thoughtfully in the aforementioned Facebook thread: Vegan or omnivore; thank you, thank you, thank you.
Again, I have not yet made any sort of argument about veganism; I have only written that I am vegan and intend to write future posts on the intersections between veganism and Paganism. And look what came of that; the very sort of reactionary discourse I was worried about. Gentle readers, we can do better than this. Come back to my table, let me pour you a cup of tea and let's try again in a few weeks.
Comments
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Monday, 08 September 2014
Hello, Ted! Thank you for your counsel on this. I'll certainly consider it, though I am hoping my post here will help smooth the troubled waters a bit. In truth, I was expecting an initial knee-jerk reaction from readers to the topic, whether they'd read the whole post or just the teaser, since conversations around veganism often elicit such reactions at the outset. In my experience, the better part of valor is to wait them out, try a course correction and continue.
You are too good a writer, and too deep a thinker, to upset yourself over dilettantes who are too lazy to even read what you have written!
And you are far too kind. See you around the blogosphere, my friend. -
Tuesday, 09 September 2014As a fellow PaganSquare writer I'd like to welcome you!
The Facebook community for Witches & Pagans is very large and for that reason you are going to get the full swathe of arguments for and against - and the majority of those commentators are not going to read your posts at all, as Ted observed. In fact there is a large chunk of comments on this article from people who again, I am sure, haven't read this follow up. However, I wish to encourage you to continue to share your voice on both forums.
I am not vegan, or even vegetarian these days however I am a former vegan and know only too well the full force of vitriol that can be aimed at vegans, and it is made even worse when adding spirituality into the mix. This is because both food and spirituality is personal, social and cultural, not just mere sustenance as you well know. The conversations are important but there are some people who will persistently troll and whose minds will never be changed. There are some who you will provide food for thought though, and for that it will be worth it for you (and the animals & the environment!).
Be well and I look forward to your future posts!· C.S. MacCath likes this comment. -
Tuesday, 09 September 2014
Hello Lee, and thank you for your thoughtful comment. You know, I hadn't really considered (until I drafted this piece) that many people who comment in the Facebook community will not have read the referenced post. It's an important element of this conversation to keep in mind though, and I appreciate the perspectives both you and Ted have brought to the matter.
I am a former vegan and know only too well the full force of vitriol that can be aimed at vegans, and it is made even worse when adding spirituality into the mix. This is because both food and spirituality is personal, social and cultural, not just mere sustenance as you well know.
Well put. It might be worth mentioning (and I'll do so again, later in the series) that my husband and I moderate a vegan community of over 7000 members on Google+. So I'm coming to this discussion prepared for possible backlash. It's certainly the reason I've put so much padding around the topic at the outset!
Thank you again, for your thoughts and for your welcome. I'll look forward to your posts as well! -
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Hi, my friend. I complained to Anne about Facebook a couple of months ago, saying that most of those people were responding without having read my posts at all, under the assumption that the thumbnail descriptions at the top were all they needed to know about them. In consequence, the only really appropriate responses were on Pagan Square. Anne understood my frustration completely, and offered that I could request that my articles be shown on Paqan Square only, and not on Facebook at all. After thinking about it for a moment I told her yes, please stop sharing my posts on Facebook. I have been much happier since.
You are too good a writer, and too deep a thinker, to upset yourself over dilettantes who are too lazy to even read what you have written!