4 ms·

I already answered that question when I said "...which is a spiritual danger worse than what might come about from eating meat", but you are ignoring my answer

I already answered that question when I said "...which is a spiritual danger worse than what might come about from eating meat", but you are ignoring my answer because you disagree, or because you do not recognize that danger. Pride is the most dangerous of all passions, and is the mother of all the other passions.

sweetheart 4y ago
Okay so the Royal Path allows it because otherwise we are too prideful and thats really bad. So the pridefulness you'd feel is more important (or meaningful, significant, etc.) than the life of the animal and it's suffering? It seems unfair to me that sentient animals need to die in your very personal battle with pride. Do you not see that as unfair? Also, are you prideful when you abstain from eating baboon? Or when you abstain from eating hippopotamus, or giant squid? Why is it that pridefulness comes from abstaining from pig and chicken, but not any other animals you already don't eat?
- prometheus76 4y ago
  I agree it's tragic that in our fallen world, we live by other living things dying. I pray every day for God's mercy on our fallen world, and for his mercy on my weakness. I don't think this will make sense to you, and I understand why it wouldn't, but I trust the traditions of my faith, and the teachings of the Church Fathers in my tradition, more than I trust my own judgement. The "higher path" in Orthodoxy is the monastic life, which includes not eating meat, dairy, eggs, (and only rarely eating olive oil and wine), but I am not a monk. And the "lower path" in Orthodoxy is to live in the world and to fast from those things for more days during the year than not. I follow the liturgical calendar, and I follow the teachings of my faith because I trust the accumulated wisdom of my faith more than I trust my own judgement, because I lack discernment and spiritual maturity. May God have mercy on us all. Please forgive me for not having a clearer or more satisfying answer for you.

sweetheart 4y ago

Okay so the Royal Path allows it because otherwise we are too prideful and thats really bad. So the pridefulness you'd feel is more important (or meaningful, significant, etc.) than the life of the animal and it's suffering? It seems unfair to me that sentient animals need to die in your very personal battle with pride. Do you not see that as unfair? Also, are you prideful when you abstain from eating baboon? Or when you abstain from eating hippopotamus, or giant squid? Why is it that pridefulness comes from abstaining from pig and chicken, but not any other animals you already don't eat?

prometheus76 4y ago
I agree it's tragic that in our fallen world, we live by other living things dying. I pray every day for God's mercy on our fallen world, and for his mercy on my weakness. I don't think this will make sense to you, and I understand why it wouldn't, but I trust the traditions of my faith, and the teachings of the Church Fathers in my tradition, more than I trust my own judgement. The "higher path" in Orthodoxy is the monastic life, which includes not eating meat, dairy, eggs, (and only rarely eating olive oil and wine), but I am not a monk. And the "lower path" in Orthodoxy is to live in the world and to fast from those things for more days during the year than not. I follow the liturgical calendar, and I follow the teachings of my faith because I trust the accumulated wisdom of my faith more than I trust my own judgement, because I lack discernment and spiritual maturity. May God have mercy on us all. Please forgive me for not having a clearer or more satisfying answer for you.