From: abulsari@abo.fi (Abhay Bulsari VT)
Subject: Food for the spirit by Isaac Singer
Organization: Abo Akademi University
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 06:44:59 GMT


Michael Traub wrote :

[Recently, I was able to read Steven Rosen's book "Food for the Spirit:
 Vegetarianism and the World Religions" (Bala Books, 1987, ISBN 0-89647-
 021-0).  The preface of this book was written by Isaac Bashevis Singer
 who won the 1978 Nobel Prize for Literature.  He died several months
 ago at the age of 87.  What I found interesting was that very few of
 the obituaries mentioned his vegetarianism and when it was mentioned,
 it was only in passing.  But, you will see from this short essay, that
 vegetarianism was central to his world view.  Yet, like so many others,
 this will be overlooked by historians and treated like a mere fad.
 Ferrell Wheeler -- wheeler@super.org]


Preface to Food for the Spirit
Copyright (1986) Isaac Bashevis Singer

   Vegetarianism is  my  religion.  I  became  a consistent vegetarian
some twenty-three years ago.  Before that,  I would  try over and over
again.  But it was sporadic.  Finally,  in the mid-1960s, I made up my
mind. And I've been a vegetarian ever since.
   When  a human kills an  animal  for food, he  is neglecting his own
hunger for justice.  Man prays for  mercy, but is unwilling  to extend
it to others.  Why should man then expect mercy from God?  It's unfair
to  expect  something  that  you are  not  willing  to  give.   It  is
inconsistent.
   I  can never  accept inconsistency or injustice.  Even  if it comes
from God.  If there would come  a voice from God saying, "I'm  against
vegetarianism!" I  would  say,  "Well,  I  am  for it!"   This is  how
strongly I feel in this regard.
   In orthodox religious circles,  this would be considered heretical.
Still, I consider myself a religious  man.  I'm not against  organized
religion, but I don't take part in it.  Especially when they interpret
their religious books  as  being  in favor  of meat-eating.  Sometimes
they say He wants sacrifice  and the killing of  animals.  If  this is
true, then I would never be able to comply.  But I think God  is wiser
and  more  merciful than  that.   And  there  are  interpretations  of
religious scriptures which support  this, saying that vegetarianism is
a very high ideal.
   Whether the mass of  people accept the vegetarian interpretation of
religion or not  really doesn't matter.  At  least not in  my life.  I
accept it implicitly.  Of course, it  would be wonderful  if the world
adopted vegetarianism, on religious grounds or any other.  But this is
not likely.  I am  a skeptic, it's true,  but I'm also realistic.   In
any event, what the people in general do will  not affect me.   I will
continue to be  a vegetarian  even if the  whole world  started to eat
meat.
  This  is my protest  against the  conduct  of the  world.   To  be a
vegetarian  is to disagree  --  to  disagree with the course of things
today.  Nuclear power, starvation, cruelty -- we must make a statement
against these things.  Vegetarianism is  my  statement.   And  I think
it's a strong one.
   Author Steven  Rosen makes a similar  statement in  his  book.  And
although I do not necessarily agree with everything he says, point for
point,  I do find his  work fascinating  and convincing.  He correctly
points out that various philosophers and  religious leaders have tried
to  convince  their  following  that animals  are  nothing  more  than
machines, put on earth for our pleasure, with no purpose of their own.
Mr.  Rosen  smashes  this  idea,  however,  and  every reader  who  is
predisposed to the vegetarian ideal will enjoy his logic and reason in
doing this.

                 -- Isaac Bashevis Singer

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