Why are catholics allowed to eat meat?

[PaulDupre]

From WordReference.com:

pulse
Def.3 - edible seeds of various pod-bearing plants (peas or beans or lentils etc.)

Paul

 

[Fidelia]

Ah there we go. Thanks. I go to wordreference too. They have a number of language forums.

 

[Cardinalsong]

Aren’t Hostess Fruit Pies on earth created indirectly by God through man?

Then why are human beings allowed to take pleasure in their fruity delicious goodness just because the Hulk lost a battle between Wendigo and the Abomination?

Yeah Hulk! You go girl!

Thanks for the memories

 

[Cardinalsong]

Not to go off topic but who is PETA? I’ve seen it mentioned a few times here but up to now I’ve never heard of them.

Also, about the not eating meat on Friday thing, I believe that still holds true only now if you want to eat meat you need to do some form of penance(not sure if I’m using the correct term–still learning) if you decide to have steak for dinner. Otherwise we should still abstain from eating meat & eat the fish at the cafeteria (I’ll stick to the vegetables)

 

[kellie]

Hi Fidelia

You do raise a very good point. Animals should not be treated inhumanely just for our own selfish needs.

However I do believe meat gives us lots of vital protein.

I have changed my diet recently trying to lose weight, and I am now eating more fish and lean chicken.

There are many places I am discovering who are selling chicken that are barn raised and grain fed.

If you are prepared to research, one does not need to give up on all meat for ethics.

I do agree we should try vegetables more often as a main meal.

Stuffed capsicums ( I believe my American mates call them bell peppers ) are yummy with celery, mushrooms, onions, zucchini, and tomatoes and garlic inside.

Mushrooms are great too as a replacement of steak. Just grill a large one as you would a steak, and place rest of vegetables next to it on your plate, yum.

Anyway now I am hungry, must go and eat hehehe

 

[Fidelia]

Not to go off topic but who is PETA? I’ve seen it mentioned a few times here but up to now I’ve never heard of them.

Also, about the not eating meat on Friday thing, I believe that still holds true only now if you want to eat meat you need to do some form of penance(not sure if I’m using the correct term–still learning) if you decide to have steak for dinner. Otherwise we should still abstain from eating meat & eat the fish at the cafeteria (I’ll stick to the vegetables)

PETA is People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

It is still all fridays? or only Fridays during Lent? Just curious.
Eating fish out of tradition is one thing, but claiming to “not eat meat” while eating fish is a falsity. Fish is meat. it is the flesh of an animal.

 

[Fidelia]

Hi Kellie,
It is true that some meats are worse than others. But there is nothing in meat that cannot be obtained for our diets elsewhere. Plant-proteins are much easier for our bodies to process and plant-fats are much better than animal fats. Cholesterol only comes from animal products.
So, yes it is unethical to slaughter animals, no matter how “well” it is claimed they are raised, for food that we do not truly need in our diets.

 

[Rawb]

I believe the rule is that we are not required to abstain from meat except during Fridays in Lent and on Ash Wednesday. The rest of the year we are to abstain from meat on Fridays UNLESS we do something else, such as an extra rosary, a good deed, maybe go to adoration or another form of penance instead. This is allowed in America because it might not really be a big sacrifice for us not to eat meat one day a week. Some still observe it though.

The fish thing was to remind us of Jesus, and that we should be fishers of men, so in a sense it is a tradition, but you could substitute vegetables if you wanted. There’s no rule about it.

 

[Cardinalsong]

I found this on EWTN:

1983 Code of Canon Law

Canon 1250 All Fridays through the year and the time of Lent are penitential days and times throughout the entire Church.

Canon 1251 Abstinence from eating meat or another food according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year unless (nisi) they are solemnities; abstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on the Friday of the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Abstinence The law of abstinence requires a Catholic 14 years of age until death to abstain from eating meat on Fridays in honor of the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Meat is considered to be the flesh and organs of mammals and fowl. Also forbidden are soups or gravies made from them. Salt and freshwater species of fish, amphibians, reptiles and shellfish are permitted, as are animal derived products such as margarine and gelatin which do not have any meat taste.

On the Fridays outside of Lent the U.S. bishops conference obtained the permission of the Holy See for Catholics in the US to substitute a penitential, or even a charitable, practice of their own choosing. They must do some penitential/charitable practice on these Fridays. For most people the easiest practice to consistently fulfill will be the traditional one, to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year. During Lent abstinence from meat on Fridays is obligatory in the United States as elsewhere.

ewtn.com/expert/expertfaqframe.asp?source=/vexperts/conference.htm

I hope this helps

 

[Fidelia]

The fish thing was to remind us of Jesus, and that we should be fishers of men, so in a sense it is a tradition, but you could substitute vegetables if you wanted. There’s no rule about it.

That was what i meant. I couldn’t word it.
But fish is meat.
I am only saying don’t eat fish and say “i’m not eating meat”

 

[Cardinalsong]

PETA is People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Thank you for clearing that up for me

 

[jlr247]

Why shouldn’t we eat them? I feel that they should be killed at humanely as possible, but God himself tells us that we can eat them in the bible. We’re just part of the food chain.

 

[corvidae]

I think something that is important to bring up is the fact that animals are simply better at converting starches and sugars into proteins than we are.

For example, a fish requires about 2.5 lbs of feed in order to gain a pound of fish.

A chicken about 6 lbs of feed to become a pound of chicken

A pig about 9-12 lbs of feed to become a pound of pork

A cow about 18 lbs of feed to become a pound of beef

and I believe humans are in the 36-50 lbs of feed for a pound of person range.

In addition to this, the yeilds from crops used as animal food are much higher than the yeilds of high protein crops like soybeans. So in actuality, it is often better for the environment to eat protein sources like, fish, pork and chicken, because it takes much less land to get the same amount of digestible protein.

But, as in all things, moderation is the key.

A lone Raven

 

[AlegreFe]

Also, about the not eating meat on Friday thing, I believe that still holds true only now if you want to eat meat you need to do some form of penance(not sure if I’m using the correct term–still learning) if you decide to have steak for dinner. Otherwise we should still abstain from eating meat & eat the fish at the cafeteria (I’ll stick to the vegetables)

I see you don’t like fish? That is one reason why you should try to eat it. If you do, then it would be considered a sacrifice you could offer up to Jesus through Mary.

For me, eating fish on Fridays is not a big deal so I don’t feel it would be enough to just eat fish on Fridays. It doesn’t feel like much of a sacrifice. I love fish.

 

[AlegreFe]

It is still all fridays? or only Fridays during Lent? Just curious.
Eating fish out of tradition is one thing, but claiming to “not eat meat” while eating fish is a falsity. Fish is meat. it is the flesh of an animal.

Yes fish is meat but it’s a cold blooded animal.
As far as not eating meat, that would be no RED meat; it is understood as such. Chicken is considered meat but it’s not red meat, I know. But we still cannot eat chicken. I guess you could say since the fish are from the water and they are cold-blooded creatures, we could eat it on Fridays, not sure though, if that’s even part of the reason.

I think back then fish was not as expensive as red meat was, so the money that would be saved by buying the fish instead of the red meat could be given to the poor instead.

 

[Fidelia]

Why shouldn’t we eat them? I feel that they should be killed at humanely as possible, but God himself tells us that we can eat them in the bible. We’re just part of the food chain.

God entrusted us with the care of animals. There was no eating of animals in Eden. See Gen. 1:29. We are not “just part of the food chain” any more than we are animals that can just indiscriminately mate. We are set apart from animals, made in God’s image. We have conscience, and know right from wrong. We should know better than to needlessly exploit animals out of vanity just like we know better than to needlessly exploit our bodies and sexuality out of vanity.

There is no humane slaughter. regardless of how the animals are raised (rarely as ‘humanely’ as claimed) they are still transported to a slaughterhouse in a cramped cage, exposed to all the elements, are are still often skinned alive. Kosher slaughter is rarely even humane anymore. goveg.com/jsfkosher.asp

 

[Valke2]

Yes fish is meat but it’s a cold blooded animal.
As far as not eating meat, that would be no RED meat; it is understood as such. Chicken is considered meat but it’s not red meat, I know. But we still cannot eat chicken. I guess you could say since the fish are from the water and they are cold-blooded creatures, we could eat it on Fridays, not sure though, if that’s even part of the reason.

I think back then fish was not as expensive as red meat was, so the money that would be saved by buying the fish instead of the red meat could be given to the poor instead.

It sounds as if it is a holdover from the Jewish laws regarding Kashrut. Fish were not considered meat, probably because they didn’t “bleed”

 

[Fidelia]

It sounds as if it is a holdover from the Jewish laws regarding Kashrut. Fish were not considered meat, probably because they didn’t “bleed”

Regardless of if they bleed they have a central nervous system and are sentient.
All I am saying is please don’t go about Fridays saying you are “abstaining from meat” and eat fish. Because that is how people get the outlandish notion that fish flesh isn’t meat, and so think that a vegetarian can eat it. I know vegetarians who were given a “vegetarian” dish, got sick from it and later learned there was something from fish in it.
Eat fish in remembrance of the ‘fishers of men’ and Jesus but please please don’t say you ‘aren’t eating meat’. I beg you.

 

[Fidelia]

It doesn’t feel like much of a sacrifice. I love fish.

We need to put is ethical over what tastes good. Just like we need to put what is moral and respectful of our bodies over what feels good.

 

[Valke2]

Regardless of if they bleed they have a central nervous system and are sentient.
All I am saying is please don’t go about Fridays saying you are “abstaining from meat” and eat fish. Because that is how people get the outlandish notion that fish flesh isn’t meat, and so think that a vegetarian can eat it. I know vegetarians who were given a “vegetarian” dish, got sick from it and later learned there was something from fish in it.
Eat fish in remembrance of the ‘fishers of men’ and Jesus but please please don’t say you ‘aren’t eating meat’. I beg you.

why? I know plenty of vegatarians who don’t consider fish meat. It’s not an outlandish notion. YOu just have different criteria. I also know vegatrians that eat diary. That’s not outlandish either.