Food Issue    (Second and Final Part)

A study conducted by researchers from the University of California, San Diego, in 2003 and published by BBC Brazil, found that "the substance, called n-Glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), is present in high concentrations in pork, beef and mutton" (2003: s/p). According to the study, "the human body cannot synthesize the substance, and it would unleash a harmful immune response to the body. In turn, this could cause cancer and heart disease.” (Idem, 2003: s/p).

In another European study, which was published in the magazine of the International Institute of Cancer, the "thesis that consumption of red meat can cause cancer in the intestine” is strengthened. These include meat such as beef, lamb, pork and its derivatives such as bacon and ham "(Folha Online, 2005).

In another scientific contribuition: 

 (...) researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and from Harvard Medical School in Boston, examined ninety thousand women, who completed questionnaires in 1991, 1995 and 1999, in which they registered the frequency with which they consumed more than 130 different types of foods and beverages. Those who consumed a portion and half of red meat per day had nearly doubled the risk of breast cancer positive - receiver to the presence of hormones, compared with women who consumed three or fewer servings of red meat per week (s/d: s/p). 

In another research, some researchers found that the 

Cells removed from prostate tumours have demonstrated an activity of the gene called AMACR nine times greater, as compared to healthy cells, according to a team of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore (USA). The molecule of the AMACR fatty acid is present in high levels in dairy and red meat. The gene of the same name produces an enzyme that helps break down fatty acid molecules.

Previous studies have shown that diets rich in red meat are related to an increased risk of prostate cancer.

Scientists have warned that it is still too early to establish a relationship between the consumption of red meat and dairy and that of prostate cancer, but said that the findings provide clues for a study of the connection (s/d: s/p). 

         And an unaccountable number of publications and important research comes to light, demonstrating the harmful effects of eating meat.

To add, Eurípedes Kühl, a scholar of Spiritism, says: 

Upon dying animals feel – even though they do not understand it – the evil that affects them, causing them so much pain that their dread and despair impregnate the beef and release toxins around them as well as harmful spiritual fluids. The unhappy disembodied spirits (former humans) who are still attached to coarser matter absorb such astral matter, with which their perispirits become equally impregnated. The incarnated humans have then registered in their Spirits, as debts, the violence they have inflicted upon the animal.

In the future, everyone will have to eliminate from their spiritual wrap such negative waste, motivated by guilt. And this will unfortunately only be possible with pain, with the certainty that God, in his Infinite Mercy, alleviates this heavy burden by offering multiplied opportunities for minimisation of the past, through our good actions in favour of our fellow being (1998: 125). 

         We believe that question 722 of The Spirits’ Book should be mediated on after the above notes. 

Final considerations 

As we said at the beginning of this brief reflection, we do not claim to modify anyone’s eating habits. We have a lot to do for our own existence as far as the ethical-moral point of view goes.

The Greater motivation for the publication of this study was to contribute, under the spiritist aegis, to the question which has been viewed as negligible (!).

It is also due to generalizations that we have already had occasion to hear at the Systematized Studies of the Spiritist Doctrine (ESDE) in a radical and peremptory manner, as if they were absolute truths.

Phrases such as: 

- "The important thing is not what enters the mouth of man, but what comes out of it." 

However, Jesus would not have been frivolous to determine that we did not have care with food and everything we consumed without serious implications to our body. He commented this teaching under the ethical-moral point of view, by using of, of course, a specific context. It does not mean that the phrase should be interpreted at face value and in such an anachronistic manner in order to justify an irrepressible intake of meat. 

- "The important issue is the moral aspect. Just remember that Hitler was a vegetarian. " 

It is outside any objection that the moral aspect is the fulcrum of Spiritism. It is the most relevant facet that we change our ontological condition. However, to use the exemplification of Hitler is a misconception. It would be to take the part for the whole. If it was so, hardly anyone in the world would escape.

There are priests who are paedophiles, but this does not justify saying that they all are. On the contrary, there are many kind ones who carry out their Ministry with hard work and love.

There are spiritists who merchandise with mediumship and deceive people, but that doesn't mean that all spiritists do so. There are corrupt politicians, but it would be wrong to generalize and say that they all are. There are vegetarians of bad character, perhaps the greatest archetype was Hitler, but does not mean that they may all be the same way and in line with the thinking of the former totalitarian. Generalization is wrong and cannot serve as an argument to the scholar of Spiritism. 

- "To go without meat is suicide." 

Frankly, this phrase does not deserve any explanation. But (to your dismay, dear reader!) we have already heard it and for this reason we have mentioned it here.

For the intent of reducing or even stopping eating meat, human beings cannot be light-minded. One must look for the safe guidance of a physician and get one’s body to adapt gradually. Literature shows that it is possible to live without meat; remember that there are high performance athletes who are vegetarians; in addition to these, there are ordinary people, in our daily life, who are in very good health and are vegetarian. Since then, to argue exhaustively that the absence of meat is suicide is an error.  And it cannot be perpetuated in Systematized Studies of Spiritism. This denotes a lack of preparation of those who manage these activities. It is true that in sui generis cases the lack of nutrients of animal origin can lead to serious health damage, however, we repeat, your doctor will determine. Therefore, this statement cannot be taken as absolute truth. 

- "This is not a major problem. Not worth discussing. " 

However, if this theme was not relevant, certainly, the Spirits would not have signalled any notes about the same. On the contrary, they would allow us to eat any kind of thing and in any quantity. But André Luiz, Humberto de Campos, Emmanuel and Palissy are quite rigorous in their positions.

The arguments used for the construction of this brief article have not been taken from our head, but from reputable authors. This, however, does not end the sterling subject and sagacious studies about the theme.

Finally, we know that the whole of evolution occurs gradually.

We also know that the moral aspect is the key to all of us. But we can walk alongside with the moral wing and the intellect that is embodied in the scientific advances that allow for other food sources. To eat properly, respecting all life forms that serve as food for us, especially animals, is a facet of moral condition which must be reached by all of us and that cannot be ignored.

It constitutes an elevation! To pretend ignorance about the points written here is no longer justified, because they are presented in important spiritist works and academic studies, one just need to be a reasonable reader.1

We still reinforce the thought that meat is not something sinful. An interdict that should be avoided radically but on the contrary, it still serves as basic food to many people. Science has recently produced meat in the laboratory; this opens a promising future because slaughterhouses will no longer be needed.. That is, scientists have realized that the killing which occurs is not justified on the scientific and technological advancement we have at our disposal nowadays. According to scientists, who began to produce it, 

Fermented meat is elaborated from cultivation of stem cell or muscle of animals such as chickens, pigs and lambs in lab. The alternative, one of the 50 inventions of the year according to Time magazine in 2009 would be "healthier and less pollutant" and would have the same proteins of ordinary meat, according to its proponents. Their output can even be controlled to prevent diseases such as mad cow disease or swine flu (H1N1, popularly known as swine flu). (R7 .COM, 2010: s/p.) 

So slaughterhouses would no longer be necessary. Animals could live with dignity. Still, if this was so, many would want to continue with such behaviours, for many reasons such as: because natural meat is better, newly or “freshly” dead animal has the best flavour and other many unjustifiable excuses, it would not be up to us to judge them. We end by only making Padre Germano’s words our words ("Memories of Padre Germano," by Amalia Sundays Soler, FEB) regarding Sultão: "Poor animal! It is hard for me to say, but it's the truth: I found in a dog that which I have never been able to find in man. So much loyalty, care, solicitude! ". 

References: 

BBC Brasil. Red meat can cause cancer, research says. Published in 30/09/- 18h38 GMT (15h38 Brasília time). Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/portuguese/ciencia/story/2003/09/030930_vermelharg.shtml. Acessed in 9/04/2010. 

DE BIASE, Simone Grigoletto et al. Vegetarina diet and cholesterol and triglycerides levels. Brazilian Archives of Cardiology, São Paulo,  v. 88,  n. 1/01/2007. Available at http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0066782X2007000100006&lng=en&nrm=iso. Acessed in 8/04/2010.  doi: 10.1590/S0066-782X2007000100006. 

FOLHA ONLINE. Red meat increases the risk of bowel cancer, says study. Available at http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/bbc/ult272u43483.shtml. Acessed 9/04/2010. 

FOLHA ONLINE. Study associates red meat gene to prostate cancer. Available at <http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/reuters/ult112u14647.shtml>. Acesso em 9 de abril de 2010.

KARDEC, Allan. The Spirits’ Book , 84^th edition Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian Spiritist Federation, 2003.

KARDEC ALLAN.  Spirite Revue April 1858. 

KÜHL, Eurípedes. Animals, our brothers   6 ^th edition São Paulo, SP: Petit Publishing House, 1998. 

MOREIRA, Leonardo Marmo. Carne: comer ou não comer? Eis a questão. Meat: to eat or not eat? That’s the question in: O Consolador. Year 2 - N° 75 – 28^th September 2008. Available at http://www.oconsolador.com.br/ano2/75/especial.html. Acessed in 9/04/2010.  

PUCSP Sorocaba College. Red meat doubles risk of breast cancer, study says. Available at http://www.sorocaba.pucsp.br/atn/news.php?id_news=587. Acessed in 9/04/2010. 

R7.COM. Meat produced in labs for a future without slaughter houses. Available at http://noticias.r7.com/tecnologia-e-ciencia/noticias/carne-produzida-em-laboratorios-abre-portas-para-um-futuro-sem-matadouros-20100503.html. Checked on 3/05/2010. 

TEIXEIRA, Rita de Cássia Moreira de Almeida et al. Nutritional state and life style in vegetarians and omnivore diets - Grande Vitória - ES. In: Brazilian Magazine of Epidiomiology. São Paulo, v. 9, n. 1, march, 2006. Available in http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1415-790X2006000100016&lng=pt&nrm=iso. Checked on 7/04/2010.  doi: 10.1590/S1415-790X2006000100016. 

TEIXEIRA, Rita de Cássia Moreira de Almeida et al. Risco cardiovascular em vegetarianos e onívoros: um estudo comparativo Cardio-vascular Risk in vegetarian and omnivore diet followers . Brazilian Archives of Cardiology,  São Paulo,  v. 89,  n. 4, october, 2007. Available at http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0066-782X2007001600005&lng=pt&nrm=iso. Checked on 7/04/2010.  doi: 10.1590/S0066-782X2007001600005. 

XAVIER, Francisco Cândido (medium); André Luiz (Spirit). Nosso Lar. 52^th edition, Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian Spiritist Federation, 2002.

XAVIER, Francisco Cândido (medium); André Luiz (Spirit). The Missionaries of the Light. 28^th edition. Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian Spiritist Federation, 1997.

XAVIER, Francisco Cândido. The Messengers. 34^th edition. Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian Spiritist Federation, 2000.

XAVIER, Francisco Cândido (medium); Brother X (Spirit). Letters and Chronicles. 8^th edition. Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian Spiritist Federation, 1991. 

XAVIER, Francisco Cândido (medium); Emmanuel (Spirit). On the way of the Light. 22^nd edition Rio de Janeiro: Federação Espírita Brasileira, 1999.

_ XAVIER, Francisco Cândido (medium); Emmanuel (Spirit). The Consoler. 18 ^th edition Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian Spiritist Federation, 1997.