What Is Your Relationship with Animals? Part 2 by John Cali

We received some interesting responses to our recent blog post, What Is Your Relationship with Animals?

Although everyone responding was polite and respectful, there were wide differences of opinion—particularly around the issues of animal cruelty, meat-eating versus vegetarianism, etc.

These same issues loom large here in Wyoming where I live. After all, agriculture, including cattle ranching, is the livelihood of many Wyoming folks. However, in my very unscientific observations, I’ve seen many people turning to vegetarianism, even here. So we have widely varying opinions and lifestyles.

Beyond the borders of Wyoming there are also widely varying opinions and lifestyles.

For example, we have organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). As they say on their website, “PETA focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: on factory farms, in the clothing trade, in laboratories, and in the entertainment industry.”

While I completely agree with PETA’s vigorous advocacy for animal welfare, their methods are sometimes aggressive and offensive to some people.

In the middle we have organizations such as Global Animal Partnership. In their words, they are “an international, nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 2008, (to bring) together farmers, scientists, ranchers, retailers, and leaders from four of the world’s largest animal welfare advocacy organizations—a diverse group with the common commitment to continually improve the lives of farm animals.”

Global Animal Partnership is a strong advocate for humane treatment of animals raised for food.

On the other end of the spectrum are organizations such as the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). In their own words, “NCBA works to advance the economic, political and social interests of the U.S. cattle business and to be an advocate for the cattle industry’s policy positions and economic interests.”

NCBA do not focus on animal welfare.

I know I’ve strayed from the focus of our original post, What Is Your Relationship with Animals? My reason for writing this post is not to ignite class warfare among folks holding various, even opposing, views on this topic.

I simply want to ask how you handle the people (or organizations) in your life who do not agree with you—and who are perhaps even hostile and angry because you hold a different view.

Related posts:

The Law of Allowance
We’re Right and They’re Wrong
We’re Right and They’re Wrong: Sequel

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Please share your thoughts with us below.

We welcome your comments and thoughtful opinions, whether you agree or disagree with us. Please keep your comments polite and relevant to the topic of this blog post. If needed, we’ll edit for clarity. Also, we’ll delete anything we consider inappropriate.

9 Responses

  1. M

    I was very impressed by John’s courage and boldness to bring up this subject again. I never expected him to explore this subject even further. I don’t know any other channeler who expresses his/her own view as clearly and enthusiastically as he does. I don’t think this is only because he’s a professional writer who can write eloquently in his own unique style. But I think it has more to do with his passion for his lifetime work — one is channelling but the other is being a spiritual speaker who is in the position to be able to launch many thought-provoking and real-life based questions to those he has come to “know” in this lifetime. Because he’s not afraid of being opposed or disagreed, he can provide us the opportunities to “walk the talk” of non-judgement and unconditional harmony. Without his willingness to introduce and represent one perspective as a reference point, how could we even start to talk about our own view relative to that marked point?

    How touching to see John and Mikala St. Germain expressing their own different views and yet being very close friends/soulmates. We readers are blessed to witness how this non-judgemental friendship and unconditional love is played out in real time. Having different perspectives won’t alter how much they love and respect each other. It even adds more to it. Expansion as a result of co-creation is what they especially value. Also for them, expression of different preferences just means “I like apples and you like oranges.” They can go to have a buffet lunch together and have a great time because they have no issue with what the other is having. They can say to each other “I personally don’t eat what you’re eating (or I personally eat what you don’t eat) but it’s my bliss to see you enjoying what you’re eating.”

    Thank you so much for teaching us with the real-life example, John and Mikala. It’s also wonderful to know how deeply you both love animals (and all human beings if humans are not included in animals). A toast to your beautiful friendship and trust!

    P.S. Is this a kind of world John and Mikala are already living?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjn_Wkb1_Ms

    (Saint Germain through Ashamarae)

    • John Cali

      Thank you very much for your very kind words. We deeply appreciate them. And thank you also for the inspiring videos.

  2. Ron

    In my opinion, at this moment, saying that we all have free will, that we are free to choose leaves me with one question; exactly when are we free to choose? Are we free when all the weight of society is stacked up against us? Okay, that’s maybe two questions or maybe the first contains a lot more smaller questions.
    Preachers of all kinds who exert much energy fighting against various social or moral issues are often highlighted by the media for falling into their very specific webs. They apparently have the free will to choose to do the preaching but can it be said that they then also have the free will not to molest children when they have all their lives been actively fighting against such behavior or any other such predilections?
    Whether one was in the past a victim of what is referred to as a sexual pervert or a physical and/or psychological abuser entangled in whatever other addictions will blur the lines of this type of discussion. In the eyes of some there is no issue here even if they are believers in opposing directions. On the political scene we have all seen countries completely divided for various reasons in their ideologies. When one side is forced to comply and therefore behave in a way that they strongly abhor, a conflict has to rise up in their insides, causing them to feel bad, and later cave in to dis-eases of all sorts.
    Sorry but I just don’t get it. What drove me to comment here this morning was seeing a publication put out by our daughter’s school the aim of which was to teach her about justice but whose result is bound to be a shaping of her personal beliefs, what is called programming. So the odds are being stacked against her possibility of exercising her free will, the one she is supposed to be born or created with. They call it education.

    • beachdrifter

      Ron, the idea of free will is based on the following premises:

      You are free, in every moment of every day, to choose the thoughts you think, regardless of what’s happening around you.

      Your thoughts create your reality, or life experience.

      Until you become aware, through whatever your individual path may be, of the truth of those premises, the illusion of not having free will is likely to seem more convincing to you.

      PS

      And don’t worry about your daugther being “programmed” at school. I barely believed anything I was told there, but certainly understood the benefit of acting “as if”. It’s a wonderful way to discover who you are…and who you are not.

  3. Mikala

    Our life on Earth is centered around the choices we make. Each person has free will and each has their own pathway. I understand and honor individual choice since that is a great part of our mission.

    That does not mean I need to personally accept specific behaviors such as the current slaughter of the wolf species going on in Wyoming. I disagree with that behavior and will support getting wolves back on the endangered species list. That is my choice in the situation. I will also support organizations that make the effort to end animal cruelty. At the same time, the cattle ranchers choice of how they will use cattle to support their families and feed those who wish to eat beef is a part of free will. Since free will is a Creator Source mandate, I honor that. I know ranchers who take excellent care of their animals, watch over them, heal them when they are sick or injured, keep them fed and warm in the winter, and care very much for them. It is not my job to judge.

    As for the vegan/omnivore issue, if there is one, again, free will. If there is a “tug of war” going on, then that is a control and power over others issue. All food is alive, and vegan or omnivore, both are eating what was once alive. Where is the issue?

    I honor my brothers and sisters here on Earth, including plant and animal life. I don’t care if any disagree with me or have a different point of view. Nor do I dislike them because of their view. I might have an exception on that issue when it comes to ticks, though. I do not wish to control or have power over others. If you choose that, you also have responsibility for them. Ouch!

    I couldn’t count the times that Spirit has told us to mind our own business and make sure we are growing in spiritual matters within ourselves. I find that to be sufficient to hold my attention, and have love and compassion for all.

    If you live on Earth and wish to live in joy, humor, love, Light and appreciation, you must also live in acceptance. We are assured that All Is Good.

  4. Doug Schwinn

    We, as defiant prodigal children of God need to forgive (Restore to Its Original, Pure and Holy Condition) All that God Created: “And when He looked on All that He had made He said It was Good.” And we need to begin with Ourselves, then expand the definition of Ourselves to include the Oneness that we are. Adopting egoistic perspectives that allow variances and segregate chunks of God for self-serving imagined, “better” goals is why we mistreat animals and we kill humans too. Love is what beats each and every heart and Love is That Heart as well. Forgive the World and Restore It to Godliness. “I am in All Through All and above All.” “Turn over a piece of dead wood and you find Me.” (Gospel of Thomas, Nag Hamadi)

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