Today, widespread vegetarianism, and people who indulge in it call themselves vegetarians. Vegetarianism permits only the consumption of plant products, and prohibits eating meat and fish (hence the name of vegetarianism and went from the Latin word vegetare – grow).

In support of their beliefs, they provide examples of: 1) the anatomy: a person belongs to the category of beings plodoidnih and carnivores, not omnivores and carnivores, 2) of Organic Chemistry: vegetable food contains everything you need for food and can maintain the strength and health in the same extent as the food is mixed, that is, animals – vegetable, and 3) in Physiology: plant foods is better absorbed than meat, 4) with medicine: food meat harms the body and reduces a person's life, as a vegetarian, on the contrary, – preserves and extends it, 5) of the economy: plant foods cheaper than meat; 6) are finally and ethical considerations: the killing of animals contrary to the moral sense rights, while vegetarianism is making peace in your own life, and his relationship to the world of animals.

Some of these concerns were expressed in ancient times, the world's pagan (Pythagoras, Plato). However, only in the middle of the twentieth century in England, and later in other countries have large communities of vegetarians. Since then, the vegetarian movement is more and more increasing, and his zealous followers spread their views and seek to bring them to life, so in Western Europe, there are many vegetarian restaurants (one of London to thirty), in which dishes are prepared exclusively from plant foods; published books vegetarian cooking art, which contain food and instructions for making more than eight dishes.

Vegetarianism promise broad future, because, they say, the world willy-nilly, in the end will come to vegetarianism. Even now in some European countries there is a marked decrease of livestock, and in Asia, this phenomenon has become even more widespread, especially in the most populous countries – China and Japan. So in the future, although not close, there will be no livestock and therefore meat. If so, then vegetarianism has the merit of his followers are developing ways to diet and lifestyle, to which sooner or later all people will have to come. But apart from this problematic merit belongs to vegetarianism is the undeniable merit that it makes our voluptuous and effeminate society insistent call for restraint.

For example a great supporter of vegetarianism remarks:,, Look, – said Tolstoy – in our lives, to what inspired the majority of people in our world, ask yourself what the main interest of the majority? And strange as it may seem to us who are accustomed to hide our true interests and expose the false, artificial, the main interest of most people of our time – is the satisfaction of taste, the pleasure of eating. From the poorest to the richest classes of society, gluttony, I think, is the main goal, is the chief pleasure of our lives. The poor, the working people is an exception only to the extent to which need prevent him to indulge this passion. Once he has the time and money before he imitated the upper class, gets the most tasty and sweet. The present interest of the majority – is food. How to eat, what to eat, when, where? No celebration, no joy, no discovery of anything it can do without food.

Of course, not all agree with this opinion, but there's much truth. Therefore, and insistent calls from vegetarians to abstinence, reduce the whims of a way, and if they confined themselves to this appeal, it would merely have to rejoice in the success and growth of vegetarian movement. But success often be deceptive. So followers of vegetarianism ascribe to him what it actually does not and can not have.

In particular vegetarians believe that if people did not use animal food, then the land has long been established to complete prosperity. Even Plato, noticed in the dialogue, On the republic "the root of injustice, the source of wars and other evils that people do not want to be satisfied with a simple lifestyle and a vegetarian diet, and eat meat. And another supporter of vegetarianism, even from Christians, Anabaptists Tryon (1703 †), we find the idea that the author, and ethics of food, resulting in his book. "If people would – said Tryon, – stop quarrels, abandoned the oppression and what promotes and arranges them before – from the killing of animals and consumption of blood and meat – then in a short time would be weakened, and perhaps altogether ceased to exist between the mutual murder, diabolical strife and cruelty. Then stop all hostility, will not hear the soulful moans, no people, no cattle. "

In the opinion of vegetarians in the world is established paradise, if people give up meat.

Allowed, however, more than question the feasibility of all such dreams vegetarians. Although they claim that their system affects the very root of evil, and promises no Utopian advantages, but from the fact that people stop eating meat, is unlikely to be established on earth a paradise, the kingdom of God, for the kingdom of God, for wise words of St. Paul without food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14, 17). Christian teaching has always been alien to the spirit of reverie. It differs from a different utopian theories, which clearly distinguishes between ideal and reality. Pointing to the ultimate goal of human endeavors, ideally, at the same time never losing sight of reality. And in this a reality and can not be the full implementation of perfect happiness. Requirements for misery and strife is always poison the earth's human life will always be companions in our present condition as the cause of these unfortunate events is not foreign, not by accident, and transient, but profound, internal, this consisting in the sinful state of human nature, the damage her sin. Until this state of human nature will continue until the change is fundamentally an abnormal condition of our lives until we have restored a right relationship to God, to his own purpose and to the outside world, that is, until this life will not change a new eternal life, yet not open for mankind a new heaven and new earth, where truth lives (2 Peter. 3, 13), – so long will always be poverty, misery and disease. And since the root of all these calamities lies much deeper than people think vegetarians and the like dreamers, then the remedy to which they point out, one by itself can not free from evil: he's too small and superficial.

Usually, it is true that abstinence from eating meat, harnesses our passion and lust, gives greater ease of our spirit and helps him break free from the dominion of the flesh and to conquer it its power. Thus St. John Chrysostom says: "Fasting gives heavenly benefit, and lasolyubstvo – damage, shall be punished. Who is given food and satisfy the passion of the womb, he loses the spiritual fruit of the soul, and who dries the flesh by fasting and avoiding overeating, then prepares a heavenly reward, but it would be wrong to assume that only this soulful restraint lays the foundation of morality, and the implications of this and all the high moral quality, that vegetable food itself in itself creates a lot of virtues.

The solid post should connect with the spiritual, because it can not rein in the body, have not humbled first breath. Moreover, the body must necessarily obey the spirit, and not vice versa. In addition, the Fathers warn against the false and harmful ideas, according to which the center of gravity of the deed is transferred to the post body. In their view, the priority is to achieve a position of moral perfection and spiritual virtues and love, and only then – physical limitations. Thus St. Basil says: "Beware the measure post simple abstention from food. Those who abstain from food, but behave badly, act like the devil, who, though he did not eat, but do not stop sinning. "

So, post solid is only a means and tool for the acquisition of virtues – cleanliness and chastity, and should always be combined with fasting spiritual – so that they abstain from the passions and sins, and deviation from their wicked thoughts and evil deeds. And without this in itself is not sufficient for salvation. Fathers teach that the true position is when a person abstains from evil.

Apart from a solid position sufficient for salvation, ascetics at the same time did not recognize and that this post was for all mandatory (as they want to vegetarians). Preaching the only permanent moderation in eating and drinking themselves by refraining from meat consumption, they are for others not forbidden to eat meat for food. , You need to use all the glory of God, – they said – neither of which completely away, as do the heretics, it's unwise to reject what God had done very good. From all the products that are, even though sweet, you need to take a little. Such reasoning is wise – to some genera of food to choose, and the other left to the Lord and give thanks, and keep not the arrogance of heart: so we will avoid lifting and grebuvatimemo that God made good. " Those same people who give attention to the substance of food and food, leaving aside the "understanding" – these fathers called "unreasonable." Everyone strives to make the feat of fasting, should personally set limits in food and period of detention. This is evidenced by Theodore Stoudios sermon on Friday in the first week of Lent: "Look and decide on the post at their own weakness. Young – more to overcome the passion, the sick – less. The measure defines the inner let the teacher – his own conscience. It can not be the same for all. "

This is truly a wise view of the Holy Church on the consumption of meat. In its rulings, it always has in mind is not some impersonal man, who often have in mind the different visionaries such as vegetarians, and people live, with all its needs, sickness, and to them the Church is with the greatest leniency and mercy. Sometimes, that great saint and holy men, for human weakness, not only did not reproach those who had eaten in the post "unauthorized products," but even of themselves trying on these products.

Exhortation that. Love – the above post. Taking inspiration from the words of the Apostle:,, infirm in faith accept without dispute the views. Because one believes that you can have everything, but weak, eateth herbs. Who eats, do not despise those who do not eat, and who does not eat, do not condemn the man who eats, for God took him. Who are you, that he condemns the servant of another? Before his own master he stands or falls. And it will be delivered, because the court have to make him stand. Each case on the testimony of his mind. He who eats, eats to the Lord, because God thanks, and who does not eat, for God does not eat, and gives thanks to God "(Romans 14, 2). From here you can come to the conclusion that the Apostle Paul, too, were arguing about eating meat or just vegetables, but he calls the infirm who considers permissible for a Christian is only vegetables – and who is on the consumption of meat looks like on something immoral and crime (as well as look at it vegetarian.

Therefore, such people think that food alone can bring us closer to God (I Cor. 8, 8), though the kingdom of God is the food and drink, not righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14, 17); they forget that all things are pure (Rom. 14, 20), and every creature of God is good and there is nothing shameful, if received with thanksgiving (I Tim. 4, 4).

Indeed, first the human race God has appointed for food seeds and fruits. ,, And God said: Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the whole earth … "(Gen. 1, 29). We see that the original creation of the earth was no death. And all the animals were eating vegetarian food. But when a man injured his nature by sin, and had brought a curse upon themselves and upon the earth, that vegetable food has been inadequate for the human race (and for animals) and from the Bible, we know that after the flood God himself, along with herbs, digestive gives food Citizens of animals, birds and fish (Genesis 9, 3). Consequently, the use of meat-eating is allowed by God and as such, it does not contain anything illegal and immoral.

But killing animals for food, vegetarian by conviction, a person violates the principles of justice and compassion for them. It deprives them of life, which gave them no it, and causes them to such terrible suffering, that even familiar people is sometimes difficult to see them suffering. In the writings of vegetarians ("Scientific basis of vegetarianism," "Ethics of Food"), whole pages are devoted to pictures of the description of the cruel suffering that bring animal people, these "voluptuous gluttons." Empathy, of course, feeling very important, but only in this case, if it is a sober and sensible nature, and not a false and sentimental. There are some individuals which fall into a faint squeal with dogs, but who remain indifferent to the tears and grief of man. Who is compassionate and truly recognize the sound? When for example in India honored more cows, chickens and snakes, and people can die from near starvation and disease. When the wells of the rich to the poor can not be used. This lack of Hindus, a religion which so admire vegetarians mainly for its sublime principles of mercy to animals, is typical of vegetarianism. Defending animal rights, vegetarians, as they say, "seized over the edge." Many of them recognize that the animals completely identical with human and physical, and ethical relations, as a man endowed with intelligence and moral sense, sometimes even more, "" the animals of one man class, and have the same with her right to life, because they are our brothers, and therefore their destruction is, fratricide.

But speaking as a vegetarian that most consider themselves supporters of materialism, which also sees no essential difference between humans and animals. And materialism has long since lost all credit in the eyes of the scientific world: there are no serious and unbiased scientist who would have argued that the inner world of man and animals is the same.

These trends are very materialistic impaired clean vegetarian teachings and can not help regretting that vegetarians instead to run a business of preaching their ideas in union with the Holy Church and in the spirit of Christ, would rather prove his convictions with the muddy pits of false teachings.

It is often very difficult to imagine that would be a tasty drink. Tea or coffee – already tired, and not all vegans consume these "stimulants. Sock it makes sense to drink only just squeezed. Kvass – not everyone likes … I suggest you try to make lemonade! This amazing vitamin drink not only lift spirits, but also strengthen your immune system. Lemonade is perfect for the summer heat, but I did drink and in the winter – just a little heated. But getting a dose of vitamin C and zahischayusya way from influenza. I want you to try the lemonade, and health.

At three liters of water: one large lemon, one lime (if not you can replace another lemon), spices to create different flavors (mint, tarragon, basil) – to taste (I tried to cook only with mint. Basil in beverages do not like, but the tarragon, unfortunately, still do not have to be found on our Sumy market), sugar – 3-5 tablespoons.

Lemon, lime and mint (or tarragon or basil) wash. Lemon and lime cut into 4 pieces and well-squeezed juice (I squeezed it in 3-quart). Peel of citrus fruits, formed after extrusion – the same place. Pour sugar. Throw in a bank bundle of green – it is desirable to bind to the tip of the beam sinker. Pour in the bank 100 grams of very hot water (to the temperature difference did not burst the bank, I omit it ladle and pour boiling water on it). Pobovtaty bank to dissolve sugar. When sugar dissolves – topped up to the brim with warm water. Cover with cheesecloth turtledove, half an hour to hold in heat, and then send in the cold. Infuse at least 3 and not more than 12 hours.