Meat eaters in the house?

[LauraR]

Hello all,
I wasn't sure where to post this question, but felt this would be a good place to start. I am recently vegetarian - about a year. I do still eat eggs and butter but try to limit my consumption. There are also so many places animal products are hiding in processed food that I have eliminated most processed food (among other reasons)
I recently started renting out rooms in my house. I was fortunate that one renter is vegetarian. The other eats all kinds of meat. When I first thought to rent, I thought I would be tempted by the smells of cooking meat - but quite the opposite is true. I have become so sensitive because I have cleaned up my diet on so many levels that I was quite repulsed.
So my question is this - if you are vegetarian or vegan is it loving to only want vegetarians or vegans living in your home? Maybe they could live there, but not cook any type of meat? Would this be controlling? I am having difficulty determining if I am upset by the smell because an addiction is not being met or is it okay just to really be upset by the smell? I do feel anger, so there is emotion to process. I try to imagine what Jesus and Mary would do and I just can't see them having guest in their home cooking meat.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
LauraR

[Marina Smargiannakis]

Hi Laura,

I feel that any loving option to take, when we know that it is loving for our environment, is totally ok.

Of course, I might be off, but I feel that it is totally loving to ask for only vegetarians/vegans as renters! It is your home, and you can do as you see fit. I believe that if you are to have a meat-eater, but then you impose on their free-will, and ask them NOT to cook meat, that feels controlling.

What I would do if I owned a home, would be to place an ad for vegetarians/vegans and see what comes up for you as a Law of Attraction.

I would suggest connecting with the anger that you feel, for it will help you see clearer as what the truth is in the situation. Jesus has mentioned that God prefers a non-angry meat-eater than a person who doesn't consume meat, but project a lot of anger (I am definitely an angry person!). That He/She considers working through anger more important than the consumption aspect, which makes sense. Something to consider are the feelings of the potential tenant, whether it is loving for them (meat-eater or not) to have a very angry woman as a landlady, regardless.

For myself, I live with a roommate, and this is the third roommate I've had. They are all/have been meat-eaters, but know that I am not, and though the first roommate cooked meat quite a bit, the next two have not. Also, they have asked me if I mind if they do (which I consider a really nice LoA), and I really don't. Both roommates have never cooked meat while I was around, or consciously chose to only do so when I wasn't home, which I never once imposed upon them.

Then again, I'd prefer a clean and tidy meat-eater to have as a roommate, than to have a messy and unkempt vegan. That's just me.

Hope this helps.

[Anita]

Hi,

Marina says,

Jesus has mentioned that God prefers a non-angry meat-eater than a person who doesn't consume meat, but project a lot of anger

That is me the angry vegan, and many a time the hypocritical faux vegan, that still desired dairy.

I have had a lot of rage about meat. I grew up with a father that hunted and I was forced to eat meat, every day several times a day. I remember being really small and my chair being stuck to the table and I could not move until I had finished what was on the plate. Socializing only occurred during meal times and verbal abuse also took place there.

So I have had lots of rage towards the issue of cooking and having to care for my children with buying, preparing and cooking meat. Feeling like a house hold slave.

Marina,

For myself, I live with a roommate, and this is the third roommate I've had. They are all/have been meat-eaters, but know that I am not, and though the first roommate cooked meat quite a bit, the next two have not. Also, they have asked me if I mind if they do (which I consider a really nice LoA), and I really don't. Both roommates have never cooked meat while I was around, or consciously chose to only do so when I wasn't home, which I never once imposed upon them.

Marina are you really sure that you have not imposed your anger towards these meat eaters, not to cook in your presence, through projection?

Cheers
Anita

[Marina Smargiannakis]

Hi Anita,

Thanks for your question, and for sharing your experience. I will have to reflect on that a bit regarding my own anger that I may not be aware of.

What I do know is that even though I don't eat meat, in my past relationship I used to cook it for my guy, I did it to both please him, and I guess a part of me still desired meat. At some point, we sat and talked about it together, and we both decided that it would be most loving for me to not cook meat in the future, and I immediately stopped it, once I felt how I was adding to the problem, and have never cooked it again, nor have a desire to. That was years ago.

I, alternatively to your own upbringing, LOVED meat, the taste of it, all of it. I also have an auto-immune blood disorder, and that was the big issue I had to reconcile when I gave it up. I was totally unaware of the way slaughter happened, I was in heavy denial. I also was one of those people who thought that we needed meat to survive. Once I saw Earthlings, that was it for me, and never really turned back. I didn't need any other truth. Sometimes I wish other truths would enter my soul so easily. I eat preodominantly raw foods, but I will say I still like Velveeta cheese with pasta sometimes!

My parents have actually turned more towards the vegetarian direction (especially my mom), not because I forced them, but I have processed some emotions, and really focus on myself on the subject. They also have an openness on love for animals. I remember a story where my father was traumatized as a young boy when they had killed their goat in their village. Whatever I choose to eat though, I do it because I really want to. Maybe that has helped my folks, with less projection on them? Dunno. My one sister though, is a very rageful person on the subject and still feels meat is totally mandatory for not only her 4 children's development, but for the whole world. So we don't really agree on it, and I'm ok with that.

My most recent roommate doesn't eat much meat anyway, and most of the girls that interviewed were vegetarians/vegans, but I never requested that specifically. I do love animals, but I understand why people have the desire to eat meat, even though I don't agree with it, and since I still have a desire for the velveeta, I'm sure I still have some emotions to work through as to why I desire that food.

I will though, again, feel into it a bit as to perhaps I am projecting and not even realizing it.

[Amena]

If you are renting out the rooms (as in the place belongs to you) then it is not unloving to ask them to not cook meat in the house.

My Partner and I are both vegetarian/vegan and we share our home with another couple. We explained from the beginning that we don't feel comfortable having meat in the house and so they agreed not to cook it since the home was in our names and they are technically renting from us.
They are still allowed to bring cooked meat(as in take out) but cooking it is not allowed. It makes us upset to smell cooking meat.

I don't know see how that is imposing on their free will as Marina suggested because they can still choose to eat meat outside the home. It is your home and so you can lay down your boundaries since you are the one sharing it.

[Perry]

Hi Amena,

I would have to agree with you. If it is your house, and they are renting from you, AND you have clearly stated the terms and conditions in regards to eating meat in your house, then I'd say it's totally acceptable to bring it up with them if they break your terms and conditions. Granted, if you feel angry, then of course that's an issue for yourself to deal with, but that doesn't then mean they can break the terms and conditions in your house.

And so I feel that you are not being controlling, you are just upholding love in your household.

For example, if someone is angry in one of Jesus seminars, he does not NOT act because he does not want to be controlling - On the contrary, he raises the issue with that individual. And if they continue to be angry, they will be asked to leave. For me, this is upholding love and being responsible for the environment he is in 'charge of', not control!

If the space was not your home, then this may be an issue of control. In which case, the decision might be that you remove yourself from the situation, rather than then telling them that they cant cook meat.

That's my take on it thus far.