What an absolute honor it was to have author Victoria Moran on my show. I first read Main Street Vegan in 2014 but I had known of Victoria since the start of my vegan journey in 2001.
Victoria became a more regular presence in my life more recently when I began attending Sunday Services with the Compassion Consortium, an online Interfaith spiritual center for people who care about animals. Embracing a spiritual side has come to me only in the last few years (read about that here) so it was great to find a group of people who don't just welcome in all types of belief systems but who also consider all of the Earth's inhabitants while doing so. As you'll hear me say in the podcast, when I attended my first Sunday Service, I knew I had found my people. Victoria speaks to this level of acceptance pretty clearly in the interview as well when she talks about a student of Main Street Vegan Academy who was so thankful that Victoria was accepting of her despite being an atheist. To paraphrase Victoria, we all have a working hypothesis and none of us knows which one is right.
Later on in the episode, Victoria mentioned one of my favorite quotes, the highlighted portion is what you'll hear her quote in the episode but I wanted to include the full quote here:
We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. It is our duty to make the whole world recognize it. Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace - Albert Schweitzer
I invite you to consider what thoughts or feelings that quote brings up for you. If you feel called, leave a comment with what's coming up for you. For me, it is one of the quotes that keep me going in this work, reminds me how important it is to keep speaking about veganism, even in the moments when it seems that no one is listening.
To connect with Victoria:
Visit her Websites: https://victoriamoran.com & https://mainstreetvegan.com
Social Media Links:
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Already listened to the episode? What did you think? What are your takeaways? Tell me in the comments below.
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Kimberly, I love the expression "working hypothesis". I eat mainly vegan and practice kindness in many ways. Thank you for your commitment to kindness.
True, we all have a working hypothesis and none of us knows which one is right. Exploring spirituality is like wandering through a big, mystical lansdcape where everyone's carrying their own little map of beliefs and experiences. We’re all trying to figure out the unknown, each in our own way, finding comfort in different practices and ideas. And while none of us really knows which path is "right," it's this beautiful, shared journey of seeking and wondering that unites us all. This post was a good read... Keep writing.
Thanks for sharing! I cook/eat vegan for many reasons. Mostly for the health of it. But I don’t like to see any animals hurt, so we can def agree on that!
blessings!
Laurie!
I love the thoughtfulness and transparency in your post. Thank you for sharing!