Vegetarian Blues

About three months ago, I was on my way to work around 6am when I saw a goat sitting quietly in a corner, chewing the curd. Every morning, I had to pass through an abattoir to get to my office, but I didn’t realize how much the daily sight of cows being dragged to the slaughter affected me until I stepped out onto the street that morning and saw that unsuspecting goat whose poor life no doubt would end in a violent death to provide food for some humans.

I thought of the animals we eat, their pregnancies, how they love and care for their young, how they don’t want to die but are killed anyway…because we want to eat them.

I was so sober and guilt stricken that I immediately thought I should stop eating meat immediately. I shared this thought on Facebook that morning, and here’s my status update, with the comments and responses that followed.


Joy Edoriagba is wondering if it is fair to kill animals and eat them. I can't kill a chicken, or stay there while it is being killed, so should I be eating it? All these poor animals, how they live and roam around and give birth and care for their young, only to be slaughtered and eaten.

Tosin Babajide
my dear, it's survival of the fittest. If we do not feed, we die...poor chickens though, and i just had chicken nuggets for lunch :(
July 23 at 7:55pm ·

Osazuwa Obarisiagbon
whats happening?is everything ok??
July 23 at 7:55pm ·


Osita Egbubine
Woman of God, I can understand Osas's concern. Anyway, u dont have to eat em. God said "I give you the seed bearing trees for food". Dat wud mean u become a vegie. Sure you wont mind.
July 23 at 8:03pm ·


Voke Roy Onakpoya
Joy i can understand how you feel. Sorry o. Joy kindly send the animals to me.I know how to treat them very well. I have a ready made'cage' for any animal,no matter the name,size and weight. In my next mail,i'l send u my detailed address. Thank you in advance
July 23 at 8:04pm ·

Chuks Nwanne
from today Joy, i will be on the look out for you in fast food joints to confirmed what you've just said. I know women love meat a lot, so, is your case different? hahahahahahahahahahah!
July 23 at 8:43pm ·

Voke Roy Onakpoya
So Joy, from now no fish or meat for you.I feel4d vegetables too. After taking time to grow up,from the seed state, you'l now go and pluck to eat.this is equally not good o. Even the fruits (both ripe and unripe) should be left4 the poor birds to feed on as well.So tell,what would you now eat?
July 23 at 8:55pm ·

Eshiemokhai Iniomor
@joy-plants have feelings too o! So u may hav 2 stop eating all together if u want 2 take up dis issue seriously!!!
July 23 at 9:44pm ·


Timendu Ghomorai
it's called the law of blood - something must die for another to live.
July 23 at 9:53pm ·

Ugbaja Joshua Chuks
Read timothy 4, 1 downwards...wat did st.paul say about meat?...eat it dear...
July 24 at 12:43am ·

Joy Edoriagba
@Tosin, survival of the fittest? They're disadvantaged from the start! Lol
@Oz, i know how delighted you'd be to find i've gone kukus, you always suspected, didn't you? Hehehe. Well, i'm as well as ever.
@Osita, don't mind Oz o. Anyway, i don't want to "become" anything. I just want to feel right about what I do.
@Voke, baaaad guy.
@Chuks, There's nothing to confirm, cos i didn't declare anything. What's to see, tears streaming down my face as i eat my piece of chicken?
@Voke, I’m rolling on the floor laughing. That’s really hilarious!
@Okhai, Plants have feelings? Well I’ve never heard them expressed. And I’m not taking up any issue, just sharing my thoughts.
@Timi, how cold blooded of you. Lol.
@Joshua, I’m not saying people should not eat meat o, the Bible clearly warns against forbidding to eat meat and all that stuff. I just feel like a little witch waiting in the corner with my basin of hot water while the poor thing is being killed. Awful…Tasty. See the conflict?

Eshiemokhai Iniomor
@joy-little witch wit a bowl of hot water?.....very funny!
July 24 at 11:11am · Delete

Joy Edoriagba
@Joshua, thank you sooooo very much for that passage. I just read it now. I'm starting to feel better, and i'm sure when i talk this over with God tonight it'll be settled.
@Okhai, na so we see am o!
July 24 at 11:16am ·

Voke Roy Onakpoya
@Joy. You don't have2talk with God about it tonight again, becos he told me last nite that i should tell u2send d animals2me, that he is instructing me2build an 'ark' for them.lol
July 24 at 11:24am ·

Eshiemokhai Iniomor
@voke-is it a "tummy" ark?
July 24 at 11:27am ·

Voke Roy Onakpoya
@Iniomor.Whatever it is. I know they would be safe and will never experience hunger, fear or intimidation from anything again on this earth.lol
July 24 at 11:57am ·

Eshiemokhai Iniomor
@voke-neither wuld dey have 2 worry.....anymore abt a "little hot water basin carrying witch" hiding jst around d corner waiting 4 their defeathering n scarin d "LIFE" (quite literally) out of them abi? Ur "ark" sounds like a safe haven afta all!
July 24 at 12:24pm ·

Voke Roy Onakpoya
@Iniomor.Hahaha.you are right o.
July 24 at 12:41pm ·

Joy Edoriagba
@Voke, you will not let me die of laughter, do you hear? God has told you so there's no need for me to ask Him myself abi? Hmmm. No be so brothers dey take marry sisters those days?@Okhai, i never knew you could be this funny. Two of you are a pair. Na me una dey take make yeye like this?
July 24 at 1:37pm ·

You must have guessed, I never entertained vegetarian thoughts after this!