Asking questions Quote by Victoria Forester
““She says it’s wrong to be frittering away my hours asking questions when there’s work to be done. But I don’t see how a question can be wrong. Can you, Pa? Ma says the Bible sets out what’s right and wrong so we don’t have to bother ourselves with it none but it seems to me that it ain’t so matter-of-fact. Like when you kilt that old cow last week and I didn’t want to eat it ’cause he was my favorite and so gentle besides. Ma said I was sinful to waste food. But I said that maybe we shouldn’t go about killing and eating cows when they was so peaceful-like. Ma said that was foolishness and that God put the cows here just so as we can eat ’em. But that don’t seem like such a good deal for the cows to me. Preacher told us not more than four Sundays ago that God loves all his creatures, but it ain’t loving to my way of thinking to create a thing just for it to be food. Them cows ain’t never done nothing to us. Which got me to thinking that maybe we got it wrong and they got a purpose we don’t know nothing about.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Girl Who Could Not Dream, Victoria Forester, 2014
A child questions moral teachings about food and animals, feeling that divine purpose may be misunderstood.
In simple terms: Questioning accepted morals about eating animals.
Key Takeaway
Consider broader ethical perspectives on food.
Themes
ethics
religion
animal rights
family
growth
Mood
conflicted
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
contemplative
When to use this quote
- family dinner
- school debate
- personal reflection
- activism
Key Concepts
moral relativism
compassion
spiritual inquiry
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities do we have toward sentient beings?
- How can we reconcile tradition with personal conscience?
A Different Perspective
Religious doctrine may oversimplify complex ecological relationships.
