Thursday, November 1, 2012

You are what you eat

I'm going to do a post, soon I hope, about food choices and our emotions. However, since I just got an email with a link to an article about Faith and GMO's, I wanted to share it.

If you live in California and are going to vote (if you're eligible to vote, you should do so!) I would suggest a yes vote on Prop. 37 so that genetically modified organisms  (GMO) ingredients in foods are labeled. The article linked above contains quotes from the Christian, Jewish and Hindu faiths. Here are a couple of quotes that I think are 'right on' from some in the Christian faith, since that's my faith. There is also a link on the article to some videotaped interviews.

...warned that the failure to label is a special kind of lying. They write: “…the refusal to allow the labeling of GMOs is itself a hiding of the truth, but also makes it impossible to ensure the integrity of the trade in food.”
Rev. Dr. Dudley D. Chatman, pastor of the Greater Community Missionary Baptist church in Pacoima, California, doesn’t think it’s fair to give people food without disclosing what’s in it. He says, “I would vote for putting a GMO label on the can, the bottle, on whatever you are eating so you have a choice.” From a religious perspective, he says, “We definitely and positively want truth. And to be untrue to me, and not telling me what I’m eating, is definitely a sin.” Beyond labeling, Rev. Chatman, like many other Christian leaders, opposes the practice of genetically engineering our food from a religious perspective. “It’s abominable,” he says. “I like the way God made the stuff in the first place. It’s just right. … Everything is so well organized and so well fixed, that hey, why fix what’s already working.” To his congregation, he says, “if there’s any way possible, you should get there to vote to make sure food is labeled when they have GMO ingredients in it. I will vote YES on Prop 37."
In addition, there is a documentary movie that is available for purchase on DVD, and is available for free online viewing through election day, Nov. 6th. I watched it online in September during a free viewing they had, and definitely recommend it. It's called Genetic Roulette, and runs about an hour and a half.

Lastly, information about avoiding GMO's when shopping is available (linked).