Is love, compassion and nonviolence in alighment with Torah/Judaism-beliefs about humans and animals?

A friend wrote me: “Please reconsider your position, not following Torah, it is illogical. The people in Judaism are just that people. However we/ you can't make a difference on the outside of Judaism. The road your taking is hurting people.”

Here are my thoughts. I only want to help, so I hope you take it in a positive way. I write this only out of caring. Please take your time to contemplate over what I write.

Some quotes I like:

"It should not be believed that all beings exist for the sake of the existence of man. On the contrary, all the other beings too have been intended for their own sake and not for the sake of anything else." ~Maimonides

"Milk was destined to to feed the animals offspring and not that man should take it with force for himself. The kid has the right to enjoy it's mother's milk and it's mother's love, but hard-hearted man, influenced by his materialistic and shallow outlook, changes and perverts these true functions. Thus the gentile kid is unable to partake of it's mother's love and rejoice in the splendor of life." ~Rabbi Abraham Kook, chief rabbi of Israel.

"Samson Raphael Hirsch stated: "Here you are faced with God's teaching, which obliges you not only to refrain from inflicting unnecessary pain on any animal, but to help and, when you can, to lessen the pain whenever you see an animal suffering, even through no fault of yours.""

You wrote: “The road your taking is hurting people.””

I don’t believe that doing my best to live a life of love, compassion and nonviolence to humans and all other sentient beings is hurting people. In fact I do believe that if we are hurting other sentient beings, this shows that we are already hurt. I believe that veganism is a message of healing to ourselves, and healing to all human and nonhuman animals. I do my best to make this world into a better place – a vegan world without poverty, starvation, wars, slavery, discrimination, injustice, violence and hatred, which all are so dominant and rampant in our society.  I don’t believe in enslaving, inflicting unnecessary suffering and death upon innocent and precious animals, who all value life as much as we do, destroying their families and friend relationships, stealing their purpose and life, just for “taste”, habit, convenience or tradition.

We know that it is morally wrong to inflict unnecessary suffering and death upon animals: http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/what-michael-vick-taught-us/ .
Research shows that animal products are bad for human health. I don’t believe a Loving and Compassionate Creator would recommend a diet which causes cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.: http://www.adelicatebalance.com.au/ ; http://www.drmcdougall.com/medical_ailments.html ; and inflicts unnecessary suffering and harm upon animals, that all want to live and not to be killed, hurt, exploited and enslaved by us. Our culture only hurts and kills animals despite the complete lack of necessity. When we eat animal products we are contradicting the very principle we truly believe in, about not inflicting animals suffering and death despite the lack of necessity.

I highly recommend this wonderful lecture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvZpF1R6GUo ; and this book: http://cup.columbia.edu/book/978-0-231-15188-7/animal-oppression-and-human-violence#.UZAIageHrdk.facebook

 The arguments I presented above are one of several reasons why I don’t follow the Torah.

“However we/ you can't make a difference on the outside of Judaism.”

What sort of difference are you referring to? I know that a lifestyle of veganism and nonviolence that are opposed to all injustices, discrimination and violence, instills love, compassion and nonviolence in people both towards humans and other animals.

What are your thoughts about all this?

Take care!!

Love and peace,