I am so glad I found this forum. I'm a natural history writer and photographer in Canada. I have been a reader of and an great admirer of Albert Schweitzer for years. I have a question: was he a vegetarian? I am just curious. Thanks and I look forward to reading and contributing to this excellent forum.
Scott Leslie

Hello and Welcome Scott!

This is a wonderful forum and I'm so glad you joined.  So how did you learn about Dr. Schweitzer?  

I'm looking forward to learning more about you and your adventures.  

Peace, Lizzie

Hello Scott,

I'm not sure what you concluded from reading other posts about Schweitzer and vegetarianism, but I wanted to respond to Lizzie about it anyway.

I'm not surprised, Lizzie, that you got a hard time from a vergetarian group. I think Schweitzer is a thorn in the side of many of them.
I have not read everything Schweitzer has written by any means, but nevertheless quite a lot; and I have never read anything in which he calls himself a vegetarian or promotes vegetarianism; - (mind you, he didn't go much for 'isms' of any sort).

From personal experience and from that of my wife, who cooked for him for a year in 1962/63 (until I enticed her away from him), he himself ate no meat at that time ( when he was 87/88), but meat was served fairly regularly at his table. as and when it was available. Doctors and nurses would receive presents of chickens, which were cooked for them. The traders would bring antilope, crokodile's tails and other meat into the hospital, which was occationally bought and served. the hospital itself kept chickens mainly for eggs, and goats mainly for their manure and as refuse collectors around the hospital.

This much we know for a fact. It has been written, that when Schweitzer was visiting and was invited to a meal he would eat what was put in front of him even if it was meat. We are not sure how it was in the hospital in earlier days, but in our time there, no pressure was put on people either way, and Schweitzer certainly had to contend with the hunting and meat-eating habits of his patients.

There are many different reasons and arguments for vegetarianism, but Schweitzer was against the laying down of rules and regulations as far as the conscience was concerned. He wanted people to think things out for themselves and be aware of their responsibilities and the consequences of their actions. He would never tell you what to do, except when you tried to swat a mosquito sitting on his shoulder, - in which case he would claim it was "his mosquito'  and for him to decide its fate.

But I feel I also need to give a gently reminder of the fact that there were a number of situations which we know of, in which Schweitzer gave orders to kill an animal or indeed felt the need to do so himself. It all depended on the circumstances of the moment and the evaluation of absolute necessity.

Finally, - to put my own cards on the table: I was brought up by vegetarian parents. No meat was ever served in their house. However, we children - there were seven and eventually nine of us, growing up in an Austrain mountain village during and after WWII and experiencing real food shortage and hardship, would eat meat at the farmers houses, when we helped with the haymaking etc.
When I came to England at the age of 15, and was fostered with a meat eating family, I ate what was put in front of me. Since then I have drifted in and out of eating meat and now I hardly eat any, - only when politeness leaves me no other option. "Where is the passion in that?" you will say, - but like Schweitzer, I don't much go for 'isms' either.

I now remember, that we have talked about this under another heading in this Forum and I have probably said all this before, - if so, I appologise for repeating myself and boring you all.
Percy

Good morning! I woke up early with my head full of thoughts about the origins of Christianity etc, so I will attempt to give my 'two penneth worth" on religion as I promised Megan and Lizzie:

I have to look at it in the context of the situation we find ourselves in today, when the speed of travel and communiction and our ventures into space have made our view and awareness of our planet earth as a tiny ball spinning in a vast unknown such a real and vivid picture. This is a significantly new situation for mankind and one in which the concept of a "chosen people" - a race or nation picked out by God as special and above all others has to be seen in a new light.
We have to outgrow the concept of such a god.
Yet this concept has been inherited and is at the heart of both Islam and Christianity, making the adherents to these religions believe, that theirs is the special and only real truth.
I am no Latin scholar, but I understand that the root of the word religion: 'religere' means to re-bind or re-join and is used in the context of re-uniting the human soul with God. Since to me God is everywhere, it also means re-uniting my soul with all that is around me, be it a Muslim or a Hindu or a Buddhist or an Atheist or a cat or a lettice.
In this fast moving world we live in, people are affraid, confused and in search of their identity; - they want to know who they are, where they belong; - they lack security and want to be part of something that will protect them, - something that is stable and secure and has been around for a long time, - something they can trust.

In that state people are very vulnerable and the managers of religions find it easy to manipulate people to their own ends and power games.

At present, the superficial, secular, frivolous way of the western media culture, which is growing on the compost heap of Christianity with such unstoppable vigour, offends the more serious and devout ways of Islam, causing conflict, because each is claiming that God is on their side and supporting their cause.

The eastern religions, it seems to me, have never been quite so outwardly aggressive and obsessed with converting everybody to their belief, but they seem to also be quite unable to put up any effective defence against the laughing monster that's billowing forth out of the compost heap. It remains to be seen, whether their soft ability to absorb whatever comes along will sustain them.

This much about the outer aspects of religion. The inner journey of re-uniting and going home to God is something quite different. It is a path which all the main religions offer but it goes in the other direction, and whilst when we start on that path, we like to be in a group, because it is hard to get started on your own, - as you proceed along the path it becomes an increasingly solitary affair between you and God. - Which is not to say that there is no rejoycing when you meet a fellow travellor.

As far as Schweitzer is concerned, I think he saw his path as following in the footsteps of Jesus and he stepped in them most vigorously and with utmost rigour.

Time for breakfast.

I'm so glad to have been given a translation of the word 'Namaste'. I have been to India twice and love the greeting dearly.

Namaste! then

Hope you managed to get some sleep, Megan, and I look forward to your book!!!
Percy

hi you all.. wow a few weeks have passed by again now since I have been here now in California!.. everything is ok with me, and have already kind of settled in here.. (my hostfamily has two girls by the way, they are four years old now and are twins, and they also have a cat (am also glad about this because as you know now I love animals))..
Anyway now finally have found a bit time to read here again, and have just read through this whole topic thread again..

About books Percy, I would like to order some, how would this work? Could you write me which ones you have available?

I also find that so cool that you were there Percy, when this was with the ants! I also just find this so great, just this alone tells me so much concerning how Albert Schweitzer obviously cared for all animals and life!!

Right now I still want to write something concerning being vegeterian, about animals,..since about this has been written now here too in this thread..
As I have already mentioned, I feel a special deep connection with animals, soo much!!  And I also find it so special that obviously they have a 'different' thinking than we humans of course, in a way that for them I guess it is just natural to love unconditionally no matter what.. I would sooo much like to know how it is with animals, how they communication with each other, for example connected with this I have been wondering if for example only dogs can understand each other, or if maybe all different animals can somehow understand each other also.. and how their perception is of course about us humans and when we talk to them or so..
For me it is just also one of the most logical things for me now that I don't want to eat animals anymore, now have been a vegetarian since several years! I find it so horrible and terrible how some humans are treating animals.. and how they are being killed by humans.. what happens in places where animals are being kept for then being eaten by humans, sold to be sold or so.. I have now already seen a few times horrible things on TV also, what humans have done to animals.. :'-(
I have thought for myself that I probably wouldn't have so much 'against' it if humans ate animals after animals have just died naturally.. but the thing is of course about humans killing animals in cruel ways!.. and then I have been thinking much consciously of course about how then humans also place the dead animals/meat to be sold in shops..
I feel this way that with nature it is just natural, that also other animals eat other animals for their survival.. because animals just do it and it is natural, they don't use any guns or other cruel means to do it, as humans do!..
Now it has been automatically with me and just all the time it is present whenever seeing meat, fish that I think of how this is really a part of a living being, an animal who lived!.. I have been able to 'cope' with seeing it, I mean that I am there when people with whom I am are eating meat, fish.. I just don't want to look at it all the time, which I of course don't need to..
Now what is right now for me is also actually that for the girls I am taking care of now I also need to make them meat, fish for their meals, this has been a bit kind of difficult in some way for me now, because of course now the last several years I just haven't done anything with meat of course except when like being with people eating it while I was with them, or of course helping pass a plate with it around, you know liek that.. my hostfamily had the information about me being vegetarian, and they also asked me first if it was ok for me though to also make meals for the girls with meat.. and I also told them that it is somehow uncomfortable for me but that I could do it.. so you know I decided for it, because otherwise I couldn't be now with this family, so in this way this was more important for me now.. and I am really glad to be with this family now, because I find them nice and I have it great here really!..
so well I just thought of this now in this context, so wanted to mention this.. so well I will 'survive' it of course, now although I need to now also cook meat and prepare it as a meal..
Also now want to mention this connected with animals, I have already been at the animal shelter here in San Mateo, and will volunteer there!.. I am so much looking forward to that , first need to go to a volunteer orientation which will be next week, and then I will get to know what I can do.. mostly I would like to go for walks with dogs, and generally care about dogs, cats, and other animals!!
Also now with this something else has come to my mind which I want to share with you here.. my parents, brother and I had a dog, her name was Daisy, she was a Cocker Spaniel, with brown fur.. we got her in 1993, she was one year old then (before she had already had two other owners).. and last year in October she died, she had still become 14 years old before that.. I could be with her when she died.. and I had never experienced something like that before.. I mean I had never been with someone, human or animal dying, before!!.. but I am glad that I could be with her.. I have just thought how different it would have been if she would have died somewhere else, and I just would have gotten to know afterwards about it, and would have not been with her.. I even can't describe everything in words about it I guess, how I have felt..
-- will continue writing now in second message

Greetings Faen, Percy, Megan and everyone!
Long time, no see!  I've been so busy as well with work and school and my latest adventure with a VERY intelligent and destructive field mouse that decided to terrorize me.  I almost posted here a few times for advice on how to handle the situation with the mouse because I can't stand to kill anything even if it is being a nuisance.  The war is over now but I would like to share my story:

We have been suffering a severe drought and, as in all droughts, the field mice tend to come inside for water.  I usually don't have a problem with mice but this year was really bad.  A couple of months ago I began noticing the mice droppings on my kitchen counter and the insulation in my dishwasher was being pulled out of the bottom and all over my kitchen floor.  The food in my cupboards was being destroyed.  I knew that I had to set mouse traps.  Mice breed like crazy and I was being over-run in my own home.  I managed to catch several mice in the traps and every time I heard a trap I ran to get the mouse and bury it.  You may find this silly, but each time, I got more and more upset.  I can't stand luring an animal into a trap.  It seems absolutely evil to me.  Yes, I know that sounds a bit excessively dramatic but isn't it just as wrong to lure a mouse as it would be an elephant?  Of course it is!  
For about a month now, I have had to come home from work and school and clean droppings from my cupboards, clean up the insulation all over my floor and frankly, it was exhausting.  I had traps out but apparently, this ONE mouse was too smart for that.  I had killed all her friends and she was angry and determined.  I had to buy storage containers for all my food which cost me a bloody fortune.  One Saturday, I noticed that my refrigerator wasn't operating correctly.  Long story short-  a mouse had gotten into the fan and overheated my compressor which cost me several hundred dollars to repair on a weekend service call.  
I had hoped that the mouse that died was the persistent one but it wasn't as I found out on a Saturday evening as I was about to head off to an Art Foundation reception.  I opened up my coat closet and oh my gosh!!!  The mouse had climbed onto all my hangers and shredded the paper inserts on them.  My closet looked like someone had thrown confetti all over it from top to bottom.  She chewed through some of my coats.  WAR WAS ON BIG TIME!!  I had to stay home and clean and sterilize my entire closet on a Saturday evening.  As I was cleaning, I discovered that she also chewed through my guitar case and made a nest.  Well folks, guess what?  Yes, there were 4 babies in that nest...just born.  I was tremendously torn as to what to do but I knew that unless I could capture the mother and relocate the nest, the babies would suffer.  SO, I had to kill them very humanely and quickly.  
I'm not sure that any of you can truly understand how this affects me.  I actually had nightmares about Stuart Little crying because I killed his friends and family.  I know that sounds funny but it really isn't so funny!
Anyway, the mother mouse was SO upset because I removed her nest and she was running all over my living room in a panic.  I felt horrible for her as a mother and her entire innate drive to care for her young had been completely dismantled.  I thought deeply about how she must be confused, alarmed and ?????

Folks, this little mouse, was quite angry with me about this event and she managed to do some masterful destruction in my home for last two weeks including chewing up my textbooks, recipe books, important papers, checkbook.  She also chewed a hole in my pants that I had set out for the next day.  

I knew I had to do something but the traps were not working and I couldn't resort to those sticky traps or some other less humane means of killing her..like poison.  As odd as this may sound, I noticed that I actually began to develop a sort of ' respect' for this little girl.  For the last week I just let her do her thing and I even spoke to her in a rather stern and sometimes humorus voice.  I was at a complete loss as to what to do about removing her.

Then, yesterday when I was cleaning my kitchen floor, she ran out from behind a basket and into my mud room office.  AH!  I immediately closed the doors and began pulling all the furniture outside.  I knew I could find her and make her run outside.  But, the little rascal refused to budge.  She climbed my brick wall behind my bookcase and she glued herself there.  I stood there talking to her, begging her to get down and go outside.  She didn't move at all!  FINALLY, I went to pick her up and she ran down into one of my magazine holders.  I picked up the magazine holder and walked right out the back door and she ran through my garden.  YIPEEEEE!!
The war was finally over.  I can't tell you how truly pleased and relieved I was to wake up this morning with no droppings, nothing destroyed, nothing to clean up, no mice jumping on me ( she did that one morning when I let my dogs outside), and best of all-  I didn't have to kill her!  Of all the mice, she would have been the most difficult for me to kill.  I had this enormous respect for her ability to survive and her determination and spirit.  I too would be very angry if someone killed my babies.  But, I can't help but ask myself how much of my perception of her behavior was based on my own human feelings.  

What would you do?

Peace, Lizzie

hi you all..
can't write evertyhing now I want to, but briefly..

thanks for contact information, Percy, and book recommendations..  can you also give me any contact information with someone from California? do you know of another organization/group, like you as "Friends of Albert Schweitzer" or others in California? that would be great of course if I could get in contact with some here in the same state!
as soon as I have time for it, I will look for the books.. right now have still a few other books to read, few DVDs to watch,..
if you remember I mentioned a book I have in german which I am reading right now.. I have read about half of it now.. what I find is that actually it is somehow a bit 'difficult' in some way to follow for me, hm I guess I could express it in this way, that it is expressed somehow in german which I would think was more the way from several years ago, like with 'other' words also used maybe, like it sounds more 'older' to me somehow, how it is expressed, I mean logical of course if these are original texts from Albert Schweitzer and it was several years ago.. also I find a few sentences longer and more 'complex' (I guess one could say it this way?).. I mean of course I understand the words, but hope you know how I mean it, now with expressing this.. well I will let you know when I am finished with the book, and about which texts it has, what it is about,..
ok that's it from me now..
my dear Megan, hope you are feeling better sooon again!!...
Namaste to you all..