Working with the Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute

I’m excited to share that I’ve joined RLMI as their Content and Community Development Specialist. We’re working on a new project centered on Preventative Medicine through Lifestyle Modification, set to launch in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more details on ReginaldFinley.com and my other channels.

As many of you know, I am a seasoned skeptic and scientifically literate. I value intellectual honesty and strive to prevent personal biases from influencing my decisions. Dan Barker, who once spoke on my radio show, said his goal was to reduce harm as much as possible. This resonated with me, but I realized something was missing: the consideration of non-human animals. Why did I think it was okay to harm them? I discovered it was a cultural habit, a normalization I had never deeply questioned before.

Over time, my humanistic values matured, and I recognized the harm I was causing to humans and non-human animals. I became a vegetarian in 2015, a carideatarian (shrimp eater) later that year, and finally, a vegan in 2016. Watching Gary Yourofsky’s video, “The Best Speech Ever,” and engaging in discussions about animal sentience, pain, and diet-induced diseases led me to strengthen my convictions. It became clear that I was on the right side of history.

Since going vegan, some have accused me of losing my skeptical edge or being too biased. However, as a critical thinking and scientific literacy professor, as well as a science and health educator, my skepticism has only matured. I now challenge my own thinking far more than my analysis of others’ thinking. Because of this, I have become more compassionate and understanding.

For me, veganism is a rational and moral imperative. If I don’t want to harm others, I simply choose not to. My taste buds are not more valuable than the lives of innocent sentient beings. I don’t need to eat them, so I don’t.

I invite you to reflect deeply on whether needless harm aligns with your values. If not, consider going vegan.

Thank you for reading,

— Dr. Reginald Finley, Ph.D.