Why vegetarianism?

[metis]

Why do I choose vegetarianism?

I believe animals do have souls
Animals do feel pain, they get scared and other negative feelings
Animals is also very itelligent. More intelligent than what human thought earlier

And it is more climate-friendly to not eat meat

Because of this I am vegetarian.

Any thoughts? Why are you vegetarian or vegan? Why do you eat meat?

I have meat an average of only 2-3 times per week, and I only do that because my wife's immunity system seems to take a hit if she goes full veggie.

 

[Secret Chief]

From what some people write and believe about vegetarianism, I am obviously dead. And here I thought I was alive. Oh well.

I must have died years ago, as well as my partner, who took nutrition at university.

 

[Secret Chief]

That is problem without more details. Of course it is an option, but this is incomplete.

Well there's plenty of information on the internet for people to weigh up and make their own decisions. My personal experience, but not unique, is that by following a meat free diet for forty years I have maintained good health. I have no condition caused by any deficiency. I'm 62 and still run half marathons in a decent time. Plenty of professional sportspeople are vegetarian and vegan. Frankly, I'm bemused the topic is, like evolution, still seen as an issue.

I believe what is more important is developing a world diet that meets the needs of an evironmently sound and energy efficient.

I'm guessing this is consistent with your Bahai beliefs. Personally I expect no world diet, world government or world anything. I have made my personal choice based on my assessment of my dietary needs and the relentless unnecessary abuse and killing that constitutes the meat, fish and dairy industries.

At present we cannot maintain high energy requirements and increase in meat production in proportion to vegetable based food production

I'm sorry, I don't really understand what you are saying here.

 

[idea]

Why do I choose vegetarianism?

I believe animals do have souls
Animals do feel pain, they get scared and other negative feelings
Animals is also very itelligent. More intelligent than what human thought earlier

And it is more climate-friendly to not eat meat

Because of this I am vegetarian.

Any thoughts? Why are you vegetarian or vegan? Why do you eat meat?

Some animals are carnivores - is it ok to eat the mean murderous animals? Many find it ok and even beneficial to kill a human who is a murderer. .... Fish eat one another, does that mean it is ok to eat fish because they are little cannibals?

Nature needs a few carnivores, wolves to keep the deer population in check, coyotes to keep rabbits and prairie dogs - the plague in check.

Are all carnivorous animals evil?
If you can justify one carnivore, I suppose you could justify human carnivores?

 

[Secret Chief]

Some animals are carnivores - is it ok to eat the mean murderous animals? Many find it ok and even beneficial to kill a human who is a murderer. .... Fish eat one another, does that mean it is ok to eat fish because they are little cannibals?

Nature needs a few carnivores, wolves to keep the deer population in check, coyotes to keep rabbits and prairie dogs - the plague in check.

Are all carnivorous animals evil?
If you can justify one carnivore, I suppose you could justify human carnivores?

Humans are not carnivores.

 

[Valjean]

Moral consistency.

The qualities that withhold me from harming or causing suffering in humans exist equally in food animals.

 

[Valjean]

Some animals are carnivores - is it ok to eat the mean murderous animals? Many find it ok and even beneficial to kill a human who is a murderer. .... Fish eat one another, does that mean it is ok to eat fish because they are little cannibals?

Nature needs a few carnivores, wolves to keep the deer population in check, coyotes to keep rabbits and prairie dogs - the plague in check.

Are all carnivorous animals evil?
If you can justify one carnivore, I suppose you could justify human carnivores?

Are the carniverous animals moral agents?
Do they have dietary alternatives? Do they have sufficient theory of mind to grasp their prey animals' view of the situation? Can they understand the moral implications of killing another sentient being?

 

[Vinayaka]

I must have died years ago, as well as my partner, who took nutrition at university.

Little wonder, if they took nutrition instead of food.

 

[CharmingOwl]

The gods have no problem with us eating meat, but the senseless cruelties inflicted upon animals manifest as an ancestral curse upon us. In societies where slaughterhouses are brutal, the people will be brutal and there will be shootings. In societies where chickens and dogs are arranged to fight for entertainment, cruel gods will do the same to the people. Any animal meant for consumption must be given a quick death, or the cruelty inflicted upon it will be reflected onto all who partake in killing or harming it.

 

[Jimmy]

I like a little meat for lunch. It’s rich in nutrients. To eat all the other stuff that vegans have to eat on top of all the grains, dairy, vegetables, and fruits I already eat daily kinda turns me off.

 

[shunyadragon]

Well there's plenty of information on the internet for people to weigh up and make their own decisions. My personal experience, but not unique, is that by following a meat free diet for forty years I have maintained good health. I have no condition caused by any deficiency. I'm 62 and still run half marathons in a decent time. Plenty of professional sportspeople are vegetarian and vegan. Frankly, I'm bemused the topic is, like evolution, still seen as an issue.

Are you Vegan?

I'm guessing this is consistent with your Bahai beliefs. Personally I expect no world diet, world government or world anything. I have made my personal choice based on my assessment of my dietary needs and the relentless unnecessary abuse and killing that constitutes the meat, fish and dairy industries.

Bad guess concerning the Baha'i beliefs. This needs further discussion. What is consistent with Baha'i beliefs is to consider problems of diet and insufficient food foe everyone is this should be considered on a world frame of reference.



[

I'm sorry, I don't really understand what you are saying here.

The problem of the high cost of animals, land requirements, and processing an distribution meat products makes it difficult to feed the poorer population of the world.

 

[Shaul]

Why do I choose vegetarianism?

I believe animals do have souls
Animals do feel pain, they get scared and other negative feelings
Animals is also very itelligent. More intelligent than what human thought earlier

And it is more climate-friendly to not eat meat

Because of this I am vegetarian.

Any thoughts? Why are you vegetarian or vegan? Why do you eat meat?

Just because animals can feel pain doesn't preclude eating meat. You could simply limit yourself to only eating an animal by methods that don't inflict any pain. For example only eating it after it has died of natural causes or by accident. Or eating non-invasive animal products, which don't hurt the animal, such as lactation (dairy) products or animal excretions such as eggs or honey.

I reject your assertion that it is more climate-friendly to not eat meat. Simply put there are many variables and eating meat isn't less climate-friendly per se. It entirely depends on how it is done. Indeed, depending on how you select the production methods vegetarianism could be far less climate-friendly than non-vegetarianism.

I am an omnivore. However I have been a vegetarian during periods of my life. I don't have anything against vegetarianism. Being a vegetarian can be a fine thing. However it is not inherently morally superior to non-vegetarianism. But it isn't required for it to be a valid personal choice. Having said that, I find it odd when vegetarians feel compelled to promote vegetarianism based on morality. There are sufficient valid reasons to promote it without trying to base a case for it on the false premise that it is morally superior.

 

[Shaul]

vegetarian for 40 years, still running long distance races, never spent a night in hospital, low cholesterol....

But hey, I must be an outlier.

I've been an omnivore for most of 65 years. I also still run long distances, have never had a hospital stay longer than a day and have low cholesterol. So there you go.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Why do I choose vegetarianism?

I believe animals do have souls
Animals do feel pain, they get scared and other negative feelings
Animals is also very itelligent. More intelligent than what human thought earlier

And it is more climate-friendly to not eat meat

Because of this I am vegetarian.

Any thoughts? Why are you vegetarian or vegan? Why do you eat meat?

I have been vegetarian and vegan. Currently, I try to only eat fish once or twice a month, but little other meat. It provides a lot of health benefits. I hate that fish are suffering,so we can eat, but unfortunately, they do provide things that are good for us. I may end up vegetarian again in the future, even though most of the time I am. Hubby likes meat, so it would be very hard to have to cook vegan meals. I can cook something easy for him, then I can eat vegetables.

 

[Sand Dancer]

So why do vegetarians have less cancers and heart diseases? Must be eating tons of spinach.

As to the labelling, you think the Vegan Society don't check that stuff out when a company asks to use their logo?

Supposedly if you eat one meal with meat every 2 weeks, it's as healthy as being vegetarian, plus you can get the amino acids and vitamins that only animal products offer. I wish we could unevolve to not need meat to get B12 and other vitamins and minerals.

 

[Shaul]

Do you have any idea how many crops are grown just to feed one deer or cow?

I mean, if your argument is genuinely a numbers game...

The answer is it could be zero. It actually depends on what you choose to feed them. Most animal feed is not "crops". Most animal feed is vegetable by-products that humans cannot eat. Indeed, if these were not fed to livestock the materials would just be wasted.

I know there is a meme popular in vegetarian circles about how much acreage it takes to produce the feed for livestock, and how if we used it for crops instead we could feed more people, etc. But it ignores some inconvenient facts. Livestock typically are grazed on land that is not suitable for crops. Think hill sides grazed by sheep or arid shrub lands without the water for crops but fine for cattle to graze upon.

The bottom line is that livestock and agriculture aren't competitors but symbiotic partners more often.

 

[Vinayaka]

The answer is it could be zero. It actually depends on what you choose to feed them. Most animal feed is not "crops". Most animal feed is vegetable by-products that humans cannot eat. Indeed, if these were not fed to livestock the materials would just be wasted.

I know there is a meme popular in vegetarian circles about how much acreage it takes to produce the feed for livestock, and how if we used it for crops instead we could feed more people, etc. But it ignores some inconvenient facts. Livestock typically are grazed on land that is not suitable for crops. Think hill sides grazed by sheep or arid shrub lands without the water for crops but fine for cattle to graze upon.

The bottom line is that livestock and agriculture aren't competitors but symbiotic partners more often.

97% of US beef comes from feedlots, and corn is the main food. Lots of other grains can be grown where corn is grown.

 

[Viker]

I'm leaning towards vegetarianism/veganism because of health and growing ethical concerns. I still believe humans are omnivores. But we can choose what to eat, for the most part. We can also choose responsible and ethical means of sustenance.

 

[Valjean]

I like a little meat for lunch. It’s rich in nutrients. To eat all the other stuff that vegans have to eat on top of all the grains, dairy, vegetables, and fruits I already eat daily kinda turns me off.

What "other stuff" is that, which vegans have to eat? Wouldn't just dropping the meat, and eating more of the grains, veggies and fruits you already eat make you a proper vegan?

 

[Left Coast]

I'm an animist.

Everything is people. Everything as a "soul" as the Westerner would put it.

Being a person or having a "soul" doesn't mean you are not eaten.

I'll confess that as someone with a particular love of plants, it annoys me when the personhood of plants is inevitably ignored in these kinds of discussions.

I'm not a vegetarian because plants are people too and there is no escaping the fact that I must kill other people to live.

What's a "person" to you?