I feed my cats Science Diet dry cat food and the occasional can of tuna fish. I'm a vegetarian -- they aren't.
I didn't know Lil Pun was trying to "get" anyone. It seemed like a legitimate (and very reasonable) question to me.
This strange thread has peaked my interest in the reasons why someone decides upon being a vegetarian. I looked at a web site, http://www.giveusahome.co.uk/articles/vegetarianism.htm, and it gives 21 reasons. I don't know how accurate all of that info is, but what are the Clutch BBS vegetarian's reasons for going without meat?
I must ask this question also to the vegetarians/vegans of the BBS. Why did you choose being vegetarian over being omniverous?
My dog eats Bil Jac...nothing but the best. Similar to MJB's cats, my dog is not vegetarian. Piqued. Because I felt like it.
Our bodies have lived with meat since before we evolved into present day humans. Still, there are cultures (Brahmanas Hindus immediately come to mind) that have proven we can survive without it. I don't know if I'd ever be mentally strong enough to go without, but I fully believe that someday meat eaters will be in the minority.
there are some things i would have an incredibly hard time giving up. like really hard. seafood and JCI come to mind! i MIGHT be able to give up red meat, though. i respect the hell out of people who can walk away from it, though. for whatever reason.
When I was 18, I read an article about the production of meat. After thinking about it for a while, I realized I just didn't want to eat it any more. So I stopped. For me, personally, it wasn't difficult. I came from a traditional Midwest family that ate meat at every meal. But, it was almost like I made a mental dividing line that day -- I just became a person who didn't eat meat. And I haven't eaten it now for 15 years. The part of becoming a vegetarian that was difficult was the reaction I received from everyone else. My family thought I was crazy (I still lived at home then) and accused me of trying to make their lives difficult. They assumed my "fad" would pass, and kept trying to get me to eat meat at family meals. Life got much easier when I moved out the next year. The funny thing is, now both my mother and my sister have cut back drastically on their meat consumption and regularly call me for health and nutrition advice. I always tell people that, compared to 15 years ago, right now is a great time to be a vegetarian. I'm continually amazed by the always-growing selection of meat substitutes and vegetarian entrees available even in my local Kroger. There are tons of great veggie products, cookbooks and websites out there too. I'm really happy with the decision I made for myself -- the funny thing is, being a vegetarian is just such a natural part of who I am, I don't even think about it until someone asks me a question relating to it.
mrs jb -- i'm assuming that includes seafood too, right? you stay away from that, too. conviction is a good thing. consistency through conviction is fantastic. this is a topic where this board has been influential...it's forced me to think more about animal rights and their treatment by the food industry.
Yes, that includes seafood as well. Your question reminds me of my uncle Tom who just happens to be a butcher in Detroit. He is the sweetest guy, but he has never been able to grasp the concept of my being a vegetarian. EVERY time I see him, he asks me 20 questions: "Do you eat meat yet?" No "But you eat chicken, right?" No "But you eat seafood, right?" No ... and on and on... It's almost become like a game now. Although I'm not a vegan (I do eat dairy and eggs sparingly), I stopped wearing leather at the same time I stopped eating meat. I felt, for me, it was hypocritical to be an ethical vegetarian but still walk around with leather shoes, purses, etc...
I made the change for dietary reasons at first (trying to lose weight). It was extremely easy. And this coming from a man who was raised on nothing but beef and chicken, notorious for consuming mass quantities of meatloaf and hamburgers throughout his adolescene. I never missed meat, not even once, since the "change" many years ago. I am actually at the point that I am disgusted by the idea of putting animal flesh in my mouth. I went to a barbecue a few months ago and was sickened by watching the chicken and burgers being prepared on the grill. Just 10 years ago I was the same man who would barbecue for my family every weekend and eat 2-3 pounds of hamburgers followed by 5-8 links of sausage and 2-3 chicken breasts at one dinner. It really isn't tough to give up. The change opened my eyes to the world of fruits and vegetables, something I neglected for 20 years.
The seafood question always makes me laugh. People assume that I eat seafood because I'm a vegetarian. Hello idiots... is seafood not meat? Sheesh!
Numerous people (who are not idiots) consider meat the flesh of mammals. Millions of Catholics (who are not idiots) eat fish on Fridays (especially during Lent) as a substitute for meat. Most every restaurant lists seafood separately from meat.
sounds like there's sort of an awakening experience i just haven't arrived at yet. i can certainly understand it, though. hope my questions don't offend or sound too stupid! it's just not something i have a ton of familiarity with.
Vegetarians drive Volkswagen Beetles with the flower on the steering wheel. Vegans drive Art Cars with flowers adorning the car's plastic frame. Vegetarians wear Birkenstocks. Vegans go barefoot. Vegetarians protest environmentalist policies by picketing. Vegans protest environmentalist policies by sitting in trees for extended periods of time. Vegetarians vote for Nader. Vegans vote for Lyndon LaRouche.
Max -- I never mind answering questions that are asked in an honest spirit of mutual respect. In fact, I'm often conscious of the fact that I'm kind of like an ambassador from the nation of Vegetonia. We're an odd species that many have heard of but few have ever met. So when I meet people, as a representative of my nation, it is my job to give them a good view of vegetarians, to answer any questions they might have of my people and to make them less confused about the veg way of life.
