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Question

If someone says they're vegetarian and eats fish, does that count. Or does it count as still eating meat of some kind? i'm kinda unsure to how this all works.

Answer 1

This is an interesting question. In Japanese, there are two words for our word "are" or "be." One is used for animate (living) things, and one is used only with inanimate objects. The only exception is that fish get the term for inanimate objects. When I lived in Japan, the history of this linguistic anomaly is before China invaded Japan, Shintoism allowed the eating of meat. But when China invaded Japan, they brought Buddhism with them, which did not allow meat eating. Since Japan is a country of archipelago, fish was a major part of their diet, so they made a cultural exception not classify fish as animals (assuming that since they have such a small brain and don't have legs or breath air like other animals that they must not have souls like 'higher level' animals, so therefore it's ok to exclude them). As such, they were acceptable to eat with their new hybrid religion.

Whether or not you count fish, I think, largely depends on why you are vegetarian. Do you do it for health reasons or for religious/moral reasons? If you do it for health reasons, fish meat is not as carcinogenic, fattening or hard on the digestive tract as red meats or even most other white meats, plus it is high in antioxidents and is all-in-all very good for you, so many vegetarians go ahead eat fish. If you're doing it for religious reasons, it depends on your religion. If you're doing it for moral reasons, then unless you also believe fish are not equal to other animals, then you can't eat fish. Vegans don't eat any meat or meat products (milk, eggs, etc). Vegetarians can eat meat products but not usually meat.

I'm not a vegetarian, but I've know many, read a lot about it, and I'm thinking that to turn the question into a "meat vs non-meat" question somewhat lessens the impact of the choice you're making. If you're not a strict vegetarian or vegan, that's probably ok, but I think for a strict vegetarian or vegan who is doing it for moral reasons, it should be an "animal vs non-animal" question. In that case, you couldn't eat fish because they're animals and you couldn't eat eggs if you believe abortion is wrong for the same reason you think abortion is wrong. If you were a vegan, of course you wouldn't drink milk still, and my understanding is that that is because they believe it exploits/abuses animals (more about domestication and farming practices than taking it from them, I gather). Am I wrong?

Answer 2

That would mean they aren't a pure vegetarian!
There's a special word for that but I don't go in for those lacto and non-lacto and for meat or no meat theres something variato or something that. I just say that persons semi-vegetarian. fish isn't a plant it's a creature so its meat It's plain common sense! I am a vegetarian and I don't eat fish! I do eat eggs and dairy products like cheese.. nothing had to be killed for those products!. For Vegans they have a different rule of thumb if its an animal item it doesn't matter whether nothing had to be killed it's an animal product so they stay away from it! Today Nov. 1 is Vista day
all saints day or Vegan day! Sunday before Halloween was Vegetarian Day some call that
Rosh Ha-shaw-naha day or Hahna for short!

Answer 3

It all depends on the level of vegetarianism you want to be. There are pure veg heads who eat no meat...including fish. There are vegans who eat no animal products at all and somewhere in between are the rest of us who do what we think is right for our situation.

Answer 4

Vegetarians do not eat fish. Fish ARE animals!. I have no idea how the poster above me says that they are not classified as an animal. They breathe, bleed, feel pain, eat, see, hear etc. I have never heard of a fish plant.

Answer 5

Yes it does count you can still be vegetarian if you eat fish. there are different types of vegeterians ones who will eat fish and ones that wont.

Answer 6

Some vegetarian don't eat red meat, but can have the other stuff.

Answer 7

Flesh is flesh and even though fish isn't strictly considered meat, still an animals flesh is being consumed. Therefore I don't think they should consider themselves vegans or vegitarians. What I want to know is where does an egg come in? Not meat yet but will be someday.

Answer 8

hi

i think there is 2 kinds of vegetarians - one of them (the one i am) i think is called a lacto-ov vegetarian which means i dont eat meat or fisdh but u can be vegi and eat fish

xxxx

Answer 9

vegetarians do not eat red meat, chicken or pork....fish is seafood and most vegetarians eat that.
if they do not eat any type of living animal whatsoever, including dairy products made from animals, they are called "Vegan"

Answer 10

veggies can eat fish because it is not classed as an animal - however some still wont because it is still a living thing and these are the dreaded vegans who wont eat dairy products either - however I am sure they would if they were literally starving to death!