why do vegetarians hate meat eaters so much?

Question

all the answers i read in a previously asked question concerning vegetarians seemed to me like there is a great deal of uncharitible feeling directed against both sides from the other. all this talk about vegetarians being more compassionate appeared to be a bunch of bull, no pun intended. i saw some fairly vicious comments from so-called compassionate vegetarians. my own opinion is eat what you want to eat and DONT condemn others for their personal choice. The God who gave us vegetables for food is the same God who also gave us meat for food. i see no harm in a vegetarian diet as long as nutritional needs are met, the same as i see no harm in eating meat. if cholesterol and fat cause problems, then one should take a hard look at the AMOUNT of meat in a particular diet. anything in excess is bad for you. in my opinion, a healthy diet can include lots of veggies AND a moderate amount of meat or animal derived protien. but what one choses to eat is just that, one's own personal choice.

Answer 1

i personally dont. sorry you had to encounter people like that. my family and boyfriend eat meat, A LOT, but i respect that and dont try to influence my ways on them.
its a choice, and people should respect you for your choice as you might respect us for eating veggies.
sorry for the inconvenience but we are not all alike, just close minded people

Answer 2

I'm a vegetarian and I can assure you that I don't hate all meat eaters. I hate the meat industry! I hate the way it is run, the fact that a lot of facts are kept very well hidden from the public and the fact that a lot of people are happy to bury their heads in the sand and pretend that the cruelty side of the meat industry doesn't exist.
The fact that meat eaters are contributing directly to that industry is something that I do sometimes try to explain to omnivores, simply asking them to consider the full background to the slab of meat on their plate. If they are more than happy to be a part of that, then fine, carry on.
My vegetarianism is a purely personal thing. I refuse to put something in my mouth that was a living being, was put to death prematurely, had a miserable short life, and whose death was inhumane, degrading and agonising. It has nothing to do with health reasons.
I think you'll find a big difference between vegetarians/vegans who choose that diet/lifestyle on health grounds and those who do it for animal welfare reasons. It is true that the animal welfare ones are probably the most vocal because it is a more emotive issue.
I agree that you should not condemn people based on what they choose to eat, but I don't think it's unreasonable to ask people if they really know what they're putting in their mouths and exactly where it came from.
The vegetarians/vegans I know are genuinely compassionate, caring people, but I can assure you we do get worked up by ignorant omnivores trying to tell us that we don't know what's good for us, should just go and have a nice burger, that don't we know that humans are "meant" to eat animals etc etc. I should point out that as an atheist I cannot agree with your view that meat was given to us for food in the same way vegetables were. In my view, there are humans and animals on this planet. They are equal and we have no right to take their lives, any more than we have the right to take eachothers' lives. But again, it's all down to personal view.
The more we are villified and ridiculed and made to justify our position, the more likely it is that we may resort to attack as a form of defence. It just happens sometimes.

Answer 3

I've been a vegetarian for 8 years, but I've never been obnoxious or hateful to anyone regarding the issue; I like to expect that I will be treated the same but it doesn't always work that way. I have been attacked and chastised many times without provocation.

I don't believe that it is essentially wrong to eat meat; what is VERY wrong is how animals in mass production are treated. The meat industry (and pretty much every industry that uses animal products) is really horrifying if you take the time to watch videos or look at pictures of the factories, etc. The animals (cows, pigs, chickens, etc.) live a life of isolation, pain and sometimes torture, because the standards for these 'farms' are not set at a level that could be considered truly humane (and many of these factories don't adhere to the regulations anyway).

I will probably never eat meat again because it just doesn't feel right for me, but I don't think it's morally wrong to eat meat, when the animals are allowed to live decent lives and are not tortured. Generally, local farms and organic farms offer 'free range' meat, which assures the consumer that the animal was free to see daylight (a real privilege in the meat industry), touch grass, walk around, and do normal farm animal things!

I know many vegetarians would disown me for my beliefs, but I know that God said it was ok, so it's ok with me. But I'm pretty sure God didn't want us treating animals like garbage.

Please take the time to check out http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming.asp for more information, including great videos (although painful to watch, its important that we know what type of industry we're supporting, right?).

Answer 4

God didn't give us meat for food, animals were here before us. I don't really hate meat eaters, I just don't like the way they taste and their much higher in cholesterol than vegetarians. Seriously now, I don't look down on carnivores, I just don't agree with their eating habits because of how the animals are treated. They know what pain is too and it's not the painless death most think it is if they even care. I still go to steakhouses sometimes if that's where my group wants to go for dinner. I don't eat the meat and think of what it went through to get on the plate. Not all vegetarians hate carnivores, if they do, they must be shallow, lonely people.

Answer 5

Most Vegetarians despise Carnivores or Omnivores for simply not being an herbivore, but besides that it comes from different philosophies of the sanctity of life, health and religion in some cases it's because vegetarians think meat eaters are too pig headed (pun so very intended) to beleive that meat could ever possibly be bad for you

on a side note there is a completed Study which flat out says that a diet even moderate in protein consumption will increase your risk of Cancer, the Book is Called The China study

Plus also on another side people will choose to beleive what they want to beleive, and will find evidence to back up what they want to beleive, so they can be excused for doing what they already are. Humans regardless of philosophies or cognitive abilities are Morons and cannot see eye to eye ever.

Answer 6

Who says? I have lots of friends that eat meat..I don't hate them. If you are talking about just here on Yahoo, then you are mistaken. One can't hate someone he does not know. I don't know what you read on here to make you form such an opinion but take a look around, this is a place to discuss vegetarian and vegan lifestyles, not for omnivores to come play their stupid little games and make comments in order to get a rise out of others.

Answer 7

Well, you have to realize that not all Vegetarians hate people who eat animals.... I'm a vegetarian, and I def don't hate people who eat (harmless, loving) animals... It does get on my nerves when people who eat meat ask me 20 questions about why, and try to make me eat it.. It gets quite frustrating... Also, The reason that I am a vegetarian is because ive seen what they do to animals before butchering them.. and trust me.. its NOT pretty.... what these people do to these animals is not human, I dont see how anyone could do such things as.. hanging a pig by its feet and beating its head in with a hammer... while they laugh.. or, cut the beak off of a chicken.. and let it run around for hours... or kick and beat a cow til unconsciousness.. It seriously makes me cry... If you love animals, and you eat meat.. THATS FINE... but just watch this....

http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=meet_your_meat&Player=rp&speed=_med

Answer 8

I agree with you that from a health perspective, moderate amounts of meat are OK. However health is not the only basis for vegetarianism. I don't see the logic in "the same God who gave us veggies gave us meat". That is your opinion but you have no more knowledge of God's intentions than anyone else. Just because something is edible doesn't mean it should be eaten. I believe that as rational humans beings, we should also be ethical.

Answer 9

As a lifelong vegetarian, I agree with many of your comments but I don't agree with your question. I have never 'hated' meat eaters. Mostly, I feel compassion for them and a bit of pity and concern for their well being, too. We, on this small planet, are all on a different plane of existence in our lives and we reach certain levels at different times. We all should offer more patience to each other.

Thanks for your comments and your question. The more we discuss these issues the more we will think about them and contemplate our choices in life.

Answer 10

Well, as a vegan, I'll just give you my two cents on the matter.

I try not to get angry at people just for eating meat. It does piss me off on the inside that they're killing animals when they don't need to, but I realize that they don't realize what they're doing is wrong. I basically try to keep my mouth shut.

But when people make fun of vegetarians/vegans, that pisses me off! It happens REALLY OFTEN that a meat eater will merely hear that I'm a vegan and then they'll launch into a rant on how unhealthy it is or how I can't eat anything or they'll tell me a HILARIOUS joke (vegetarian means bad hunter! LOLOLOL!).

There's a lot of prejudice against vegetarians, and sometimes it makes me a bit edgy around meat-eaters, but as long as they're cool with me, I'm not going to tell them what to eat.

Unless I bake a batch of delicious vegan chocolate chip cookies. Then I'll tell them to eat one! LOLOL!