Am I even allowed to be here?

Question

Im not a very sensitive person...but i feel as though in a place were I should be able to find answers and ask questions...what I have to say is ridiculous. I have been a *Vegetarian* for years...and I all of a sudden get ripped of my *title* because I eat fish?..Im sure i will be ridiculed for what I just said...For the record I was introduced to vegetarianism by my doctor who put me on a vegetarian DIET because of my staggering health probelms. I didnt do it because of animal rights or anything like that(though I do respect those who do).I do not eat beef or poultry...I also do not drink milk(but that is because I am Lactose intolerant) I eat almost every single veggie known to man....and.....here it comes again....I do Eat Fish. Main reason I eat fish is because I have a very loving mother who basically lives on eating fish and when I go to her house to hang and check up on her she makes me dinner which is almost 99.3% of the time a dish that very much includes fish. I cant deny her

I love her cooking....And im not about to stop eating her food that she cooks all day for me....So basically...Should I just rid myself of the *vegetarian community* so that I am not a bother...What Am I? You tell me, because some of you seem to know everything so please.....Label me.....

let me rephrase that...Should I "Step away" from the vegetarian community....Thanks

and also may I ask....Which do you believe is the proper meaning of vegetarianism because the dictionary that I own states all of these:

1.The practice of subsisting on a diet composed primarily or wholly of vegetables, grains, fruits, nuts, and seeds, with or without eggs and dairy products.

2.a diet excluding all meat and fish

3. the theory or practice of living on a diet made up of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes animal products such as milk,cheese and eggs

4.The practice of a diet composed primarily or wholly of vegetables, grains, fruits, nuts, and seeds, with the exception of fish and fish oil products.

I am not *super* sensitve....lol I guess I just care enough to not want to offend a group of people who strongly believe in whatever it is they believe in.....call me old fashioned i guess...

contradicting or not thats what my dictionary says lol...

Pescatarian: Someone who absatins from eating meat and poultry but eats fish.................


















So In other words? Im a vegetarian that eats fish!...I think im gonna stop labeling myself in general....Its a little too strange for me....I know what people/factory farms do to animals...and call me heartless, call me whatever...but It doesnt bother me...I know that Fish is meat....So from now on *if asked* I will tell people I am a Fish eating Vegetarian........Thanks for the answers guys.... :o)

Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English - Cite This Source Main Entry: pescetarian
Part of Speech: n, adj
Definition: a vegetarian who will eat fish; also called [pescevegetarian], [piscetarian]
Is that what i am or not people? Im getting mixed messages....

So after doing a Crap Load of research and looking at way to many of my husbands dictionarys...I have decided that if one were to label me I would be a Pescatarian(however you want to spell it)...and most every single dictionary I looked at including online dictionarys i have been too...have all said the same thing....A Pescatarian is a Vegetarian that eats Fish.....Take it or leave it...
I just wanna note that I think its great that you all have something you strongly believe in and truly live by...Its pretty cool...keep it up and good luck...I'll choose a best answer whenever I can.....

Thank you

Answer 1

News Flash , if you are bothered by comments from the random strangers on here . . . you are a way sensitive person , and probably toooo sensitive.
If you get upset over what people say whom you do NOT even know ,
What happens if someone you actually know says something ?
Seriously , I do not know the cure for being hyper-sensitive but you should maybe talk to a counselor.
good luck

FYI: Eat what you believe you should and NEVER let any nazi (food or otherwise) dictate your life.

Answer 2

I'll just add to the chorus:

It's fine to eat fish. Sounds like a pretty healthy diet you have.

No, you are not a vegetarian. You're not being "ripped of your title" -- you never had it in the first place.

http://www.vegsoc.org/fish/

No vegetarian society thinks vegetarians eat fish. Even your dictionary doesn't think vegetarians eat fish. Fish = animal. It's one thing that a few people are confused and you were as well; it's another to keep on hoping it'll somehow change.

I've been a vegetarian my entire life, and am by now thoroughly fed up with this issue. Oddly, it was only when I was younger that I routinely met people who were confused; now it's just on Yahoo! Answers that I find people who think maybe vegetarians eat fish.

You can call yourself pescetarian if you want, but I don't think it's a very useful term; few people understand it.

See http://www.smh.com.au/news/heckler/some-vegetarians-are-queer-fish/2005/08/03/1122748695506.html
for a counter-rant.

If you really want "the title," just say "No thanks, Mom, you're a great cook and all, but I've gone vegetarian." "My mother makes it" is not -- well, there aren't part-time vegetarians.

Answer 3

Vegetarians do not eat fish.

By the way, your dictionary definitions 2 and 4 contradict each other.

Vegetarians do not eat fish.

Fish are animals, fish are flesh...

I know that sounds really insensitive and cold, but... If you read through some of the past questions and answers, you will see why one might be tired of this question.

I don't understand how a fish is not considered meat...

Just because Jesus ate fish, and you can't eat most meats but can eat fish on Fridays during lent... doesn't make it not an animal.

Answer 4

Of COURSE you're allowed to be here!!!!! We don't hate you after all! We ARE though angry that you are abusing us by calling yourself a vegetarian even though you eat sea animals.

And let me make it perfectly clear that if you wish to eat fish that's alright! Just don't hurt us by calling yourself a vegetarian.

Don Rickles is on Leno right now and gave me a good analogy to use. Pretend you're an observant Jew (you may be for all I know) and at a restaurant they serve you pork chops wrapped in bacon. You would be offended wouldn't you! You would *also* be very upset about the unobservant Jew that spread the idea that eating pork is alright for Jewish people to do! Do you see my point? A vegetarian does not eat fish! When you eat fish and tell folks you're a vegetarian, those of us that don't eat it, get offered and served it!
Use the link listed below and I think you'll find the correct term for your diet. We will LOVE you for using a term that doesn't confuse a Piscivorous diet with a vegetarian diet!

Edit:

You've added a bunch of comments while I had this sitting open and answering your question. Here's my additions.

We're NOT telling you to stop eating fish!! That's NOT the problem. What we are asking you to do is stop telling folks that it's OK for a vegetarian to eat fish! The correct label for your diet is listed below. You don't need to "rid" or "step away" from us veggies! All we ask is that you not cause confusion as to what we are. Look, I'm NOT a vegan! I've never claimed to be one because I sometimes eat products that contain small amounts of dairy and/or egg. 99.999% of the time my life follows their definition but that .001% prevents me from using that name. Why would I want to lie to myself and the world; plus insult them by using an incorrect term to describe myself? Why do you feel so strongly that you should describe yourself incorrectly?

If you don't mind would you tell us what dictionary that is? I'd like to send them a missive correcting their mistaken definition of what a vegetarian is. If you check the introduction to your dictionary I think you'll find that they list word definitions in order of acceptability. Thus their mistaken addition of fish to a veggie diet could be considered appropriate since some people have been given the mistaken idea that fish is part of a vegetarian diet.

I've spent the vast majority of my life in Texas trying to get folks in beef country to understand what a vegetarian is and what is acceptable for us to eat. It's only been in the past few years that this whole idea of veggies eat fish started coming up. That's why I get really angry about this issue, that people are spreading lies about me.

Please; stay here! We like you, we just don't want you to mis-identify yourself!!

Does any of this make sense to you?

Answer 5

I ate no animal flesh but fish for three years and called myself a pesco-vegetarian, because I thought that I was vegetarian. But I found out later that a vegetarian doesn't eat any animal flesh at all, seafood included. So I chose to forego fish as well, so as to be a true vegetarian. You can opt to continue eating fish, and call yourself whatever you like. And you can continue being on this forum; hey, it's a free country. If trolls can be here, why can't you?

Be forgiving of yourself...

Answer 6

My goodness, dear. So you are pescatarian, like me. Who gives a flip what anyone else says, and you have as much right to be here as anyone. There are no police here to strip you of your title or arrest you! Call yourself whatever you want. I am a PESCATARIAN, I eat fish, and LOVE IT. I am top contributor in the veggie section, because I contribute what I know about that, and pescatarian. Why ever would you concern yourself with labels and "titles" So you are not a veggie, neither am I. Do I feel bad or guilty? Not at all. I, too, was forced into after developing a meat allergy. I was completely crippled three years ago. When I eliminated meat, soy, eggs, and wheat from my diet, I healed. I have had to give up bread, crackers, cakes, cookies, and boatloads of other stuff. I will be hanged if I am told by some titled, annonymous vegetarian or vegan that I MUST give up my fish-its simply not going to happen. Don't concern yourself so much with the opinions of others! Are any of them paying your bills? When I see a vegan sign my mortgage payment, I might have a better listen to what they have to say. As long as I am the one signing it, what I say goes

Answer 7

Yes of course you are allowed to be here, everyone is welcome in the vegetarian section. No one has any rights to bar any one from entering.

If people ask you if you are a vegetarian you can say you eat no other meats/flesh except fish. There's no need to have an exact name actually.

Answer 8

Sorry, but you are not a vegetarian, you are you and it is great that you are so respectfull to the vegetarian world. It seems you might be wanting to be called a vegetarian but the fact of the matter is you are not, and if you really want to be give up fish, it sounds like the only reason you gave up meat at all is because of a medical condition, and that is really a a group, so at least you have that.

Answer 9

I don't see a problem with you being in the vegetarian "community";however, vegetarians don't eat meat of any kind. Regardless, eat what you want and don't let others get to you. :-)

Oh , definition #1 seems to be accurate.
Maybe we should start calling meat "flesh". Hmmmm...Just a thought.

Answer 10

A fish is a living animal. Vegetarians do not eat animals. You are not a "title". You are a person. (Who has gone off on a rant,by the way).

Answer 11

What title? If you lived by a title or label, that was your choice but by definition, you are not a vegetarian. Anyone who says you are is wrong. Do you really need a label?