What is it that so many people have against vegetarians?

Question

I recently went veg and as i've been reading stuff online about being a vegetarian, i saw how mean people are towards vegetarians like we're bad people or something. even my friends seem to have problems with it. at school during lunch we always end up in an argument about me not eating meat. one actually said to me today "you care more about animals than you do about humans!" which is so not true. it's just that i feel bad that animals have to suffer for us to eat. they dont deserve that.
eating a cow or a chicken is like eating your pet dog or bird. they're all animals
what's so bad about vegetarians that people dislike so much?

Answer 1

I f the people were educated enough they wouldn't be against it.

Answer 2

I can understand why meat eaters get annoyed with vegetarians who try and impose their beliefs on them. However, that is a minority group. I believe there are way more meat eaters out there who berate vegetarians for choosing not to eat meat. It's extremely frustrating, and the only thing I can put it down to is that maybe some meat eaters who do this are subconciously guilty about their eating habits? I can't find any other logical explaination for why meat eaters do this. Vegetarians make this a personal choice which deserves to be respected by others, it is not damaging or hurting others by making this choice!

Don't let silly hypocritical meat eaters (i'm not saying this is a majority, 99% of meat eaters I know are 100% positive towards my choices) put you off being vegetarian, you know in your heart that you are doing the right thing for yourself. Thumbs up for making a great choice!

Answer 3

They are a bit confused or just think it's strange that people won't eat meat, which they do. It's become part of their lifestyle, so it's (metaphorically speaking) like not eating chocolate-chip cookies for the rest of your life. I mean, who DOESN'T eat chocolate chip cookies? (I would never do that, it's too cruel! lol! :) ) I have a vegetarian friend and I'm fine with it. They just find it a bit strange, I think. If they keep arguing, tell them: a.) You don't interfere with their food, they shouldn't interfere with yours; b.) You're not hounding them down for their beliefs and thoughts, so why are they doing it to you?; c.) If they continue doing this, then tell them "Make up your minds: meat or me. If you actually want to be my friends, you wouldn't make such a big fuss over something that's a part of me; you'd accept me." Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Those friends are being unreasonable. I am not a vegetarian, but I don't have a problem with vegetarians as long as they don't get on my case about eating meat.

Answer 5

utilizing the "Hitler replaced right into a vegetarian" line to make a press release of why vegetarianism is undesirable is in simple terms as stupid as putting forward "Jeffrey Dahmer replaced into an omnivore" to make eating meat seem undesirable. i'm fairly no longer particular why people ought to convey this up in communique because realistically, hitler being a vegetarian does no longer advise something.

Answer 6

It makes people have to think and question their own actions...It is easier to pretend that all is well and then you come along (or a fellow vegetarian) and they feel they have to justify what they are doing by eating defenseless animals. Not an easy thing to defend ..so they yell and call names and become all defensive ... and try to make you look like the monster ... when in reality they do know the truth and feel guilty ..

Answer 7

there is NOTHING bad about being a vegetarian, my dear. My 12 year old gets ripped about it all of the time, and there are even kids who throw meat at her. I have taught her to just blow it off, smile, and carry on about her business. I think people feel odd when someone does things differently than they do, and they can't wrap their closed minds around a radical concept. Its a good choice you have made. Ignore closed minded people who don't realize how cruel the meat industry is, and who are uninformed about how unhealthy meat is-its full of growth hormones, steroids, and antibiotics, as well as blood, pus, urine, uric acid, and all sorts of other yucky stuff

Answer 8

I personally don't have a problem with vegetarians in general. I admire those who become vegetarian from a sincere belief that is it the best way of life *for themselves*.

What turns me off is the type of vegetarian who gets in my face and tells me that their way of life is the only 'right' one. Their declaration that 'humans were not meant to eat meat' is so obviously false that it is laughable. They only need to look in their own mouths to see that humans were designed to eat meat as well as grains/vegetables; that's why we have those sharp teeth in front. It has also been scientifically proven that there are some nutrients we need for optimum health that *cannot* be gotten from vegetables, only from meat.

I suggest that we agree to disagree on whether eating beef or poultry is like eating a pet; some cultures do eat dog, guinea pig, and other animals that we Westerners have turned into pets when they originally were working animals.

Early hunters would formally thank an animal for giving its life so that his family could live; unfortunately, most people have lost that respect for animals. So, I also suggest that you get involved helping ensure that food animals don't have to suffer - advocate for free-range chickens and beef, ask your local supermarket not to buy battery-cage eggs, and so on. (Ben and Jerry's recently signed a pledge to phase out their use of battery-cage eggs.) Contact the Humane Society of the United States to see what you can do. They've been leading the fight to ban slaughter of American horses for sale as food in Europe.

Perhaps you should sit down with your friends and have a calm discussion about why you've made this choice. Ask them to respect your choice, as you respect their choice to remain omnivores. If you have become a vegetarian because you sincerely believe that is the best choice for *you*, I wish you all the best!

Answer 9

Many people feel threatened when they encounter people who make choices different from theirs. Maybe they see it as a challenge to their own lives. The same thing would happen to someone who has long hair in a social group where everyone wears their hair short.

Don't challenge their choices. Just explain how your choice makes you better physically, mentally and spiritually. Don't fall into arguing against the "vegetarians kill plants" argument. Just tell them you do what you can to create as little violence as possible.

Good luck in your choice to be compassionate.

Answer 10

Being a vegetarian is actually healthy if it's done right. Tell them you are doing it for your health. Vegetarians tend to have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol. I'm not a vegetarian but I respect people who are.

Answer 11

i know exatly how you feel! it was the same for me every day at lunch at school(im in college now). whats weird is that i dont think the vegetarians ever start the arguements. do you? probubly not. every day at lunch someone would randomly comment (while i was just eating my carrots and minding my own business) on how "delicious" their chikwich was and wave it at my face or comment on how vegetarianism is useless because animals are all going to die anyway. it is very frusrating for veggies, especially since the offending meat-eater will usually finish his or her attack on your beliefs with the comment "well dont push your beliefs on me its my choice to eat meat!" just summon all your patience and try to ignore them, since they are obviously just ignorant and tryinmg to push your buttons.

people are hypocrites. i think they are just upset becasue you have more values and self-control than they do.