Why did you choose to be a vegeterian? Subquestion - moral dilemma?

Question

This is just something I have often wondered - why do people choose to become vegeterians in the first place? Is it just because you don't like meat or because it doesn't have a good effect on your organism? Is it maybe because you don't think it's natural or have a moral problem with it? If it's about nature, could you explain? (but without references to monkeys and primates, please, because they are not full vegeterians either and I will not accept that as an argument)

I am not a vegeterian, but I am ambiguous about the way meat is acquired. It's a subject that's been on my mind for a while, and I'd just like to hear some oppinions of long-term vegetegians. All input is very much appreciated! :)

Just a quick side note - I am not trying to diss vegeterianism, I am actually in favour of it as long as people are clear on why they're doing it. Don't feel affronted, people, I'm just curious.

Answer 1

Someone asks a question like this every other day or so. I went back through some of my answers and just chose some random responses tht I've given that might give you some insight. Each paragraph is disconnected so it may not flow, there might be some stuff repeated, and any attitude is not meant towards you, but towards the original person asking a question. Like I said, it's just to give you some insight...

REGARDING WHY I'M A STRICT VEGETARIAN:
I am a fairly strict vegetarian because health statistics prove that it is the healthiest diet to reduce the risk of diseases such as heart disease and some cancers. I also believe that nature intended humans to live primarily on non-animal foods (unless starving of course) as evidenced by our physiology, natural abilities, intelligence, and the fact that animal products are bad for your health - Nature wouldn't design us to consume things that make us sick and fat and sluggish - it's just common sense. I also think its abhorrent that animals are farmed and slaughtered simply to please our taste buds. It seems very egotistical and evil to me that we should take so much life for no good reason. While I understand growing up thinking this is okay because it's simply how things are done, once we are exposed to how terrible the conditons are and are educated to understand that animal products are uneccessary for good health then there is no justification to continue. I try to educate others because I would be remiss if I didn't. I care about people and want them to be healthy and I care about animals and want them to stop being so HORRIBLY abused. Educating people is the most effective way to spread the word. There is a lot of propoganda out there and the only way to fight it and help our society change is to educate. I don't shove what I've learned down other people's throats, but if they're asking questions about vegetarianism then I'm going to share my knowledge. People who eat meat or use animal products are not just making a choice that affects them. Their choice harms the lives of animals and it harms the health of the children they raise to eat animal products and be at higher risks of disease, too. Isn't it our duty as humans to try and better the species as a whole? I believe it is.

REGARDING WHETHER VEG PEOPLE HATE ANIMALS LIKE CATS BECAUSE THEY EAT MEAT:
Carnivores eat the way they were meant to eat. Cats don't get heart disease from eating animals. They will never, ever have high cholesterol. They were designed to eat meat. When humans eat meat (and other animal products) we get high cholesterol, colon cancer, heart disease, and a slew of other diseases. We not only are lacking the digestion to healthfully eat meat and other animal products, but we also are not very good natural hunters. We cant' see at night, we have no claws, no sharp teeth (do NOT try and bring up canine teeth - they are for biting through tough skins of fruits and veggies - you cannot use them to bite through animal flesh very effectively - it's a dumb arguement), our underbellies are exposed, we don't run very fast, and we've got soft skin. If you think about it it's easy to see that we're just not designed to go fighting animals to the death. Our fingers are meant for plucking fruits and peeling things. Our teeth are meant for grinding and piercing fruits and veggies - I mean..come on. Use your heads, people! Stop being in denial!

REGARDING WHETHER IT'S WRNG TO EAT PLANTS IF THEY FEEL PAIN:
Fruits and vegetables are DESIGNED to be eaten. It's part of the propogation of their kind. They spread by animals eating the fruit and then depositing the seeds somewhere else in a nice fresh pile of fertilizer. They are colored and scented to attract animals like us.

REGARDING WHETHER PEOPLE WHO EAT MEAT ARE "BAD":
If people are made aware of how unhealthy animal products are and how much suffering and waste is involved with the industries that supply animal products yet they continue to consume them with that flippant "It's my choice/God made us to eat meat/it tastes too good to stop" attitude, then yes, I consider them to be bad and look down on them for choosing to be lower than me on the evolutionary ladder. I consider them selfish and barabaric and lacking in ethics.

REGARDING WHETHER IT'S OKAY TO USE ANIMAL BYPRODUCTS SINCE THE ANIMALS HAVE ALREADY DIED:
I want to minimize the amount of profit that businesses make off using animal products. I want them to find alternatives. I want businesses who use animal by-products to STOP supporting the killing of animals and the unhealthy practice of consuming animal products. Don't think that the fact that a slaughterhouse can sell off bits and pieces of the leftovers isn't a factor for them. If the market for their leftovers goes away maybe they'll decide it's not worth it to just sell meat since people are finally starting to wise up and listen to the science that says animal products are awfully unhealthy. Maybe they'll all go out of business and start farms instead!

REGARDING HOW "EXTREME"/LAX I AM WITH MY VEGETARIANISM:
I try to not purchase items that allow people to profit from animal product industries. Some animal by-products may not be super unhealthy or there may be such a small amount that it doesn't greatly decrease the nutrition, but they still support an industry I do not wish to support so I try to avoid them when I can. I am not willing to seperate myself from society to any kind of extreme degree so I know there's still products in my life that can be linked to animal abuse, but there is such a drastic difference between the average American (and how I used to live) and how I live now that I feel good about what I have eliminated from my life.

I don't bring any food into my home that contains crap (that means animal products, by-products, or artifical junk), but there are occasions when I am away from home where I might have a burger bun if nothing else on a menu sounds appealing to me and I'm hungrier for more than just a salad or veggie plate. It's not very often and I'm okay with that. I don't have anyone to impress except myself!

Vegans typically do not eat honey. I do consume local honey from a trusted beekeeper. I am very comfortable with that, but I do try to avoid commercial honey.

A GREAT QUOTE FROMTHE BOOK THE CHINA STUDY WHICH WAS WRITTEN BYT HE PROFESSOR OF NUTRITIONAL AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY AND WHICH I HIGHLY RECOMMEND, BUT BE WARNED, THE INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN UNCOVERED BY RESEARCH AND SUPRESSED BY PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL INTERESTS (LIKE MAKING MONEY) WILL SHOCK YOU AND SCARE THE HELL OUT OF YOU (AND MAKE YOU NEVER WANT TO CONSUME ANIMAL PRODUCTS AGAIN):
"Food proteins of the highest quality are, very simply, those that provide, upon digestion, the right kinds and amounts of amino acids needed to efficiently synthesize our new tissue proteins. This what that word QUALITY really means: it is the ability of food proteins to provide the right kinds and amounts of amino acids to make our new proteins.

Can you guess what food we might eat to most efficiently provide the building blocks for our replacement proteins? The answer is human flesh. Its protein has just the right amount of the needed amino acids. But while our fellow men and women are not for dinner, we do get the next "best" protein by eating other animals. The proteins of other animals are very similar to our proteins because they mostly have the right amount of each of the needed amino acids. These proteins can be used very efficiently and therefore are called HIGH QUALITY. Among animal foods, the proteins of milk and eggs represent the best amino acid matches for our proteins. and thus are considered the highest quailty. While the LOWER QUALITY plant proteins may be lacking in one or more of the essential amino acids, as a group they DO contain all of them. The concept of quality really means the efficiency with which food proteins are used to promote growth. This would be well and good if the greatest efficiency equaled the greatest health, but it doesn't, and that's why the terms of efficiency and quality are misleading. In fact, to give you a taste of what's to come [in his book, THE CHINA STUDY], there is a mountain of compelling research showing that low-quality plant protein, which allows for slow, but steady synthesis of new proteins, is the healthiest type of proteins. Slow but steady wins the race. The quality of protein found in a specific food is determined by seeing how fast animals would grow while consuming it. Some foods, namely those from animals. emerge with very high protein efficiency ratio and value.

This focus on efficiency of body growth, as if it were good health, encourages the consumption of proteins with the highest QUALITY. As any marketer will tell you, a product that is defined as being high quality instantly earns the trust of consumers. For well over 100 years we have been captive to this misleading language and have oftentimes made the unfortunate leap to thinking that more quality equals more health.

The basis for this concept of protein quality was not well known among the public, but its impact was - and still is- highly significant. People, for example, who choose to consume a plant-based diet will often ask, even today, WHERE DO I GET MY PROTEIN? as if plants don't have protein. Even if it is known that plants have protein, there is still the concern about its perceived poor quality. This has led people to believe that they must meticulously combine proteins from different plant sources during each meal so that they can mutually compensate for each other's amino acid deficits. However, this is overstating the case. We now know that through enormously complex metabolic system, the human body can derive all the essential amino acids frm the natural variety of plant proteins that we encounter every day. It doesn't require eating higher quantities of plant protein or meticulously planning every meal. Unfortunately, the enduring concept of protein quality has greatly obscured this information."


I HOPE THAT HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND ONE WOMAN'S OPINION ABOUT THE WHOLE MATTER!

Answer 2

Well, personally, I never liked meat from the start. So becoming a vegan wasn't the hardest thing, still. I think vegetarianism/veganism is a healthy way to live your life, but only if you get the right proteins and nutrients you need. I also oppose animal cruelty, greatly. I do NOT believe in peta. peta only shows the worst cases, not the average cases. It's not all like that. Yet, many ARE like that. I do not enjoy sending that kind of negative energy into my body, it just does't appeal to me.

I think if more people became a vegetarian because they wanted to, not because they're friends did it, that'd be great. Being a vegetarian/vegan is like a common fashion statement, now. That's not too great. I think if everyone became a vegetarian or vegan, the world would be even more over populated then it is now, so I guess it's good people still eat meat. I suppose they could just find better ways of giving these animals a life, though.

All in all, vegetarianism/veganism is a great choice...just not for everybody. I hope you try it out, just for a feel. People should always be open to try new things.

Hope I helped.
(:

Answer 3

I became a vegetarian mostly for health reasons. My family has a history of heart problems and my cholesterol was 100 points above normal. I was only a vegetarian for four months before my cholesterol was normal. Honestly, I wouldn't have even thought about trying vegetarianism (most of my family just takes cholesterol meds and continues to eat bad food), but I was learning about Buddhism at the time and the idea of becoming a vegetarian to lessen suffering appealed to me. I had never really thought too much about how and where my food came from, and what processes were involved.

If I had to list the reasons I became a vegetarian in order of importance, I would say:
Health
Spirituality
Environmental
Animal Rights

If you're having a moral dilemma, try being a vegetarian for a week or two... see how you feel. If it helps you out, stick with it.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

I always loved animals. When I was old enough to know meat was made from dead animals, I didn't want to eat it; but my mom said I had to because you couldn't be healthy without it.

When I became an adult I gradually found out that what my mother said wasn't true and became a vegetarian.

Although I am a white American, I was very attracted to Eastern Religion; especially the Hindu idea of Ahimsa or non-violence.

Now I'm married to Hindu woman and we're both vegetarian.

Answer 5

There's health reasons.. because of the way meat is produced, it is practically unsafe to eat (The animals are fed unnatural things and pumped full of hormones, etc.. resulting in the animals having diseases and cancer).

There's moral reasons. (The way the animals are treated)

Environmentally, the way meat is produced today is very un-environmentally friendly

Most real, long-term vegetarians are vegetarian for one of those reasons of a little of each.

All are fine reasons. I'm vegetarian because of each of those points.

Yes, some people just don't like meat. But usually.. they don't dislike ALL meat, if it's just a taste thing.

Answer 6

Well sorry if what I say sounds a bit disgusting but I just recently became veg after I took a trip this summer. While on this trip I saw a man round up a bunch of chickens and tie them together by their necks and walk into a poultry farm. After that I still ate meat after just about a month ago when the thought creeped back into my head. my brother asked me what made me take this decision and i told him that i tought about how humans would feel if there was another species cooking us for dinner. He understood how i felt but I assure you I have no complaints against people who eat meat... it's your choice! hope i answered your question.

p.s.- the reason i stayed a vegetarian is because i first wanted to see if i could do it but after awhile i just started feeling so much better!!!!!

Answer 7

i choose to be a vegetarian because of many reasons:
morals, health and spiritual

moral reason is that in todays world everything is commercial and killing animals has become a money spinning industry. animals and birds are kept in such confined spaces and not allowed basic stuff like moving around, spreading their wings, walking around - why ? because they are being 'bred' for meat. i think thats just not fair.

health - when i used to eat meat few years ago, i used to have heavy periods, pimples, i used to even feel angry very quickly. since giving up meat this has reduced a lot and i can see the difference in my health.

spiritual - think about it , when an animal is killed it is so stressed, all the negative energy like fear, anger, helplessness is rushing through its veins. then they chop it up and i believe all those negativity stays in the meat and when you eat that, it transfers to you, giving you that negativity which affects your mind and soul.

THIS IS MY VIEW and my answer to your question, I dont need any slack from anyone about it. just how i feel...

good luck !

Answer 8

I never really liked the taste of meat, I would hate to have to cook meat because you have to make sure it's cooked properly etc. I love tofu and Quorn, it tastes so much better than meat, and it is good for you. I used to work on a deli in a supermarket and I had to slice chunks of meat and it made me feel sick, sometimes the pork still had its skin on it and worst of all, hairs! I am an animal lover and didn't like the idea of eating animals! I read about poor conditions animals are kept in and saw a slaughter video and it put me off meat FOREVER!

Answer 9

I have never really eaten a lot of meat, but when I saw videos of how they live and are treated and then eventually die just so I can eat them I stopped completely. I would love to be completly vegan but need to find some good websites to give me some ideas on food and cosmetics that are animal free.

Also I feel so much healthier when I am not consuming animals. It just feels unatural to be eating another living animal.

Answer 10

ive been a vegetarian for 8 months not eating any meat or fish but eating eggs and milk.i became one because i love animals to much to kill them. but there are alot of other pros and cons about it. pros: 1.healthier for u 2.prevents heart disease 3. gives u a whole other way of seeing life 4.the animals love u for it 5.u dont get fat unless u only eat junk food 6. u lose weight 7.u feel like a better person 8. u have a longer life. 9.vegetarians get great bodies usually. 10. eating meat brings the beast out of u 11.vegetarians are calm 12. we r the ones who stick up for the animals 13.animals deserve life and their family 14.most guys think vegetarians are hot,sexy and beautiful. cons: 1. some people make fun of u 2.if u dont get protein u could get sick 3.u could lose ur period 4.not very many choices for u to eat 5.not very many reastauraunts to eat at 6.its hard saying no to meat 7. it gets frustrating some Times when people around u are eating meat and u have nothing to eat 8.looking at or smelling meat might make u sick

i love being a vegetarian and im proud to say it

hint:it gets easier the more u have been one

Answer 11

I find that eating meat gives people a greasy mouth which is not very attractive. Not to mention the fact that putting a dead corpse inside your body is a symptom of mental illness.
Having blood dribbling down your chin like a vampire as you ingest animal hormones is quite uncivilised to say the least, therefore the more intelligent members of our species choose to abstain from such barbarity. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.