Is veganism/vegetarianism an emerging religion?

Question

based on observations, no insult intended

1) Respect or deification of animals – this is similar to some Hindu sects which consider animals such as cows, monkeys and rats as personifications of a deities or ancestral spirits. They are venerated and untouchable as food or any kind of material use.
2) Rituals – similar to religious rituals which are adhered to by its followers such as not using any utensils, cooking implements that have been used to cook meat and meat products. the non-consumption of plant “Fire” foods such as garlic and onions.
3) Codified set of rules/commandments – similar to Catholics/Christian Ten Commandments i.e. “thou shall not…”
4) Prophets /Saints- Authors/advocates/pioneers/activists of the lifestyle have been quoted endlessly and with complete trust and reverence their works/studies regarded as
sacred and unassailable like the Bible or the Quran.
5) Existence of various labels for different levels of practice such as ovo-lacto or ovo or pescetarian or strict vegan/vegetarian similar to the various sects within a major religion
6) It even has its own set fanatical followers or zealots unable or unwilling to accept any argument to the contrary, compromise existence with non-followers and intolerant of dissent. – PETA is similar to ultra Catholic’s ultra conservative Opus Dei? Or the various freedom fighters regarded by terrorists in most countries?

All answers accepted. I will edit and revise this question if necessary based on answers and new information. Feel free to do the same to your answers.

Thank you

I will not argue with answers whether I agree with them or not. The point of the question is to get different views on the subject not start a debate

Answer 1

Yes and no. More than a religion it is a belief system. The 'cool' thing about it is you can adjust it to how you think. Try doing that in the Catholic church :P (no offense to Catholics, I'm one myself).

I've always found the cool thing about vegans/vegetarians is that the majority were initially meat-eaters and decided to change because a respect for animal life. Many people therefore label them as nutters. I've always found that a little sad/disheartening. Most vegans/vegetarians are very caring people who simply can have love/friendships with animals as well as people.

One thing that really makes vegans/vegetarians not a religion is that it isn't called a religion. You are not given the right to be a veggie in any sort of constitution or law.

However, much like any form of religion veganism/vegetarianism is often questioned and criticized.

Furthermore, religions are usually based around some form of Deity. Vegans/vegetarians, on the other hand, do what they do from a moral. In other words Religion = god, then morals/practices/beliefs whereas Vegetarians/Vegans= beliefs, then practices and morals.

Hope that helps- in many ways vegetarianism/veganism can be looked at as a religion- but when it comes down to it- I don't personally think it is. Good question!

Answer 2

It was a passing thought to be once, but took about two seconds to see that it cannot qualify as a religion. I would say that is qualifies as a grassroots movement in some places. In other places it has been a part of society for thousands of years and basically is a non-topic of discussion.

"I'm vegetarian/vegan," someone says.
"So what?" someone replies.
Outside of N. America it really is nothing.
It would be like someone saying "I eat only Italian food."
Not a religion.

Most religions have some sort of imaginary deity or god which they follow and a mortal human leader or organization which is the keeper of the faith.

There is also Buddhism which follows a real life human being and does not pray to Buddha as a deity/god , but views Buddha as a teacher/enlightened person. But, in Buddhism there is still a central organization with leaders of the faith, ritual meditation, etc. and they self recognize as a religion.

I would have to say that vegetarianism is more of a lifestyle choice -- just as say, all those people who do sports. There are many athletes, coaches, authors, and other leaders in each individual sport, many of which are revered by not just small groups of people, but whole countries, but I would not think of, say, soccer as a religion. "How dare you say anything bad about Pelé! -- Let's get him!"

There are no vegetarian rituals. Cross contamination of meat to vegetables is common sense that everyone should practise, and most do (outside of N. America).

Likewise, there are no rules. Many are trying to set up rules, as we see on YahooAnswers "Can I eat this or that?"

Answer 3

No. I don't have to deify animals to treat them with respect.

There is no "ritual" involved, I am simply disgusted by things which have touched the flesh of a dead animal, and this is why I treat them as if they were contaminated. It's not like I say "bippity, boppity, boo", turn around three times, and throw the spatula in question in the garbage!

There isn't a "set of rules"- the only rule is to not contribute to animal suffering, no matter what that involves. I could just as easily call diabetes an "emerging religion".

Every movement has its leaders, that doesn't mean they are worshipped.

I suppose there are different "levels" dpending on how committed someone is to living a cruelty-free lifestyle. I don't really know which religious institution you're comparing this with, though.

I could just as easily say that anti-cannibalists are "intolerant of dissent". Everyone believes that their viiews are the right ones, or else they wouldn't have them.

It's offensive that you'd compare compassionate people to terrorism. That seems to be the popular trick for discrediting a minority group these days. Slap them with the "terrorist label".

Answer 4

I have two quotes of interest. #1...."I would like to make certain points clear. The ‘new religion’ following the Second Coming will not be Christian in your terms, although the third personality of Christ will initiate it. This personality will refer to the historical Christ, will recognize his relationship with that personality; but within him the three personality groupings will form a new psychic entity, a different psychological gestalt. As this metamorphosis takes place, it will initiate a metamorphosis on a human level also, as man’s inner abilities are accepted and developed. The result will be a different kind of existence. Many of your problems result from spiritual ignorance. No man will look down upon an individual from another race when he recognises that his own existence includes such membership also." ----Sethian Gnosis #2..."Today, the urgent need of mankind is not sects or organized religions but Love. Divine Love will conquer fear and hate. It will not depend upon other justifications, but will justify itself." ---Indian Mystic

Answer 5

Vegetarianism has been a part of some religious beliefs for thousands of years before Christ.

My wife is Hindu and there is nothing in Hinduism about about venerating animals as "ancestral spirits" that I know of. I never heard of animals being "personification of deitites" either, but there is a general belief that all living things contain the "light of God." There are symbolic meanings in the image certain animals, but the animals themselves are not being "worshipped" per se.

Some vegans and vegetarians seem to treat it as a sort of quasi-religion, but a lot of this is really borrowed from the Hinduism/Jainism/Buddhism concept of Ahimsa (non-violence) and/or ideas from philosophers such as Pythagorus. A lot of elements of religion are often absent from their belief systems though; so it might be likened to calling a political party a type of religion.

Answer 6

No, I don't think so. First of all, if it were a religion, it wouldn't be an "emerging" one. Vegetarianism has been practiced fro thousands of years. Pythagoras and Plato were vegetarians, for example.

Secondly, most of your arguments are a stretch. Respect for an animal's right to a life free of torture and suffering is not the same as deification in the slightest. Would you strangle a cat or beat a dog? If not, why not? Because you consider them gods? Or just because you're a decent human being who doesn't think it's OK to hurt an animal like that? For most of us, it's not animal worship, it's just an extension of the ordinary person's unwillingness to inflict pain.

As for ritual... huh? An unwillingness to use dirty dishes until they are cleaned is a ritual? Do you normally just pile your dinner on someone else's dirty plate? Even if you eat meat, a certain amount of care with cooking implements is called for; if you don't want salmonella you probably wash the knife you cut your raw chicken with before you use it to slice tomatoes for your salad. My understanding of the onion/garlic thing is that actually IS part of a set of religious beliefs; the fact that the religion in question eschews meat as well as so-called "fire" foods says nothing about those of us who are not vegetarian because it's dictated by our religion. I don't know ANY vegetarians who avoid onion and garlic.

Commandments? Well, maybe, but I see it as more of a definition of the word. Less, "thou shalt not eat fish" than, "you can eat fish if you want, but it doesn't fit the defintion of the word, so you shouldn't eat fish and call yourself a vegetarian."

As for prophets, saints and sacred texts, that's nonsense. Sure there are writers whose work we respect, but just like the animals we respect, I don't know anyone who thinks John Robbins is omniscient and infallible. I think his work is very well researched, but I don't think it's the word of god.

The various labels are strictly informative. Sometimes it's just necessary to make sure someone else knows what you will and won't eat. If I was planning a dinner party and all I knew was that a guest was "vegetarian," it wouldn't be of much help.

I think it's just human nature that some people will take anything to an extreme. You could read some of the vitriol here that it directed at veg*ns by meat-eaters and conclude just as easily that omnivores are an emerging religion. Some people just really need something to be passionate about.

All in all, I think you're really overthinking it. For many of us, it really is something that we feel strongly about. That does not make it a religion. I also feel stongly that gay people should be allowed the right to marry, but I'm not going to found a religion based on that belief. And for many veg*ns, it's as simple as, "Eew, eating dead things is kind of gross..."

Answer 7

Vegans and vegetarians (and others like fruitarians and raw-fooders) have a wide range of reasons for their diets. Some do it for health reasons, some for ethical reasons, some for environmental reasons, and some do it to save money.

And yes, some do it for religious reasons, and others consider their vegetarianism not exactly a religion, but the moral equivalent of a religion.

Answer 8

Not really, you could apply those rules/ideas to many walks of life.

Cars:

1 Respect - Yep, many people talk to and say they "love" thier cars
2 Rituals - many people serivce, clean, buy gadgets for and pamper thier cars
3 Highway code
4 Jeremy Clarkson ( maybe not !)
5 sunday driver / slow coach / boy racer
6 petrol heads

Probably an over simplistic anology but i bet you can apply it to hundreds of topics more accurately.

and vegetarinism is not "emerging"

Answer 9

Religion is believing in a god/gods.

Being vegetarian is not eating meat.

How in the world did you confuse the two?

Answer 10

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All it is , is a type of belief which a religion is somethign with a god or a higer power the people would all believe. Tose rules area mtter of respect to the world.