I thought it would be interesting to know how many of us are vegetarians?

Question

and why you choose to be a vegetarian? I am a vegetarian simply because I adore animals. I stopped eating non veg foods since 1984. My wife and children eat nonveg food but I have no problems.
How about you??

Answer 1

I'm a vegetarian, although not as long as you (I wasn't even alive in 1984), but I've been vegetarian for 13 years now. I initially changed over just because I liked being different as a kid, and my sister and dad were doing it (my mom occasionally eats meat). Now it's because I find it atrocious how man thinks he can dominate animals and brutally kill and consume them needlessly (for all you meat-eaters who think that eating meat is necessary for a healthy survival).

Answer 2

I have always loved animals and like most vegetarians/vegans it's the easiest answer to give.

I grew up in a family of avid meat eaters, in a small cattle ranching town. My mom was going to college and supporting 4 kids, finances were always short and meat was always cheaper than fresh veggies. We still jokingly refer to them as the hamburger and hot dog years, because that's mostly what we ate. I was 12 or 13 when I happened to mention to my family that I might not want to eat meat (I had only a vague understanding of what a vegetarian was) and their reaction would have been the same if I had told them I wanted to live on top of an outhouse. I was so hurt by the response that the thought didn't surface until I was dating my high school sweetheart who's mom was vegetarian. Inadvertently she was an encouragement to me for the simple fact of knowing that it was possible to be a vegetarian in the middle of a meat addicted family.

It wasn't until five years after I had been married to my sweetheart that I finally chose to finally become a vegetarian.

I had not eaten hamburger/beef in over a year at that point because when I did it felt like there was rocks in my stomach. I didn't like chicken or pork very well and mostly ate turkey with the occasional tuna. It was the first time I was able to host Thanksgiving at our home and be the one to make the turkey. What I had not counted on was seeing the dead bird in our sink would be an image that continues to make me want to throw up. Somehow I made it not bother me at the time, but by New Year's I could not stand the sight of any sort of dead animal.

Another one of the small factors (the turkey was just the most blunt) is my personal thoughts of global karma. Even as a kid I remember thinking a lot about endangered species, and believing that saving even just one, somehow makes a difference by putting a little bit of happiness back into the world. It is just simply logical to me that if putting back some joy makes a difference, then not creating more pain, hurt, and death (from the slaughter of 'food' animals) makes an impact as well. If nothing else I have gained my own peace of mind that I'm doing my best to leave the world in better condition than it could be.

Answer 3

I've been a vegetarian for almost 3 years and I do it for the animals. I believe it is an enlightened path to not eat your fellow sentient beings. I do consume dairy products, eggs as well, but just because it would be too difficult and expensive to completely change my diet like that. I wish I could do more and I am sure I still use products that come at the expense of animal lives but if I do, I do so not knowingly, I try the best I can to live compassionately to my fellow sentient beings and one of the ways I do this is by being vegetarian. My fiance is not a vegetarian, it doesn't bother me at all, I believe fantacism is a horrible path to follow and one's beliefs should never be forced on anyone.

Answer 4

I do believe this has entirely to do with how one is brought up. Being a vegetarian or non-veg is something one doesn't choose in ones early childhood..meaning one eats whats served. Also some medicinal products like liver pills and other tablets etc. are taken by those (including maybe some vegetarians) for good health purpose. Even in some local good restaurants (unawares or not) some veg food is cooked in the same vessel as non veg food So it isn't that one knowingly eats non veg but, may do so unknowingly. Or else maybe great care has to be taken as to where and what one eats. I guess as one gets to make a choice as to what is healtier for them they would opt for vegetables. Meat has certain category as red or white. Though I think there is also good health value in eating chicken, mutton, etc, fish esp. for its medicinal value. Even animal lovers eat meat...I guess it depends on personal choices and reasons for them.

Answer 5

properly, i think of vegetarianism is an exceptionally stable initiate. yet that's all that's. and that i assume i've got self belief this way because of the fact i'm an activist, I even have rescued animals and been on the front strains copping abuse on a similar time as attempting at hand out leaflets etc in front of KFC and fur shops. i think of maximum vegans by no ability bypass so a ways as i did and connect direct action or open rescue communities, and consequently have much less of a private investment in what different everybody is doing to stop animal cruelty. curiously i improve into vegetarian for 7 years in the past going vegan. I slowly cut back out all the different products, yet i'm going to have long previous vegan lots faster if I had help from vegans. so as that's what I do in the present day, I attempt and prepare vego's that in the event that they drink milk or consume chocolate or loose selection eggs they're nevertheless helping the slaughter marketplace. There are actually not any retirement residences for wiped out animals while they improve into unprofitable! each physique of them is killed. This improve into what I had complication accepting, and as quickly as I universal it i improve into waiting to bypass vegan and by no ability appeared returned. i think of if there is ever animosity in turning in this message, that's much less approximately being judgemental than that's approximately having unfavourable communique skills. edit: what vegans comprehend and that vegetarians do no longer seem to get is that by ability of last vegetarian you're actually not doing ALL you may for animals. it is not proper what proportion hours each week you volunteer or what proportion letters you write to the newspapers, there is that extra suitable bit extra you will possibly properly be doing. that's no longer uncomplicated extraordinarily while people get disillusioned once you element it out.

Answer 6

I am a Vegetarian in Training. Meaning I have cut back tremendously, but still splurge every now and then. I plan to go all the way as my New Year's resolution. My family is with me on the cutting back but not on the vegetarian thing. That kind of makes it hard. I saw a movie that said that global warming was partly to blame on animal farming and the processing of meat. I figure if I can cut back and if more people can cut back, that'l help. Right?

Answer 7

I am a vegetarian going on over 12 years now. I chose to be a vegetarian because I do not agree with how the animals are treated before being killed, while being killed, and how their carcasses are treated after they are killed. I have respect for animals and nature as a whole and the way the meat industry is run there is no respect what so ever.
No respect for life no respect for animal suffering and no respect for death. I want no part of the whole mess.

Answer 8

Well for those who eat meat you actually kill around 90 animals a year if you eat meat on a regular basis. As for me I'm vegan, the rest of my family loves meat. I could do it and I'm a teen, younger than 18, but I guess I've got more will-power than most. To me eating meat is like, a waste of a life. Just to be eaten? No way. I did it for animals cause I've loved em since forever ,and for myself, I used to be a junk food addict. People who say they have had a pig for a pet and yet still eat bacon? Degrading and disturbing. And by the way, if you ever want your family to go veg try chooseveg.com they are rather convincing, changed my from lacto-ovo- veg to pure vegan. Good luck!

Answer 9

I eat only seafood and the occasional poultry - very occasional. I feel eating mammals is cruel, and too close to cats and dogs. It's kind of like horse lovers still eat hamburgers and I don't think that makes sense. I have felt this way for about 11 years.
Also, eating beef and pork is terrible for the environment. The earth cannot sustain a planet of beef eaters; it uses too many resources and causes too much pollution. Add now the concern of mad cow and other disease from unclean packing plants and I feel I have enough reasons.

Answer 10

I became a vegetarian in March and a vegan in June for my health, the animals, and the environment.

Guess I'm just an animal lovin' tree huggin' hippie freak! :D