Curiosity has the best of me - Vegetarians.

[debilorrah]

This stems from the post about not eating chicken. I am curious as to everyone's reasons for being vegetarian. I have a friend that is a veggie because she loves animals. I have another friend that is simply because she can't stand the taste and texture of meats.

Everyone please be kind. I am just curious. Thanks!

 

[redhen]

I tried being a vegetarian once when i was a kid.. it was because i saw a show on oprah about these animals that they did experiements on...
This poor cat had the top of its skull cut open and had wires sticking out of its head...(and it was wide awake..).. they were doing some testing on its brain or something..*sigh*
So..i decided that animals were treated cruelly and i wasnt eating meat anymore... that lasted about 24 hours...

I just love meat too much to give it up.. a meal isnt a meal with out some kind of meat around here...

 

[debilorrah]

We are pretty much the same way here, and I saw that same episode. It was DISGUSTING! Poor kitties.

My friend that I eat lunch with sometimes is an animal lover and she didn't want to go to lunch with me for the longest time because she though that because I have chickens, I eat them too.

I finally convinced her she can buy some eggs and their mama's are gonna be around for her next order. Now she orders 4 dozen a week!!

 

[SilverPhoenix]

I'm a vegetarian (and have been since birth--my mom, dad, and brother are vegetarian as well) because of my love for animals. I personally believe that eating animals when we can easily live off of a vegetarian diet causes a lot of unnecessary suffering and death. I also believe that animals should have the same right to live as people--animals and people both feel pain, I see no reason why they should have pain inflicted upon them when we (in general) as a society discourage inflicting pain on people. If beings can feel pain, why hurt and kill them if we don't need to? This is a deeply held belief for me, something that is at the core of who I am. I suppose I am just a true pacifist in the sense that I don't believe in harming or killing anything that can feel pain unless my life is in danger. I also am deeply opposed to the situations animals are kept under in factory farms. People raising their own meat is a little better to me because at least the animals have a good life and a (hopefully) more merciful end, but at the same time I don't believe in killing animals at all except in life-or-death situations so it is still not morally okay to me. (No offense intended to anyone, of course, that is just my own belief.)

I could go on and on about it, I have a lot of philosophical reasons, but that's basically the gist of it.

 

[redhen]

But.. but.. but.. bacons just so dam goooooood!!

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Thank you Silver. These are the kinds of explanations I am looking for. It means alot to you. And for the record, I would never sneak meat into a dish when serving a vegetarian. That is NOT funny in the least.

Also, I am not sure it makes a difference, but we try our darndest to buy local meat that is not factory produced, or buy from processors that have good reputations. We are lucky to have a butcher here that grows all his own meat. Sometimes I can't get what I want due to demand, but nonetheless, it is a better way to go. Because I cannot go without a ribeye.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
I buy local bacon. Yes it is ALOT more expensive, but worth it.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
I buy local bacon. Yes it is ALOT more expensive, but worth it.

Sounds good! Theres a farm by me that sells grass fed beef and i think fresh pork...
I'll have to check to see if they have any bacon...

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
I buy local bacon. Yes it is ALOT more expensive, but worth it.

Sounds good! Theres a farm by me that sells grass fed beef and i think fresh pork...
I'll have to check to see if they have any bacon...

HAHAHA!!! If you have a local butcher, you can find local bacon....

 

[thaiturkey]

My grown up children have been vegetarians since their entire school was forced to watch a propaganda film made in the worst abattoir conditions imaginable. Parents were neither told nor consulted. We, the parents, were furious that such a thing should be done behind our backs. We were the ones who then had to deal with vegetarian children who were no less picky about the vegetables that they would eat.

Man is naturally carnivorous and you have to be very careful about the balance of your diet if you give up meat. You have to find enough of a substitute. My kids were brainwashed in a few hours to the extent that they are stuck with pc vegetarianism even though they worry now about the long term effects of possible protein deficiency.

I now live in a country that is predominantly Buddhist and few people wantonly kill animals. My wife will never allow a turkey or chicken to be killed on our property. However, few people are vegetarian because they prefer a naturally balanced diet. The monks are usually vegetarian, at least in public, but that is their choice and the philosophy is that you don't interfere in the lives of others, one way or the other.

Anyway, I like good bacon too. And pork, especially roast with the skin on. And beef and fish. I don't like to kill anything, even for food. But then I'm also happy for someone else to take care of our garden.

How far do veggies want to take their philosophy? Every time they drive a car a bug is killed, if not a cat or dog.