all of the above. everyone is different. I can tell you why *I* choose to be a vegan
the way animals are treated in factory farms, which is where the vast majority of meat and dairy come from in our country, probably in the "western world" in general as well.
Our cultures have little to no respect for animal life. The world is seen as revolving around humans, which has a lot to do with certain religions but I won't get into that. there's no sense of the balance of nature, which is not unforeseeable, considering we don't live in a way that respects nature at all. but these are living, sentient beings and they experience pain and psychological trauma and physical trauma as well. I think its hilarious and sad when some meat eater who is aggressively ignorant about these things insists that its natural for him/her to buy cheeseburgers from McDonald's, packaged meats at the super market, and kfc chicken wings. really, that's "natural" ? hmmm, okay. people are dumb and hypocritical. animals being enslaved in factory farms and abused and neglected is not natural. factory farms don't exist in nature. in nature, animals hunt their own food, after an animal has naturally lived its life out freely without being abused by humans or locked up in factory farms. not only is it unnatural, but more importantly I think its cruel, disgusting, and unethical. just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. and just because an animal hasn't evolved to the point of being able to explain to you in a human language that he or she is suffering doesn't mean he/she isn't suffering. just because they look different, doesn't mean they are objects immune to pain and psychological trauma. its absolutely disgusting, some of the footage you get of places like kfc and McDonald's and how some of their workers treat the animals and the fact that these places usually never do anything about it. more disgusting to me is the fact that people don't even care. ignorance is bliss, I've learned. they don't want to hear about it. morals are subjective, but those of us who aren't cold and completely lacking compassion and consideration for other animals should never concede to those who are that way and should continue fighting for better conditions for animals.
most of the vegetarians and vegans I've known have a reason why. even if they grew up that way, if they didn't have a reason behind that, in a world where most people eat meat from factories, I highly doubt most of them would remain vegetarian.
im raising my future kids as vegan but I think just teaching people to be some way without instilling certain reasoning and values is pointless. I want my kids to be able to explain why we don't eat meat or dairy in our house, not just draw a blank and say "uh, because my mom said so."
i think most people will answer A if theyre veg. C follows after that, but to a lesser degree really and not for all people who are ethically veg. I don't think its inherently wrong.
I am Vegetarian, always have done, always will be. I have NEVER tried or eaten meat or fish. My mum turned Vegetarian at 14 because of testing on animals, poor farming techniques and lack of animal rights and therefore when she fell pregnant she decided that I would be brought up as Vegetarian but would be happy for me to change when I was older. As I grew up, I was surrounded by animals all the time, I wanted to be a vet for a long time and I just really liked being Vegetarian, I like animals too much to eat them, I hate animal cruelty and the ways which animals are treated leading up to and throughout slaughter. I have a strong passion about companies product testing on animals so I stand by my views and my diet. We aren't super strict vegans or anything but we don't eat anything with meat products in, we have to get special vegetarian alcohol, hygiene products which aren't tested on animals and free range dairy products.
I suppose it's easier for me because I've never tried meat or fish, I have nothing to compare it too and don't crave or feel the need for it within my diet, that's how it will always be!
For most? It seems to be due to their misinformation on vegetarian/vegan diet being healthier (it's not. It's not unhealthier, mind you, but it isn't healthier either) or that they can save animals by not eating.
Sure if they just don't like the taste of meat or they don't want to feel like they're contributing to the killing of animals, fine. But you're not really saving animals by not eating them. And don't pretend it's healthier. Eating meat can be just as healthy, the importance is always quantity and quality of the food you eat and the balance of nutrition. You can do this with a vegetarian or omnivore diet fine. Vegan, not really, but vegetarian or omnivore sure.
Oh, and those who might claim "animals are mistreated" ya, sure, that's a problem of poor regulation. Not a problem of eating animals.
The only reason that's worth any weight for being a vegetarian is that the meat industry is crazy bad for the environment. The methane and green house gases from the processes in meat raising and preparation are one of the biggest contributing factors.
BUT
Not worth it. Ill just drive a prius.
They hate plants and want to kill them with impunity. =P
I just can't stand the atrocities you see in the treatment of plants. Sometimes they confine carrots 16 to a square foot. =O Then they slaughter their babies (seeds) by the trillions! Little baby plants canned and boiled alive, suffocated in shrink wrap, and ground into dust! =O Vegetarians are monsters! They don't even put down the plants humanely. They tend to eat them alive and kill cells by the millions every meal. Truly horrible horrible people. It makes me sad. =(
Lol about the plants!
Opinion
10Opinion
I think the biggest problem with meat consumption is unsustainable and unethical farming practices. I'm not a vegetarian, but I'm careful about where the meat I eat comes from and how frequently I consume it. Over consumption is a big problem in the U.S. and the demand is really what causes those unsustainable practices to happen.
People can choose to be vegetarians for any of those reasons. Maybe they don't like the idea of using animals for food, maybe they are protesting unsustainable or unethical practices, maybe their religion mandates it, maybe they do it for health reasons, or maybe they were raised vegetarian and just don't know any other way. It depends on the individual.
Human is also one type of Social Animal God has created like all other animals and god has given equal right to live all animals on this earth. animals don't understand since they don't have sense like human who is nonsense also can't understand the god's creativity and human who kills other animal can be treated same as other animal. Some persons kills born baby because they like infant's soft head.
I just want to say that person who kill animal and eat them, the make their own stomach a grave of killed animals.
Uh, I became a vegetarian because I felt guilty about eating animals all my life, wasn't that massively bothered about meat (I miss bacon, pesto and Haribo, that's it), because I was bored and because I thought I should be eating more fruit and veg, and this was a sure-fire way to doing it. Also it's more eco-friendly, but then so is eating insects, and I have issues with munching on those. If meat was "grown" in a lab, which is the aim of many experiments and seems pretty viable, then I guess I'd start eating it again, I think.
It is NOT natural for humans to eat meat. Our intestines are 13-15 feet long, the same length of that of herbivores. Carnivores have intestines that are only 3-5 feet in length. We can grind our teeth like herbivores, while carnivores cannot. 95% of humans become lactose intolerant by puberty. Those without symptoms are due to L. acidophilis in their large intestine. We have flat teeth which is one of the reasons we, unlike true carnivores, cannot process meat without cooking it first.
We can eat raw meat, but it has to be very fresh, like the meat that an animal would have in the wild. Also, animals do get ill sometimes (worms and bacteria). You can eat rare fish and meat in restaurants, but it has to be handled carefully so we rarely have it.
Raw salmon is lovely by the way. If you eat fish, you should try some at a sushi bar or something. It's like smoked salmon but without the smokey flavour.
Well people decide to be vegetarian or vegans because they feel it is wrong to eat animals, to have to slaughter them, they don't want to feel bad for every time they eat or have a meal. It's a choice of life style.Some people just don't like eating meat in general so they can grow up to be one. The way people treat animals too , they don't want to see animals suffering more.. I'm not saying eating meat is right, because it is sad when you think about it, but I love meat so much, but anyways vegetarians feel that they can survive without it and get the vitamins we get from meat from plants. Personally I admire vegetarians because they can live without eating eat meat which is incredible something I can't do, vegans are crazy because they don't even eat eggs! and a lot of other non dairy food product.. >< So that's what I feel. It's their choice it's not ignorant or whatever because if it was, then everyone is ignorant.
I am not a vegetarian but every year I stop eating meat for at least on month. For me it's more a psychological issue. When I was five I saw my grandpa kill a big and from then I refused to eat meat but growing up I starting eating. Of course like I said above I stop eating for a month or so because I feel full of meat.
i don't think its right to kill poor innocent animals and its just nasty to eat something that used to move around.ive been a vegetarian for 8 years now and will never go back to eating animals even with it making me feel sick all the time.
Thank you for your answer.
What would you do if you had a carnivorous pet, such as a cat, dog or reptile? Would you be okay feeding them meat/insects?
This is why I am considering becoming vegetarian. www.adaptt.org
I'd think the most common reason would be C. Personally though I'm fine with eating meat. It seems pretty natural to me apart from the way we go about it (farming and stuff...). But eating meat in itself seems natural.
I agree. I tend to eat less meat though, as I don't agree with the way the livestock is treated and the injections they are given (what's injected into the animals goes into us as well), so I just try to eat free range and organic.
If meat was never eaten, it would not decompose as fast as it does, if at all. It would depend on geology and weather instead of animals, insects, and bacteria. Meat is pretty soft, but you (should) know how long it takes for rocks to decompose.
Um... did AlmostARobot comment on the wrong answer or something?
QA, yeah, I totally agree. And once I get more independent I might decide to go a similar way as you. For now though, while it's just my parents buying and preparing food and stuff, it's simpler to just let them decide :P. Funnily enough, I'm in the middle of reading this interesting article on the subject (it's from cracked.com, so you'll get a good laugh out of it too if you read it): link
Actually, its not natural for humans to eat meat. Our intestines are 13-15 feet long, the same length of that of herbivores. Carnivores have intestines that are only 3-5 feet in length. We can grind our teeth like herbivores, while carnivores cannot. 95% of humans become lactose intolerant by puberty. Those without symptoms are due to L. acidophilis in their large intestine. We have flat teeth which is one of the reasons we, unlike true carnivores, cannot process meat without cooking it first.
Yeah... cause we're not carnivores... we're omnivores...
We are omnivores. We have enzymes for breaking down meat we have the premolars for crunching bones, canine teeth- solely for meat and we have teeth for eating plants.
We can survive on a herbivore diet, it's just a lot more difficult to get the nutrition we need. You will probably need zinc supplements, or eat more vegetbales with zinc in them. Our muscles need CoQ10 , especially our hearts and you can only really get enough of this from red meat. You will also lack vitamin B12.
Yep, exactly.
C I would think,
But life is still life so how can they condemn us
for eating differently
We are just behaving as nature intended
I don't see why we have to seperate ourselves from animals in terms of what we eat
Is a lion wrong for eating a zebra?
why is it different for us?
A lion doesn't really have a choice, nor does it really have the ability to feel empathy with other creatures/species.
Because industrial meat is grain fed and laden with hormones, which the people that run those industries say is A-OK.
it's just the way they're brought up. its kinda like religion.
I voted "D" and by that I mean because they are stupid. Meat is full of protein-goodness, only fools could turn their back on it.. that's why many of those vegetarians or whatever they're called are so railroad skinny and weak.
Thank you for sharing your ignorant opinion.
It's bad for your health if you keep eating processed meat, or non-organic meat, but there are nutrients that you can only really get enough of from meat.
If you miss meat but still don't want to eat it though, you could try an alternative such as quorn. I usually have quorn as a supplement for processed meats such as sausages. It's not as nice though.
I think everyone has different reasons. I just know that I couldn't be a vegan or vegetarian.
The same reason why I wouldn't eat humans.
What about plants?
A, C, and D. That's for me at least.
Why did you get downvotes?!
I do it for moral and health reasons
Because it's what's in right now. *shrugs*
D : Because they're p******.
Mainly C for me.
I like meat.
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