vegetarian

My family is vegetarian but my mom used to eat meat before she married my dad and now she eats meat once and awhile and I do not like it. Why eat another living form?

That's why they're their.

no they are there to live like we do. Why would you eat a pure animal that could be living? they do not deserve it all. How could you say that!!!!!!!

Animals eat each other, not all of them, but many do, if this were not the case, the world as we know it would not have come to be, and we would have died out as a species.

Think about that before you say eating meat i wrong.

I personally don't eat meat, but that is for health reasons, and not moral ones...because I know what I am, biologically.

we humans can get protein other ways. I Know before we only had meat as a food choice but not we do not. Eating animals is wrong

All right... If I get a little bit passionate here I apologize. I really don't want to get into anything brutal. To the poster- I'm the only veggie in my family. My dad use to hunt and he still fishes. My mom use to be a vegetarian... but she stopped. Because your mom she is eating meat sparingly I wouldn't bother her too much about it- she's trying. Maybe remind her every once and a while why exactly it's wrong.

To everyone else- Animals are not meant to be used as we are using them. The actual act of praying on another animal that you NEED for food is not wrong. However when an animal is born just so it can die and spends their entire life in conditions that are beyond any words of filth and horror we have...That's wrong.
Like said above, we don't need meat and it's unhealthy. I know from my experiences that after I stopped eating meat I lost weight and gained energy. I get my blood tested to see if I'm getting enough of all my needs, and I always am. The issue of getting protein is always brought up. But in most places we get too much of a good thing. Too much protein can cause kidney stones. Meat and other animal products has many times the needed ammount of protein.

Thats all I'm going to say for now. I'm no expert but I do know my fair share about this. So if you have any questions just ask...

For some people it's hard not to include meat in a diet. At least your mom is trying.
I eat meat every once in a while mainly becuase I don't like red meat anyways, and I would stop eating it all together but I'm a very picky eater and don't like a lot of other things so to get enough of what I need I eat meat.

Read Genesis 1:28-31. They were put there for us.

We have authority over animals.

I know I absolutely hate meat now I think it's the most disgusting thing ever. Not only are they full of fat, but some carry diseases that are passed on to people. And, more then that, people put all kinds of stuff in them, I mean, MSG and hormones? It's so gross.

You can't get mad at somebody for eating meat, just because it is against what you believe in. Good for you if you are able to stick to something you believe in so strongly, but not everybody has the same beliefs.

Not being funny what what make plant murder any different than animal murder?

Plants are living organisms too. Just because plant's don't squeal when you kill them doesn't make it any different. Things die so that YOU can live.

You're a heartless cereal killer.

As for eating meat being unhealthy...

Meat should only make up 10% of your diet, but it should be there.

That leaves 50% for chips and 40% for ice cream and peanut M&Ms

I'm a vegetarian too. I stopped eating meat because I realized that the difference between eating a cat and eating a cow are quite minimal. They are both mammals, have hides, teats (the females), teeth, gums, pointy ears, big eyes, and at time quite a personality.
The thing is, you just haven't met the cow that you ate. You didn't have to look at it every day, feed it, pet it, watch it... A cow may not be a pet, but it is still an animal, and it feels pain.
The chicken that I used to eat, the fishes, lambs, turkeys, they all felt pain.

To sum it up, I'll simply say that animals are too beautiful, in my opinion, to be raised just to be turned into a hamburger or meal...
And yes, the Bible says that we CAN eat meat, but all the same I think that it is selfish. Perhaps in God's eyes it is not a sin, but all the same, for me it is wrong.
There is nothing just about making an animal suffer, if only society could learn to raise and kill the animals that it has decided to kill in a more merciful manner, oh, then I might put a blind-fold on and go to McDonalds, but I won't.
These days, meat is no longer healthy, I think. And it is certainly not kind. Or even that necessary any longer.

//T.L.//

"Plants are living organisms too. Just because plant's don't squeal when you kill them doesn't make it any different. Things die so that YOU can live"

I think that is a very good point.

"Read Genesis 1:28-31. They were put there for us.

We have authority over animals."

We have crossed the line of just "authority". There are lots of authority figures in our society. Their main role is to protect us. The Bible says we should respect and honor all life. Do you think that God really intended us to destroy the enviroment (factory farms also cause damage to the planet), and torture innocent beings? Find me something in the bible that approves of what we do today.

As for

"Plants are living organisms too. Just because plant's don't squeal when you kill them doesn't make it any different."

Plants don't feel pain. animals have pain to learn to avoid harmful things. Plants can not move so there isn't any reason for them to experience pain or emotions. Also they don't have a nervous system or brain.
If you are still concerned about plant death...meat eaters are responsible for more plants death than vegetarians. Cows have to eat 16 pounds of food (plants) to make one pound of meat. So we can save more plants by eating them directly.

It is a circle of life. Animals and humans alike have a struggle for survival. It's okay to eat meat.

Ok Lorraine, if plants cannot feel pain and do not experience emotions or feelings then why have plants developed thorns, stinging cells and other more subtle defence mechanisms? So why have plants evolved if they do not feel and subsequently react to their environment?

It has been scientificly shown that plants react to physical contact, cell damage and beneficial environmental conditions like rain and light. It may not be intelligence as we understand it, but it is a rudimentary system of reaction to outside threats and energy sources. Having a brain does not make an animal more special than a plant. If that were the case Sequoias, snowbells and all the other plants inbetween on the endangered list would not be protected.

Regarding plant death I really don't really care. I'm happy to eat anything that tastes good in my mind as long as it doesn't affect my digestive system adversely. I'm just making a valid counter argument for vegetarians to think about before using the same old tired arguments against drinking, eating, living breathing lifeforms.

Animals are living like plants. Plants are real but not completely. We can kill plants because we need them but not animals.

A Plant's defence systems are how they survive. But that isn't the same as having a will to survive. The fact that they do not have a brain does make them different. They cannot feel fear when it's seperated from other plants. It cannot feel longing or love. Animals can.

Lorraine...you need to stop watching disney movies.

To say animals have feelings is absurd and ridiculous. Animals lack understanding they have no concept of love. Humans are intellectually superior to animals and have priority over them. Every animal is under man's feet and may be brought to submission by him(James 3:7).

okay, umm Crazygirl992... What the hell is your problem?

I'm a vegetarian, but...really. Get a fucking grip! And to say that plants are not completely real baffles me! And though I personally don't believe in killing animals as a source of food, what the fuck is your problem? You give us vegetarians a bad name...

and to the person who says that animals have no feelings, have you ever had a pet, cuz if you have then it must have been braindead for you to think taht it didn't hold emotion, even if not as complex as human emotion you ignorant bastard!

With love.

"To say animals have feelings is absurd and ridiculous. Animals lack understanding they have no concept of love. Humans are intellectually superior to animals and have priority over them. Every animal is under man's feet and may be brought to submission by him(James 3:7)."

It has been proven that Pigs (yes your bacon) are much more developed than dogs, and even "intellectually superior" to most 3 year old children. Should we eat them?

To say that animals cannot reason or love is rediculous!
It has been proven that cows get excited when they solve a puzzle or obstacle with their reasoning skills. Fish have been proved to be able to use manipulation stratagies, create a system of punishments, and have traditions just like us. Chickens form close bonds with other chickens and create pecking orders.

And they all taste great.

On a more serious note again, I have found out that plants release ethylene under stress and this is linked to what they would consider pain. So plants do in actual fact, feel.

Also I have been told that broccoli has a rudimentary nervous system but I cannot find a link online to show you. Let's see if any of our intrepid broccoli killers can prove me wrong here.

Ethylene being released does not mean they are in pain. Growth hormones are released in humans and that doesn't cause pain.

My god what a debate you guys! But I do agree with Bret, if you don't want to kill animals whats the difference with killing plants?

We grow plants just for the purpose so we can survive to eat, likewise animals. Cows wouldn't exist if we hadn't bred them for our purpose! So why do they suddenly need to have live differently?

And if you lot don't eat meat, it doesn't mean that we'll stop breeding animals to consume. Plus, how many of you still wear leather and swede? If you don't agree with animals being killed for food then you shouldn't agree for using their hides for clothing either.

We adapt to find the best way to survive. We are naturally at the top of the food chain. Properly bred animals that are free range have a happy life and even a purpose after it. How can you argue with that???

"Cows wouldn't exist if we hadn't bred them for our purpose! So why do they suddenly need to have live differently?"

I'm sure cows would like to live naturally in conditions where they can raise their babies and graze in fields.

"And if you lot don't eat meat, it doesn't mean that we'll stop breeding animals to consume"

Probably not. But I don't feel any guilt when I look at a cow. And I sleep better knowing I'm not participating in murdering about 94 lives a year.

"Plus, how many of you still wear leather and swede?"

Not me! It's all man made materials on these feet. No wool or fur also.

"Properly bred animals that are free range have a happy life and even a purpose after it. How can you argue with that???"

I can't really if ALL of the animal is used for a good purpose and treated respectfully. However, you should wake up from your dream. Meat doesn't come from old man Mc' Johnson's farm anymore. It comes from factory farms where mass produce is the only goal and all ethics are ignored.

Didn't read any of this.

How come vegetarians don't lay on omnivore food when you invite us omnivores for dinner, yet you expect us omnivores to lay on your (often nice) vegetarian garbage when we join you for dinner. Here's a theory, vegetarians. Kill yourselves. No, seriously: kill yourselves in the name of animals. See how many ofyour friends and family take up the cause. Because that's your gauge of how worthy your cause is in the big picture of things.

And don't bother replying: you veggies with balls did the decent thing...

Yes, I used to be rather unsatisfied before I was a vegetarian and I went to these vegan's house... I wasn't used to brown rice and their plant-based foods, but I realize that carnivours eat meat and plants, vegetarians only eat plants. So, it's nice if a vegetarian goes to a meat-eaters house, for the meat eater to graciously provide a plate of vegetables, but when the meat-eater goes to the vegetarian's house, he will have to, just for one night, rely on the plant-based side of his diet to last through the meal...
I see nothing wrong with that.

I also don't think killing myself would help that much. I will live this life the best way I can, although at times I am despaired at the way animals are treated. I have to ask myself, what has this world come to?

//T.L.//

Nicely said^

And can we try not to get anything nasty? I know it's just so hard to be well behaved. Not that anything has been REALLY bad... just a caution.

Ok, what if I only ate meat? Would you respect my wishes then?

I have one vegetarian friend, one. She cooks me steaks and chicken breast when I go round for dinner because she does not enforce her views on me and I don't enforce mine on hers. When she comes around for lunch I do her a nice vegetarian pasta lunch and have a nice chicken pasta salad for myself.

If you believe in a cause belive in it, just be humble and expect the rest of us to live by your own self enforced restrictions.

If everyone is as tolerant as she is, not only about how they eat, but also what they believe then the world would be a better place. Think about it.

No I do not give us a bad name. I have no problem. Plants are real, never said they were not. We can live on other things and get protein else where we do not need animals to live. Vegetarian people are living proof of that. Thank you. I never said animals did not have emtotions. You are just do not get it. Stop twisting my words around. with hate

no

i started reading it, got bored. sorry.

to my point though - don't push your views on other people. its tacky, and annoying.

ever heard of the food chain? the circle of life? did you even watch lion king?

i digress. on topic; if people want to eat meat, they can. just like if people choose not to follow any set religion. don't go round acting all high and mighty, because being a vegetarian doesn't make you that at all.

oh, and on the thing you said about 'plants are real, but not completely'. did you not go to a single biology lesson, or are you really that dense.

Ok, what if I only ate meat? Would you respect my wishes then?

Well...maybe. I mean, I know that my pets are carnivorous, and I respect their wishes. They eat mince meat every day.

But, I would try to get your to eat at least one leaf of lettuce, because humans who live completely on meat... well, I know enough to realize that we need SOME veggies.
But, on a brighter note, if I was playing host to a cat, a dog, a carnivorous animal, I would give them meat.
So think of it this way, you'd get soy-meat lasagna with tomato sauce, gluten steak hamburgers and a really nice dessert that didn't contain gelatin.
If you complained, well...you could share the cat's mince meat. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. :-)

//T.L.//

Ok, I'll have a lettuce leaf if you eat a burger.

As for the tofu crap, that's not meat and I'd refuse point blank. It's an insult to my preferences, especially after I had put my point across and you understood it.

The thing is I've been given the 16lbs of plants for 1lb of meat explaination for not being a omnivore only to find out vegetarians are doing it too to support other life forms!

If you're willing to give a cat meat when they can live on cereal dry foods then why not me?

I'd happily eat mince with your cats, they seem quite nice in actual fact, and at least they wouldn't try to convert me to attacking balls of string when balls with bells in is my thing.

All I am hearing is 'I'm a vegetarian and better than you'.

It's two faced and utterly hypocritical. Sort it out.

Kora raises a valid point even though she now disagrees with hunting herself. Maybe we should get out there and hunt for our own meat. I used to do it and I'd be happy to go out and do it again. My dad is a butcher, I'm a soldier. I think we will manage to keep the family in food come the horizon of the apocalypse.

I love the Queen, she still goes out hunting and eats what she kills. Bless her 100% royal cotton socks.

I don't eat tofu. I don't think that dry cereal is enough for cats, from what I've read they have a short intestine track, which means that they rapidly digest meat. Meaning that they are designed to eat meat, and they like it a lot. Personally I can't stand meat since I stopped eating it.

I'll eat a gluten burger, and I'll even smother that lettuce leaf in some store-bought meat-sauce if you need it so much. But I'm afraid that I can't stand the smell of meat.

"If you're willing to give a cat meat when they can live on cereal dry foods then why not me?"
You can have both dry cereal, raw mince meat AND milk. Don't worry, I'm very generous. :-)

//T.L.//

what? No. You don't care for those poor animals that most of the country live on. I am surprised people are not eating themselves. Food is important but so is life on earth. Some say we came from monkeys. Well if you ate all the monkeys then where would we have come from. So poor animals that you will continue to eat and make suffer.

I'm not fully against eating meat. Just when it's made in factories where the animals suffer or processed food. There's nothing wrong with letting it live a long life and then eating it when it dies. So yeahhhh. But that's just my opinion.
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