What are you thoughts about Vegetarianism and why do you feel that way?

[demoman_chaos]

There are 2 kinds of vegetarians, those that do it for the health reasons and those that do it to protect the cute little baby piggy. Those that do it for the health reasons I am ok with. Those holier than thou (good song) types that try to make the carnivores seem evil make me want to feed them to lions.

We started eating meat to survive. A tiger killed a zebra and left some meat, our cavemen ancestors pigged out on it. Before we invented the bow, we couldn't catch a zebra ourselves. Once we invented the tools to hunt, we got the fresh meat which was so much better since it didn't have tiger drool all over it. Once we learned how to cook, we made bacon and never looked back.

 

[ninjakitty16]

I have been a vegetarian for six years now and don't regret it. I wanted to before that, but my parents wouldn't let me. I'm a vegetarian in part simply because I do not like the taste of texture of meat, and I also feel sorry for the animals. I know that is a silly thing, because we are meant to eat them... but I just feel wrong somehow. I have a sensitive soul.

I do eat egg, cheese, and milk, as I am not a vegan. I make sure that these are free-range and cage-free, because the living conditions otherwise are gross and unhygienic. A lot of people get food-born illness, and I don't want to take the risk. Also, again I feel bad for the chickens piled on top of each other with no room to breathe hardly. We have been given animals to take care of in exchange for what they give us, and that is a poor way to do it.

Most of my diet comes from vegetables and grains. I think why I have never desired meat is because we all have different dietary needs. Some people naturally need more meat in their diet than some, and others, like me, need more greens. Some people think it has to do with your blood type too, as far as what meats you should eat, or whether you should eat much at all.

Elmoth said there is no such thing as a vegetarian, well that is not true. There is such a thing as a vegetarian, just not a vegan. I have met one or two people in my life who are extremists in the sense that they make sure they do not consume any type of animal product or use it. Even then, they must use pens which have ink in them. Although, a lot of ink utilizes bugs instead of animals. Unless you have a thing for bugs. Then you'll have a problem.

So I know it's silly in the sense that I feel sorry for animals, but it isn't silly in the fact that I know my body is healthy eating what I am now, and I'm happy. So yeah. *shrug* My humble opinion.

 

[CopperBoom]

Am vegan, was vegetarian & omnivoure before that.
I get omnivourousness and veganism (of course I think vegan is best) but vegetarians are complete bullshit.
Total liars because there is no environmental or health gain from it.
Uncommitted twats.

 

[Scrustle]

I think it's rather silly. Often people become vegetarians because they are making some kind of point against the meat industry, but them not eating meat won't even make the tiniest difference. It's futile. Another common reason is that it's healthier, since meat is often very fatty and greasy. Well it's not the meat that's unhealthy, it's the way we treat it and our own lifestyles. Biologically we're just cavemen, and thus were never supposed to eat cooked meat, or eat it in anything near the quantities that we do now. There was also a lot more running around involved too. That doesn't mean eating cooked meat is bad, the complete opposite in fact. If it was then why did we stick with it for so long? It's just the way we eat it that's bad.

And I don't see any reason why cruel farming of animals should matter to me at all. I don't want any animal to suffer unnecessarily, but what I define as necessary probably differs a lot from a lot of people, or most vegetarians rather. I mean, so what if they feel pain or depression? Why should I care? Why does the suffering of that animal have anything to do with me? Why does it have any worth at all to anyone? We have much more important problems in our world to deal with than whether a chicken feels upset. But with all that said I do think animals should have sufficient room to be able to run around and be fit and healthy. I guess that's where I draw the line with how animals are treated. But that's mostly to do with how tasty the animal is. If an animal is tasty then I don't much care how it lived.

I think people who are vegetarians are too disconnected with how meat is produced. It's something that should be totally natural, but people have gotten to used to their meat coming from the supermarket wrapped in plastic, instead of from the arse of a pig. They anthropomorphise the animals far too much. So when they come face to face with how their food is produced they are shocked when they shouldn't be.

 

[spartan231490]

I am a vegetarian. I could argue how eating meat is unsustainable, drastically detrimental to the environment and causes health problems due to the western world's tendency for over-consumption. I could also refute every single argument you have about whatever necessity or justification you feel you have for eating meat. But and the end of the day I don't give a fuck about my health or the environment or even morality. I just know that I feel sick when I see animals suffering or being killed when I know it isn't necessary. Also at the end of the day, most arguments in favour of eating meat are "I like the taste and I don't give a fuck about anything else." That's perfectly valid. I'll still hate you for it, and probably wouldn't even call an ambulance for you when you have a cholesterol induced heart attack, or choke on your steak. Just saiyan.

And in turn, I could go into an argument about how all of your evidence is based upon biased research and widely debunked fallacy. I could also point out that there is no viable way to support a species our size by living purely on vegetation due to the massive requirements of space and the huge cost of transportation from what would become inconceivably distant farms, but in the end, what the hell do I care whether you're a vegetarian or not? I know plenty of vegans who I'm perfectly alright with. The kinds who don't give a damn about what I eat or think, and don't sit up on their moral high horse looking down on everyone who disagrees with them. Because hey, it doesn't take eating vegetables to make you a dick, right?

People are perfectly good at being assholes without help.

And that's really all this conversation will ever amount to. You'll have the intolerant vegans/vegetarians... the intolerant most everyone else... and the comfortable middle that thinks that both sides of this obviously loaded argument are set up to make asses of themselves.

Best to just not ask the question.

Yup, well said.

I eat meat. I hunt. I fish. I have no problem with vegetarians, I think it's a little bit foolish for a variety of reasons, but I also think driving a toyota is foolish for a number of reasons, one of my best friends drives a toyota and another is a vegetarian. In the end, it's a personal choice and no one has any right to question how or why another makes that decision.

 

[DarkArk]

Total liars because there is no environmental or health gain from it.

Except that there is. Vegetarian diets produce half the greenhouse gas emissions and still live five years longer than the general population.

Well, how about you let me know in advance you stupid ****? It's not like it's the standard, and it's not like eating it anyway would've killed you. Then came some drama about how I dared serve that in the first place, since even plain pasta without sauce or meat isn't very tasty.. Well, maybe because I was buying food for eight people on a very tight budget where I could barely make ends meet you *****.

Calling her a **** and a *****, classy.

Did you know that vegetarians (including myself who have never eaten meat except on accident) can't eat meat without suffering for it later? I've gotten fairly severe stomach aches after accidentally eating meat.

Also, for many vegetarians it's not something they think about on a constant basis. Perhaps you should have found out what people wanted to eat before you made the menu, no?

 

[Jedoro]

OT: I have the same thoughts about vegetarianism/veganism as I do about religion: "Good for you. I don't care."

This, along with "Don't push your shit on me, I'll accept it if and when I damn well please."

 

[Glerken]

It's one step from being suicidal. If someone makes the logic leap that animals are people, and it's inherently bad to eat people. Then, aren't plants living creatures as well? So why not prevent the harm of those things. Wait, you say only animals can also be people because it's more obvious, because you seen those cute kittens?

At the end of the day, by living on this planet you are limiting the biomass from being plants, bears, rats, bacteria, to turning that biomass into you, a human being. Is that bad? Depends on your values, and what you deem to have value.

I eat meat.
This is a terrible terrible argument.

You can't equate plants to "living" in the same sense as animals.

The "Hur Hur stop killing the plants" joke isn't funny. Please stop, you're worse than preachy vegans.

 

[Knight Captain Kerr]

I'm not one, that said I really hope in-vitro meat develops further and catches on in the future because I won't stop eating meat but I would rather go for the option that doesn't cause suffering.

 

[DrunkPickle]

I don't support vegetarianism. I think it's just silly, and over-thought. The only way I could see vegetarians as reasonable people is if their reason for not eating eating meat was allergy, or religion. Other than that, no. I'm really annoyed by those pesky animal-lovers who impulsively protest against meat consumption. We are carnivores, and we're built to eat other animals, no matter how cute or fuzzy.

So you're allowed to not eat meat because a magic book tells you not to, but not because you personally feel guilty about it?

Also we're not carnivores, or we'd have to eat meat to survive. We don't have to therefore we can have a choice.

So you're allowed to criticize religious people because of their believes, but vegetarians must be respected simply because you're one of them? Riiight...

Why should I respect you, if the feeling isn't mutual?

EDIT: Also, let me correct my previous wording; we're not carnivores, we're omnivores - and opposing our nature by restraining from meat consumption is just playing silly. I usually am accepting of other's beliefs, but in this case, no. It goes against who we are.

 

[Syzygy23]

I just got through watching a video on YouTube where the vlogger briefly addressed her Vegetarianism due to some commercial that has a guy eating a burger and a baby with meat on her face. She talked about the baby and from the way she tried to grasp for the right words, she probably saw it almost as a barbaric act. She described the meat on the baby's face as if she had eaten her own mother or something.

She trailed off a bit to talk about how she became a vegetarian when she was a teenager because of her learning about how the animals were killed and farmed. She didn't try to push on that her ways were right, but she's implied that eating animals were immoral in some fashion. Granted, this could also be personal bias due to her fondness for animals, but she seems to indirectly imply that eating animals should be wrong.

I'm not picking at her for anything, however, it kind of lead me to sort of think about how I view animals. I realize that, in all honesty, I couldn't give a flying shit about them. Not in the ignorant fashion of 'Well their just animals, it's not like they feel' sort of fashion. Rather, I sort of feel that way in a sense that we're creatures just like them. They kill their own kind in horrible ways and so do we. We don't always eat our own kind, but, in cases of survival or in criminal cases, it's happened with us humans as well.

I do feel that we need to be better about the way we farm these animals, but they're just another variation in the food chain to me (and a very tasty one, I might add). Overall, I just can't bring myself to care about if the meat I eat was prodded, crammed in a small living space, and had it's throat slit and was hung to bleed out. It's just an elaborate form of what animals do in their natural habitat anyhow.

So, tell me, what are you thoughts about Vegetarianism and why do you feel that way?

I don't give a shit what people eat or don't eat unless they start getting all up in my grill and being self righteous about it, then I slap the shit out of them until they go away and leave me to my burgers.

 

[Harry Mason]

I've been vegetarian for five years now. Since becoming vegetarian I've lost weight, I feel better, and food actually tastes better to me. The only part of my very carefully planned out diet that I cannot get naturally is vitamin b12, which I take a supplement for.

Vegetarianism is definitely not for everyone, and I don't judge carnivores at all, but it's a perfectly viable option for a lot of people.

As an added bonus you don't have to support the psychotically evil meat industry anymore!

 

[Amaror]

I think it's a flawed concept of a lifestyle in most cases, unless the person really just doesn't like the taste or texture of meat or something, it's pretty much just dumb.

We're omnivores, we're meant to eat other animals, it's ok to kill an animal for food. If every carnivorous creatures suddenly just switched to a vegetarian diet, shit would hit the fan and our ecosystem would go out of whack.

Ever see all the environmentalists talking about how disastrous it is when apex predators suddenly go away? Like the shark crisis in the ocean right now, it's all true, when we see apex predators stop doing their jobs for whatever reason, ecosystems change for the worse.

We are the most significant apex predator in history, it is each and everybody's job to eat as many animals as they can get their grubby paws on, we are goddamn sharks.

Yes were omnivores.
But that doesn't mean we are MEANT to eat meat, it just means we CAN eat meat.
I just hate people who just won't let the people ,who choose to be vegetarion, because they think it's the right think to do, do what they want to do.
Just because you don't understand it, dousn't mean it's wrong.
Being Vegetarion or not is pretty much an opinion, if you think different then thats fine but it doesn't mean that the ones who have not your opinion are dumb.
For the record: I also hate vegetarians or vegans who shove it into the faces of other people the very second it is possible because they think they are so much better than everyone else.
Btw. I am Vegetarian, because i think it's the right think to do and i don't despise anyone who eats meat.

 

[Sion_Barzahd]

There is no such thing as a vegeterian.

There's more products made from animals than just meat:
Medicine, chewing gum, anti aging cream, pasta, imitation eggs, cake mixes, dyes and inks, adhesives, minerals, plastics, pet food, plant food, photo film, shampoo and conditioner.

I could go on and on.

I think it's a little hypocrite to not eat meat, but use all these other things fine because they don't remind of you of that cute little animal.

You are aware that most vegetarians know that these products are made from animals and don't use them too right? So really that whole "its a little hypocritical" thing is a bit daft.

OP: I'm not a vegetarian, but i know plenty of people who are. Personally i wouldn't give up eating meat unless i had to, we've been eating meat for as long as we (as a species) have been around.
That being said i can see where vegetarians are coming from when they choose to not eat meat.

Although i don't agree with a vegetarian who refuses to eat meat solely because he was raised that way, sharing ideals with your parents is all well and good as long as you actually believe in them instead of mimic them.

 

[manic_depressive13]

oh stop being such a attention seeking "pity me i hate myself" type asshole. the stuff you have said has made your opinion null.
OT yea, i don't mind, but as long as its not forced into my face i don't care either way.

You're right, my life could be worse. I could be unable to find they "shift" key on my keyboard.

So in the end a whole plate that could have sustained a starving child in Africa for a week went into the bin untouched and uneaten, just because madame superior felt above eating a bit of minced meat.

You didn't have a fridge?

Anyway, I think she dealt with it quite well. If someone suggested I just eat it anyway I would probably punch them in the face.

 

[ChildishLegacy]

I don't support vegetarianism. I think it's just silly, and over-thought. The only way I could see vegetarians as reasonable people is if their reason for not eating eating meat was allergy, or religion. Other than that, no. I'm really annoyed by those pesky animal-lovers who impulsively protest against meat consumption. We are carnivores, and we're built to eat other animals, no matter how cute or fuzzy.

So you're allowed to not eat meat because a magic book tells you not to, but not because you personally feel guilty about it?

Also we're not carnivores, or we'd have to eat meat to survive. We don't have to therefore we can have a choice.

So you're allowed to criticize religious people because of their believes, but vegetarians must be respected simply because you're one of them? Riiight...

Why should I respect you, if the feeling isn't mutual?

EDIT: Also, let me correct my previous wording; we're not carnivores, we're omnivores - and opposing our nature by restraining from meat consumption is just playing silly. I usually am accepting of other's beliefs, but in this case, no. It goes against who we are.

I'm not a vegetarian, I never said I was, and moral choice is different to choice of religion. Religion requires a bit of suspension of disbelief and assumption of something to be true that can't be proved, but you believe it is there due to spiritual reasons. Being a vegetarian is a choice based on you as a person, you're not being told to do it by anybody, what's right or wrong is down to you and your morals, religion could be wrong or right, but nobody knows, there is more of a certainty if you chose based on your morals, not a religion that could be a false hope.

I find it strange that making a choice based on your own feeling of morals and guilt is less acceptable than making a choice of religion based on nothing other than myth to you.

Also 'who we are' are animals that have managed to evolve into amazing, intelligent thinkers. And if we end up thinking that we can do with out meat, then people should be able to choose to do that, it doesn't make them less human, it's a conscious choice that only a human could ever make.

 

[guitarsniper]

My opinion: we're omnivores. Our dental structure is designed to eat both meat and vegetables. That said, people do tend to eat more meat than might be healthy for them, and often don't care about where their meat comes from. If people really want to encourage humane practices in the meat industry they should buy meat, but make sure they're only buying meat that's farmed responsibly (for example free-range, grass-fed beef). Vegetarianism=taking money away from unsustainably farmed meat. eating meat responsibly not only discourages irresponsible farming practices but also encourages responsible practices.
Seriously, though, if you want to be a vegetarian, that's fine with me. It just means there'll be less competition for the bacon.