Do vegetarians tend to be more politcally liberal?

Question

I have had a lot of contact with many vegetarians and this is the overwhelming sense I get. I am an exception with being pro-life which I find strange most vegetarians don't also identify with. Answer these simple associative questions.

Pro choice or Pro-Life?

Anti-War Pacifist or love it or leave it there is such a thing as a just war?

g*y marriage or ban on g*y marriage?

Believe in the reality of global warming and clean alternative energy solution or that it is nothing but a hoax?

Believe in social welfare or to allow market incentives motivate people?

Prostitution should be legalized or remain illegal?

legalization / regulation and education about drugs or war on drugs?

Corporal punishment of children or Doctor Spock no spanking policy?

Allowing multiple wives or to keep polygamy illegal?

Free love or so to speak or monogamy?

Of course there will be some cross over but I suspect many vegetarians fall on the side of the what is associatively liberal than conservative.

Answer 1

I am not sure about the preponderance of liberal thought among vegetarians -- even among those in my own spiritual community. We appear to have the usual demographic split amongst us. I cannot tell you how shocked I was to discover that there are John Birch Society types among us and people who honestly support the current Administration in all of its excesses. But then, when you are talking about a spiritual organization then who can say what baggage any of us drags along with us to imposing upon the Path?

I will say this: I do not believe in the efficacy of situation ethics. I think Kant was correct to say that there are principles of conduct, principles of ethics, which are correct a priori. The doctrine of Karma and Reincarnation would similarly uphold that view and give it significant weight.

I'm pro life,  however, I would never send women back to the illegal abortionists of the pre-Wade vs. Roe decision.

No war is fought for any good reason except perhaps in self-defense. But as we have seen in the past seven/eight years, there is so much political maneuvering and in fact, downright manufacturing of suchlike ‘evidence of need’ that in spite of the rhetoric to the contrary, it is clear that the wanton waste of human life in any war, police action or ‘preemptive strike’ or any other language you may want to employ to describe a military incursion; war only serves the interests of Big Money and in our recent history, ‘Oil’, Halliburton and other similar private contractors and has nothing whatsoever to do with our alleged self-defense. That being the case I can honestly say I cannot countenance it. I will continue to align myself with the pacifists.  

Marriage is a binding under law, both spiritual and secular, of two persons and their families, for their mutual benefit and support. Same s*x marriage is no less important than heterosexual unions. They signal to one another and the rest of society the intention to remain in a monogamous relationship, for life.  

As we saw with Prohibition you cannot legislate morality or sobriety.

I am against the death penalty in all instances. Life is precious. As we cannot create it we have no right to terminate it in humans or animals. Even if the persons in question are convicted of murder. Human fallibility is all too prevalent in the courts as everywhere else.  

I definitely believe in global warming and the need for clean technology and land conservation etc. I agree that global warming is directly linked to our ignorance and shortsightedness, and primarily our unbridled greed and irresponsibility towards other living beings both human and others . However, where there are millions of people starving to death -- men women and children -- turning grain into fuel is not an option.

I agree that there needs to be public and private assistance for those whose karmas render them incapable of supporting themselves and their families. I also agree that there needs to be opportunity for economic advancement provided, including educational opportunity, and no one should be relegated to the streets and shelters. If people are physically ill, physically incapacitated, mentally ill or mentally incompetent they need to be given food and shelter and the kind of services that allow them to function to the best of their ability in safety and dignity.

Somehow I cannot align the legalization of prostitution with Vegan/Vegetarian philosophy of non-injury and non-exploitation of sentient beings. That makes no sense at all.

I am totally against corporal punishment in any form at any time. There is no provocation severe enough to teach a child that it is alright to physically cause pain and hurt to someone that is loved and cherished. Physical abuse breeds physical abusers. This is the basis for all of the spouse abuse that is so rampant all over the world at every strata of society, and there is no justification for it at all.

I am not in favor of a polygamous marriage in any society I would elect to participate in. While I can agree that a nuclear family structure puts a huge amount of economic strain on a young couple, our freedom loving, independent thinking culture makes sharing in a multi generational extended family very difficult if not impossible.

Nor can I agree that having several sexual partners before or after marriage is the best way to live one’s life. Once again we need to think in terms of karma. If you have s*x with a person, you are also having s*x with every one that person has had s*x with. You are mingling essences of soul as well as bodily fluids and you get to carry that person(s) with you for the rest of eternity. This is one reason why rape is so devastating. The violation is bad enough but to carry that person with you forever is really horrid. Furthermore, in this age of STD’s such a lifestyle is extremely dangerous.  

As for any religion or society that proscribes a woman’s freedom socially or politically, dictates to us what to wear, how much exposed skin constitutes modesty and sanctions the stoning to death of a woman whose wrist is exposed while signally a right turn while driving her car; any society or religion that dictates  how women are supposed to think or how to function in the world, are anathema to me.

Answer 2

Pro choice or Pro-Life?  Pro-life...all life is precious!

Anti-War Pacifist or love it or leave it there is such a thing as a just war?  There is such thing as a just war

g*y marriage or ban on g*y marriage? Ban on g*y marriage

Believe in the reality of global warming and clean alternative energy solution or that it is nothing but a hoax? It's not a hoax...more or less it is a fairy tale

Believe in social welfare or to allow market incentives motivate people?  People NEED to learn to pick themselves up by their boot straps and take care of themselves!! The government should not have to support people

Prostitution should be legalized or remain illegal? Remain illegal. It will only spread STD's

legalization / regulation and education about drugs or war on drugs? People will always do what they want, regardless if it is legal or not

Corporal punishment of children or Doctor Spock no spanking policy? It's up to the parents, not the government

Allowing multiple wives or to keep polygamy illegal? What guy wants to put up with more than one wife?!? What a fool!!

Free love or so to speak or monogamy? monogamy

Answer 3

Pro-choice. Woman should have the right to choose, no matter what the circumstances.

I personally don't like war, but there's no denying it did shape today's society.  

Global warming is real, no matter what the skeptics try to say, they can't sway anyone intelligent, global warming is as real as it gets.

g*y marriage should be accepted, The only reason it's banned is because of ignorant politicians and their religions, and they don't consider the beliefs of others.

I don't believe in social welfare in certain cases

Prostitution should be illegal

Education on drugs and war on drugs, yes, legalization, I'm not sure, sometimes I think it should be illegal, but then again what's the point, alcohol is legal, and it can be just as harmful as certain drugs.



Corporal Punishment is irrelevant, I don't believe in spanking.

I think that there are other ways to punish children, you don't have to physically harm them, it makes them depressed and they're more likely to have problems later on in life.

Well, I don't think you should have more than one wife in this day and age.

Monogamy, just based on my own beliefs, no need to have an enormous amount, so I'd agree with serial monagamy.

Answer 4

Your whole question/answer thing is way too long.

Answer 5

Vegetarianism is generally associated with liberal politics. But not always. I know a lot of Indians who are US citizens. Many are vegetarian Hindus and vote Republican.

Answer 6

I am very much pro-choice - for a woman's right to choose and to save the lives of women who die when abortion is illegal

Anti-war, as wars are fought for ruling class interests at the cost of ordinary people's lives. But can't describe myself as a pacifist

I actually don't know why g*y people want to ape outdated heterosexual institutions like marriage - but I am 100% in support of their right to do so if they wish.

Believe in the reality of global warming and clean alternative energy solution

I am 100% in favour of social welfare - I assume you are talking about unemployment benefit? Everyone has a right to dignity and a decent life. I'm also in favour of free health care.

In a society where sexuality had not been warped there would be no need for prostitution. As it is, my first concern is for the women driven to become prostitutes and their safety - and if it were legalised their exploitation by pimps would end and the risk to their lives would be reduced.

I am completely against corporal punishment. I don't believe in teaching children that problems can be solved with violence, and especially not in teaching them that violence is OK as long as you are  bigger and more powerful.

Interesting that you talk of multiple wives, not multiple spouses/partners. Where religions practice 'polygamy' it is invariably exploitative of the women  - and female children - involved, with females treated as the property of men, and as such it shouldn't be legal. But someone of either s*x having more than one partner in a non-exploitative relationship , whether or not they choose to go through marriage ceremonies, is fine by me.

Free love or monogamy? Entirely up to the individual. As long as, either way, it is consensual I can't see a problem. 'Free love' is an odd, old-fashioned expression though.

I am completely against a death penalty - murdering murderers doesn't stop murder. Countries with no death penalty don't have a higher murder rate, so it doesn't act as a deterrent.

Answer 7

Abortion is a complex topic for me so I have to say yes to abortion but only under certain "circumstances".

There is never such a thing as just war, there is ALWAYS a political agenda

Yes to g*y marriage

Global warming is not a hoax, the hoax argument is as flawed as the fake moon landing argument

Social welfare and market incentives work best in harmony

I'm a fence sitter on prostitution - it may keep desperate clients from committing s*x crimes

I totally am against drugs but am conflicted whether not legalizing them will help alleviate the problem

Fence sitter on punishment of kids. I was spanked and turned out OK (I hope :P)

Don't agree with polygamy but I don't see why it should be illegal as long as no one is being psychologically abused (which is often the case)

Don't agree with free love personally but I can see where some people are coming from. I'm just too uptight for those S****y shenanigans.

I'm pro death (I love the vengeance) but only for extreme cases like war criminals, serial murderers and evil US presidents.

Thanks, this was a lot of fun :)

Answer 8

Pro choice or Pro-Life?

pro-life

Anti-War Pacifist or love it or leave it there is such a thing as a just war?

I actually took a class in college called "Philosophy of War and Peace" in which I learned about just war theory.  It's more complicated than people seem to think, and in my opinion it's too complicated to be a viable belief system.  I am a pacifist.

g*y marriage or ban on g*y marriage?

g*y marriage

Believe in the reality of global warming and clean alternative energy solution or that it is nothing but a hoax?

Of course it's real.  There are STILL skeptics out there?

Believe in social welfare or to allow market incentives motivate people?

Somewhere in the middle.  People deserve help when they really need it, but we need to promote education and job placement rather than handouts.

Prostitution should be legalized or remain illegal?

pretty neutral on this one

legalization / regulation and education about drugs or war on drugs?

Marijuana should be legal.  It's much safer than alcohol, and the government would be able to tax it.

I do believe there should be more education also.  The DARE program was a good idea, but it's a bit of a joke.

Corporal punishment of children or Doctor Spock no spanking policy?

I don't have kids yet, and I don't think spanking is always the way to go, but I'm not really anti-spanking either.

Allowing multiple wives or to keep polygamy illegal?

Polygamy should definitely be illegal.

Free love or so to speak or monogamy?

Monogamy is a very good thing, but maybe not for everyone.

Oh I almost forgot anti or pro death penalty?

I lean towards anti.

Answer 9

Pro choice or Pro-Life? Pro-life (with the exception of rapes and only in a very early stage of the pregnancy)

Anti-War Pacifist or love it or leave it there is such a thing as a just war? Anti-war Pacifist

g*y marriage or ban on g*y marriage? I have never given much thought to this but ...why not? let them be ... g*y marriage

Believe in the reality of global warming and clean alternative energy solution or that it is nothing but a hoax? I believe global warming is a reality

Believe in social welfare or to allow market incentives motivate people? I believe in both. They should work together in harmony.

Prostitution should be legalized or remain illegal? Maybe allowed in the sense that the prostitutes are not punished but pimps are ..

legalization / regulation and education about drugs or war on drugs? Legalization , regulation and education about minor drugs such as marihuana but more powerful or dangerous ones should remain illegal

Corporal punishment of children or Doctor Spock no spanking policy? No corporal punishment, I don't think it's right. It's kind of like teaching to solve things with violence...

Allowing multiple wives or to keep polygamy illegal? Keep polygamy illegal

Free love or so to speak or monogamy?  monogamy

Oh I almost forgot anti or pro death penalty? 100% Anti death penalty

Answer 10

I tend to be on the conservative side of things -I'm Catholic but also a vegan. I think that veg*ns are stereotyped as being liberal, though.

1. Pro-Life

2. Pacifist

3. Not sure about that one yet...

4. I believe in global warming

5. Against social welfare

6. Illegal

7. Legalize marijuana...stop the "war" and educate more

8. Spank the children (they are SO out of control)

9. No polygamy

10. I think that's up to the two people in the relationship, but I lean towards monogamy

11. Against capital punishment

Answer 11

-Pro-choice

-Pacifist (But i do believe that sometimes war is nessecery(sp?) but i disagree with how we deal with conflict)

-It's a completely viable process. We just need to put more effort into it.

-social welfare

- I like the idea of the dutch system, whereby it's legal, but strictly controlled.

-War on drugs. I've seen too many people go down that path and never come back. They're horrible, horrible things.

-I believe in whatever form of discipline works. I was smacked as a child and i'm completely well adjusted. Light spankings are ok, but if it's bordering on abuse, it's way past the line.

- Multiple wives is fine by me. multiple husbands is also fine. As long as they all know about each other, then i don't see a problem with it.

- This is a toughie. It depends. If you're in an open relationship, free love all the way, but most people (myself included) like to go for monogamy. This one's just personal preference.

- And i'm for the death penalty. Then again, there are some things worse than death that should be used as punishments as well.