Question about vegetarians -?

Question

Why is it that vegetarians tell people "meat is murder"? I mean.. meat eaters don't go around trying to push you into eating meat. Why is it a double standard?

Answer 1

It hasn't happened to me in 20 years, but I have had meat eaters try to nag me into eating meat. One of them was my mother, others were friends and people I work with. Sure, most of the time it was just joking around, but sometimes it was obviously not joking.

It's too big of a generalization to say "meat eaters don't go around trying to push into eating meat." Some people are just pushy and what they eat doesn't have anything to do with it.

Similarly, I have seen pushy religous people and pushy atheists, pushy drinkers and pushy non-drinkers, pushy liberals and pushy conservatives. It doesn't make any difference what somebody believes in. Some folks just have to be annoying about it.

Answer 2

well, God intended for us to eat meat so there you have it.  It's in the bible somewhere.

Answer 3

Vegetarians and vegans believe eveyrthing they hear, and believe the PETA propaganda c**p from the likes of pam anderson.  Don't get me wrong, nice chest, but small brain....if any at all.  They can't accept the facts of life and use argues of the nervous system isn't present in plants and blah blah blah.... but then if you tell them you shot a deer in the head and it destroys the nervous system, and therefore creates no pain, they still criticism you b/c they can't accept the truth.  They gotta be different.  By all means, if you choose to eat veggies for health reasons or simply taste, go for it.  But to base your ideas on the notion that animals suffer, die, and all that hogwash, wake up and face reality.  

I eat alot of stuff, and respect all food equally b/c i'm fortunate enough to have it.  The plants and animals all sacrifice themselves to give me life.  They all must die, whether pain is involved isn't the issue.  Pain is temporary.  I'm sure one day i'm be dying in pain.  That's just life. Period.

Answer 4

hey ya am a non vegetarian turned into a veggie..

ya i hav heard ppl  say such stuff esp those who hav never tasted it..

Answer 5

Yes, unfortunately meat is murder.  Vegetarians rule :P

Answer 6

Yeah, nice correction.

"SOME vegetarians" would make you sound much less ignorant.

The ONLY vitamin that a vegan person MIGHT need to take is B12. Most people that eat meat are also deficient in B12. Nearly all cases of illness are related to the inability to absorb or recycle B12.

Answer 7

My question has always been...

If you don't eat living things, How many vegetables had to die to make your salad?

Please do not lump us all into the same pile.

I have, and will again, changed my diet habits so others in my life who choose not to eat meat, dairy, ect. can be comfortable at my diner table.  

I understand each individual veggie had their own believes, why can't I have my own without being called a Murderer?

Answer 8

Meat IS murder. That's not a double standard, it's just a fact. An animal is killed so that you can suck down the flesh and the blood of another creature. You can live without eating meat, and in America, the dead carcass of an animal is not necessary to sustain life, and so therefore, the animal is killed in vain.

And you can't really speak for all of the meat eaters in the world when you say they don't go around trying to push us into eating meat. I've had plenty give me a hard time and rub their gross chicken sandwiches in my face. So it's not a double standard at all and you bet I'm going to rub the fact in that in every little package of chicken, there's a little bit of p**p.

Also, just because your sister is a vegan who keeps her opinion to herself doesn't mean we all should. For some, it's about health. For others, it's about animal rights. And when we're vegan through animal rights, we are going to use our voices.

Answer 9

I don't think you could possibly understand until you yourself went veg.

I never noticed it as a meat-eater but as a vegan I get a lot of passing comments and eye-rolls. And I keep to myself and don't try to convince anyone of anything.  I'm not outspoken about veganism, yet people tell me to eat a pork shoulder all the time.  

I think you have switched things around.  Some meat eaters go around trying to push us into eating meat.  But there are seldom veg*ns who are as "preachy" as you claim.

Answer 10

Most of the ones with the rabid statements are teeny boppers parroting the PETA propaganda.

Answer 11

I've been a vegan since my teens.  I consider my choice to be my own and have never had a desire push it on anyone.  I am the only vegan I know and am not offended by the choices of others.

Answer 12

Most veggies on this forum are ok with meat eaters. It has to be said, there are a few select individuals who preach though.

Don't base a generalisation on the words of a preachy individual. We're not all like that. And we don't need supplement pills to be healthy.

There are meat eaters on this forum (on my contact list) that I respect a lot because they are accepting and are not trying to get me to eat meat.

I'm ok with their choice- they're ok with mine. It's a mutual respect thing.

When it comes to meat eating- each to their own I say.

Answer 13

You don't kill the animals, but you support the killing of them by purchasing their corpses to eat.  I don't push my beliefs on other people, but you did ask.

Answer 14

Meat eaters ALWAYS come in here with snide and stupid comments.  Almost every single question is answered with some pushy comment by at least one meat eater.  This is the vegetarian section by the way, agenda pushing is expected wouldn't you think?  If you don't want to hear it than don't put yourself into the position to hear it.

Answer 15

No offense taken....I'm a vegetarian but I wouldn't dare tell someone else what to do with their life......It's a very personal decision.

Answer 16

Bit of a generalisation there - 'Why is it that vegetarians tell people "meat is murder"?'.

Not all do; most don't. Certainly it's not something that's seen very often on this board, and when it is it usually comes from very young zealous new converts.

I'm vegan; I use the word murder to describe the deliberate killing of one human being by another. Far from me trying to 'push' my choices on anyone, the fact is most people I see and work with every day don't know I'm a vegan.

I think I'm more typical than the sort of veg*n you describe.

And BTW - we don't all take vitamins.

Answer 17

I am a vegetarian and I also own a rabbit fur coat (I also have a pet rabbit).  Maybe some people think that makes me a hypocrite but I really don't see what one has to do with the other.  (I especially love it when people yell at me for the fur coat while they are wearing a leather belt. duh.)

My point is I have my own reasons for being a vegetarian.  I think eating flesh is gross and I think the meat industry is evil and is one of the major causes for the destruction of the planet and starvation in third world countries.  But please don't lump me in with those PETA freaks because I will never judge you for eating meat.  

Just like all the people in a specific race don't think the same, neither do us vegetarians.

Answer 18

Your talking about extremist PETA supporters who protest on the side of the road in their men's underwear and lettuce leaf bikinis, not simple vegetarians who just want to improve their health and make life a bit easier for the animals.

Answer 19

I never push people to eat vegetarian, but plenty of meat eater push their diet on others... I see it all the time... parents force feeding their kids food they do not want to eat, "Eat it up, it's good for you, you need it, bla bla bla" as they try to shove some sausage into an 8 month old.

There are meat/animal pushers out there.  "Go ahead, eat it, it won't kill you to just eat one thing with meat/animal products in it.  Why deprive yourself of the good things in life?  It tastes good; if you think it tastes good, why not just eat it?"  On and on and on... it's bloody endless the comment I get, man.  People are constantly trying to get me to eat meat/animal products.  And all the other comments, "Mmm, this burger is go good... you want some... they grease is just dripping off my elbow... mmm, dead cow... yum..."  Doesn't bother me, but happens all the time.  People are constantly asking me questions about why I'm vegan, how long... they can't stop looking at what I'm brining for lunch every day and make comments every-single-day about what I'm eating... and I'm eating just food... pasta, crackers with peanut butter, rice and vegetables... or whatever... but they eat some crappy sandwich on wonderbread and junkfood, so looking at *real* food is really weird for them.  "Oh, what's that??"  "Cabbage."  "What's the weird stuff you are eating?"  "Noodles."  "What's the weird smell?" "Mushrooms."  "That looks sick, what is it?" "Bean dip."  You know... it's just endless... no matter how ordinary the food is that I eat, they think it's weird and wild stuff.  Would you find that annoying?  I'm sure you would.  I never say anything about what they eat, but once they find out I don't eat animal products, it just never stops.  And hey, I'm happy to inform them if they have any questions because ignorance needs to be quelled.

There's no need to take vitamins and stuff.  I take none.  Never have.  Not needed.  Besides, plenty of meat eaters pop vitamins pills like mad.  Personally, I think vitamins are a big scam.

Answer 20

They should face reality..people do have canine teeth....made for meat. The circle of life and all.....survival.

Answer 21

The only vegetarians that go around saying that are folks from this forum.  No one actually does that in real life.  I'd be willing to bet that you've never really witnessed anyone throwing red paint on someone's coat.  The same goes for meat eaters.  There are plenty of meat eaters that come on here every day to berate vegetarianism, but I've never really encountered that sort of ignorance in the real world.

I haven't had to convince anyone about anything diet related.  I try to lead by example and if someone wants to learn about vegetarianism because of me then that's great, but if they don't care then that's also great.

There is no double standard, everyone online is equally an ***hole.  Your sister is proof of this.  People are great in person, and not so great when they are anonymous.

If you want to know why people behave the way they do, then you should study John Gabriel's Greater Internet ****wad Theory: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/0...

Answer 22

Roxx rises again: People do not have canine teeth. If we did, we would be able to rip through fur and flesh like a carnivore. Or teeth are blunted and flat. We are omnivores who are more anatomically similar to herbivores.

Meat is murder. Meat is a dead animal. The animal was killed to get the meat. And meat eaters do go around trying to push us into meat all the time (not saying that everyone does that)

Answer 23

IN RESPONSE TO BLAH:

Don't believe that the animals suffer? go to http://www.meat.org and watch it.

I think you've got it backwards. You're the one that believes whatever you're told. I think for myself.

Answer 24

First off, it's usually the angry newly-minted veggies that go around spouting slogans like that.  Please try to not judge the rest of us by that standard :-)

Also, I do have quite a few meat eaters in my life that try to push me into eating meat.  My entire adolescence was a battle with my family (immediate and extended).  I heard the meat is necessary/tasty/healthy argument daily.  I've gotten it from complete strangers too.

Really, it's a matter of people behaving badly not a matter of vegetarian/omnivore.  There are plenty of opinionated, ill informed people on both sides of the fence.

Answer 25

Who is it that's pushing you? If you're coming to a vegetarian/vegan message area and are upset that we're, well, vegetarians and vegans, isn't that like going to a Christian church and complaining that they're trying to convert you?

Answer 26

Murder is only applied to humans. My standard answer is that I cannot possibly sustain myself with just vegetables. I have no problem eating meat, meat is good, but I do have a problem with how that meat gets to my table. Some of these places that raise animals for commercial meat are awful places. And I will never eat veal.

Answer 27

Basically because it is.

"You don't beat your wife. That's fine. But don't tell me not to beat mine!" Hmmm....

I'm sorry I can't just sit back and do nothing while hundreds and hundreds of animals are suffering needlessly. Trying to make me eat meat is trying to make me agree that killing animals is ok. Trying to make you not eat meat is trying to make you realise that it is not ok to kill animals. I'd rather be on the side that doesn't case death.

So I don't think vegetarians should have to shut up and not try to get our point across. However I do have a problem with people who try to force their beliefs on people.

I try to encourage people to be vegetarians by leading by example, educating them, showing them yummy veggie food... just living a healthy vegetarian life and always being open to talk about and explain my decision. Screaming at someone not to eat meat is just going to cause them to eat more meat!

Even encouraging people to eat less meat is an improvement, so I hate when people try to force the all or nothing approach on people. The vegetarians who try to force it are actually not helping the cause I believe..

If you really really want to eat meat, fine. I know I'm not going to convince you. But that's not going to stop me from trying to show other people how to live a healthy vegetarian life.

Also... double standard? Go into most of the questions in this section asking about recipes and you'll find an answer "Grow some balls and eat meat!" or something equally as stupid. Or look for the questions which go "You're Killing plants!?!? How Could You?!?!" etc etc.... Or the reactions when I tell someone I'm a vegetarian...a blank look then... "Why....?" or "You're not going to make a difference!"

Answer 28

I've been a vegetarian for about three years now and I never try to push it on other people. If someone wants information about being a vegetarian, I'll be more than happy to talk to them about it. But I don't go out and give little unsolicited sermons about meat being murder. That's pretty rude, in my opinion. Non-vegetarians have a right to eat their Big Macs, just like I have a right to eat my tofu. lol.

Answer 29

I don't eat meat, but it is because it makes me ill to think I am chewing on flesh and veins and blood....ew.  Believe me, I would love nothing better than to eat a big ol' In-And-Out cheese burger!!   They look and smell soooo good, but I can't divorce myself from the fact that I am eating guts and muscles.

BTW, eating meat is not murder.  For goodness sake, it is the by the very fact that we STARTED eating meat that allowed our primitive ancestors to grow big brains, the ones we have now.  Without all the protein needed to grow our brains, we would still be hunting and gathering like our chimp like ancestors.  OK, I'm finished with my long winded diatribe.

Answer 30

I agree that people shouldn't push their ideas or belief's on anybody else.  Whether your a meat eater or a vegetarian it's a personal choice.  I haven't been a vegetarian for very long but I turned to a vegetarian because I suddenly started feeling very sick everytime I ate meat, so my decision was to go the vegetarian path.

I don't think that anybody has a right to say their way of eating or diet is better because of blah, blah, blah.  It's a personal choice for each individual as far as my two cents goes anyway

Answer 31

Most vegetarians don't.  And yes, most have us have been harassed by omnivores trying to "push" us into eating meat.

We learn to ignore them.  

Why are you so threatened by someone else's point of view?  If you're looking for vegetarians who "keep their opinions to themselves" why troll the vegetarian section?