Vegetarianism

[ChildoftheCreator]

The title is self-explanatory, I hope. So what do you guys think of it? Do you think that wearing leather and fur is ok? And to get a little more off topic, are experiments on animals ok?

I am reading a book called [i][/i]Animal Liberation[i][/i] by Peter Singer. At first I really gawked at the title, because I thought, animal liberation? what the heck! I mean I cuddle with my weeble and wub my cat, but if I was starving, you bet that I would turn my hungry gaze on her. His first chapter dealt with "specieism" which I thought went a little too far--mainly that we should put animals at the same level as human beings. However, his book seems to me to be a series of logical proofs, and they are good examples, too, about why one would want to become a vegetarian. He sets up vegetarianism as a boycott against meat. Why would one want to boycott meat? Because eating meat is intrinsically morally wrong? No, because it enforces a system of slaughterhouses whose animal conditions cause undue suffering to animals. Plus, plants can feed a larger amount of the population. In the US oats produce 2.5 food calories per calorie of fossil fuel, potatoes--2, wheat and soybeans--about 1.5. Now listen to this, range land beef takes three fossil fuel calories for every one calorie produced by the meat of the cow. And the feed lot beef uses 33 fossil fuel calories per one calorie in the meat. Here's a quote from the book, "Don Paarlberg, a former US assistant secretary of agriculture, has said that merely reducing the US livestock population by half would make available enough food to make up the calorie deficit of the nonsocialist underdeveloped nations nearly four times over." From a humanitarian standpoint, there seem to be a lot of good reasons to go vegetarian, as well as health reasons--as long as you eat right, but isn't that really applicable to any type of diet. Anywho, I am considering becoming vegetarian . . . can't say that I feel that killing animals is morally unethical (needless suffering in my mind is, though,) but I will definitely be doing more research before I jump into this. I always seem to take a long time in decision making.

[Veritas]

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Oddly enough, I am a vegetarian. I've been one for... how old am I... wow...15 years. I eat dairy, but not eggs. Perhaps even more oddly, I wear leather and would wear fur if I could afford it (hint future husband). I'm not a vegetarian for animal "rights" reasons, I am because it is better for my health and I don't care for meat. I have no problem with others eating meat -God created it y'all, but I wish they would eat organic and free range -it's better for them and the environment. Wow, I sound like such a granola. Must redeem self, put life in proper context -vote pro-life! I cuddle with my weeble and wub Latin!

[Veritas]

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Oddly enough, I am a vegetarian. I've been one for... how old am I... wow...15 years. I eat dairy, but not eggs. Perhaps even more oddly, I wear leather and would wear fur if I could afford it (hint future husband). I'm not a vegetarian for animal "rights" reasons, I am because it is better for my health and I don't care for meat. I have no problem with others eating meat -God created it y'all, but I wish they would eat organic and free range -it's better for them and the environment. Wow, I sound like such a granola.


Must redeem self, put life in proper context -vote pro-life! I l o v e Latin!

Edited April 2, 2008 by Veritas

[Veritas]

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Furthermore,

[Aloysius]

industrial slaughterhouses are absolutely wrong, and our current pope has written against them. I personally would like to one day have my own animals which I personally kill and process... I think it is good for mankind to be close to the killing of its own food so that it is done humanely.

the US's focus on corn-fed beef is absolutely unwise; if all the land we used to grow corn to feed beef was used for wheat, it could feed the whole world a couple times over (though distribution is difficult, pretty much impossible, due to the tyrants and dictators of the world). that doesn't mean we should stop eating beef... if everyone just had beef once a week it would be wise, prudent, and totally acceptable.

I would suggest not going vegetarian, but rather going to free-range/organic meats and only eating a major meat course once a week (more expensive meats, but if you're only having it once a weak it balances out)... make it a Sunday and then it becomes very traditionally Catholic. then go for fish on Fridays, maybe even Wednesdays.

[Archaeology cat]

I am most definitely not a vegetarian. I also see nothing wrong with wearing leather or fur, though I prefer for such things to come from animals that are also being used for food. It seems wasteful to only use parts of an animal. I also feel that the animals should be treated well, and slaughtered in the most humane way possible.

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='Archaeology cat' post='1491090' date='Apr 2 2008, 10:12 AM']I am most definitely not a vegetarian. I also see nothing wrong with wearing leather or fur, though I prefer for such things to come from animals that are also being used for food. It seems wasteful to only use parts of an animal. I also feel that the animals should be treated well, and slaughtered in the most humane way possible.[/quote]

I agree. The Church definitely affirms the rights of animals to healthy and humane treatment. I think the conflict is when the animal rights movement, like any movement, becomes like a religion among a few extremists, like when animals are believed to have equal rights and dignity with humans.

I could do the vegetarian thing about six days out of the week, but I couldn't give it up for good. And as for buying from free range/organic suppliers, I'd cuddle with my weeble and wub to try it, if only out of my selfish desire for higher quality, better tasting meat

Edited April 2, 2008 by LouisvilleFan

[CatherineM]

I was a vegetarian for awhile in college. Try doing that at the Aggie college in Oklahoma. I eat a lot of soy products now, and eat chicken breast or salmon occasionally. It's mostly due to health considerations. Sometimes though, a person just has to have a slimy burger or hotdog. I wear leather shoes and work gloves. I'm not really a fur person. I did just order a couple of leather couches, but they are that processed leather made up of tailings and recycled pieces, mostly because it was cheaper.

[desertwoman]

I like meat jam with my meat flakes.

[kafka]

before I die, I would like to try the paleolithic diet or the raw vegan diet

[Galloglasses]

I'm opposed to Veganism. Its completely unhealthy in my eyes, the human body needs something from animals. I remember hearing a vegan on the radio who was condemning, nearly everything, except for sprouts to be bad for you. And that sprouts were the only way to go, he is currently raising his three children on sprouts, (i'm no parent but I think thats a bad idea health wise), and that there was nothing bad or can ever be anything bad about sprouts. Thous shalt eat sprouts morning, noon and night. Thou shalt not doubt thy sprouts. To doubt thy sprouts is to blaspheme against the gods of sproutiness. Just kidding, he ticked me off by spouting a load of bull. '60% of the world is vegetarian now'
See what I mean?

Vegetarianism is not so bad in my eyes, but I just find the lifestyle distasteful. I just hate those guys who equate animal lives with our own. My brother calls them 'Eco-Warrior freaks' (my brother is not a nice person), i'm an animal person, I get this from my dad, but I am not averse to killing and eating them. Except for dogs and horses, here in Ireland, thats just not done. ever. So much so that if you were forced to you'd be reluctant.

Also i'm not averse to hunting as long as i'm going to eat the animal when I kill it, i'm quite fond of weapons and the like. An unhealthy habit I know. Even scarier when you consider I wear glasses, my glasses are usually dirty am a decent shot.

On topic, vegetarianism would come in on handy during Fridays of Lent

[hoosieranna]

[quote name='Archaeology cat' post='1491090' date='Apr 2 2008, 08:12 AM']I am most definitely not a vegetarian. I also see nothing wrong with wearing leather or fur, though I prefer for such things to come from animals that are also being used for food. It seems wasteful to only use parts of an animal. I also feel that the animals should be treated well, and slaughtered in the most humane way possible.[/quote]

Same here.

I would also add that I don't have a problem with vegetarianism in general, whether on principles or for health. I have a problem with militancy and the inability to understand that some people will eat meat no matter what. In your face vegans annoy me most mightily.

[rizz_loves_jesus]

[quote name='ChildoftheCreator' post='1491035' date='Apr 2 2008, 02:05 AM']The title is self-explanatory, I hope. So what do you guys think of it? Do you think that wearing leather and fur is ok? And to get a little more off topic, are experiments on animals ok?

I am reading a book called [i][/i]Animal Liberation[i][/i] by Peter Singer.[/quote]

Peter Singer supports killing newborn babies until up to thirty days after birth, just so you know.

[quote]Plus, plants can feed a larger amount of the population.[/quote]

Okay, people are already complaining about overpopulation (which is completely false, by the way). If we cut off half our food source, would that just make it worse? If starving families in third world countries are denied meat, what will they do? Eat grass? Besides, what about all the pretty scenery that liberals are always complaining about? Seriously, they obsess about 'overpopulation' and not destroying the environment, then suggest that the world uses plants as its one and only food source? Don't they realize that would create more problems than it would solve? Like people would be hitting animals while driving every other day because they weren't hunted anymore.

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='Nadezhda' post='1491241' date='Apr 2 2008, 06:49 PM']Same here.

I would also add that I don't have a problem with vegetarianism in general, whether on principles or for health. I have a problem with militancy and the inability to understand that some people will eat meat no matter what. In your face vegans annoy me most mightily.[/quote]
Same here. I mean, if someone just wants to be vegetarian, that's fine with me.

[Dismas]

1. Ever notice that the people who spray paint old ladies for wearing fur never so much as glare at the Hell's Angels? Hypocrites.

2. It's really fun to crash a vegan protest and remind them that their fashionable sandals are made of cow flesh.

3. It's more fun to eat beef jerky while crashing said protest (I live near a couple universities). When they scream that "animals are people too!", that is the perfect time to pull out a fork and knife, asking "so are you volunteering?"

4. The consumption of meat is archaeologically linked with the evolution of man (If you dig that stuff, which liberals pretend to).

With that stated, I reeeeeeally like meat. I eat raw beef sandwiches (fresh ground round on rye, chopped onions and black pepper - yum!). I eat steaks rare - bleeding on the plate rare. Leather is expensive, but I like it too much to not buy.

It's alright if you don't like meat, just as long as you aren't doing it because you cry for the poor cow.

Peter Singer is not really that logical, he is just good at appearing to be logical by using confusion and paper tigers, then failing to address the later logical implications towards his asinine philosophies.

P.S. If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

P.P.S. Soy is VERY bad for boys.