Thoughts on Vegetarians/vegans

[fuz]

I was a vegan for a year.

I don't really give a damn about PETA (in fact they're mostly hypocritical hippies here in France*).
I don't care about animal condition. But it takes a lot of water, and of resources to feed the animals we eat... so it make sense to save them. We don't really need to eat meat, sure it's delicious, but it's luxury. And the human cost is huge. IMHO being vegan (or at least eat few meat/diary) make much more sense than donations to NGO.

I was amazed about how disrespectful peoples (even closest friends) can get about such decisions.

I eat meat again now, I'm much less healthy, fatter, generally more tired, I might give it another shot some days.
(*)We protect animals, the cute ones. We don't eat beef, but we wear it.

[gwa]

I am vegetarian by choice, not by guilt; to me it's amazing that we're the first known species that can consciously modify its diet to prevent suffering (on the dharma tip.)

When I used to eat meat (and a lot of it at that) a pal - who's still omni to this day - pointed out that whenever I loaded up on burgers, I got a little aggro. To prove him wrong, I stopped eating red meat for a month and lo and behold did in fact lose a little of that testy edge, so I stuck with it. Over time I lost the craving for red meat and eventually everything else... good Sashimi was the last meat I craved, and every once in a blue moon I'll have a bite of someone's fresh fish. Like, maybe every 5 or 6 years. Then the craving's gone again. I firmly believe you should eat what you crave provided you're in tune with it and not just operating out of conditioning. Oh, and I also used to weigh 280 way back then (I'm 6'5") and now can keep a svelte 240-250, no problem.

If necessity demanded, such as travel in a place not capable of offering vegetarian options, then I'd eat the local food. If I or my family were starving, just watch me kill the cow. No problem. Thankfully that's not the case tho.

=============

One thing that puzzles me about veganism: what do you propose for folks like Mongolian nomads whose land is almost entirely useless for agriculture?

there is a theory that people who eat a lot of red meat are generally a lot angrier due to the negative energy in the meat.

[hugh]

I am vegetarian by choice, not by guilt; to me it's amazing that we're the first known species that can consciously modify its diet to prevent suffering (on the dharma tip.)

When I used to eat meat (and a lot of it at that) a pal - who's still omni to this day - pointed out that whenever I loaded up on burgers, I got a little aggro. To prove him wrong, I stopped eating red meat for a month and lo and behold did in fact lose a little of that testy edge, so I stuck with it. Over time I lost the craving for red meat and eventually everything else... good Sashimi was the last meat I craved, and every once in a blue moon I'll have a bite of someone's fresh fish. Like, maybe every 5 or 6 years. Then the craving's gone again. I firmly believe you should eat what you crave provided you're in tune with it and not just operating out of conditioning. Oh, and I also used to weigh 280 way back then (I'm 6'5") and now can keep a svelte 240-250, no problem.

If necessity demanded, such as travel in a place not capable of offering vegetarian options, then I'd eat the local food. If I or my family were starving, just watch me kill the cow. No problem. Thankfully that's not the case tho.

=============

One thing that puzzles me about veganism: what do you propose for folks like Mongolian nomads whose land is almost entirely useless for agriculture?

there is a theory that people who eat a lot of red meat are generally a lot angrier due to the negative energy in the meat.

or you know, an actual theory based on chemical theories (I would imagine something like the over-abundance of redmeat toxics sequestered in cells act as a sort of enzymatic codon that triggers greater product levels of aggression/anxiety hormones)

[alphacat]

I'm not putting this forward as an argument for vegetarianism - or for biological predeterminism for that matter - it's just out there to dispute the argument that having canines automatically implies carnivorous or omnivorous behavior, that's all. Look at gorillas: big, showy chompers, but most of the animal matter they eat doesn't require 'em (bugs primarily.) That's all.

For the record I am staunchly pro-Arctic-&-flying-human.

================

@ Gwa, hugh

Buddhists say you are partaking in the karmic events of their death - ingesting it, literally. Incidentally, the Buddha didn't tell people they should be vegetarian either. It's just one way of reducing your 'karmic footprint' in the Vedic view.

But the chemistry is real - besides the adrenalin & stress compounds from something that knows it's about to be killed, the hormones in megafarmed meat are scaaaarrrrry as hell.

I like the fact that it's much, much harder for me to die from food poisoning due to my diet too.

[capo ultra]

not eating red meat is a bloody great idea for mind and body, I don't believe in 'bad energy' though, only scientific advice.

If I'm serious though I fully respect vegetarians/vegans. I do think that it's awful to kill animals etc it's just that I like the taste and this over-rides any kind of moral qualms I might have about it. I sleep well at night.

[bobcat]

im going to write a very accessible article on why its morally wrong to eat meat in the current climate ill link you all too it when im done

[Sexual_Chocolate]

i wonder who would taste better...

a vegan

or

a meat eater

[_v_]

not eating red meat is a bloody great idea for mind and body, I don't believe in 'bad energy' though, only scientific advice.

Same thing but different name? Depends on your perspective?

If I'm serious though I fully respect vegetarians/vegans. I do think that it's awful to kill animals etc it's just that I like the taste and this over-rides any kind of moral qualms I might have about it. I sleep well at night.

See what I did there?



...

[capo ultra]

I saw what you did, you equated killing animals with killing humans. Now go sit in the corner and think about what you're saying

[capo ultra]

not eating red meat is a bloody great idea for mind and body, I don't believe in 'bad energy' though, only scientific advice.

Same thing but different name? Depends on your perspective?

lol no. One is based on scientific inquiry, one is based on ignorance.

[sigbowls]

i wonder who would taste better...

a vegan

or

a meat eater

try cat then try rabbit

[dickman69]

u should eat meat

thats why ur teeth like that u kno

[parson]

i eat meat often but by often i mean at least once or twice a week. mostly veggies.

[sigbowls]

thats why ur teeth like that u kno

theres a type of beef jerky the cheep kind that hurts my teeth and gums and chewing on stuff make it feel better

[dickman69]

like the bits get caught between ur molars ikno that stuff

[boomphat]

i wonder who would taste better...

a vegan

or

a meat eater

I'm the other vegan, 20 years.
Nothing needs to be killed to keep me alive.
I work near a chicken factory, it fuckin stinks, especially in the summer.

in answer to the above quote, people usually eat vegetarian animals.

[garethom]

in answer to the above quote, people usually eat vegetarian animals.

Because they're easier to kill. You ever tried herding lions on a lion farm?

[Electric_Head]

in answer to the above quote, people usually eat vegetarian animals.

Because they're easier to kill. You ever tried herding lions on a lion farm?

Apparently crocodiles are easy to herd.

[Sexual_Chocolate]

in answer to the above quote, people usually eat vegetarian animals.

Because they're easier to kill. You ever tried herding lions on a lion farm?

Apparently crocodiles are easy to herd.

herd of crocodiles... pffft. heard of chicken?

[Electric_Head]

Chickens aren't carnivores.