FAQ: Vegetarianism
In this quite short time since I’ve stop eating meat, I came across of quite a lot of interesting ideas and questions about vegetarianism. So let me try to answer (comment on) some of them.
So, in general, what’s the reason to stop eating meat? — Well, I think reasons vary from person to person, and I wrote about my (personal) reasons. I believe there is, however, one general and good reason to stop eating meat, which is following: in this place and in this time, there’s simple no need to eat it. And if we don’t eat it, we spear suffering and dead of innocent animals, we improve our health and our life in general.
— Animals Are Not Ours v2 by VxMxPx
But people were always eating meat! — That actually isn’t true. In his beginning, human wasn’t meat eating being. They teach that in schools, and that’s confirmed by anatomy of human. Ever more, this massive production of meat (in gigantic proportions) as it’s happening nowadays, wasn’t practiced in the past. As a matter of fact, even 40 years ago (or even less), people were eating meat quite rare and on special occasions.
But animals eat animals too - so it’s ok! — While animals are guided mostly (or only) by their instincts, we have sense. Maybe the sense it’s the only thing that separating us from animals. Sense can free us of instincts, and therefore sense is certain responsibility. We can understand suffering, and we can make our decision based on that understanding.
Plants are living beings too.. — Current theory saying, that plants doesn’t feel pain. Even further, some plants offering their fruits, in nice colors and in good taste as a food for animals and humans. In other words, if you eat apple, you didn’t kill the tree. However, I believe that we should treat plants, with all the love and respect too.
Vegetarians killing mosquitoes… — Of course, and many other animals, which we step on by accident. We should try to reduce killing and our participation in it as far as possible, though we can’t stop it completely. It’s true, that the death exists, and that the death is a crucial part of life; it’s also true, that we often cause death, without even know it. But, of course, that’s not an excuse, to kill anything that cross our path.
Is vegetarianism dangerous? — Theoretically everything is dangerous. So what can I say? Being vegetarian is it just as dangerous as not being vegetarian. And what are the doctors saying? — In general: I don’t think that they could say anything about it, everything they do say (in general), is mostly subjective opinion.
So, is it healthy to be vegetarian? — Vegetarian can be someone who’s eating only junk food (fast food), so how could just vegetarianism by itself be healthy way of life? No, no - we need to do more than just stop eating meat, in order to eat healthy. But becoming vegetarian, can be the first (and a good) step.
Well, I would stop eating meat, but I just can’t… — If I’d start thinking, that I can’t eat apples anymore, in a month (or even less) I really couldn’t eat apples anymore. I don’t believe there’s world, separated off our believes. Someone who believe, that he can’t stop eating meat, it’s totally right. But just as long, as he believe so. Of course, I won’t say there isn’t some attachment to the meat, - if someone was, for example, eating meat for all of his life, his body probably did adopt to this lifestyle. However, the same attachment exists with alcoholics and drug addicts, and that it doesn’t mean, that such a lifestyle is good, it’s quite opposite actually.
I’ll live my life fully, I won’t deny myself! — There’s plenty of food, among we can choose, which is good and healthy. The quality of life, can’t be determent by a type of food - as long there’s a lot of (good) food, among which we can choose.
Animals are goods. They were created to as a food for humans… — Though this was maybe (kind of) true, a long time ago when a hunter went to forest and kill a deer, so that his family had something for a long winter, nowadays this doesn’t make any sense at all. To clarify: the deer I mentioned, lived his own free life and then on some point, been killed by unhappy coincidence. Animals today, however, are raised just so they’re killed. They has no chance at all. They has no other meaning but this. They don’t live their free life, and their death isn’t unhappy coincidence, but rather forwardly planed and absolutely ensured.
Animals, doesn’t have soul! — It actually doesn’t matter. We all know, they’re living beings, they can feel pain, they’re afraid of death, they wanna live - when we’re looking from those perspectives, we can realize, that they’re just like we are. It’s not right that we’re killing them, and especially it’s not right, that we’re killing them in such a cruel way.
Is vegetarianism religion? — It isn’t, though it’s true, that some religions encourage it.
