Aer you vegetarian or vegan? And why?

[happymommy]

i suppose it depends where the leather comes from. if it is imported from places like india, it is a hazard both to the animals that are slaughtered for it, and the humans who tan the leather (think small children marinading in toxic chemicals for a pittance of pay … think dangerous pollutants in the water and air )

personally though i try to be positive towards people who are making some effort in this direction. if everyone in the world cut their meat consumption by 1/2, the world would be a better place - less polluted, less violent (since fewer animals would need to be raised and killed for food), and healthier. it serves no constructive purpose in my mind to be negative to those who aren’t “perfectly” vegan or vegetarian… none of us are perfect, we can only do the best we can.

The leather all came from the U.S. I wasn’t being mean or negative with him. We had some wonderful discussions while we worked. He doesn’t believe in God either so we really enjoyed our time together talking. We were always respectful and kind, we never hurt each other feelings. I just found it odd that he had a strong belief in not killing animals for food. That was his reason for becoming vegan. He didn’t want animals to die because of him, but he was fine with wearing them after the had been killed. I don’t know, just seemed strange to me… thought I’d throw it out there and see if anyone else thought it strange. That’s all. I’m not a vegetarian. But have no problems with people being vegetarian or vegan. I’m very respectful of their choice to not eat meat as long as they are respectful of my choice to do it. He was. He never said anything unkind. He loved to cook and we talked about it a lot.

 

[Fidelia]

i wish the catholic church would stop saying that you can’t eat “meat” on fridays but you can eat fish… by any other definition, fish ARE meat

I agree. Meat is the flesh of an animal being used for food. Fish are animals. It’s one thing to say Catholics traditionally eat fish on Fridays because it was the meat that was eaten in Jesus’s community, but if it’s about abstaining from a luxury as a penitential action (which i think comes higher than what Jesus ate) I think it would make more sense to recognize that fish by definition are animals. Maybe it stems from the Jewish laws of Kashrut. Fish are considered parve, “neither meat nor dairy” concerning what it can be mixed with or eaten with.

 

[That_one_guy]

I see myself as a vegitarian-- cows are just the middle men.

“The stuff that food eats”=salad.

You’re all entitled to make your own choices, just watch the level of self righteousnes, please. Because there’s no evidence that our Lord was vegan [quite the contrary], and if you are setting yourselves up as HIS moral superior…

Oh, and remember, men: Soy is emasculating-- kills your testosterone.

Regenstein
Says that nowhere in the New Testament is Jesus depicted as eating Flesh and “if the Last Supper was a Passover meal, there is, no mention of the Pass Over Lamb Dish”.
just for the record

 

[dulcissima]

Only on Fridays.

Since I have been doing the meatless Fridays I have been leaning more and more towards vegetarianism on other days. There are still days though where my body just screams for meat, and I will eat it then. Don’t think I would ever choose to be a vegan though.

I really like a lot of the middle eastern foods like hummus and falafel. Those are about some of my favorites.

 

[RosalieM]

I’m almost completely vegetarian except for seafood now and then. I’m getting more away from that gradually.
I’ve learned that many saints were vegetarian, I feel better not eating meat. I LOVE animals. I’ve looked a cow in the eye. They have big, sweet eyes. I love the movie “Babe”.
I can not understand what the big deal is for people not to eat meat on Friday or to give it up two days a week during Lent – while still having fish. Or if they’re of a certain age it might harm them to fast a bit now and then? And the fasting guidelines aren’t even that strict.
Normally I drink a protein shake for breakfast so I don’t need to worry about my protein intake. I take a lot of vitamins and nutritional supplements in addition to eating right. I’ve also found I pay a lot more attention to fruits and veggies with meat out of the picture.

Recipies:

Veggie Stew:

Chop up bell peppers, potatoes, zucchini, carrots, any other veggie you like, throw it in a pot with braised garlic & onions in olive oil and simmer until tender.

Tofu Scramble:

Crumble up tofu, put it in a frying pan and mix it with saffron, salt, pepper and garlic salt. You’ve got tofu scrambled “eggs”.

There are many great veggie cookbooks available with great recipies.

 

[That_one_guy]

Recipies:

Veggie Stew:

Chop up bell peppers, potatoes, zucchini, carrots, any other veggie you like, throw it in a pot with braised garlic & onions in olive oil and simmer until tender.

Tofu Scramble:

Crumble up tofu, put it in a frying pan and mix it with saffron, salt, pepper and garlic salt. You’ve got tofu scrambled “eggs”.

Now,…that’s what MY tummy’s grumbling about!!!

 

[cathybramble]

The leather all came from the U.S. I wasn’t being mean or negative with him. We had some wonderful discussions while we worked. He doesn’t believe in God either so we really enjoyed our time together talking. We were always respectful and kind, we never hurt each other feelings. I just found it odd that he had a strong belief in not killing animals for food. That was his reason for becoming vegan. He didn’t want animals to die because of him, but he was fine with wearing them after the had been killed. I don’t know, just seemed strange to me… thought I’d throw it out there and see if anyone else thought it strange. That’s all. I’m not a vegetarian. But have no problems with people being vegetarian or vegan. I’m very respectful of their choice to not eat meat as long as they are respectful of my choice to do it. He was. He never said anything unkind. He loved to cook and we talked about it a lot.

oh - yeah what i meant was… being vegan is more than just not eating animal based food. most of us do try to avoid leather (wool, obviously fur, etc), some more vehemently than others. i’m probably one of the less militant vegans about stuff like that. in fact i’m wearing suede shoes today (my daughter bought them several years ago)… at least for me, it’s more about avoiding creating demand than worrying about scandal

i will say, i think many vegans are misunderstood too about their vehemence. many people think we have an agenda to “convert” the world but in fact, we all share the resources on this planet… i get kind of testy about people talking about their right to eat what they want, when the manufacturers of those things are so irresponsible. in other words… sure, i think people should eat what they want, but can we keep the animal feces/e.coli/salmonella/campylobacter, etc. off our tomatoes, spinach, and peppers? you see, the choice to eat meat doesn’t only affect those who eat it

 

[Bataar]

Giving up meat on Fridays in Lent is bad enough. No way I could give it up altogether

 

[happymommy]

oh - yeah what i meant was… being vegan is more than just not eating animal based food. most of us do try to avoid leather (wool, obviously fur, etc), some more vehemently than others. i’m probably one of the less militant vegans about stuff like that. in fact i’m wearing suede shoes today (my daughter bought them several years ago)… at least for me, it’s more about avoiding creating demand than worrying about scandal

i will say, i think many vegans are misunderstood too about their vehemence. many people think we have an agenda to “convert” the world but in fact, we all share the resources on this planet… i get kind of testy about people talking about their right to eat what they want, when the manufacturers of those things are so irresponsible. in other words… sure, i think people should eat what they want, but can we keep the animal feces/e.coli/salmonella/campylobacter, etc. off our tomatoes, spinach, and peppers? you see, the choice to eat meat doesn’t only affect those who eat it

I don’t want that on my veggies either That’s why we grow most of our own

 

[cathybramble]

I don’t want that on my veggies either That’s why we grow most of our own

yep we are planning a nice big garden this year too

 

[That_one_guy]

yep we are planning a nice big garden this year too

God bless the man who invented the roto-tiller!!!
:extrahappy:

 

[happymommy]

yep we are planning a nice big garden this year too

As I said before, we do eat meat, but we are very picky about what we get and where we get it.

We put in a huge garden with my in-laws. It really three large gardens with everything from lettuce, onions and cabbage to corn and potatoes, beets, peppers, cucumbers, beans, peas, tomatoes, garlic, squash, melons and herbs ,plus more We grow a lot. Gets us through the winter too.

"but can we keep the animal feces/e.coli/salmonella/campylobacter, etc. off our tomatoes, spinach, and peppers? "

It’s not just the animal waste on the produce but how many people touch the food as well with unclean hands. You hear about salmonella on the veggies and it is often traced back to unclean farms and sometimes to the workers. yucky!

 

[cathybramble]

As I said before, we do eat meat, but we are very picky about what we get and where we get it.

We put in a huge garden with my in-laws. It really three large gardens with everything from lettuce, onions and cabbage to corn and potatoes, beets, peppers, cucumbers, beans, peas, tomatoes, garlic, squash, melons and herbs ,plus more We grow a lot. Gets us through the winter too.

"but can we keep the animal feces/e.coli/salmonella/campylobacter, etc. off our tomatoes, spinach, and peppers? "

It’s not just the animal waste on the produce but how many people touch the food as well with unclean hands. You hear about salmonella on the veggies and it is often traced back to unclean farms and sometimes to the workers. yucky!

it’s prolly worth investing in one of those veggie sanitizer thingies huh :yukonjoe:

 

[cathybramble]

God bless the man who invented the roto-tiller!!!
:extrahappy:

:bowdown2:

 

[manualman]

I have been vegetarian for nearly 20 years. …
I follow a philosophy that says, inter-alia:

• the body both converts food into energy and extracts nutrients which are taken up; the finest part of the food is delivered to the mind;
• anything taken in by the five senses is food for the mind, so be careful what you talk about or see while you are eating; that energy/vibration is consumed along with the food;
• thought goes onto food while it is being prepared. (I proved this to myself one day when I was preparing a meal for a cat. I paused and filled the food with love and light, and a 14 year old cat, after eating it, jumped around and chased its tail like a one-year-old!)
• So, I am very careful what I think about while I am preparing a meal. In fact, I silently chant prayers while I am cooking; when I eat, I find that the prayers will start automatically within me whilst I am consuming it.
• In large part, I also follow the Ayurvedic designations of food; some food produces lethargy (tamasic); some foods produce excitement and high energy (rajasic) and other foods are pure and induce peace and serenity (sathwic).
• Alcohol pollutes and ferments the food in the stomach. The mass of food is excreted largely unprocessed, within 24 hours.
  …
• Some know what the right thing is and do that, they are human beings in human form.
• Some know what the right thing is and DONT do that; they are human beings in form only. We may call these people demonic, they are demons in human form.
• Some know what the right thing is and DON’T CARE, they will do what they like unto their heart’s content. They are human beings in form only, and in fact are animals in human form. They act like animals, they think like animals, pusue sex with persistence and vigilence WORSE than that of animals ~ for animals have a reason and a season ~ they go on heat and off heat ~ and are generally possessed, shall we say, by the enemies of man, the seven deadly sins.

WHAT contributes to that? May we come to the conclusion that animal behaviour by human beings and disregard of human values, spiritual values is caused by eating the flesh of animals? You may consider and decide for yourself.

I’m not a vegatarian, but I respect those who choose it. Myself, I tend to think that meat eaters ought to be honest enough to butcher their own kill at least once in life so they have an honest idea of what meat food is really all about.

That said, I was surprised to see some of the sentiments expressed above. Eastern mysticism and the New Age often tries to absorb and consume other religions which it comes into contact with. Some of the ideas about “vibrations” and “demons in human form” are utterly incompatible with catholicism. The poster has every right to whatever belief system he/she chooses, but really owes it to him/herself and others to figure out where those beliefs depart from catholicism.

Personally, I think our bodies clearly demonstrate the reality that we were made to be omnivores that primarily consume plant products but “need” meat in modest quantities as well. YES, I get it that you can work around that ‘need’ with supplement pills and careful management of specific veggies. But I find it unconvincing when people argue that God intended us to be herbivores when doing so requires so much technological sophistication as to make it virtually impractical in most of the world, in most of history.

I enjoyed reading your perspectives and have long intended (but procrastinated) going heavier on the plants and lighter on the meat. And yes, I’ve done my duty on the cleaning my own kill front.

 

[RosalieM]

Um, I think most of the world is vegetarian.

 

[manualman]

Um, I think most of the world is vegetarian.

I really need to see some data on THAT one. Most of the world doesn’t have access to the dietary supplements or locally out-of-season produce necessary to live totally vegetarian. For most of the world, a totally vegetarian diet would be a death sentence.

 

[RosalieM]

I really need to see some data on THAT one. Most of the world doesn’t have access to the dietary supplements or locally out-of-season produce necessary to live totally vegetarian. For most of the world, a totally vegetarian diet would be a death sentence.

Sorry, I knew there would be a challenge on that. I tried to get something solid by google-ing “percentage of world population vegetarian”. I got anything from 1/2 of the world to 2/3 of the world as veggie; citing India as 30% vegetarian with its huge population. I don’t think there’s any hard figures because of the varying definitions of how people see vegetarianism.
People can live fully vegetarian on rice and beans and occasional fruit and vegetables. This also brings to mind that many people are starving in the world.

 

[That_one_guy]

Sorry, I knew there would be a challenge on that. I tried to get something solid by google-ing “percentage of world population vegetarian”. I got anything from 1/2 of the world to 2/3 of the world as veggie; citing India as 30% vegetarian with its huge population. I don’t think there’s any hard figures because of the varying definitions of how people see vegetarianism.
People can live fully vegetarian on rice and beans and occasional fruit and vegetables. This also brings to mind that many people are starving in the world.

I came up with about 5% vegetarian/vegan.

 

[cathybramble]

I’m not a vegatarian, but I respect those who choose it. Myself, I tend to think that meat eaters ought to be honest enough to butcher their own kill at least once in life so they have an honest idea of what meat food is really all about.

That said, I was surprised to see some of the sentiments expressed above. Eastern mysticism and the New Age often tries to absorb and consume other religions which it comes into contact with. Some of the ideas about “vibrations” and “demons in human form” are utterly incompatible with catholicism. The poster has every right to whatever belief system he/she chooses, but really owes it to him/herself and others to figure out where those beliefs depart from catholicism.

Personally, I think our bodies clearly demonstrate the reality that we were made to be omnivores that primarily consume plant products but “need” meat in modest quantities as well. YES, I get it that you can work around that ‘need’ with supplement pills and careful management of specific veggies. But I find it unconvincing when people argue that God intended us to be herbivores when doing so requires so much technological sophistication as to make it virtually impractical in most of the world, in most of history.

I enjoyed reading your perspectives and have long intended (but procrastinated) going heavier on the plants and lighter on the meat. And yes, I’ve done my duty on the cleaning my own kill front.

just a personal observation on what i underlined above - actually for me, the vegan diet has been the most intuitive one i have ever tried - it kind of does require that you listen to your body though. when i’m hungry, i eat. if i start feeling tired, i think about what i’ve eaten and generally find that i’m not eating enough calories, or haven’t been getting enough nutrition for what i’m eating. i don’t work at measuring or quantifying anything, i don’t take multi-vitamins every day. i consulted a dietician when i first went vegan and they said it’s a very healthy way to eat, with the only caution that i should pay attention to get a wide variety of things. you start incorporating more non-meat proteins and iron sources and make them part of your regular fare. it’s really not rocket science

for what it’s worth, i am “that one guy’s” finacee… it’s true what he said in a previous post, that i have lost a lot of weight, even though i eat all darn day (trust me we are not deprived LOL). i’m also a regular blood donor with the red cross (yes, i have friends who can’t donate blood due to iron issues even though they eat plenty of meat ) and i’m in better health than i have been in years. it bothers me a lot that all my life, the health community and meat/egg/dairy industries lied to me that i needed to eat animal based food in order to be healthy. i enjoy being a walking, talking myth buster.