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if meat is murder, then what are vegans?

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
I think some vegans/vegetarians take it a little far with the guilt thing, especially PETA.

But honestly, why do so many people seem to make it their business that I choose not to eat corpses?
I think people "make it their business" when extremists push it on them?

But I'm still curious as to the reasoning behind the "meat is murder".
 

Echo

crooked smile
Jul 10, 2002
11,819
15
Slacking at work
I think people "make it their business" when extremists push it on them?

But I'm still curious as to the reasoning behind the "meat is murder".
I think of "meat is murder" as an an expression of an opinion. Or a Smiths album.

And I don't mean to say only meatasauruses "make it their business". For every time I've heard "just eat a steak you faggot" from the boys at the bar, I've heard the "oh you're a vegetarian too!" from some ditzy chick who instantly thinks we're kindred souls or something.
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,698
1,749
chez moi
For every time I've heard "just eat a steak you faggot" from the boys at the bar, I've heard the "oh you're a vegetarian too!" from some ditzy chick who instantly thinks we're kindred souls or something.
That must be rough.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,102
1,153
NC
I've heard the "oh you're a vegetarian too!" from some ditzy chick who instantly thinks we're kindred souls or something.
Hm.

If someone noticed you had a mountain bike sticker of some kind on your bag/car/whatever and said, "Oh, you mountain bike? What do you ride?" would it bug you as much as the vegetarian thing?

And don't you just hate it when chicks hit on you? It really bugs me, too ;) :D
 

Echo

crooked smile
Jul 10, 2002
11,819
15
Slacking at work
Hm.

If someone noticed you had a mountain bike sticker of some kind on your bag/car/whatever and said, "Oh, you mountain bike? What do you ride?" would it bug you as much as the vegetarian thing?

And don't you just hate it when chicks hit on you? It really bugs me, too ;) :D
Generally I have a lot more to talk about with a mountain biker than a vegetarian.

And I've never tried to parlay the vegetarian chick thing into a score, but I doubt it would work. And I have a GF that probably wouldn't appreciate it.
 

Echo

crooked smile
Jul 10, 2002
11,819
15
Slacking at work
I mean I have friends who are vegetarians, and we sometimes talk about food, but we're not friends BECAUSE we're vegetarians.
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,698
1,749
chez moi
I'm friends with BMXman, but only *despite* the fact that he's a black vegan. I keep hoping he'll realize being black is really only a phase, and, well, I slip bits of turkey into his food when he's not looking.
 

BMXman

I wish I was Canadian
Sep 8, 2001
13,827
0
Victoria, BC
I'm friends with BMXman, but only *despite* the fact that he's a black vegan. I keep hoping he'll realize being black is really only a phase, and, well, I slip bits of turkey into his food when he's not looking.

BASTARD...I was wondering why I started developing muscle tone :D
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,102
1,153
NC
And I've never tried to parlay the vegetarian chick thing into a score, but I doubt it would work.
You doubt it would work? :bonk:

"Yeah, I just can't eat meat. I can't imagine being responsible for the death of all of the wonderful animals we share our planet with. They're so great, you know? Animals just understand you."

Either you don't have much experience with women or you haven't fully thought out all the possibilities :D
 

Echo

crooked smile
Jul 10, 2002
11,819
15
Slacking at work
You doubt it would work? :bonk:

"Yeah, I just can't eat meat. I can't imagine being responsible for the death of all of the wonderful animals we share our planet with. They're so great, you know? Animals just understand you."

Either you don't have much experience with women or you haven't fully thought out all the possibilities :D
That sort of stuff works on all chicks, not just the vegetarian ones. :cheers:
 

BMXman

I wish I was Canadian
Sep 8, 2001
13,827
0
Victoria, BC
Hm.

If someone noticed you had a mountain bike sticker of some kind on your bag/car/whatever and said, "Oh, you mountain bike? What do you ride?" would it bug you as much as the vegetarian thing?

And don't you just hate it when chicks hit on you? It really bugs me, too ;) :D
well in my experience when I'm questioned about MTB's there is often a true interest...but when I'm asked about being Vegan it's often a challenge and the person feeling they need to "educate" me or prove me wrong...this happens about 90% of the time...D
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
...when I'm asked about being Vegan it's often a challenge and the person feeling they need to "educate" me or prove me wrong...this happens about 90% of the time...D
90% of the time? And you haven't learned yet?

Ya know, fish is really good for the brain.
 

rockwool

Turbo Monkey
Apr 19, 2004
2,658
0
Filastin
Sincere question...

What's the idea/concept/philosophy/whatever behind "meat is murder"?

aren't we animals and don't many animals kill and eat other animals?
Maybe I can shed a bit of light.
We humans have today the possibilities to feed our selves without having to eat meat. If it's not a nessesity, then it's just for pleasing once own ego. Animals don't have our choices, only those living on the island of Eden, the Phantom's island where all animals live in peace, can do so.

We are the master spieces on this planet. All animals are seen as lower standing creatures with very limited rights. They are here for our pleasure and need. Do you see any similarities to anything else?

If you look at all these sci-fi storys, that have come out as films or series, you will see another spieces invading our planet that is technically and intellectually superior to us. Like that 80's series "V" for instance. They conquered us so that they could exploit our natural resources, including us humans as food, just like we do here on earth with the animals (actually with humans too).

I remember that they had a shortage of natural resources and food on their planet as they, just like us, consumed above their assets. A big reason for our space journeys today are to find a new planet to empty of its natural resourses. When we run out of ours here, not only will we start dropping like flys, but the worst part is that our money will stop multiply; which is the core meaning of our system (and George Soros will lose his reason to live :eek: ).

Have you given a thought on what will happen if we find an intellectually developed spieces on that planet? They might live good lives, have dreams and search for higher meanings of their existance just like us. Will we have the right to make Mc Alien out of them just because we have bigger guns than they have?

If a person says to another person that his strenght and abilites, that are superior to the other once's, makes him a being of higher value, then that makes him a fascist. Litterally. That is a fundamental part of fascist ideology.

Humans are opportunists, our greed has no end, animals aren't, they take what they need, and only because they need.

This is a lot more critisism than some of us can take. I've noticed many times that when **** gets too serious, people shut off and often get offended. I'm never on anybodys ass about their eating habits, but if they ask why I'm a vegetarian I say it's because of I mostly find the farming industry, the transportations of the animals and the slaughter houses overly cruel.

I point out that these animals haven't at least lived as animals before they became food, as they've been confined to an all to small indoor space all their lives. I compare food from the animal industry to food from wild animals like (rain)deer, elk and fish.

It is hard to talk about this without making people feel guilty and I always mention that to ease up the atmosphere a bit. When people ask I try to give them positive alternatives to force fed chickens, like saying one can choose to buy turkeys that have lived on an old style farm.

Some times when I know the people better and I know that they can take a bit more of the truth, I tell them about how a great percentage of the worlds poplulation is either starving or malnutritioned because of that arable land is being used to grow fodder, and that we can feed all of us if we eat less meat.

I want to recolect that it takes 7 times the land to feed an animal so that 1 person can later be fed, than if we would grow crops for human consumation.


Self critisism is not an easy thing, but if we can do it it evolves us like few other things.
 

rockwool

Turbo Monkey
Apr 19, 2004
2,658
0
Filastin
There's one thing I've been thinking about and I hope both meat eaters and non meat eaters will speak their minds.

When I've been at someone elses house and they've offered me food, I haven't eaten any meat/fish. Of course, they ask me why I'm vegetarian and blablabla. Thing is, I feel bothered to talk about it as I'm afraid it's something that should be avoided as it might bother them and bring negative energy to the room.

What do you guys that are vegetarians/vegans do, shut up and eat what served but refuse seconds? And how would you meat eaters react if that happened at the table that you just served?
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
What do you guys that are vegetarians/vegans do, shut up and eat what served but refuse seconds? And how would you meat eaters react if that happened at the table that you just served?
First, your previous post is way too friggin' long. Brevity is your friend.

As for what to do when someone serves something you don't eat, well, don't eat it. How is that hard?

I refuse to eat meat that was abused in the standard process of growing it. Like foie gras, that's just mean. The only true way to eat meat is by killing a wild animal. Since I don't do that, I have to draw the line somewhere, that's duck liver, veal and the like.
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,698
1,749
chez moi
We are the master spieces on this planet. All animals are seen as lower standing creatures with very limited rights. They are here for our pleasure and need. Do you see any similarities to anything else?
Whoa, I never noticed! Animals are just like chicks!

Ed: WHOA! "V" reference! Sweet!!!! Now I know why I have the urge to tear my rubber face off and eat raw hamburger.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Maybe I can shed a bit of light.
We humans have today the possibilities to feed our selves without having to eat meat. If it's not a nessesity, then it's just for pleasing once own ego.
We are omnivores - 2 million years of evolution can't be wrong. Our species succeeded for a reason - we are designed to be adaptable/flexible. Its easier to get your food from multiple sources and easier to balance your diet.

I would agree if you said in modern context, richer countries generally need to lower their animal based diet content, but eating everything is natural - there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing what nature intended us to do.
 

BMXman

I wish I was Canadian
Sep 8, 2001
13,827
0
Victoria, BC
We are omnivores - 2 million years of evolution can't be wrong. Our species succeeded for a reason - we are designed to be adaptable/flexible. Its easier to get your food from multiple sources and easier to balance your diet.
So you eat meat because it's easier??...lol ok well to each his own...but vegetarianism isn't hard at all...D
 

BMXman

I wish I was Canadian
Sep 8, 2001
13,827
0
Victoria, BC
There's one thing I've been thinking about and I hope both meat eaters and non meat eaters will speak their minds.

When I've been at someone elses house and they've offered me food, I haven't eaten any meat/fish. Of course, they ask me why I'm vegetarian and blablabla. Thing is, I feel bothered to talk about it as I'm afraid it's something that should be avoided as it might bother them and bring negative energy to the room.

What do you guys that are vegetarians/vegans do, shut up and eat what served but refuse seconds? And how would you meat eaters react if that happened at the table that you just served?
I just tell them I'm vegetarian and I eat what I can. If they ask why and are truly interested I will go into detail. It only happened the first 2 years or so. Now everyone knows so it never comes up...D
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
So you eat meat because it's easier??...lol ok well to each his own...but vegetarianism isn't hard at all...D
I was talking in general.

I eat everything because there is nothing wrong or unnatural about it - its how we evolved. To say it is wrong goes against evolution which can't be wrong.

If you interested in what the natural human diet is, this is the leading text on the matter.

Here is a good review of it from Amazon:

If you are interested in paleoanthropology and in the hypothesis that "diseases of affluence" accompanied dietary change as humans evolved, you likely wished for a scholarly treatment of the subject. This is exactly the book you wished for, but there is a risk that you will get in over your head. This book will fill in a gap in your collection of paleoanthropology books and will fill a considerable gap in your knowledge of the dietary habits of our forbears, as well as closely-related genera, and modern hunter-gatherers.

The book is a collection of nine previously published research papers, edited by a professor of anthropology, Ungar, and a professor of biology and anatomy, Teaford. They are also joint authors of two of the papers. There are no fewer than 560 references to other books and articles, or 3.5 per page. The rigor of the contributing authors' scholarship is very high, and the vocabulary is not modified for general readership. This is not an entry level treatment of the subject of prehistoric hominid diet, nor of diseases of affluence, and if you do not feel prepared for a graduate level seminar, then you may be disappointed. The problem is that there is nothing written for the general reader on this topic (except for anecdotal treatments), so you may simply wish to endure diminished comprehension rather than pass over this excellent book.

The editors state two objectives. The first is to consider the significance to contemporary humans of the evolution in hominid dietary preferences. The second is to indicate the methodologies used to determine those preferences. The book is fairly successful in the first objective, and highly successful in the latter.

The working assumption, thoroughout the book, is that, physiologically, we are the end result of some two million years of evolution since the first of our Genus evolved, yet we consume a diet which is different in the extreme from that of our ancestors. This "discordance" disrupts the long-established and delicate equilibrium between our physiological needs and our dietary composition. As the theory goes, this suboptimal composition results in numerous "diseases of affluence."

Substantiating this theory, the editors' ultimate objective, requires an extensive exploration of early hominid diets, which comprises the bulk of the book (and is a wonderful read), followed by a demonstration of the ill effects of divergence from this diet. The paleontological evidence for early hominin diets is comprised of dentition architecture, mandibular biomechanics, rehydrated coprolites, as well as dental and ossius isotopic ratio analysis. This evidence is coroborated with comparisons to the diets of existing Pong, and Pan Genera, whose genomes are still rather close neighbors of ours. It is further cooborated with studies of existing Homo sapien hunter-gatherers. The conclusion of this considerable effort, spanning several chapters and years of painstaking fieldwork is that there is actually no such thing as a single "paleolithic diet." This conclusion is necessary because hominids were exceptionally omnivorous, their habitats were variable, and their use of tools increasingly overcame some physiological limitations to food exploitation. While this conclusion might have discouraged other editors, Ungar and Teaford forge ahead to the health consequences of our modern dietary choices.

I strongly recommend two chapters in particular, "Evolution, Diet, and Health," by Eaton, Eaton, and Cordain, and "Hunter-Gatherer Diets: Wild Foods Signal Relief from Diseases of Affluence," by Milton. Moreover, even the highly technical chapters finish with "Conclusions" sections, which are accessible to the general reader.

If you are experienced in the vocabulary of paleoanthropology, and still have unanswered questions about the diets of early hominids, you will find the answers here. You will also learn that, notwithstanding Homo sapiens' vaunted omnivorousness, and adaptability to every ecological niche, there are definite limits to what we can consume. Our species passed that limit some ten thousand years ago, and natural selection works far too slowly for us ever to adapt.
 

untitledsince89

Turbo Monkey
Nov 11, 2005
1,316
0
Winston-Salem NC
Darwins are for killers of themselves, not murderers of children...

Ed: This tragedy does bring to mind another vegan conundrum...can vegan chicks (or dudes, I suppose, as well) swallow?
The answer to that is yes, well at least for my gf, she swallows. She just won't eat any animal by-products, she has to get her protein somehow:biggrin:
 

Echo

crooked smile
Jul 10, 2002
11,819
15
Slacking at work
I was talking in general.

I eat everything because there is nothing wrong or unnatural about it - its how we evolved. To say it is wrong goes against evolution which can't be wrong.

If you interested in what the natural human diet is, this is the leading text on the matter.

Here is a good review of it from Amazon:
I know this is a difficult concept for you to grasp, but just because you decide to follow a certain belief structure, that does not make it the only correct information on the planet. Just because you, or someone who agrees with you, claims that someone is the leading expert on something, does not make it so. And I still don't understand why people like you give a rat's ass what I eat. I believe eating meat is not healthy, and there are a million reputable sources that will back up my claims too. For you to keep spouting the same opinions over and over and calling them facts does not change anything.
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,698
1,749
chez moi
Have you got a cow-catcher?
That sounds a bit violent for a vegetrain. I think he rather has a device that gently lifts the cows up and whisks them away to a long-deserved vacation, far away from railroad tracks.

My train, on the other hand, has a meat grinder mounted on the front.
 

BMXman

I wish I was Canadian
Sep 8, 2001
13,827
0
Victoria, BC
I was talking in general.

I eat everything because there is nothing wrong or unnatural about it - its how we evolved. To say it is wrong goes against evolution which can't be wrong.
ok lets say I agree with you that eating meat is natural evolution (which I don't). You can't compare the hunter/gather days to the amount of mass farming that goes on today. It's just apples and oranges. Now if you went out and killed your own meat with your bare hands or a weapon you made then I have no problem with that.

Today that is hardly the case. Mass farming uses up to much land, involves cruelty and endless suffering of animlas, as well as aids in the spead or many diseases.....D
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
I know this is a difficult concept for you to grasp, but just because you decide to follow a certain belief structure, that does not make it the only correct information on the planet. Just because you, or someone who agrees with you, claims that someone is the leading expert on something, does not make it so.
Yeah this text sounds real questionable to me compared to those pamplets you get at the health food store:

The book is a collection of nine previously published research papers, edited by a professor of anthropology, Ungar, and a professor of biology and anatomy, Teaford. They are also joint authors of two of the papers. There are no fewer than 560 references to other books and articles, or 3.5 per page. The rigor of the contributing authors' scholarship is very high, and the vocabulary is not modified for general readership. This is not an entry level treatment of the subject of prehistoric hominid diet, nor of diseases of affluence, and if you do not feel prepared for a graduate level seminar, then you may be disappointed. The problem is that there is nothing written for the general reader on this topic (except for anecdotal treatments), so you may simply wish to endure diminished comprehension rather than pass over this excellent book.
Humans have physiological traits not found in herbivores. Our species succeeded because we are omnivores. Evolution isn't something you can just forget in a generation or two, it doesn't work that way.

Also I never mentioned you or BMXman - I didn't direct it anyone in particular.
 

Echo

crooked smile
Jul 10, 2002
11,819
15
Slacking at work
Still I gotta do what works for me dude. I literally haven't had so much as a case of the sniffles in 2 years. I'm in my best riding shape ever. I'm 40 years old and I still get ID'd for beer. If I'm malnourished, it sure feels great. On the other hand, most of my meatasaurus friends, who ride/work out just as much as me, and otherwise eat healthy, are constantly getting colds, flu, stomach bugs, etc. Coincidence? Maybe. But I'm gonna stick with what works for me.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Still I gotta do what works for me dude. I literally haven't had so much as a case of the sniffles in 2 years. I'm in my best riding shape ever. I'm 40 years old and I still get ID'd for beer. If I'm malnourished, it sure feels great. On the other hand, most of my meatasaurus friends, who ride/work out just as much as me, and otherwise eat healthy, are constantly getting colds, flu, stomach bugs, etc. Coincidence? Maybe. But I'm gonna stick with what works for me.
As I mentioned above I would agree if you said most western countries have too much animal based foods in their diet.

I'll give some credence to BMXman in that modern large scale commercial farming - BOTH animal and plant - does have a range of detrimental effects.

However you can't give up the fact that we are, by nature, omnivores. You can't discount our evolution.