The Student Room Group

Is there any real reason to be a vegetarian?

The only real reason I can see to be a vegetarian is if you happen to dislike the taste of meat, and so you don't eat it, which I suppose technically makes you a vegetarian, but it's not on any kind of ethical grounds.
I'm a meat eater, so obviously I have no ethical problems with killing animals to eat them, but most vegetarians do, and yet they still consume dairy and eggs? Those industries have the same implications for the animals as the meat industry. The cows that produce milk are killed after a couple of years when they are no longer able to produce the milk, usually they are turned in to meat for people to eat. Same in the egg industry, male cocks are of no use and killed.
I have nothing against people who are ethically against the consumption of animal products, ie vegans. We just share different ethics. I just think it's hypocritical to say killing animals is wrong and then contribute to the dairy and egg industry, as most vegetarians do.
Also any self proclaimed 'vegetarians' who still eat fish, gtfo.

Scroll to see replies

Meat is murder.
Also, pretty much just as many animals are killed to feed vegetarians as are killed to feed meat eaters, in fact the former are killed in far more inhumane ways...

All those poor voles, birds, and mice etc... which are churned up and left either dead or ripped apart in agony as the machines till and cultivate the land.
Reply 3
Vegetarians are questionable people who can't be trusted.
Reply 4
Original post by MattyR2895
The only real reason I can see to be a vegetarian is if you happen to dislike the taste of meat, and so you don't eat it, which I suppose technically makes you a vegetarian, but it's not on any kind of ethical grounds.
I'm a meat eater, so obviously I have no ethical problems with killing animals to eat them, but most vegetarians do, and yet they still consume dairy and eggs? Those industries have the same implications for the animals as the meat industry. The cows that produce milk are killed after a couple of years when they are no longer able to produce the milk, usually they are turned in to meat for people to eat. Same in the egg industry, male cocks are of no use and killed.
I have nothing against people who are ethically against the consumption of animal products, ie vegans. We just share different ethics. I just think it's hypocritical to say killing animals is wrong and then contribute to the dairy and egg industry, as most vegetarians do.
Also any self proclaimed 'vegetarians' who still eat fish, gtfo.


I see your point mate. However,after a cow is no longer able to produce milk. It is killed for meat-which vegans do not consume and so do not promote. Same applies to cocks which produce eggs (which some vegans consume) after the cock is unable to produce eggs it is killed for meat-which vegans do not consume and so do not promote.
Reply 5
Original post by iEatMuFFiNS
Also, pretty much just as many animals are killed to feed vegetarians as are killed to feed meat eaters, in fact the former are killed in far more inhumane ways...

All those poor voles, birds, and mice etc... which are churned up and left either dead or ripped apart in agony as the machines till and cultivate the land.


Cows and chickens are killed for meat in a far more barbaric fashion. So I would rather be a bird in this case. And lets not forget that meat eaters also consumer vegan products.
Reply 6
Original post by chagsha
I see your point mate. However,after a cow is no longer able to produce milk. It is killed for meat-which vegans do not consume and so do not promote. Same applies to cocks which produce eggs (which some vegans consume) after the cock is unable to produce eggs it is killed for meat-which vegans do not consume and so do not promote.

Like I said in the OP, I have no issue with vegans. A cock is a male chicken, which of course does not produce eggs. Vegans don't consume eggs. Any one who claims to be a vegan but still eats eggs is a lier.
Reply 7
Original post by Kater Murr
Meat is murder.



preach it
I'm not a vegetarian, but there's also the environmental argument - the Earth can't possibly sustain a world of meat-eaters. The only reason it sustains us in the UK is because so many people elsewhere can't afford meat. Farming for meat is the most environmentally damaging form of farming.
For me personally, I am a vegetarian for moral reasons but I see being vegetarian as a half way house to being vegan (which I intend to be - do you know how much stuff has eggs/milk in it!!!!!)
At the moment I don't eat meat and I don't eat eggs or drink milk outright (rice milk for the win!) but it is difficult to avoid it in products so I can't class myself as vegan yet
Tldr; being vegetarian is a step towards being vegan for me personally
I'm not a vegetarian but I have reduced my meat intake to about once a fortnight (usually at other people's houses), swapped real milk for almond milk and only buy local eggs.

Honestly, creating large mammals that can feel distress and then treating them like **** until it's time for us to eat them makes me uneasy, but that's a grey area that I would rather not use as an argument. (I don't really know if chickens feel distress, they're lower down on my uneasiness list, but I have chickens at home and I think they'd be stressed out if they weren't allowed to walk around.)

More important and more convincing for me are the arguments against the meat industry in general: it causes desertification and rainforest destruction (and, hippy talk aside, we need dem plantz), and all the grain (and the land it's grown on) that's used to feed up cows for burgers could feed ten times more people* (including The Poor) if it was used directly. I can get over killing animals, but social injustice and messing up the Earth are pretty rubiss.

*That's ten times more people fed for all the voles and shrews crushed up by yon combine harvester.
Reply 11
Original post by MattyR2895
Like I said in the OP, I have no issue with vegans. A cock is a male chicken, which of course does not produce eggs. Vegans don't consume eggs. Any one who claims to be a vegan but still eats eggs is a lier.


*Hens. I would argue that consuming eggs would still make a person vegan though as no animals are killed..?
Original post by PythianLegume
I'm not a vegetarian, but there's also the environmental argument - the Earth can't possibly sustain a world of meat-eaters. The only reason it sustains us in the UK is because so many people elsewhere can't afford meat. Farming for meat is the most environmentally damaging form of farming.


This is why I am vegetarian. It is far far far far far far less damaging to the environment - causes less global warming, less soil degradation, uses far less water.As someone who works in conservation it feels hypocritical to me to speak out against environmental damage whilst chowing down on meat every day.

I don't drink milk and have also cut down my cheese intake. I buy local eggs from the market. Occasionally I will cook with cream or yoghurt but I believe my dairy intake these days is at a level where everyone could partake without destroying the planet.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by chagsha
*Hens. I would argue that consuming eggs would still make a person vegan though as no animals are killed..?


Vegans don't eat any animal products. Including honey.
Reply 14
Original post by redferry
Vegans don't eat any animal products. Including honey.


I meant with vegetarians, they can eat eggs but at the same time call themselves vegetarian. Would you agree ?
Original post by chagsha
I meant with vegetarians, they can eat eggs but at the same time call themselves vegetarian. Would you agree ?


Yeah, you can eat dairy and eggs as a vegetarian, and wear wool, which vegans can't. A lot of vegetarians also still wear leather, including myself, but I only buy it 2nd hand off ebay, and only for shoes. Seriously getting non leather shoes that last seems impossible.
Original post by Kater Murr
Meat is murder.


Great album :cool: Guess one reason to go veggie is to be able to listen to the title track without feeling any guilt?
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by chagsha
Cows and chickens are killed for meat in a far more barbaric fashion. So I would rather be a bird in this case. And lets not forget that meat eaters also consumer vegan products.

I doubt it, being churned up by spinning blades and a lot of the time left mutilated to die slowly is far less barbaric to you?

Meat eaters do, but they arguably eat less veg then a vegetarian, and they aren't hypocritical about it...
Reply 18
Original post by iEatMuFFiNS
I doubt it, being churned up by spinning blades and a lot of the time left mutilated to die slowly is far less barbaric to you?

Meat eaters do, but they arguably eat less veg then a vegetarian, and they aren't hypocritical about it...


I would say we have to look into the manner of which the majority of cows and chickens are killed for eat in order to compare.. Also I would say that less birds are killed in comparison to the amount of cows that are butchered for meat..?

Can I ask why you think vegetarians are hyporcritical again ? :smile:
Original post by Roxiepluto
For me personally, I am a vegetarian for moral reasons but I see being vegetarian as a half way house to being vegan (which I intend to be - do you know how much stuff has eggs/milk in it!!!!!)
At the moment I don't eat meat and I don't eat eggs or drink milk outright (rice milk for the win!) but it is difficult to avoid it in products so I can't class myself as vegan yet
Tldr; being vegetarian is a step towards being vegan for me personally


This.
I'm vegetarian for ethical reasons and because I don't particularly miss eating meat. I cut meat out gradually - gave up red meat, then poultry and fish. I plan on becoming vegan, it's just not something I personally could've done all at once (which, admittedly, makes me feel guilty, but it just wouldn't be sensible).

Quick Reply

Latest