preaching about meat or booze etc

[PepperElf]

just a little something that gets on my nerves...

1) When someone claims they don't eat meat for reasons of "morality".

Cos to me that implies that they're telling those who eat meat that they're all "immoral" and ... who the hell are they to judge us?

I mean if Person X doesn't want to eat meat then fine, don't eat it. I won't try to change what PX eats, or try to convince them to change, or even trick them into eating an animal.

But at the same time Person X better not try telling me that I'm "immoral" for eating that tasty steak.


2) People who try telling me that drinking alcohol is "wrong."

Same thing. If Person Y doesn't want to drink, fine. Person Y won't even need to give me a reason beyond "I don't want any". If I'm offering a drink to someone I usually include other non-alcoholic things from the start anyway, so it's not like there's going to be any pressure. I'll even be nice and, if someone isn't a drinker, that the bottles of hard lemonade are alcoholic, cos ... that's just basic good manners.*

But tell me that I'm doing the wrong thing? >:-/

As long as I'm drinking responsibly (meaning no law breaking, etc) then PY has no say in it, and should perhaps enjoy nice warm glass of shut-the-hell-up.



basically as i see it... if i can be accommodating and polite to others with their food preferences then there's no freakin' reason others can't be polite about mine.



* and yes I really did that. My roommate was religiously against alcohol, so I figured she might not know that Mike's Hard Lemonade was alcoholic. I made a point of letting her know as I put it in the fridge. Good thing I told her too - one of her church-friends was visiting when I was away and almost drank a bottle.

I will say though, my roommate didn't try to change me. I appreciate that.

[Greenday]

I am a semi-drunk carnivore and I approve of this message.

Yes, to be a carnivore, some animal has to die. But you know what? That animal probably would never have been born if it wasn't for people like me who ate that animal. That's how I am and if it means killing something lower in the food chain, then so be it.

As far as drinking being evil goes, you know what? I drink, I don't get obnoxious, and I don't drive drunk. There's nothing wrong with that.

[draggar]

I wouldn't mind going vegetarian but I like meat too much. It's the food chain, most animals on this planet eat meat and kill their prey in far less humane ways that we do - just watch some national geographic shows.

As for alcohol, I don't drink. No accidents, no abuse, I just don't like the taste of alcohol. I don't mind others drinking, though (plus I got to be the DD in college and always had free soda and got to drive some very nice cars!)

[Cat]

hmmmm....I am a vegetarian. I do it for what I consider "morality*," MY version of morality. This does not imply that I think omnivores are "immoral" in any way. Perhaps a better way to have word it would be "I'm a vegetarian (or non-drinker, or whatever) because I feel it is right for me."

Though I do agree, any one who is preachy about THEIR views of morality is bloody annoying....this applies to veggie, booze, drugs, politics, religion, yadda yadda.


*no need to get in to my reasons....to many veggie threads already.

[Boozy]

hmmmm....I am a vegetarian. I do it for what I consider "morality*," MY version of morality. This does not imply that I think omnivores are "immoral" in any way. Perhaps a better way to have word it would be "I'm a vegetarian (or non-drinker, or whatever) because I feel it is right for me."

So are you a vegetarian for moral reasons or for health reasons?

If you feel that eating meat is morally wrong, you'd sort of have to feel that way for everyone, wouldn't you? Why would eating meat be morally wrong just for you, but okay for everyone else? That's a bizarre set of morals. Unless you think you're somehow drastically different than the rest of the human race.

I suspect what you were trying to say is that you think eating meat is morally wrong -- period. You just don't preach about it. And that's a perfectly okay. You don't have to apologize for it or justify what you're thinking about others.

[Cat]

Perhaps ethics would have been a better word for me than morals...it is the way I see my place in the world...but I know my views are not the everyones.

There are few "morals" that emcompass the entire human species.

[Red Panda]

I have a close friend who is vegetarian for moral reasons who never tells other people to not eat meat and has actually prepared meat dishes in the past, although she won't cook the meat herself because she is afraid of under cooking it. Her explanation is that while she doesn't think its right to eat meat she understands that everybody is different and has different opinions on what is right and wrong.

I think its possible to have morals for yourself but not look down on others who feel differantly. Im not racist or homophobic. I've heard older family members say things on the subject that I am opposed to but I don't feel differently about them because they have had a different background then me. If they want to feel that way fine. They cant change how I feel and its way too much trouble trying to only interact with people who have the same opninions as me

[crashhelmet]

A friend of mine is "trying" to be a vegetarian for moral reasons. I don't remember if it was a book she read or a documentary she saw, but she now feels guilty when she eats meat. She doesn't mind if other people do, just personally feels guilty when she does. So while she eats her lettuce bowl tofu snack things, I'm eating a deliciously prepare steak MMmmmmm

CH

[Cat]

Mhhh tofu snacks things....ugh 45 mins til lunch!!


I will say, though, it IS very annoying when people do indeed look down on you because you don't adhere to their views.

[Hobbs]

Play this game before saying Vegetarian is moral

[jackfaire]

On the other hand it's annoying when someone offers something or asks if you will do something and you say, "Oh no that's not something I do"

"why not?"

"Oh it's against my personal ethics"

Then I usually spend 15 minutes explaining that they can stop being defensive that I wasn't saying they shouldn't do it.

[PepperElf]

ah that's where i'm different then.

as i said before, when it comes to offering drinks, i usually offer more than just alcohol cos, even though i drink booze... i don't always drink it.

as for non-meat foods... eh i've met enough people who say "i don't eat meat" that my reaction is pretty much "ok". and if i'm cooking food that they specifically might eat, i make sure there's something they can consume. (easiest way is to make food that requires a sauce, cos then you can make a separate meat sauce and a separate veggie sauce so everyone is happy and no one feels on-the-spot for their own food preferences)

and yeah "for moral reasons" is one of the pet peeves i mentioned.
now if someone clarifies that it's for their own personal reasons it actually doesn't trigger the pet peeve. might sound strange to some but that's just how my pet peeve works.

[Racket_Man]

I am a semi-drunk carnivore and I approve of this message.

Yes, to be a carnivore, some animal has to die. But you know what? That animal probably would never have been born if it wasn't for people like me who ate that animal. That's how I am and if it means killing something lower in the food chain, then so be it.

As far as drinking being evil goes, you know what? I drink, I don't get obnoxious, and I don't drive drunk. There's nothing wrong with that.

I too admit to being a carnivore and having the ocasional adult beverage.

the one thing that bugs me about either side of the carnivore VS vegitarian/vegan moral/ethic thing is this:

Simply put: either way of comsuming the needed nutriutional things, most of the time involves "KILLING LIVING THINGS". just becasue you happen to be at the top of the "food chain" does NOT absolve you from this fact.

I assume that most people KNOW that plants are alive as are animals as are inscets, as are reptiles, etc. so unless you ONLY comsume stuff that has died "naturally" or only eat fallen berries or seeds you will have to "sacrifice" something so you can consume/eat it.

That nice ear of corn on your plate used to be part of a living plant that died so you could eat its potential offspring. that ear of corn is literally ripped from the plant (Hmmm I wonder how that plant feels about that though that is a WHOLE other discussion) and the rest of the plant is just discarded as scrap (most of the time anyway other uses are being found for that).

one thing eating another thing for food is just natural. what way you CHOOSE is up to you. but do not get all moral and ethical about it.

[jackfaire]

Unless Vegans and Vegetarians only buy food grown on farms that use hand tools then the machinery is killing small animals.

If they use natural pesticides they are using one animal to kill another animal.

Their hands are not clean.

[Rebel]

I love stuff like this.
I work at a pet store. We have raw bones, dehydrated bones, pig ears, cow hooves, beef tripe, etc all through our store. Across the road is a Vegan store (sells food, clothing, and beauty supplies). They hate us. They're always the ones who will come over to argue against eating meat. They hate it when we point out the facts about cat and dog nutritional needs and how meat is very much needed (they're fricking carnivores you dumbarses!) I actually had to tell off one girl who was trying to make her cat a vegetarian like herself (you can technically make a dog a vegetarian, just don't expect it to be very healthy or active or live too long a life).

I normally have no problem with Vegans and Vegetarians. To each their own. But if you dare to attack me when I'm eating a burger, I will make pained little 'mooing' sounds for the rest of my meal.
As for drinking, I actually can't do it for medical reasons (well I can, but the massive pain and risk of type 1 isn't really worth it). But I've never had any problem with other people doing so (I'm Australian, kinda hard to avoid the drinking culture).

Also, Vegan store? Those faux leather belts you sell? They still put forward the idea that leather belts are awesome. And real leather belts are actually cheaper. FAIL!