[ZombieX]

Okay, I remember this topic in bits and pieces, and I can't be bothered quoting you all... plus it would make my post look twice as long, which isn't pretty.

At some point it was mentioned that you can't become a vegetarian whilst living with your parents. This sounds to me like you have a very oppressive regime in your household. Surely when you are shopping with them you could pick up some preffered meat substitutes... or if you don't shop with them just do it yourself. Tell them you don't wan't to eat meat, explain why, and move on. Unless you are completely lazy and just let your parents do EVERYTHING for you.

Someone also said that vegetarians should go out and pick their own vegetables... I can do that, I've done that. But it misses the point of why you were asked if you could slaughter your own food. (Which I've witnessed, and could not do, by the way). It takes another kind of mental strength to take away another life. As for the general slaughter being painless, you couldn't be more wrong. Cows are herded happlessly and helplessly to the slaughter house. A bolt is swiftly shot into their head before they're strung up and bled etc. You try having a bolt shot in your head. In a recent investigation a number of American slaughterhouses were discovered to have LIVE cows strung up: the bolt didn't kill them... I can't remember the exact details, but if you're desperate I'm sure I could root out the article.

The difference between animals and plants is that animals have CONSCIOUSNESS.. a brain. Humans, also having a consciousness, can sympathize with other animals. Anyways, I won't go further down that road.

Because most of society is based around pleasure-seeking. The fact is most people find meat tastes nice, and aren't willing to give it up becuse they are selfish. That is what my whole argument is about.

Continuing with the analogy used throughout this debate, if humans dislike murder, why isn't there a wide spread push in human society to stop that? Okay, we have police forces, but we just leave it all up to them. How many of us, if we walked down a street and saw a violent murder taking place by a gang of thugs would rush in and stop it? Most of us would scurry away and call the cops when the guy's dead.

Okay, that was a bad analogy... but look at it this way, a lot of you eat meat, right? If YOU knew plant matter contains all the same nutritional values as meat, would you stop eating meat? If the answer was yes, you'd better stop now. Anyways I'm not really putting myself accross clearly here.

I'm not quite sure how this supports your agument, as on average, vegetarians live longer than those who eat meat.

Although I doubt that's because they don't eat meat. More likely the fact they are vegetarian means they are concerned with their health, therefore they live a healthier lifestyle. But then not eating meat helps.. with macdonalds and burger king making their fast foods ever more fattening. I'd like to add I used to hate macdonalds anyways. Still do, in fact.


Well, I'll shut up now. I've found this topic very interesting. I've also seen some stupid, arrogant, ignorant, selfish, hypocritical, commendable, original, clever and downright weird views from both "sides" of the debate. It's a pity some people have taken it so personally. God I sound like a moron don't I?

One more pointless observation, totally unrelated, and I mean no offence by this, but:

Wow, if you weren't too busy judging... ...I know every vitamin and mineral known to man! I took nutrition classes before. So before you call some one ignorant and lazy, ask people first if they know anything about nutrition and the human body.

This just struck me as being very arrogant and self centred. I don't know why, but I think it could be all the "I"s and "me"s included. Plus the fact someone who took nutrition classes and was loudly and emotionally proving it didn't even seem to know much more than me. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure this person does know a lot more, but it's a pity they couldn't have said something more bafflingly scientifically unusually, that no-one understands but everyone sits in awe at, if you see what I mean. Oh, and I don't think I know every vitamin and mineral known to man.

Anyways, I'm rambling now.