Woukd you be vegeterian for reasons other than culture or religion?

[AmreekanDesi]

I know ita difficult question to ask because almost all desi vegeterians I know do it due to religious or cultural and family reasons. But then they claim that the main reasons are in fact moral and that they don't want to cause harm or torture animals and other bs. but for some convenient reason these ppl are almost always inclined towards religion too. so lets be honest here, would you personally be pure vegan or vegetarian for reasons other than culture or religion? I know quite a few of my classmates were vegetarian at home but within a year of college in the US they were eating beef burgers and whatnot. :woot: and all their moral reasons took a backseat once they did not have family and cultural pressure. so where do icfers stand? NOTE: The question is only directed to desis as we have these circumstances

[yoda]

I've been in the US for decades, have no parental pressure and am still a Vegetarian. It's not because of any moral value, simply because I love vegetarian food and there is no need to try something which smells and comes from dead animals. The fact that these animals are raised in despicable conditions simply for the sake of getting killed to become one's food makes being a Vegetarian even better.

[HippoSucks]

Religious/cultural values and morals go hand in hand. Neither are mutually exclusive. If I grew up in a different environment where the culture was that eating animals is fine, then my morals would reflect the same. But I've been living in the US (and other foreign countries) for several years (many of which were without the presence of my family) and never had any temptation to change my eating habits.

[AmreekanDesi]

Religious/cultural values and morals go hand in hand. Neither are mutually exclusive. If I grew up in a different environment where the culture was that eating animals is fine, then my morals would reflect the same. But I've been living in the US (and other foreign countries) for several years (many of which where without the presence of my family) and never had any temptation to change my eating habits.

:hatsoff: #respect people who act all holy and morally upright and religious at home but let go of this fake persona when they are abroad are people who I don't like at all. why the need for such deception is what I ask?

[AmreekanDesi]

Religious/cultural values and morals go hand in hand. Neither are mutually exclusive. If I grew up in a different environment where the culture was that eating animals is fine, then my morals would reflect the same. .

though not fullt agree with this in relation to the question I ask. ive met quite a few americans who are vegeterians because they genuinely feel disgusted by animals being killed to feed them. there is no societal or religious pressure on them to conform to this ideal but they still do it however I know and met ppl who are vegetarians only and only because of expectation and pressure but pass it off as sth they do due to their morals. however when they get the chance to not be vegeterians and are in a position where they will not be judged or looked down on their morals go away and they start eating meat. these are the ppl im alluding to so that's the question and why its directed to icfers.

[HippoSucks]

:hatsoff: #respect people who act all holy and morally upright and religious at home but let go of this fake persona when they are abroad are people who I don't like at all. why the need for such deception is what I ask?

Those people are mostly the ones who were vegetarian only because of their religious upbringing rather than their moral values. Generally you would expect that if you grow up in a certain culture, you would adopt their values wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, some don't and when they move to a different society (where more people they interact with are non-vegetarian) they are tempted to change themselves. I don't think that there are many people who want to be non-vegetarian but are forced otherwise by their family.

[HippoSucks]

though not fullt agree with this in relation to the question I ask. ive met quite a few americans who are vegeterians because they genuinely feel disgusted by animals being killed to feed them. there is no societal or religious pressure on them to conform to this ideal but they still do it however I know and met ppl who are vegetarians only and only because of expectation and pressure but pass it off as sth they do due to their morals. however when they get the chance to not be vegeterians and are in a position where they will not be judged or looked down on their morals go away and they start eating meat. these are the ppl im alluding to so that's the question and why its directed to icfers.

I think it only works one way. If you grow up in a certain culture, you adopt their moral values (for the most part). But if you have certain values that are predominantly part of one certain religion, then it does not necessarily mean that you adopt that religion. For example, as you mentioned, there are many people who are vegetarian but don't follow the culture that contains the most amount of vegetarians in the world.

[AmreekanDesi]

I don't think that there are many people who want to be non-vegetarian but are forced otherwise by their family.

forced is a strong word but societal and family expectation is totally sth else if my friends and family don't do something I probably wouldn't either just to fit in and also because of lack of opportunity. but I wouldn't pass this behavior as sth im doing because of my morals or anything.

[AmreekanDesi]

so basically beck to the qs. Would you be vegetarian for reasons other than culture or religion?

[sensible-indian]

I am a veg (no eggs too) plus don't drink cos its says so in my religion. Vast majority of my friends drink and are non veg (and 100% of them eat eggs atleast) but I have never felt the urge to try them out whenever we go out (restaurants or bars). For a long time, i thought this was because I had great self control. But later realized, that was a BS reason (cos I don't have much self control as a human). The reason I never ate non veg or drank alcohol was because I was CONDITIONED too well not to do so. So its effortless for me to not do it. As for moral aspect, I am not ok with killing animals and eating them but I know that if I was born in a different family/culture, I would have found it tough to accept the killing but I would had non veg nevertheless.

[KeyboardWarrior]

Bad News For Vegetarians: Plants Can Hear Themselves Being Eaten http://www.hungryforever.com/bad-news-vegetarians-plants-can-hear-eaten/

[randomGuy]

In my family, every one ate non-veg (chicken mutton and fish). First I stopped eating non-veg, then slowly everyone stopped in a couple of yrs. (In my case, i dont use any leather products either. i am active in stock market and dont buy shares of lucrative sea food, leather products companies even if I am sure they will yield grt profit) No religious/cultural reasons. I don't want animals to go thru that torture in slaughterhouse. So moral reasons.

[rkt.india]

If people stop being non veg, there will be dearth of veg food and lot more people will be dying of hunger. Non veg food makes up for a lot of food demand. Non veg food alone won't be enough to feed 6-7 million people.

[randomGuy]

I've been in the US for decades' date=' have no parental pressure and am still a Vegetarian. It's not because of any moral value, simply because I love vegetarian food and there is no need to try something which smells and comes from dead animals.[b'] The fact that these animals are raised in despicable conditions simply for the sake of getting killed to become one's food makes being a Vegetarian even better.

++. These are my thoughts too.

[Cricketics]

I am vegetarian because I chose to be. Growing up in India, my parents always asked me to try non veg items but I chose to be vegetarian as I liked it being that way. I have lived overseas now for a long long time and still like being vegetarian. There is no religious thing here.

[Sir john]

in home nonveg outside home veg

[AmreekanDesi]

in home nonveg outside home veg

your picture is so BOSS

[Detonator]

I am a veg in weekdays, non veg on sundays and saturdays only

[Gollum]

I am veg because my entire family has been veg for many generations. I don't have any religious issues about it. I simply am not mentally conditioned to see animals killed in slaughterhouses after being forced to live in despicable conditions on my plate just to satiate my taste buds. I love animals and never want them to suffer for my sake. I also avoid leather items and other animal products( at least to the best of my knowledge). Even if I were to live in some foreign country where non veg is staple diet I am cent % sure I wouldn't change my dietary habits. Even being near non veg dishes makes me nauseous.

[Shivaji bhonsle]

Non veg. I have to have non veg every day. Its been like this from my childhood. Although my parents are veg since they are involved in yoga and few cultural activities, they always cooked non veg for me. I tried to become veg for few weeks, but it was really tough eating just vegetables.