How do you feel about people who do not eat "meat" but eat gelatin or fish or poultry or something?!


Question: How do you feel about people who do not eat "meat" but eat gelatin or fish or poultry or something!?
I know some vegetarians and vegans who hate people who eat gelatin, fish, poultry, milk, eggs, or use leather but restrict red meat or something because they say that that confuses the meaning of vegetarianism!. I strongly disagree because I think that anyone who even decreases their meat or animal byproducts is doing a very good thing!. Two people who decrease their meat consumption by half are helping just as much as one vegetarian! also, when people act like you have to be completely vegetarian or may as well not eat vegetarian foods at all, I think that gives vegetarians a bad name because they seem snotty and rude and then other people are discouraged from even cutting back on meat!. What do you think!?

(PLEASE don't post any mean comments - I know that some people feel very strongly about these issues, but that's no excuse for trying to hurt other people's feelings or insult their way of life!.)Www@FoodAQ@Com


Answers:
I feel that trying to convince people they're not "real" vegetarians if they eat ANY animal products does more harm than good!.

We know that driving cars is bad for the environment!. But that doesn't mean we get rid of our cars and walk EVERYWHERE or tell people that they don't really care about the environment if they still drive sometimes!. Instead, we try to cut back on our car use-- maybe we walk to a friend's house if the weather's good instead of driving!. But that doesn't mean we feel guilty about using a car if our friend lives too far away, we're pressed for time, or it's snowing!.

Likewise, I think that we could save more animals if we didn't make the distinction between "vegetarian and non-vegetarian"!. That implies you have to live your life black-and-white!. It implies that if you don't have the willpower to NEVER eat meat again, or if you don't want to take the time to nit-pickily read packaging and reject things that even have a tiny bit of meat (like some chicken fat in crackers that are 98% wheat), that you might as well just not even try to eat fewer animals!.

But honestly!.!.!. if you choose not to eat meat but aren't careful to read the packaging of non-meat items for animal derivatives, aren't you saving 98% of the animals you would have eaten otherwise!?

Or, if you don't want to eliminate all your meat intake but instead decide to be a vegetarian 2 days a week, aren't you still helping!?

We shouldn't look at "partial vegetarians" as hypocrites!. We should look at them as people trying to do something to help the world!.

Www@FoodAQ@Com

It's counterproductive for an environmentalist/vegetarian/person concerned about sustainable lifestyles to attack someone else for reducing animal product consumption!. We all can and should be challenged to do more than we are currently doing, and that might include giving up additional foods, and sometimes it helps people move along that continuum to point out to them that what they're currently doing is not vegetarian by any logical definition of the word!. But you always have to be respectful, or you're doing more harm than good!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

i met a 14yr old girl once who claimed she was a vegetarian!. Although she said "but i still eat chicken and bacon"!.
i wasn't angry at her and i didn't hate her!. I knew she didn't understand what she was doing and what the meaning of being a vegertarian was!. Looking back now i thought she was stupid but i should of told her the real meaning of being a vegetarian!. Some people dont understand the full meaning!. Www@FoodAQ@Com

To me, being vegetarian means you restrict yourself from all meats!.
Including poultry and seafood!.

If you reduce your meat intake, that's great but you're still eating meat!.

So if you're eating meat, please don't consider yourself a vegetarian!. It's not mean, its just like false advertising!.

Www@FoodAQ@Com

Vegetarians and their holier-than-thou attitudes can honestly go to hell!. Now, it bothers me when people call themselves vegetarians but continue to eat meat, yes, but I agree that it helps the environment and health either way!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

i think its rediculous!. Last time i checked, chicken was meat, and so was fish!. gelatin i dont mind so much!. but people who call themsleves vegetarians but eat chicken and fish are full of it!. Www@FoodAQ@Com

They are vegetarian wanna bees, I don't hate them, but If I hear them say "I'm a vegetarian," I will politely correct them!. Www@FoodAQ@Com

At least they are making a start, I usually point out that poultry and fish are meat, but gently!. I don't want them going back to being full on carnivores out of sheer bloody -mindedness!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

i feel that they are not vegetarians!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Firstly those people are not vegetarians!.

Its not about if decreasing meat consumption si a good or a bad thing, thats not the issue!. For me, as a vegetarian, its obviously good to see any meat reduction!.

But, calling yorself a vegetarian and then eating meat, fish, poultry etc DOES cause a lot of confusion!. We see it all the time with resturants offering "fish" as the veggie option!. We see it with Masterfoods ( yep, one of the biggest food manufacturers ) saying veggies eat geletin!.

It does confuse things, there is no getting away from that fact!.

And there is no reason to call yourself a vegetarian if you are not one!. If people cannot be bothered to explain thier diet to others why do they have to create confusion for the rest of us by incorrectly using the word vegetarian!.

And you mention we should not insult in the answers, I agree!. However, being vegetarian has been a core moral value of mine for 30 years!. If you eat meat and call yourself a vegetarian you are insulting my very moral values!. Perhaps thing about that, you cannot ask others to not insult you and them continue to insult millions of vegetarians all the time, can you !?Www@FoodAQ@Com





The consumer Foods information on foodaq.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007 FoodAQ - Terms of Use - Contact us - Privacy Policy

Food's Q&A Resources