why are people vegans and veggies? animals are for food?!

I agree with you. I don't think it is at all particle to think the whole world will ever go vegan or even vegetarian. From what I've seen on here though, most vegans do not expect that to happen, only some. Some of them think if everyone went vegan their would be no hunger and everything would be all so wonderful. With no livestock producing food their land would not be used to graze them, as they would all be gone. With no land used to graze the livestock their would be a significant decrease in soils fertility. By rotating animals across land and letting them spread the manure you get great soil which in turn yields lots of crops. The second best thing after manure used to improve soil is fertilizer. Because most fertilizer contains the meat that is not edible for humans their would no good fertilizer left if their was no livestock.
The crops also rely on the bee keepers to pollinate them, and with no people eating honey their would be a decrease in honey bees. With less honey bees being used their would be much less pollination, therefor less crops. It's also unrealistic to think that to stop consuming meat it would end all hunger. There is alot of land that is unsuitable for growing crops, so instead it is used to raise livestock. It's been proven that the most sustainable diet contains 77% vegetables and 23% meat. So yes, we should cut back on meat but no, we should not elimate meat. And of coarse their are forms of protein other then meat, but it would take a lot more room to grow the same amount of protein in soybeans then you could get from raising a veal calf to 3 months who needs hardly any room and very little feed.
I'm totally with you that it would not work out if the whole world went vegan :)

You sound just like a little kid who has been fed ignorant crap and never considered thinking for herself. Maybe you should open your mind and realize that your way of thinking is not necessarily the right way. Its because of egotistical, speciesist people like you that this world is in such a mess.

just because we can doesn't mean we have too eat meat. some choose not to for ethical reasons, aka killing is wrong. some do it for health reasons, meats are not the best thing for you.

i for one love meat, but try to buy from good sources that treat their animals well.

I think you are a gross person. I bet your one of those people that lock your dog in a cage when your not playing with him.

i love how people like you say humans are so much better than animals but then say vegetarians are stuck up because we think were better than meat eaters. hypocrisy at its best

There were (and still are I believe) people in Alaska that eat all meat and stay perfectly healthy, but I have yet to see or hear of anyone who can live a perfectly healthy life on just veggies, the ones that I see have skin and hair problems among other problems...

I am not vegan nor vegetarian, I love meat more than veggies but I need both...

The only thing I don't like about people killing animals for food is the meat in stores are from animals that were basically tortured their whole life, being kept in tight spaces, stepping over eachother, sleeping in their own poo, not living a happy life!

As a hunter I have to say wild meat goes through the least torture. I don't approve of trophy hunting, nor do I hunt for trophies myself, is a buck has a nice rack then I will keep it and be proud, but I eat the meat and put it to good use, even the bones go to the dogs as it is go for their teeth (the softer ones that is)...

Animals are here for a reason, but to be bred over and over and tortured their whole lives for us to have better tasting meat that's cheap is not the reason... I would be willing to bet that if you went into a meat factory and saw how they treat animals you would go vegetarian, grinding up chicks for dog food, sometimes even leave them in the dark to die, and how they butcher calfs for tender meat, and so many other things...

Here is the living conditions for chickens: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/wp-content/uploads/chickens-4.jpg&imgrefurl=http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2007/05/the-difficult-lives-and-deaths-of-factory-farmed-chickens/&usg=__H-l3xmZSImMl2M6Hp4XT6vYWL84=&h=375&w=550&sz=91&hl=en&start=0&sig2=Lh_DJAcWIVqc4LKDfEauDA&zoom=1&tbnid=Bsb0X9fXwCDkbM:&tbnh=137&tbnw=183&ei=kBtrTaf1E4OisQO97MyoBA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmeat%2Bfactory%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26rlz%3D1G1GGLQ_ENUS355%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D923%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=320&vpy=431&dur=1569&hovh=185&hovw=272&tx=165&ty=99&oei=kBtrTaf1E4OisQO97MyoBA&page=1&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0

They do that to all their animals...

ADD: Scroll down on this website: http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2007/05/the-difficult-lives-and-deaths-of-factory-farmed-chickens/

I did not look much at the website but the pictures can show your the living conditions for factory farmed animals, sorry the other link didn't work...

ETA: I am a Christian, I believe God put animals on earth for us to enjoy and use responsibly, and abusing and torturing animals is not responsible. The world has totally forgot about proportion control, if we would only eat as much meat as our bodies need I would be willing to bet only 1/3 or less of the animals in factories would be needed...

woah, those are some long answers. ;p i think it's up to the individual to decide if they want to eat animals. lots of vegetarians just don't agree with the idea of "factory farming". (if you don't know what it is, look it up). since there are other protein sources besides animals (legumes, whole grains, dairy), vegetarains are healthy ppl. without supporting factory farming.

plus, a small percentage of the population is vegetarian/vegan. that 1 or 2 percent isn't gonna kill farmers' profits. basically it's a matter of personal choice. :)

I am not sure as if it is worthwhile to answer your "question" as it seems like you have you mind made up.

In my opinion, animals are not here for human use. It is human beings egocentric nature that makes them think that we are this special creation, and everything on this earth is here for us to use as we please. It is also the reason why the earth is in the state it is now(pollution, extinction, global warming, etc).

Let's address some of your "points".

"you wouldn't get people not eating meat because they feel sorry for the animals... it was survival and that is why animals were kept, for food."
--- In this day and age we are not eating meat for survival. Food supply in developed nations are in surplus. Thousands of years ago, and even hundreds of years ago the meat industry was not around. Most people hunted to wild game. Human being didn't mass produce animals, then raise and slaughter them in inhuman fashion. Eating meat as part of survival is one thing, eating it b/c you enjoy a certain taste is another, especially the way the industry treats animals today.

The meat consumption of modern times is far beyond anything of the past. Meat was an expensive luxury back in time you were talking of. You either needed to hunt down your own food, and then prepare it, or later on buy it. Go talk to your great grandmother and ask her how much meat she used to eat as a child, most people could not afford it.

"Farmers spend money on their Chickens, Pigs, Cows and sheep every year but not just to keep as pets! If no one ate animals then no one would spend their money looking after them, cows and pigs and sheep and chickens are not here for anything else, chickens lay eggs which vegans won't eat because they say it is cruel... cows are for milk which vegans wont drink,"
--- I'm not sure what this rant is about. There are plenty of animals that exist but are not eaten by humans. Cows, sheep, chicken, etc are mass bred for food, it does not mean that their purpose on earth is b/c human being want to eat them. What is the purpose of an antelope? We don't eat those.

The purpose of a chicken laying an egg is to produce a baby chicken, the purpose of a cow giving milk is to feed a calf. You may want to think these things are done specifically for you, but nature says otherwise.

"then they are all for meat, otherwise what are they for...to wander around fields all day...is that what farmers spend their money on?"
--- You are basically asking the meaning of life here. We humans are not even sure of our own purpose on this earth, how would be know another creatures. What is the purpose of anything? You cannot speculate the reason for cows being here, anymore that you can speculate the purpose of our own existence, or a flea, or pigeon, or a mayfly. We are here to exist. Our existence is not more important to the earth than any other creates, we just like to think it is.

"The world would fall apart wouldn't it? Animals such as what i have mentioned have and always will be for food?"
--- How exactly would the world fall apart? If people didn't eat animals they would simply eat a vegetarian diet. Those who raised cattle would most likely adapt, or change livelihoods.

"Our bodies were made this way. We are meant to eat meat. we need protien in our diets. the world, us and animals are all made and it is science."
--- Humans are evolved as omnivores. This means we are capable of digesting both plant matter and flesh. We don't need meat. There is nothing exclusive to meat that cannot be found in a vegetarian diet. Protein is found in just about every food. The average person takes in too much protein, which can have negative effects on the kidneys.

As I said, it is probably pointless to answer this question. Your additional comments make it apparent that you are not actually looking for an answer, but rather someone to validate what you think is correct. Why ask people a question, and then argue with them when they answer?

I hope your not refering to all animals because you probably wouldn't eat a poisinous frog, a poisinous snake or chimp would you? Farm animals aren't only food. They also provide milk, wool ect. They have familys, emotions and they do fear death. I highly doubt the entire world will ever become vegetarian. I never said it had to. What I said was that I am going to be vegetarian I never said everyone else had to if they didn't want to. If the whole world was vegetarian all the farm animals would go to farm animal sanctuarys or to be pets (peope raise chickens and pigs as pets) so we would have more eggs and milk, the meat industry takes 87% of Americas agriculteral land for meat, 95% of oats, 80% of grain and 80% of corn. This is enough food to feed 800million starving people. They also take half our fresh water and they are the leading cause of global warming. Meat eaters have increased risk of heart disease and cancer witch are the two leading causes of death in America so more people would live longer and we'd have more room in hospitals and wouldn't have to pay for all the equipment. With less starving people, a safer earth, happier animals, healthier people, more room in hospitals and more water i think the world would actuley be very nice.

Animals aren't PUT here for food, people choose to use them as food. What reason were humans put here? All we do is destroy the environment and each other. I think animals are put here to enjoy themselves. What reason are jellyfish or anglerfish here if there is no human use for them? Humans aren't MEANT to eat meat, they choose to. If you say you're eating meat because we're meant to, then why don't you walk around naked and hunt down your own food. Humans aren't meant to use weapons or factories, but that's how meat is obtained. The cows, pigs, chickens, and sheep that you talked about need protein too. They get it from plants. Humans are part of the world just like every other animal, we aren't gods among animals.

Well, for me I had no problem eating poultry, meat, fish, you name it. It is needed in our diets. But once it was brought to my attention that animals were getting cruel treatment because of fur trade. And I witnessed the most inhumane and extremely disturbing treatment of those animals. And that made me wonder, how are other animals treated through the meat processing. I had to know that they were not treated cruel, and if they were treated with cruelty, I could not eat anymore of meat at all. It would make me a consumer no different than those who bought fur. I have to know that the cows, the pigs, the hens, and the eggs are brough to us in most humane way possible. And also I really want to know is it safe to eat poultry and pigs because all the negative videos I've encountered on U-tube. It totally messed me up. I could not eat any meat for the last month. And I became sick due to lack of amino acid and protein, maybe.
I am so torn between eating meat to stay healthy or stay vegetarian because I feel so bad thinking I have to kill other living things to feed myself. I feel so sorry for all those animals, I don't know what to do...

"Animals are on this earth as one of our main sources of food."
>Right, and blacks are here to serve whites and women are here to please men.
The fact that one group can oppress another hardly makes it ethical to do so,
and declaring it somehow inherent is downright irrational.

"hundreds of years ago, thousands of years ago... you wouldn't get people not eating meat because they feel sorry for the animals... it was survival and that is why animals were kept, for food."
>That has nothing to do with today- it would behoove our SURVIVAL currently to move towards sustainable food sources and healthier foods.

"Our bodies were made this way. We are meant to eat meat."
>"Meant" implies we were consciously-created. Not a shred of empirical or analytical evidence suggests such.

"we need protien in our diets."
>Yup. It's convenient that there is so much protein in beans, nuts, and legumes, then, isn't it?

"I have a dog and i will still say this... Animals have never been and never will be equal to humans, ever."
>Such was said about black slaves by whites.

"No animals are here below us for our use."
>Where is your evidence of a creator, let alone evidence that said creator favors oppression and suffering?

I don't disagree that our bodies are designed for us to obtain nutrients from meat. But they are also designed to obtain nutrients from plant based sources too. There is no reason we can't get all of our protein from plant based sources.

I also agree that it is natural for us to eat meat and there is nothing inherently wrong with hunting for food and consuming the meat, however, most of us don't hunt. And the majority of those who do, still don't get the meat they consume this way. Nor do I disagree with small scale farms like family farms used to be, where people raised most of their own and maybe supplied a few neighbors. Factory farming of animals is not the same. If you want to use the natural argument, factory farming isn't. And it isn't sustainable.


Cows milk is for calfs, not humans, just like breastmilk is for human babies. Cows don't produce milk on a regular basis, they need to be impregnated to keep up their milk production.
Eggs are to produce baby chicks, not to consume.
It is OUR manipulation of these things that make them for humans, not "nature".

If (and its not like i ever forsee this happening) the world were to all be vegetarian or vegan, farmers would do just what everyone else does when their job is no longer required, find a new niche to fill. Maybe take their cow pastures and turn them into crops, since we now eat more veggies.
Since we don't eat cows, there will be no need to breed and produce huge numbers of them. If left on their own, they will behave like any other species. They will survive in environments where they are able to. Natural selection will keep numbers in check.


But why am I vegetarian?
Because, for whatever reason, *my* body fairs better on a diet excluding meat. I am not doing it for the animals or anything like that, like I said, I am not opposed to consuming meat, just not a fan of factory farming. I do eat eggs and small amounts of milk.

I like that you ask for no mean comments, and say everyone has a choice, yet admit to wanting to TD someone who expressed their opinion on the matter simply because you do not agree with it.
I also agree that based on the wording of your question, you aren't really interested in why.

Well, my reason for being vegetarian really has nothing to do with the moral argument about whether or not animals were put here for us to eat. The fact is that most of the animals raised for meat in the U.S. are not raised on quaint little family-owned farms like in the centuries past (although, YES, rarely some are-but trust me, if the meat you eat comes from a chain grocery store or fast food restaurant then the meat you are eating is most definitely not). In these modern-day factory farms animals are malnourished, packed into small spaces, and borderline tortured (feel free to watch the documentary Earthlings if you really want to learn more about this). The way these animals are treated is deplorable, as well as the fact that the hormones given to the animals to make them grow to be larger at rapid rates are actually in the meat you eat from these places. It's terrible to the animals and bad for you. Therefore it's something I don't want to support. That's the extremely condensed version of why I am. But if you watch that documentary (if you're really curious) then you'll see what I mean. At this point the "Are animals here for us to eat" question is pretty much mute when there are larger issues about animal cruelty at hand (as well as sickening the general population). Oh, and fyi-because these animals are in such cramped conditions they are given a constant dose of antibiotics to keep them from sickening each other. This makes the illnesses more resistant to those medications, making them harder to fight in both humans and animals. It's really messed up.

Years of research.

I m with u