Attn. Vegetarians: Would you ever date someone who eats meat and/or hunts?!
It's not like me to project my ethics or beliefs for it onto other people, so I HAVE dated men who have eaten meat.
That's just the way it's worked out.
In fact, I have never dated a fellow vegetarian.
My last boyfriend didn't eat much meat and was pretty happy with my meat substitutes and tofu, thank God.
He came as close to vegetarian as one could, save for an occasional steak or what have you.
That never bothered me.
What bothers me is that my current boyfriend LOVES meat.
Loves all kinds of meat, too - not just the basic stuff.
And worse yet - he likes to hunt for it.
I have a problem with that.
I can't tell him not to hunt, though. I've asked him not to, but he doesn't want to stop and I feel it would be wrong to make him stop. (I didn't know he was a hunter when we first met.)
He fishes and he hunts and his little brother hunts deer & squirrels in their backyard. I find that very cruel.
Can anyone else relate?
Answers: I am a vegetarian and have been for many years.
It's not like me to project my ethics or beliefs for it onto other people, so I HAVE dated men who have eaten meat.
That's just the way it's worked out.
In fact, I have never dated a fellow vegetarian.
My last boyfriend didn't eat much meat and was pretty happy with my meat substitutes and tofu, thank God.
He came as close to vegetarian as one could, save for an occasional steak or what have you.
That never bothered me.
What bothers me is that my current boyfriend LOVES meat.
Loves all kinds of meat, too - not just the basic stuff.
And worse yet - he likes to hunt for it.
I have a problem with that.
I can't tell him not to hunt, though. I've asked him not to, but he doesn't want to stop and I feel it would be wrong to make him stop. (I didn't know he was a hunter when we first met.)
He fishes and he hunts and his little brother hunts deer & squirrels in their backyard. I find that very cruel.
Can anyone else relate?
It's your choice to be a vegetarian and your choice is important. His choice to enjoy eating meat and hunting is also his choice and equally as important.
It's very important to respect each other's needs, desires and wants in a relationship.
If your vegetarian committments come before your committment to this man, then I would seriously consider ending the relationship and finding someone who shares the same values as you.
Values are important and irrespective of what type of issue, if you have vastly different ideas, then you're not meant to be together.
my gf is a vegeterian!
I'm not a vegetarian and i wouldn't date someone who hunts for the fun of it of for trophies....
I'm medically a male but though I'm vegetarian totally.. you likely won't want me cause I fancy myself as a female! Sorta in the wrong body.. you might say! Well I agree hunting is cruel. I might date someone that eats meat but not someone that hunts and kills for it!
This begs the question - why in God's name did you leave your first boyfriend?
Secondly, I'd like to remind you that as cruel as hunting is, it is a tad better than factory farming.
I have a similar problem , I can't seem to find a man who's vegetarian like me. I usually get along better with meat eaters for some strange reasons. You know, food habits can affect a relationship and make things rather uncomfortable, its not easy for me to sit across the table and see the guy have steak. Sometimes I imagine dead animal rotting inside intestine and collecting bacteria...not kidding!
Two people are supposed to be compatible in every way if they are going to make a relationship work, or atleast compromise. Maybe you can explain to him to eat less meat and gradually cut down on his meat intake because its bad for his health on the whole. And you would also feel better and more free, if you explain to him how uncomfortable his hunting for meat makes you, not to mention killing harmless animals, they too have a soul like us.
Just off hand I would suggest that a long term, happy, healthy relationship is really dependent on shared interests and values. I think you have answered your own question by asking it in the first place.
There are 25 million vegetarians in this country alone -- I'll bet you can find some people who are more compatable with your values and lifestyle. So to answer your question -- No, I would definitely avoid dating anyone who hunted..
Well I am a vegetarian MAN and have trouble finding a woman open-minded enough to accept my beliefs.
It works both ways...sometimes it's women who think meat = manliness.
I also have a hard time understanding why there are so many women who settle for less and marry hard core meat-eaters. It must be uncomfortable for both the man and woman.
I have been vegetarian for 23 years, and am married to a lovely guy who happens to like eating meat. He also hunts! I guess I have the live and let live attitude. I even cook him some meat meals from time to time, although it is hard for me to do that. I try to look on the meat as an 'ingredient' while I am handling it, and I do it out of love for him, because he enjoys it. It would be rather hypocritical of me to expect him to pander to me all the time and not do the same for him.
I guess it boils down to this - what means more to you, the guy's personality, or the meat vs. vegetarian issue? I think it can work if you want it to work, it all depends how strongly you feel about it, and whether you and he can get along and respect each other's food choices.
You are better of with your last boyfriend...
I am a vegetarian, and have never dated a guy that was. I look at it this way, I respect a person for their opinions even if I disagree with them. Being a vegetarian is a personal choice, I'm not out to "convert" the world. (Although I have plenty of gross facts to turn most peoples stomachs that eat meat :) If you are religious, it says in the Bible that God put animals here for us to eat. I've dated hunters (hard core meat lovers), and as long as they are as humane as possible, respectful of the animals, and keep the gory stuff out of my way, and house I am fine with it. I am not just a vegetarian, I am a zoologist, who loves all animals, and couldn't imagine hurting any of them, but on the other hand, it is the circle of life. I also have two children I offer meat to, and they do eat some. Again, like I said it is a personal choice. Another thing to think about is that you are really going to narrow your choices if you decide to go with only a vegetarian. If you end up reallly loving this guy, love should be blind, and if he really loves you he should be considerate of your feelings. Good luck!!
I'm a vegetarian about to marry a guy who is an omnivore. I don't worry about what he eats and I don't try to make him eat tofu. I've developed great skills in creating suitable meals for us both with very little effort (when we have a stir-fry, I just split the ingredients into 2 pans and put meat in one and an alternative in the other). If he was a hunter, I would never have gone out with him in the first place. But - hunting for meat is probably not as bad as condoning the treatment that intensively farmed animals receive.
If you are sure that you can totally accept him as he is, go ahead, but if it's going to lead to a lifetime of disagreement, I'd sadly say goodbye.
No I wouldn't and I couldn't. I am a committed vegan.
Hmmm, I have dated a guy who is not a vegetarian like me. When we go out, he orders his food and I order mine. We never had a problem with 'you should be a vegetarian' or 'you should try this chicken'. We respect each others beliefs and principles when it comes to food. I guess in a relationship you just really have to tolerate this. Tolerate tolerate tolerate. The point is YOU didn't do it right??? Associating yourself with drug addicts doesn't mean you take drugs. It's the same situation with you. You're not the one hunting here.
Someone who eats meat... ok... I can date such a guy. My family eats meat and many of my friends do so, and it's fine with me, I don't start lecturing them to become veggies.
But... umm... a guy who hunts? Definetely no.
I'd love to find a vegan or vegetarian partner but I've met so few in my life that I'm thinking this probably won't happen. I wouldn't have a problem with dating a meat eater as long as they're not one of those people who tear into a steak and say 'mmmm dead cow!' in front of me which seems to happen a lot.
I would never date someone who hunts though, just like I wouldn't date someone who gets pleasure from kicking around their dog or cat.
I married a man that eats (ate) meat. We have been married almost 10years now and he has just stopped eating meat because of health issues. So yes I would date and marry a meat eater but not a hunter.
I could not be with someone that is OK with pointing a gun at a defenseless animal and killing it.
I'm a vegetarian and I would definitely date somebody who hunts. Food is food and if he hunts, let him hunt. Your boyfriend is probably doing nature a lot of good anyway by hunting, since many of the natural predators in our environment are either endangered or extinct, and it may be good for your boyfriend to eat game because unlike the factory farm animals, the animals he killed were living free.
If he's killing the animals just for the pure joy of killing, then he's probably a sadistic bastard.
Your choice not to eat meat is a very noble and very healthy choice. I believe if you do not have to eat meat, you shouldn't do it, but it looks like your BF lives in a rural environment where hunting and playing that natural predator is needed or else there would be an overpopulation of animals. Happy veggie crunching!
I was married to a meat eater who was very respectful of my vegetarianism (if only he could have been more respectful in other ways, but I digress.) My current boyfriend is likewise very respectful of my veganism. In turn I didn't try to convert either one. I don't cook meat so my bf is largely vegan at home, but he orders meat when we're out. It's OK with me though I'd love it if he stopped.
I'd have a much harder time with someone who hunts. I don't think I could date someone who flat out kills animals.