Ok, this sounds like the dumbest question anyone could ask ever... but can you eat insects, worms, and bugs and still be vegetarian? My brother thinks so but I strongly disagree.

Well since they're animals, I don't think eating them is vegetarian.

Which would mean that carmine isn't vegetarian.

How old is your brother? Sounds like he just wants to be a pest.

No, I don't think you could call yourself a vegetarian while eating grasshoppers or whatever.

He is 17. I am just trying to prove my point. He says they are not animals so I could eat them... like I would want to eat insects anyway...

Of course they are animals because they belong to the animal kingdom. Tell him to read his biology books properly. Tell him to look up "arthropod".

Why would you want to eat insects, anyways? Ask him that question.

Insects are a delicacy in many countries. In West Africa where I lived once, I was gifted some grilled flying ants (I was not vegetarian at the time) as a special treat by my neighbours. They tasted absolutely marvellous.

And animals such as prawns and shrimps are "water insects" and omnivores don't think twice about eating them.

Insects are of the kingdom Animalia, so your 17-year-old brother is wrong. Has he taken biology or any of the life sciences yet?

He is 17. I am just trying to prove my point. He says they are not animals so I could eat them... like I would want to eat insects anyway...


Ask him this......"are insects plants?".

Ask him this......"are insects plants?".


Thing is, "If it's not animal, it must be a plant" does not follow.

Mushrooms are neither animals nor plants.

Bacteria are neither animals nor plants.

Thing is, "If it's not animal, it must be a plant" does not follow.

Mushrooms are neither animals nor plants.

Bacteria are neither animals nor plants.

On the nose. BTW...Froggy, I love your sig. Foxtrot rules. :D

Tell him if he wants to eat a bug, knock himself out. It sounds like he's doing the same thing my husband does when we have veggie arguements...he's not playing the devil's advocate, he's just bedeviling you.

:bobo:

eat buggs---no way--and why would ya want to??

peace and love

jenn

Insects are a delicacy in many countries. In West Africa where I lived once, I was gifted some grilled flying ants (I was not vegetarian at the time) as a special treat by my neighbours. They tasted absolutely marvellous.

And animals such as prawns and shrimps are "water insects" and omnivores don't think twice about eating them.

TMI:D Why did I read this.:lol:

Thing is, "If it's not animal, it must be a plant" does not follow.

Mushrooms are neither animals nor plants.

Bacteria are neither animals nor plants.


True.

The question was "are insects plants". If he answers no, then you can go from there, but that's a starting point even if he doesn't admit an insect is an animal.

To me a vegetarian diet is plant-based (no dairy, or eggs, but includes mushrooms, a technicality I do surrender). (I'm ovo-lacto myself).

Don't waste time to debate this with your brother. He's an ass''le - that is his job as a brother. I know this, because I am brother. Look at him square in the eye, tell him eat sh!t and die, then kick him in the groin if you like. Someday you two will look back on it and laugh.

Ok, this sounds like the dumbest question anyone could ask ever... but can you eat insects, worms, and bugs and still be vegetarian? My brother thinks so but I strongly disagree.

Maybe he's just confused about why people don't worry about killing insects as much as they do other animals.

Maybe he's just confused about why people don't worry about killing insects as much as they do other animals.:yes: It may have been part of a systematic ethical critique which rfm's brother was engaged in.

Ok, this sounds like the dumbest question anyone could ask ever... but can you eat insects, worms, and bugs and still be vegetarian? My brother thinks so but I strongly disagree.

Maybe he's just confused about why people don't worry about killing insects as much as they do other animals.

Perhaps. I think it's much more confusing when people don't worry as much about killing cows, pigs, or chickens as they do about cats, dogs, or horses. It's not necessarily true that they don't genuinely care about their pets if they aren't also vegetarian, but I can't see how a farm animal would not enjoy its life just as much as a pet.

I remember some (omni) people pointed out to me that fish were animals, back when I had first stopped eating the meat of warm-blooded animals (or was it air-breathers?) but I was still eating fish. (shrug) That was where I was at the time. I gave up eating fish because because one day I realized how attached I was to the fish in my aquarium. Supposedly fish and insects can't "feel pain" because they don't have a cerebral cortex, but I don't think I can ever really believe that when I remember watching fish and even insects.

Thing is, "If it's not animal, it must be a plant" does not follow.

Mushrooms are neither animals nor plants.

Bacteria are neither animals nor plants.
:yes:

Insects are not vegetarain though.

:yes: It may have been part of a systematic ethical critique which rfm's brother was engaged in.

Yes. Either that or he was just being a systematic critical weenie. :yes:

froggy's argument is important to note, too. Terrestrial life is more than just plants & animals. I think, as of 1977, there are officially 6 kingdoms... Animals, Plants, Fungus, Protists... er... Sea-Monkeys.... and Chia Pets.
But don't quote me on that.

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Insecta.html

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta

This is best viewed with Firefox. This came from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e7/PhylogeneticTree.jpg

"what are insects?"
"pests"
"you're being a pest...so you're an insect and therefore, edible. So I can be a veg*an and a cannibal all at the same time!"

;-)

(this is along the lines of monty python..."what are witches made of? Wood. and what does wood do? It floats. And what else floats? A DUCK!")

Thing is, "If it's not animal, it must be a plant" does not follow.

Mushrooms are neither animals nor plants.

Bacteria are neither animals nor plants.

This is what I call "the advanced lesson." If someone is saying that you can be a vegetarian and eat insects, it's a sign that they're not ready for the advanced lesson. And while animal/vegetable/mineral isn't quite correct, sometimes it's easier to give partial information, than confuse the audience with mushrooms and germs.

*knows a lot of easily confused people* ;)

Yes. Either that or he was just being a systematic critical weenie. :yes:

froggy's argument is important to note, too. Terrestrial life is more than just plants & animals. I think, as of 1977, there are officially 6 kingdoms... Animals, Plants, Fungus, Protists... er... Sea-Monkeys.... and Chia Pets.
But don't quote me on that.
I would never eat my Chia pet :no: Probably break my tooth on the clay part...
(yes, I have one lol)


Tom- When people say fish/whatever don't feel pain, I just figure if that's true then wouldn't you be able to hurt a fish and it wouldn't swim away? But that doesn't happen, so obviously it feels something that's telling it to get out of there!