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Why don't you eat meat? (Responses to omnis asking this question)

post #1 of 68
7/31/09 at 3:52am
Thread Starter 
Everyone asks me why I don't eat meat and I say the same thing every time. "Why not?" Which I think is a good answer but it gets old. Can anyone give me other reasons to tell people why when they ask me this? I don't want to preach my morals to people or anything so I try to avoid things like "Meat is murder," (even though it is.)
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post #2 of 68
7/31/09 at 4:46am
You could say "I'm an animal lover." or "It is better for the environment."



KM
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post #3 of 68
7/31/09 at 4:50am
I always answer honestly, so if I'm in a situation where it's not appropriate to say anything controversial or preachy, I generally just say "for ethical reasons". That's true, but anyone who gets offended at that probably shouldn't be out in public IMO.
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post #4 of 68
7/31/09 at 4:56am
When people ask me this, I tell them it's because I hate factory farms with a fiery passion. Then, if they feel driven further to ask why factory farms are bad, I'll tell them...and them point them in the direction of Earthlings.
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post #5 of 68
7/31/09 at 6:25am
My explanation is: first because of ethical reasons (I like animals), then the major health benefits, enviornmental reasons.
I eat everything that nature voluntarily gives: fruits, vegetables, and the products of plants. But I ask you to spare me what animals are forced to surrender: meat, milk, and cheese. ~Author Unknown
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I eat everything that nature voluntarily gives: fruits, vegetables, and the products of plants. But I ask you to spare me what animals are forced to surrender: meat, milk, and cheese. ~Author Unknown
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post #6 of 68
7/31/09 at 6:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by isowish View Post

I always answer honestly, so if I'm in a situation where it's not appropriate to say anything controversial or preachy, I generally just say "for ethical reasons". That's true, but anyone who gets offended at that probably shouldn't be out in public IMO.



I normally say ethical reasons, my health, and the environment. If they ask more questions and don't seem like they are trying to start a fight I will explain more in depth.
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post #7 of 68
7/31/09 at 6:42am
I always say it's for my health, the environment, and the animals. Pretty concise and hard to argue with as well as fairly non-confrontational.
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post #8 of 68
7/31/09 at 6:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skapunkdrummer View Post

.....I don't want to preach my morals to people or anything so I try to avoid things like "Meat is murder," (even though it is.)

I think other people have already given really good answers.



The reason you find vegetarianism difficult to talk about might be that you're VERY passionate about it, as indicated by your statement that "meat is murder".

"The man bent closer to Vinculus' corpse. He plucked something out of his own mouth- a tiny pearl of light... The corpse shivered. It was not like the shudder of a sick man...; it was like the shiver of a bare birch wood as spring breathes upon it."   Susanna Clarke- "Jonathan Strange and Mr....

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"The man bent closer to Vinculus' corpse. He plucked something out of his own mouth- a tiny pearl of light... The corpse shivered. It was not like the shudder of a sick man...; it was like the shiver of a bare birch wood as spring breathes upon it."   Susanna Clarke- "Jonathan Strange and Mr....

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post #9 of 68
7/31/09 at 6:53am
Because it's not necessary to harm animals for us to live.
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post #10 of 68
7/31/09 at 7:51am
Usually something along the lines of "the animals don't want me to." Followed by the usual statement of something stupid like, "then why do they taste so good." At which time I answer with, "You'd probably taste just fine bbq'd and sauced too." LOL
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post #11 of 68
7/31/09 at 7:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by isowish View Post

I always answer honestly, so if I'm in a situation where it's not appropriate to say anything controversial or preachy, I generally just say "for ethical reasons".



I say that too. It usually gets a blank stare though.
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post #12 of 68
7/31/09 at 8:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Treehugger267 View Post

Usually something along the lines of "the animals don't want me to." Followed by the usual statement of something stupid like, "then why do they taste so good." At which time I answer with, "You'd probably taste just fine bbq'd and sauced too." LOL



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post #13 of 68
7/31/09 at 12:57pm
I say it's because of the practices of factory farming. Make it about the treatment of animals rather than the killing and I find people aren't so defensive or offended.
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post #14 of 68
7/31/09 at 1:36pm
My favorite: "I consider animals to be my friends. And I don't eat my friends." - Mark Twain
*this space not for sale*
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*this space not for sale*
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post #15 of 68
7/31/09 at 2:06pm
Well, I stopped eating flesh because of my health, so that`s an easy answer. But now I have started talking a little about the ethical side of it, too. Not much, just enough to make people atleast be aware that there ARE people in the world who stop eating flesh because of the animals. (My friends/family are all meateaters, and none of them have any negative thought about the act of killing other living beings for food etc..)
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post #16 of 68
8/1/09 at 3:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skapunkdrummer View Post

Everyone asks me why I don't eat meat and I say the same thing every time. "Why not?" Which I think is a good answer but it gets old. Can anyone give me other reasons to tell people why when they ask me this? I don't want to preach my morals to people or anything so I try to avoid things like "Meat is murder," (even though it is.)





How is it preaching when they asked the question?

I don't understand why people ask "Why don' you eat meat?" you explain, they tell you "I don't like you forcing your beliefs down my throat"

First off, it technicality isn't a belief more of a ethical act.

I'm not suggesting you to start a huge conversation that's probably going to lead into an argument. Usually when people ask questions like that, the questions never stop.
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post #17 of 68
8/1/09 at 3:29pm
Environmental reasons, I like animals and it just feels wrong to eat them, plain old disgust when it comes to preparing/cooking meat, spiritual reasons and done it so long it's now habit.
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post #18 of 68
8/1/09 at 4:20pm
I just say that I don't want to support the needless exploitation/suffering/torture of animals.
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post #19 of 68
8/1/09 at 4:29pm
Argh; Why do even people want to know what your reasons are for being a vegetarian; I simply hate that question and I usually start with an intense debate how being a 'meat-eater' is wrong.



*Palm face*



Yes; I know it's wrong, but I just lose my nerves getting asked that question. People tend to avoid me after I give them a '10 minute' long answer. I wonder why...



At least now I know that I can explain it in 1 sentence, without being offensive, thanks.
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post #20 of 68
8/1/09 at 4:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amy SF View Post

My favorite: "I consider animals to be my friends. And I don't eat my friends." - Mark Twain



Not to be picky, but wasn't that George Bernard Shaw?
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post #21 of 68
8/1/09 at 5:05pm
It's not so much up to me to come up with a reason for not eating meat, than it is up to them to come up with a reason why, in this day and age, it could be justified to treat other sentient beings so horribly, as commodities.

"and I stand

upon a mountain

made of weak and useless men"

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"and I stand

upon a mountain

made of weak and useless men"

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post #22 of 68
8/1/09 at 5:51pm
If I feel I need to answer the question....I always say I LOve Animals and dont eat my friends or anything with a face....
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post #23 of 68
8/1/09 at 5:57pm
Because I don't feel like doing it.
"Hell exists not to punish sinners, but to ensure that nobody sins in the first place."
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"Hell exists not to punish sinners, but to ensure that nobody sins in the first place."
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post #24 of 68
8/1/09 at 7:22pm
I haven't enjoyed meat ever, and once I really sat down and thought about it, I realized that I was making the best choice for me. I do it for my taste buds, my health, and I don't think I would appreciate being butchered, so I don't want to subject others to it.
The opposite of war isn't peace. It's creation!
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The opposite of war isn't peace. It's creation!
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post #25 of 68
8/2/09 at 10:27pm
i usually tell people that it's for animal rights and the environment,and if they ask anything further I simply tell them "I'm being the voice for the animals because it's my dream to save as many as possible" or something to that extent.
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post #26 of 68
8/2/09 at 11:00pm
"It was messing my health up."
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post #27 of 68
8/3/09 at 3:47am
Because I don't have to kill to live.
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post #28 of 68
8/3/09 at 4:03am
Depends who asks and if I feel comfortable explaining more, but often I just say something like:



-Because I don't need to eat meat to survive (and so it would be just needless killing). edit: Basically the same thing yally said.

-Because I don't want to.
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post #29 of 68
8/3/09 at 4:07am
"Because the voices in my head tell me not to eat meat."*





*said with a far away and slightly scary look in my eyes
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post #30 of 68
8/3/09 at 4:26am
I am unable to digest food that once had a face.
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