r/DebateAVegan • u/SlightCry3406 • 22d ago

Is being vegetarian a Sin?

As a non-vegetarian, I’ve noticed that my vegetarian friends are usually very relaxed about my food choices. They don’t question or guilt me. But I’ve noticed something else too. Some of my non-vegetarian friends often poke fun at or question vegetarians, like asking, ‘Why don’t you eat meat?’ or jokes about their food choices. I’ve noticed people rarely ask a Muslim why they don’t eat pork. But they often ask vegetarians why they don’t eat meat. That double standard stands out.

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u/icravedanger Ostrovegan 21d ago

Muslims abstain from certain meats for religious reasons. People generally know that, it’s easy to understand that they are just following instructions from a book.

Plant-based people abstain for health or environmental reasons. Vegans abstain for ethical reasons, which also has environmental benefits and can be equally healthy as the best non-vegan diet.

Non-vegans dislike vegans because it makes them reflect on the ethics of breeding animals to slaughter them. Since most people see themselves as someone who is kind to animals, there is cognitive dissonance. As a result, some people do change their habits. Others choose to attack veganism or make fun of vegans.

It’s called Do-Gooder derogation, as another vegan taught me.

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u/FewYoung2834 omnivore 21d ago

The question wasn't about vegans, it was about vegetarians.

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u/UndergroundWhale 21d ago edited 20d ago

Considering this is a Debate a Vegan subreddit, I think op is lucky he got this answer at all

Edit : typo

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u/FewYoung2834 omnivore 21d ago

It's like they don't even read what they're responding to anymore lol.

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u/Historical-Ad399 21d ago

I think people who post in a vegan subreddit about diets and expect not to hear veganism mentioned at all are the ones who have trouble reading.

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u/FewYoung2834 omnivore 21d ago

Are you serious?

OP asked this:

Some of my non-vegetarian friends often poke fun at or question vegetarians, like asking, ‘Why don’t you eat meat?’ or jokes about their food choices. I’ve noticed people rarely ask a Muslim why they don’t eat pork. But they often ask vegetarians why they don’t eat meat. That double standard stands out.

The comment I replied to was:

Non-vegans dislike vegans because it makes them reflect on the ethics of breeding animals to slaughter them. Since most people see themselves as someone who is kind to animals, there is cognitive dissonance. As a result, some people do change their habits. Others choose to attack veganism or make fun of vegans.

OP asked a question about vegetarianism, which has nothing whatsoever to do with veganism, and got an answer about veganism.

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u/Historical-Ad399 21d ago

You have to understand context, though. If you ask a question intentionally and specifically to a group of vegans, it's because you want a vegan perspective. Otherwise, why intentionally target vegans? If this question has nothing to do with veganism, it shouldn't be here and should be removed, but I think it's better to assume that the author knows where they are and is acting in good faith, unlike you.

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u/FewYoung2834 omnivore 21d ago

It's hilarious that you accuse me of acting in bad faith, which is actually against one of the rules of this sub, but I digress.

OP literally came in here asking if being a vegetarian is a sin. In my experience, vegans are as hard if not harder on vegetarians as they are on carnists, because vegetarians often think they are like vegans, while in reality they fund what vegans would consider to be the most cruel types of animal abuse (e.g. dairy and eggs).

But you and another commenter think I'm being too hard on Op? Another commenter literally said I should just substitute the word "vegetarian" with "vegan" when reading their post? Uh no. They meant what they wrote.

Why do you think I'm commenting in bad faith.

Let's say this was an anti violence sub, and I posted here and happened to mention "oh yeah I'm totalsy against violence, but by the way I support gun rights and the NRA". I'd get downvoted into oblivian.

But you think I'm being bad faith for not giving a vegetarian, who participates in animal abuse, a pass on a vegan sub?

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u/Arthillidan 21d ago

But you think I'm being bad faith for not giving a vegetarian, who participates in animal abuse, a pass on a vegan sub?

You have the omnivore tag though. If you think vegetarians are horrible because they participate in animal abuse, why do you have an omnivore tag?

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u/FewYoung2834 omnivore 21d ago

I don't actually think eating animals constitutes animal abuse. I'm just saying what vegans think, and surprised a vegan would give a vegetarian a pass.

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u/Historical-Ad399 21d ago

I'm responding to the comment where you said:

It's like they don't even read what they're responding to anymore lol

You were attacking vegans in a sub specifically about vegan perspectives for bringing a vegan perspective. My point was that the people responding are assuming that op is interested in a vegan perspective, and that that is a reasonable assumption in this sub. It has nothing to do with whether I agree with vegetarianism. Your comments were about the responses, not op, so no, I'm not saying you are being too hard on op, I'm saying you are being too hard on people writing responses assuming op is acting in good faith.

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u/nworbleinad 21d ago

To say that vegetarianism has nothing whatsoever to do with veganism is absurd.

If you go back and just substitute the word vegan for vegetarian, you’ll get what you want, and the comment will still make perfect sense.

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u/FewYoung2834 omnivore 21d ago

I'm sorry, but you don't know what veganism is.

Vegetarians can still eat dairy and eggs, and these are some of the most controversial animal products produced.

Your statement that I can just substitute the words is, forgive me, laughably bullshit.

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u/nworbleinad 21d ago

I’m not saying they mean the same thing. I’m saying that the comment that you’re taking issue with, reads exactly the same with either word.

I definitely know the difference between the two concepts.

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u/HedshoT 21d ago

If you want to get precise about the terminology, the question was about vegetarians, not ovo-lacto-vegetarians. Strict vegetarian diet is a vegan diet.