Shivari:
You could argue my way though and say that if you gave a child an apple and a live chicken he'll eat the apple and play with the chicken. The same goes for chimps, they'll eat a banana if it's right there instead of hunting an animal that they'll eat.

This argument really does not fly because the baby will instinctively put everything in their mouth before he or she tries to play with it. They do not have the werewithal to understand anything more than "food, not food" at that stage in their lives. This is true with plants, animals, objects and whatever. When the baby realizes that it is food, it will go ahead and eat it. When the baby realizes that the object does not taste good or it tries to bite back, then it is not food.

thestdinstud:
I've always wondered... do vegetarians eat eggs?

And on topic I have no hate for vegetarians, I do have to say most of them are delicious (especially cows :P)

Vegans don't, as they don't consume or use any animal products. I don't eat them because they tend to make me sick. :/

Anyways, about the whole child with an apple and chicken situation, I was just saying that you could look at it either way. I could say the only reason the kid would ever view the chicken as potential food is because it has had or heard of eating chicken before. Maybe if it never was around any consumption of meat it wouldn't see an animal as food.

But no matter what the "answer" is to that situation it doesn't matter what is natural or unnatural because that has really no relevance to this. Violence in itself is "natural" but it doesn't make it acceptable behavior. I'm not saying that eating meat is wrong, you just can't say that not eating meat is bad because it might be "unnatural".

Ooh! Ooh! Let me copy everyone else, too!

I don't hate the veggeaters, I just hate when they call the meateaters failures as humans, which is obviously incorrect. People are sort of, you know, omnivores. They're those things that are able to chase down food, or just grab a weed and eat it. They're adaptable. They have to be if they want to be the "dominant species" and all.

You know how when you run your tongue across all your front teeth, and they're sharp? Yeah, those ain't plant-crushers, my friends. Plant-crushers go in the back. These sharpies, these are meat-slicers. They are specifically made so you can sink them into a juicy chicken's breast or cow's side after successfully chasing it down and killing it. Or finding it in a supermarket.

String n Stick:
I think the reason some people hate vegetarians and animal activists is because the only ones they hear about are the ones that tell you your a murderer for eating meat and throw paint one people wearing fur. They dont know that the majority of of vegetarians that simply make a moral choice not to eat anything that involved the killing of an animal or fish.
Kinda like how people tend to not like people who hunt becuase the only kind they hear about are the ones who shoot out of thier truck window and just leave the animal to die, which is rare but they get all the attention. It basicly boils down to only hearing about the few kind of people who are pricks about it, and not hearing about the majority of people who are normal people like me and u and just made a moral choice. I think anyway

ok we have a winner!, and I am a responsible hunter and responsible hunters are insulted by those yahoos so I know what is meant through first hand experience. I hunt because I like the food that is coming from what I hunt. So I understand why people don't eat meat because they just don't like it. If you don't like my lifestyle, fine. If you try to make me change say hello to the business end of whatever I can have my hands on.

And yes the loudest will be heard, but they are the easiest targets.

Vegeterians: No problem with them. I think it's great they're making their own ways in life. Unless they make me feel bad for eating meat, then poo poo to them. But I generally don't care. I know what animals go through to get to my tummy and don't really dwell on it too much. I like animals too much to become a Vege.

Vegans however I find are pushing boudries a bit far. Not drinking milk, eating eggs or cheese? I don't hate them, I don't understand them either.

Now I'm hungry.

Any vegetarian who tries to judge me and my love of meat will be stabbed by a steak knife.

If they keep to themselves, though, I say thanks for letting me have their share of meat.

no meat = no protein and other essential nutrients. I have a friend who almost killed himself with malnutrition from going veggie.

squirrelman42:
no meat = no protein and other essential nutrients. I have a friend who almost killed himself with malnutrition from going veggie.

Poorly planned vegan or vegetarian (well with a vegetarian you can drink milk or eat eggs) diets can be harmful. You have to actually know what you're doing before just jumping in. Your friend didn't know what he was doing. Soy for example, will help you get protein without meat.

wewontdie11:
I am a vegetarian and have been for the majority of my life so far (since I was 8). None of my family are vegetarian or are animal activists or anything, but one day I just decided that I didn't like the taste or texture of meat when I was eating it anymore.

My question is why do so many people have so much hate for vegetarians? A lot of my acquaintances constantly berate me for my eating preferences like some kind of amateur food Nazis, but I fail to see how it is different from not liking, for example, bananas or turnip. Even the really hardcore, morally orientated vegetarians and vegans have the right to eat what they want, and although it is not my view, I understand and respect their not wanting to kill animals. I feel this to be a perfectly reasonable point of view.

So I ask you, why the hate?

People are stupid.
That's about it.

squirrelman42:
no meat = no protein and other essential nutrients. I have a friend who almost killed himself with malnutrition from going veggie.

Umm.. there are ways to get protein without eating meat or anything animal-related.
Soya beans (might've mispelled that), some nuts etc.

You can get ANY nutrients you need from a 100% vegan diet, but, well, it's somewhat harder in terms of protein.

"You could argue my way though and say that if you gave a child an apple and a live chicken he'll eat the apple and play with the chicken. The same goes for chimps, they'll eat a banana if it's right there instead of hunting an animal that they'll eat."

I can't say I've ever served live chicken at parties. My chicken dishes are always dead. If you gave a child chicken nuggets and broccoli, guess which one he'd eat first?

there's more to meat than just protein, but protein's the big one. All meat diets are bad, all veg diets are bad. It's all about what you're comfortable eating and not being stupid about it.

Sgt. Pepper:
I can't say I've ever served live chicken at parties. My chicken dishes are always dead. If you gave a child chicken nuggets and broccoli, guess which one he'd eat first?

First off, your parties are obvious lame if you don't serve live chickens and/or cows. I mean, how else are guests supposed to entertain themselves and get hungry enough for dinner? Games and socializing?

Now then, I bet the child would eat whichever was closer to them, unless they were at the age where they had preferences in which case they'd eat the one they like more.

I serve live vegetarians who decide to force their ideals on me.

Sgt. Pepper:
I serve live vegetarians who decide to force their ideals on me.

That would. I hate all types of people who push their ideals on me, regardless of whether it's diet, religion, platform, ect.

I myself am a vegetarian, as is my whole family. Life is fine as a vege, but it is somewhat of a pain eating outside, simply because, I find, that we vegges end up getting less of a choice but paying more. No one in my family has really ever pushed, and no one I know really has a problem with me being vegetarian.

As for the hate, I suppose I have to say that it either it's ignorance, the person being a bastard (really, a guy has told me that I'm stupid, and that I should eat fish), or that people have bad experiences and pre-emptively strike out. Doesn't last for long though.

String n Stick:
It basicly boils down to only hearing about the few kind of people who are pricks about it, and not hearing about the majority of people who are normal people like me and u and just made a moral choice. I think anyway

A valid point.

I personally am a Vegan. I don't push my ethics on anyone, at any time, EVER, and anyone who knows me knows this fact. As it stands, I'm more likely to just politely decline any animal products without giving any particular reason if possible. I get that people like eating meat, and that's pretty much fine. But being that I'm as low-key as possible about it, I do hate people who attack me as soon as they find out. I've been called "stupid" and the like more times than I care to remember and it really irritates me. By far more common that any veg*ns I know pushing their beliefs on anyone is us having meat pushed on us.

That being said, I do know some very pushy veg*ns too, and even know members of a Vegan Militia, who apparently have no concept of 'irony.'

My point is tolerance. Whatever works for whoever.

most vegetarians do hate the fuckheads that can't learn to stfu
i do
they give us a bad name and are fucking annoying to boot
the small amout of vegetarians that i know that like this kind of vego, are fuckhead vegos that like listening to a garbled version of their own dumb ethics
just because i choose not to buy meat and support the meat industry doesn't mean i will begrudge anyone else from enjoying a nice juicy bloody steak

wewontdie11:
I am a vegetarian and have been for the majority of my life so far (since I was 8). None of my family are vegetarian or are animal activists or anything, but one day I just decided that I didn't like the taste or texture of meat when I was eating it anymore.

My question is why do so many people have so much hate for vegetarians? A lot of my acquaintances constantly berate me for my eating preferences like some kind of amateur food Nazis, but I fail to see how it is different from not liking, for example, bananas or turnip. Even the really hardcore, morally orientated vegetarians and vegans have the right to eat what they want, and although it is not my view, I understand and respect their not wanting to kill animals. I feel this to be a perfectly reasonable point of view.

So I ask you, why the hate?

people are assholes and there will always be some hate-group targreting something. there you go, now we can all go away.

I don't like vegetarians at all. No matter who you are. I don't want to know you and I have no time for you people.

I love eating. It's by far one of my biggest passions. I love getting together with my friends and eating, and usually in massive amounts. We all share our love of food, particularly meat. And eating as much of it as we can.

I generally don't have a problem with vegetarians. It's when they constantly, unecessarily remind you they're a vegetarian: "Did you know today's national hug a vegetarian day?", or when someone proclaims their wholehearted vegetarianism to you before saying they eat chicken and fish... It's happened.

I don't hate vegetarians but when they (or anyone) tries to push their beliefs on me, or tell me that eating meat is evil, it irritates me. As for myself, i really enjoy eating so if i became a vegetarian i'd be giving up the ability to enjoy my food. No vegetable can compare to a Medium rare steak in pepper sauce, or a roast beef, or a leg of lamb. What would a fry be without sausages or bacon? Don't get me wrong, i like to eat vegetables, just not as much as meat. If a lion can eat a zebra then why can't I eat a cow? I don't care if animals are cute and cuddly, they taste good.

I have no problem with anyone who decides to become a vegetarian, but what really pisses me off is when they protest. It's annoying, and 90% of people ignore them anyway. The most annoying thing is when people carry around gory pictures of animals being butchered. I do not care. I know where this meat came from, but it does not in any way resemble these repulsive gory photos. No matter how many times I see this annoying crap, I'm not going to give up all of my favorite foods.

I dislike "Ethical Vegitarians" on the grounds that plants have been proven to both feel "pain" and they emit the Chemical Equivalent of a scream when you cut/bite them, even AFTER they've been cut from their mother plant.

But as long as the Vegitarian in question doesn't judge me or my meat eating ways they're welcome to eat what they like.

Spartan Bannana:
I don't hate vegetarian in general, what I hate are those vegetarians that try to push their lifestyle onto me, or look at me like I'm an awful person when I eat meat.

its just that... the respect... i dont hate them but if they try to push me that lifestyle into me... like "lisa" in "the simpsons" do you remember the flying pig episode?

I'm a vegetarian myself and I have absolutely no problem with any group of people that do or don't eat whatever bollocks and I especially don't want to judge or convince anybody of doing anything. I am one of the rarest breed among vegetarians, the ones that do it out of economical reasons. It's just a plain fact that it takes 1500 calories of vegetarian food to produce a 500 calories piece of meat. Eating meat is just inefficient and since it's scientifically possible to live without it I think we should also do that. If all the worlds agrarian producers would switch to vegetarian products we could cure world hunger. That's not going to happen any time soon, but still, vegetarianism is the future.

its probobly becaus vegitarians (some of them of course) are a wee bit preachy

oops

Gormourn:

wewontdie11:
I am a vegetarian and have been for the majority of my life so far (since I was 8). None of my family are vegetarian or are animal activists or anything, but one day I just decided that I didn't like the taste or texture of meat when I was eating it anymore.

My question is why do so many people have so much hate for vegetarians? A lot of my acquaintances constantly berate me for my eating preferences like some kind of amateur food Nazis, but I fail to see how it is different from not liking, for example, bananas or turnip. Even the really hardcore, morally orientated vegetarians and vegans have the right to eat what they want, and although it is not my view, I understand and respect their not wanting to kill animals. I feel this to be a perfectly reasonable point of view.

So I ask you, why the hate?

People are stupid.
That's about it.

Sometimes the simplest answer is the best one. Occam and I salute you.

Shivari:

Vegans don't, as they don't consume or use any animal products. I don't eat them because they tend to make me sick. :/

Anyways, about the whole child with an apple and chicken situation, I was just saying that you could look at it either way. I could say the only reason the kid would ever view the chicken as potential food is because it has had or heard of eating chicken before. Maybe if it never was around any consumption of meat it wouldn't see an animal as food.

But no matter what the "answer" is to that situation it doesn't matter what is natural or unnatural because that has really no relevance to this. Violence in itself is "natural" but it doesn't make it acceptable behavior. I'm not saying that eating meat is wrong, you just can't say that not eating meat is bad because it might be "unnatural".

You eat Jello?

I use to date a vegetarian and she gave me a primer on the vegan culture. There are varying levels of veganism. Some do not eat any animal parts or products at all. Those are the true vegans. Ovo-vegans eat eggs, lacto-vegans eat milk based products, and lacto-ovo-vegans eat milk-products and eggs. Then there is the type that my ex-girlfriend is: a semi-vegan. She ate seafood, eggs, and drank milk. There are varying degrees of veganism.

I have nothing against vegetarians. There are many wonderful vegan cultures all over the world and you can have wonderful food and diets there.

milomalo:
do you remember the flying pig episode?

A little soggy, it's still good, it's still good...

As the main part of the crowd has mentioned before, Vegetarians themselves arent bad, being one isn't bad. However convincing/pushing/forcing others to become one aswell, or the need to proclaim themselves as 'better' for not eating meat is where it goes wrong. Add to this the very 'human' spoon of bias and ignorance and there ya go, one perfect dish of asshole, ready to be scalded by a crowd. Now I should stop making food analogies before I start eating my laptop...

REDH4MMER:
I don't like vegetarians at all. No matter who you are. I don't want to know you and I have no time for you people.

I love eating. It's by far one of my biggest passions. I love getting together with my friends and eating, and usually in massive amounts. We all share our love of food, particularly meat. And eating as much of it as we can.

So say we were good friends and then one day when you invited me over for dinner. You prepared steak, not knowing that I was a vegetarian. When I politely declined to eat it you would kick me out and never talk to me again? I'm sorry but you're being just as arrogant as the vegetarians that try to push their beliefs on people.

malestrithe:
You eat Jello?

I don't, and a true vegan wouldn't. But I'm sure there are vegetarians that would eat Jello.

The only problem I have with any vegetarians is if they get preachy, but then I have that problem with anyone. I got a forwarded email once from a vegetarian friend equating my eating habits with...well I can't be bothered checking it but it was very hit and miss and very much propaganda - and this from someone who'd told me point blank that they didn't preach their diet to anyone. But I felt the same burning anger at a similar kind of forward from a Christian 'friend' which equated my lack of faith with apathy and wilful disobedience to Him.
It's the preechiness, not the diet.

Shivari:

So say we were good friends and then one day when you invited me over for dinner. You prepared steak, not knowing that I was a vegetarian. When I politely declined to eat it you would kick me out and never talk to me again? I'm sorry but you're being just as arrogant as the vegetarians that try to push their beliefs on people.

Well, Shivari I don't see that situation happening. If you were a good friend of mine you would know that I love eating, specially meat. And if you were to be invited over to my house for dinner you'd know (being a good friend of mine) that whatever meals I'd prepair would have meat in it at some point.
Probably a good 30% of conversation between my friends and I revolve around food, with likes and dislikes and where an when we should all go to eat next. I just don't see a vegetarian making it to 'Good/great' friend in a friendship relationship with me.

Maybe I am being arrogant but I don't try and push eating meat onto people. If I am introduced to someone at a party that is a vegetarian, I won't berate them or tell them they're wrong. I'll just politely excuse myself and leave them be. I don't want to socialize with them. I just couldn't be bothered with them. I wouldn't like them and they wouldn't like me. Why would I waste mine and there time? I wouldn't.

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=sponsor
Stumbled into this a while ago and found it quite amusing
(I don't hate vegetarians, as long as they don't push it onto me)