Thoughts on Veganism?

[Ryan_F]

I haven’t been consuming any animal products (vegan) for about two months how, however I am finding it to be a bit of a pain to eat when out and about.  There is also an inconvenience in that I cannot accept meals offered to me by friends, family etc.

My rationale for following such a diet is based on ethics, and not really in the pursuit of health.  I don’t think being vegan is more healthy than eating an omnivorous diet - it all depends.  However, I  cannot help but think that the way that the meat and animal product industry works today is cruel.  From what I have gathered, it’s one of those things that people would rather not think about.  My simplified thought process is:  “no consumption of animal products, no suffering caused to animals”.  

However, as stated earlier, I am conflicted.  I have been thinking lately of the trade-off between the convenience and pleasurable taste of animal products and the ethical “high ground” of veganism.  I’m not trying to attack meat eaters here either - I am genuinely looking to hear new perspectives.

 What does everyone think?

[Nathan]

1 hour ago, Ryan_F said:

My rationale for following such a diet is based on ethics

I will just say that it is never as simple as killing vs. not killing. We must consume living things in order to maintain these bodies we live in. That is a basic truth of life. Omnivore > pescatarian > vegetarian > vegan (etc. etc.) is really just shifting the line demarcating what you decide is okay to kill and eat and what is not. But unless you are doing the killing yourself, the picture is much more complicated. There are issues such as environmental impact, labor conditions, production processes, etc. that also need to be considered.

1 hour ago, Ryan_F said:

However, I  cannot help but think that the way that the meat and animal product industry works today is cruel.

Sure, many of us have seen the sensational films about the horrors of the meat industry, but have you visited your local farmers and seen what they are doing? And what about the health food industry? The vegan foods industry? What about the environmental impact of eating an animal raised by a local farmer vs. some kind of fancy vegan burger that was produced in another country and flown/driven/shipped thousands of miles to reach your plate?

1 hour ago, Ryan_F said:

“no consumption of animal products, no suffering caused to animals”

Do you know that no animals are harmed in the process of or as a result of getting veggies to your plate? That's a very tough question to answer unless you're out there growing and picking the veggies. I'm not trying to convince you either way, but I think it's very good to question your reasons for doing things certain ways. Investigate, make an informed decision, and always be willing to consider new viewpoints/information and even change your decision. (Which is what you seem to be trying to do, so kudos!)

I know there are books out there exploring these ideas, but I'm afraid I don't keep up with the discussion. Hopefully other members will be able to point you to a good read (or maybe a video) on the subject.