Veg*ns, care to discuss this?

I'm not a vegan, but I can discuss this. This is a really complex passage involving a LOT of historical knowledge. Paul is writing to the early church at Rome. Simplistically put, there were two factions in the early church . . . Jews who came to follow Jesus and adhered to the Jewish Dietary Laws, and Gentiles who were a product of Paul's evangelization and did not adhere to Jewish Dietary Laws. This is one of the conflicts of the early church . . . each faction was trying to claim who was the "better Christian" This conflict took root along dietary line. Jews claimed you could not be a good Christian w/o following the Mosaic dietary laws. Romans, as Gentiles, who were theologically correct, said it didn't matter because faith was in Christ not in observance of dietary laws. So one faction was always judging the faith of the other. Paul, in essence said, "It don't mean squat, because God accepts you as you are. Only God can judge."

Interestingly enough, Rookethorne, you are right . . . you are seeing the behavioral dynamics played out right here. Everybody is taking sides along dietary lines, throwing out bible quotes that have no freaking connection, etc. etc. It doesn't matter if it's the Bible or not ... it depicts a human behavior. Only the seting is right here on YA, but the behavior remains the same. There are idiots and gobshites in every age as well as those who focus on the issue and see the forest for the trees. There also was another faction as well, but it would take too much space.

GREAT QUESTION . . . I'm going to use the results and the answers in a leadership program I'm working on. We'll see if they catch the drift better than some of those who ranted and raved without substance or knowledge.

It seems to me that whatever you do somebody is going to dislike it. Acceptance is the key - we are all so different. I do, however, understand the frustrations of people who get so angry and upset about cruelty to animals as it's unnecessary cruelty. The mass farming is out of control and I feel sorry for the farmers who treat & feed their animals well. Here in Portugal we have some great farms where the animals are running around free, fed only natural food and who are killed humanely it's just a shame that every farm isn't like that! Everyone has an opinion and I think it's good to share them but I don't think there is any need for people getting so hatefull towards each other - what does that achieve?

As already mentioned by others, the only people who will care about this are Christians, and I think it's rude that you're trying to use people's religion against them.

As far as I can tell, for every 'rule' in the bible there's another contradicting it. So your little passage here proves nothing.

What are you trying to prove? Why do you care if a few vegans look down their noses at you? It never ceases to amaze me how omnivores come to this section and try their hardest to annoy everyone on here. You're not going to change anyone's mind, just like we aren't going to change yours so go away.

I also think it's hilarious that you tried to make a bold statement, but have had to add about a hundred extra lines sticking up for yourself. Give it up as a bad job mate. Ha ha!

That is wonderful insight, however I do not let a book run my life. I find it funny that many people try and justify eating meat by the bible, it seems people only pick and choose the parts they want to listen to and disregard the rest.

I was Catholic once and it was things like this that turned me away from the religion. Most people are what I call holiday Christians(haven't been in a church since Easter, and when it suits them they use religion to justify actions.

Something insightful was once said to me about the bible. The bible was supposedly Gods words sent to man, however man is inherently flawed(according to God), thus this would mean that the bible is flawed.

For me and many other people in this world the bible is a book, and God/heaven is a manifestation of peoples fear of death, and the unknown.

As a vegetarian and non Christian the old bible excuse to do what ever you want means nothing to me.

First off, I'd like to know if you are suggesting that vegetarians/vegans are weak in faith.

I love God. I find my strength in Him. And you know what that strength helps me do? Avoid meat and dairy, and tolerate ignorance.

Also, this suggests that vegetarians/vegans look down on people who eat meat.

Just because a few people criticize meat eaters does not mean all of us do. My motto: Respect me, and I'll respect you.

I have some of the most obnoxious, cruel friends, who wave meat in my face and try to sneak it into my food. Do you want all meat-eaters to be represented by them? It's unfair and a double standard.

Yes, there are a few vegans or vegetarians who are critical of diets that aren't just like theirs. But have you looked at some of the responses left by people who eat meat?

"Mmm, bacon"

"I say give up now, you aren't making a difference, have yourself a nice rare steak tonight"

All I'm saying is that there's two sides to the story. There are bad people in every group, but that does not make the whole group bad.

Um, no, I absolutely will judge people. It's called being human. If I judge that some creepy looking guy with crack teeth and shifty eyes might be dangerous I'll avoid going into a dark alley with him and perhaps avoid being raped. If I see some dude smacking his wife, I'm going to judge him and think he's a jerk who needs to do some hard time. If I see some kid pulling a cat's tail I'm going to judge him and his parents, too. If I want to think that people who eat meat are still in denial or are simply uneducated about how unhealthy and unhumane it is and perhaps even too weak and/or addicted to food to give up something that has been proven to be harmful to the body then I will. I really get sick of people telling me not to judge. It's in my nature to do so. It's in everyone's nature to do so. Duh.

And please spare me your Biblical rantings. Why should I expect your god to have any sympathy about the plight of animals or care about my health when this is the kind of god he is...

"I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children." (Leviticus 26:22)

"Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourself every girl who has never slept with a man." (Numbers 31:17-18)

"The Lord commands: "... slay old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women" (Ezechial 9:4-6)

"When the Lord delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the males .... As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves." (Deuteronomy 20:13-14)

"You will eat the fruit of the womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters the Lord your God has given you." (Deuteronomy 28:53)

"The Lord said to Joshua [...] 'you are to hamstring their horses.' " (Exceedingly cruel.) (Joshua 11:6)

"... Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword and; also the women and little ones.... every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall utterly destroy." (Judges 21:10-12)

"This is what the Lord says: Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and *** .... And Saul ... utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword." (1 Samuel 15:3,7-8)

"The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their women with child ripped open." (Hosea 13:16)

"A curse on him who is lax in doing the LORD's work!

A curse on him who keeps his sword from bloodshed!" (Jeremiah 48:10)

Wow... What a jerk (your god, I mean)!

EDIT: The quote you posted was meant to go both ways - meat-eaters don't hate on veggies and vice versa. Clearly you intended for vegetarians to respond or it wouldn't be here and if it weren't a poke at the more extreme of us who tend to preach our vegetarian ways you wouldn't have singled out Ashley, so spare us the "Oh, you all took it the wrong way act".

Unfortunately this just proves how some meat eaters are....arrogant, ignorant and aggressive. If you care so little about why we don't eat meat, fish and dairy, then why on earth have you taken up so much of your time to, (and I am going to say it), rant on about it?!?!?!?! Why are you so angry enough to actually pose a question 'Vegans, care to discuss' when you clearly are not and have no intention of becoming? Very weird!

What's to discuss?? You eat meat. I don't. I don't know you & you don't know me.

So, who is this man who eats everything?? Hide your children & your pets!! I think judgement in this area would probably be wise.

If you want quotes:

Buddha (563-483 BC) - The eating of meat extinguishes the great seed of compassion

Buddha - When a man has pity on all living creatures then only is he noble.

Buddha - May all that have life be delivered from suffering.

Buddha - To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana.

Buddha - All beings tremble before violence. All fear death, all love life. See yourself in others. Then whom can you hurt? What harm can you do?

I, myself, want quantum thought. isn't nuclear technology a blast? As for neurosurgery, do you propose bodily, or theoretically? For Newton's regulation of gravity, see Einstein's thought of relativity. Footballers' locker room discussions are probably approximately who's slumbering with who? Or, who's going to be the 1st to %. up the cleansing soap?

??

If you are a vegetarian for the right reasons, of which there are many, then you won't give a **** what people say.

I once has someone say that being a vegetarian was the sissiest thing he ever heard when I told him that animal cruelty was wrong.I did not kick his a** but tried meat that night and threw up which is when I realized he was an idiot.