How Do You View Your Veganism?

[Fauxmage]

How do you view your veganism? Do you feel that vegan ethics are restrictive and unrealistic? Are you unhappy about having to make sacrifices that other people don't have to, but willing to take on the hardship of a vegan life for the sake of animal suffering? Do you envy the ability of an omni to eat, wear, and use anything he wants?

Here is some of my vegan story. When I was about 5 years old, we were eating hamburgers for dinner one evening. I had recently been introduced to vegetable gardening, so we were discussing where the tomato in my sandwich came from, and the lettuce, and pickle, and so on, and then I asked where the hamburger came from, and my mom said "cows". I repeated "COWS??? Like the ones we see when we go to Petaluma?" She said "Yes." I said "That's not fair! We don't eat Ruffy!" (Ruffy was our dog.) You see, I loved those cows I saw from the highway. There was no question in my mind about the equality of all animals, and their worthiness of love, even the ones I'd never seen. There was no sophisticated thought process going on, it was instinctual. I of course didn't want to eat animals any more, but I was forced to until I was old enough to be taken seriously. My dad helped me out some, since he got tired of the battle of wills between me and my mom. I am a very stubborn person, and my family was not really worried about the nutritional aspects or anything, so I finally got to have my way. It took a long time until I was able to remove all products of death from my life, since I was not old enough to make my own money babysitting or anything like that, and I was an ovo-lacto-vegetarian (didn't know that was what they called it though) because until I read Peter Singer when I was a teenager, I didn't think there was anything wrong with eggs and milk. But I ate no gelatin, lard, rennet cheese, beef fat, etc., and wore no leather. I was allergic to wool, so didn't own any, and silk was a luxury fiber, so didn't own any of that either.
It was a struggle in the beginning, mostly because I felt left out of food based family celebrations like holidays and stuff, and I also felt strangely different from everyone else, and all alone. There were no such things as fake meats, vegan cheeses, or even soy milk, and I had never heard of tofu. But I was fascinated with natural health and healing from a young age, so made quite a study of nutrition. I would probably have run into trouble if I had remained in ignorance of the need for healthy natural foods.

At no time, however, do I recall feeling restricted or deprived. I was so desperate to stop eating meat as a child that when I finally won my battle with my mother I felt triumph and joy to be free to live how I wanted. I also was not aware of either a vegetarian or vegan movement, and so rather than adopting a body of rules and regulations already set up by others, I came to it on my own as a discovery of what I believed is the only correct way for me to live, so, far from looking at my lifestyle as a sacrifice, I saw it as a means to freedom from being responsible for harming the animals I loved.

So, do I view vegan ethics as restrictive and unrealistic? No, I find them a real way, perhaps the only real way, to living my life as I am meant to live it. I do not envy the "choices" omnis make, because for me, leather, flesh, silk, animal milk, etc. are not viable options. There is no sacrifice, because those things were never mine to have or not have. Our society is filled with rules and laws. I don't feel restricted by laws against murder, because I don't want to kill anyone. I don't feel restricted by laws against stealing, because I don't want to take what doesn't belong to me. So, I don't feel restricted by the "rules" of veganism, because I don't want the products of exploitation to be a part of my life. I could never envy omnis for appearing to be free to "choose" to include the products of suffering and death in their lives; instead, I pity their blindness. They are the ones trapped by their conditioning, and the apparent "freedom" of omnis to shop and eat anywhere they want for anything on the menu, shelf or rack is a pathetic illusion. Omnis are the ones who are restricted by their brainwashing to believe that they cannot be well and happy without requiring that animals should suffer or die for human needs.

But everyone who wants to post must feel free to disagree with what I have said if they see it in a different way. My way leads to happiness for me, but it may not for you, and I want to know what folks really feel about this, whether they agree with everything I have said or not.
:hug:

[thevegantwins]

I feel the same, Faux. I went vegetarian in 1995 then met my dead animal loving husband in 1996. I remember the day I stopped eating dead cow (though I kept eating seafood out of ignorance). I was at a restaurant called the Cheesequake Factory in Bethesda, MD and I ordered the Shepard's Pie. I was enjoying the mashed taters on top so ate that first then just stared at the pile of ground up cow muscle tissue beneath. I wasn't stupid, I always knew I was eating dead animal but that was the first time I made the connection that I loved my dog and cat and didn't eat them so why would I eat this poor cow. I didn't know any other vegetarians and I never knew there was an entire parallel universe of veg*ism out there with books, foods etc.. I became an unhealthy ovo-lacto-veg out of ignorance, ate masses amounts of cheese. It was a gradual process as I slowly learned about hidden ingredients and gave up items containing those then learned about seafood and gave up that then about different rennet sources so switched to vegetable based rennet then realized it just wasn't worth it. During all of this, I educated my husband and he went vegetarian in 2001. We both continued educating ourselves and finally :cheer: , went vegan in October 2002.

During this process, I never felt like I was having additional restrictions placed on me. I was actually angry that manufacturers unecessarily placed animal items in so many products. I was angry that animal by-products were acceptable in things from hand lotion to bread. I felt/feel sorry for the general public who is not aware of the health impacts of SAD (standard American diet) and, especially, for my extended family who are all diabetic (and many have high blood-pressure) except for me. I do miss the taste of some animal products because that was what I was raised with but that doesn't mean I feel any jealousy to those who continue to consume them. Taste is something that changes over time anyway and I watch my husband literally jump with joy when I make a plate of roasted veggies with my special nutritional yeast sauce and remember the days when he used to get that excited over a dead cow patty (while dealing with chronic asthma and other health issues which have disappeared). I know I can eat/wear whatever I want but I have no interest in doing so. There is just too much joy in being vegan. :colors:

[Rainbow]

As many of you know I started avoiding meat from a very early age, but refused my last sausage during March 1981. I have been vegetarian ever since. About five years later my mum became vegetarian too (it's amazing what influence a child can have :thumbsup: ).
However it wasn't until 1998 that I stopped eating eggs. I certainly haven't missed them, they're fluid flesh designed to make those who eat them fart!:wigglebutt:
November 2000 I stopped consuming those last few drops of moo milk that were still creeping into my diet, afterall I'm not a calf :yea:

I just hope that eating out becomes easier in the UK for vegans, as it did just over ten years ago for veggies. :hungry:

[Oracl]

I know I can eat/wear whatever I want but I have no interest in doing so. There is just too much joy in being vegan. :colors:
This sums up how I feel and saves me having to type heaps!! ;) :D

I never feel restricted, just completely happy with my choice to live a life that does not involve exploiting or hurting any other beings. :colors:

I just fail to understand why everyone else does not see this to be the only way to live. :confused: :(

As Fauxmage said:
Omnis are the ones who are restricted by their brainwashing to believe that they cannot be well and happy without requiring that animals should suffer or die for human needs.

Thanks for this great thread, Fauxmage. :thumbsup:

[Phoenix]

I'm going to cheat a little and copy some of what I wrote in my introduction. I was a a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 25yrs before becoming a vegan in January this year, and I feel like in becoming a vegan I have risen from the ashes. :excited: Over the past few years, I had been slowly turning away from eggs & milk - but I was reluctant to "go vegan" because of the impact on my housemate. However, after I ventured into a vegan website and learned about the egg & dairy industry the choice became really simple. So I discussed the issues with my housemate and she's gone vegan too! :agree:
With all due respect to all the lacto-ovo vegetarians in the world, I didn't realise how guilty I felt about being 'lacto-ovo' until I went vegan. Now I feel born again ... but not in the Christian sense. :boil:

My (onmi) mother stopped eating meat within a couple of weeks of falling pregnant with me and remained a vegetarian until I was born ... but unfortunately she forced meat down my throat for years during childhood. :sigh: One day in 1980 I announced that I was a vegetarian and all hell broke loose within the extended family. I was accused of going veggie just to be difficult - yet no-one ever made any attempt to cater for me! At parties they actually put meat in all the salads then told me to "eat around it". But I persisted and I'm glad I did.

I gave up wearing leather and wool decades ago ... I was a "lifestyle vegan" long before I beat my cheese addiction.

I only have two regrets. (1) I wish my mother had never fed me meat since she used to tell people that I was a vegetarian before I was born! (2) I wish I had gone vegan back in 1980 ...

[vegan heart]

Although I am a multi-faceted person my veganism filters through to every area of my life so it actually defines who I am:D

Ruthie

[Rainbow]

I was a a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 25yrs before becoming a vegan in January this year, and I feel like in becoming a vegan I have risen from the ashes. :excited:

Wow we have that 25years veggie stagnation process in commom!!!

[Caprita]

Nice thread idea. :agree:

Until the 28th of April I did not even know there was such a word as "vegan", not to mention that humans could actually live without meat/dairy/eggs. I thought of vegetarianism as a personal choice, that of people who dislike the taste of meat. In my ignorance, I did not make the connection between animal products and animals. :sorry: Plus I was made to believe that the omni diet was the healthiest of all.

I was looking for pictures of dresses (:o) when I stumbled upon a vegan fashion model's website. I spent the whole day searching for information about veganism, and I quickly got to the conclusion that if I called myself an animal lover, I should at least take this step. Reading about factory farming really shocked me. I was even more shocked when I realized that regardless of the quality of their life, animals should not be our source of food.

I'll never regret the decision I made, and I do not believe it to be restrictive. After all, it is so much easier (for me, at least) to be vegan. I was acquainted with some vegan products and I wasn't worried that I wouldn't like the taste of soymilk. My favourite dishes are "accidentally vegan", and I already disliked those which were not.

I see no restrictions in a lifestyle which benefits humans, animals and the environment. :) However, I know how many omnivores in my entourage feel about my decision, and they do believe it to be restrictive. There are fasting periods in the Orthodox Calendar when one must only eat vegan food. When the periods are over, one returns to being an omnivore. Those who do it cannot refrain from complaining about the restrictions of the fasting periods, precisely because they cannot go without animal products, and they cannot wait for the period to be over. I believe that this is the way my veganism is seen by others: a permanent fasting period which can only bring unfulfillment... obviously, it is not true. ;)

And as for cruelty-free living...
I may not be able to use my former favourite makeup brands, but what is it that matters most? Looking "like a star" at a party or the animals which the products are tested on? I can only regret not finding out about animal testing earlier, for I've been a makeup addict since I was thirteen. :sorry:

I also believe that becoming vegan has helped me with growing up. I now do my own shopping and I do not depend so much on my parents. (That may be something they dislike - they're not fully supportive, especially my father.) I've come to think of the world differently. In conclusion, veganism is, to me, everything but restrictive. ;)

~C~

[Oracl]

Caprita, thanks for that post. :agree: :thumbsup: You express yourself very eloquently......

......and

I also believe that becoming vegan has helped me with growing up.
......you seem very grown up to me! :)

[Caprita]

Thank you for your comments, Oracl! :)

[Raven]

Well i went veggie in 1988. It seemed to be fashionable at the time which got on my nerves a bit. I remember having friends who were veggie for a week and said they just couldnt do it. I didnt go veggie for fashion reasons, i went veggie bacause i never liked meat and the thought of eating something dead just made me feel sick. I started to work in a take away at age of 14 and i remember picking up some meat and thing "this really is a dead animal". I was so repulsed i promised never to eat meat again.
It was a struggle to convince my parents i was serious. My mum didnt understand but it was the first time in my life that i knew i was 100% right and would never give into pressure from her.
In 1994 i decided i could do a lot more and just became vegan the same way i became veggie. It has never been a struggle. I must admit that i was rubbish at cooking and had a pretty poor diet for a many years but i have spent a lot of time in the kitchen and can cook ok now days :crossfingers:
I have never had problems with people, never felt i was missing out because i know i am right :agree:
I wrote out i chilli recipe for a friend who is on a diet because it is nearly fat free. She was so impressed she asked for more recipes. That made me feel better about my cooking lol (oh going way of topic here)
Does it bother me when people dont seem to care or bother like me? Yes it does. It bothers me more every year. It bothers me when i go to the supermarket and see peoples piles of meat and cheese and cleaning products they dont need. I do get very annoyed but i keep that inside. But i look at what i have bought and smile and i think at least i am making the effort. I also think of all the other lovely vegans i have met and know and realize im not the only one who is right and takes the time to think and care.

[Oracl]

Well done, Raven! :yea: Nearly 20 years since you first went veggie! :colors:

[Raven]

He he, yes it has been a long time. I hate thinking back to my meat eating days. I have never understood people who switch back to being omni after years of being veggie. How do you decide to eat meat again after all the good work you did. I should think it tastes terrible to :blecch:

That has just reminded me about a man i spoke to at a first aid course a month ago. They were talking about pigs smelling like humans and i suddenly fet a little uneasy. We were asked if there were any veggies in the room so i put my hand up and didnt bother explaining i was vegan. Anyway to cut a boring and long story short i ended up speaking to the other lady who put her hand up. She was a fish eating veggie :lol: so i spent a while telling her about veganism. Then another man came to speak to me who said the was veggie for 25 years but when back to omni as not to offend an indian tribe he stayed with. They offered him some meat and it was hard to come by and he felt bad refusing :rubchin:
Sorry about the boring post but i thought i would share :o

[Oracl]

Sorry about the boring post but i thought i would share :o
Not boring at all. :no:

I always find it disappointing when, otherwise quite thoughtful, people would rather be involved in the death of an animal, by eating it, than risk hurting the feelings of other people by refusing to eat it. :confused: :(

[Raven]

Not boring at all. :no:

I always find it disappointing when, otherwise quite thoughtful, people would rather be involved in the death of an animal, by eating it, than risk hurting the feelings of other people by refusing to eat it. :confused: :(
Thanks Oracl :D I was a little confused and started to feel a bit annoyed with him so changed the conversation :whistle:

[veggiesosage]

I've been vegan so long now that sometimes I almost forget! Seriously, its so routine and just another part of me that it just seems totally unremarkable. I once actually had to remind myself that not all sosage rolls in the world were made of veggie mix and that, shock horror, some had meat in them and I couldn't eat them!

The only time it becomes an issue for me is when I want to eat out and I have to start thinking about whether the one veggie option is gonna be vegan too or am I gonna go hungry.

[Oracl]

I once actually had to remind myself that not all sosage rolls in the world were made of veggie mix
:D

[Cherie]

Great thread!

Being vegan is second nature to me. In fact, sometimes I feel I have only been alive for the years that I have been vegan (about 3). I couldn't bear to eat the things I ate back then, wear what I wore, going through life without thinking of my choices and their effects on others. I feel that I am "normal" and other people are violent, unthinking, and environmental destructionists. I get tired of people who don't care about anything and who go through life placing utmost importance on humans while acting as if any other animal were "lower" and "unworthy" of a second thought. I often shake my head when I see a person buy meat or dairy; I think they are depraved and sick. Or at least their choices are at this time. Hopefully, more and more people will realize the ethical and environmental implications of their diet and change.

[Oracl]

I often shake my head when I see a person buy meat or dairy; I think they are depraved and sick.
I know what you mean. :( Yesterday when I was at the supermarket checkout the woman in line in front of me had a dozen eggs laid by caged hens in her trolley. I actually felt like crying when I thought of the lives those poor hens were living to produce that "food" for her. :(

[my3labs]

It's interesting how all of my life leading up to being vegan now seems to make sense. I was never a big meat eater when I was omni. I hadn't had a steak in over 17 years. I really could only eat hamburger...I think that the fact that it wasn't a big slab of dead animal allowed me to think of it differently than an actual piece of an animal. I NEVER drank milk, the thought of it grossed me out. Looking back, I know that the information was there, in some part of my brain, but I couldn't or wouldn't make the connection. Until one day I saw "Meet Your Meat" and it was like it all fell into place.

I grew up rescuing injured birds, mice, cats, dogs, etc. My dad hunted and I hated it. I have a picture of me at around 5 years old after going fishing. I guess I caught a fish and someone snapped the picture. I don't remember this at all but it's obvious by looking at the photo that I was not happy.

I don't feel deprived by being vegan. After all, it's only food, clothes, makeup, etc. It was one of the easiest things I've ever done. Even if I felt that I was depriving myself of something, so what! My life (and certainly my taste buds) is no more important than that of a cow or chimp or dog. The only thing that gets to me is the "knowing". Knowing the pain and suffering that goes on every minute of every day is sometimes too much for me to handle. I often break down in tears and/or become very angry at the ignorance of people. The hardest part is knowing that I am married to a man that is only pescetarian because I forced him into it. Knowing that he will NEVER share the same views as me. Also, knowing that a child that I gave birth to and raised just doesn't want to know. I'm more disapointed in my husband and daughter than anyone else because they have all the information at their disposal. All they have to do is ask, but they don't.

Being vegan has changed my entire life. I no longer care about material things. I could care less what kind of car I drive, what shoes I'm wearing or the furniture in my house. Veganism has changed my political views (yes, I used to consider myself a Republican). I now love to cook, to try new things. I now realize that every trip to the store or every time I use my dishwasher or dryer has an impact on the environment. I used to be very passive and agreeable, but now I stand up for what is right and am not afraid to voice my opinion.

The only negative for me being vegan is that I am very angry at the world.

[thevegantwins]

That was an interesting reply, my3labs. I agree about the anger, I know many vegans who are angry. It's so hard to avoid living in such a cruel world. One thing I'd like to mention though is don't give up on your husband or daughter. I know several people who were not only omnivores but actually anti-vegan. One person comes to my mind immediately, my husband (whose been vegan for 4 years). Education can be slow and the obstacles great but you love them and love the animals so just keep trying. :)

[my3labs]

Education can be slow and the obstacles great but you love them and love the animals so just keep trying. :)
Thanks...I need to be reminded of that every now and then.
:hug:

[my3labs]

Even if I felt that I was depriving myself of something, so what!

I hope you all realize that I didn't mean the "so what" part as some kind of attack on the original question.

[Oracl]

I hope you all realize that I didn't mean the "so what" part as some kind of attack on the original question.
I don't think any of us would think that you were attacking the original question, my3labs. :friends:

Your reply is very interesting to read, I share your anger a lot of the time. :hbang: :(

[goodeone]

I do not find being vegan restrictive at all I made the change gradually from vegetarian to vegan over a period of years. The main hardship is being socially isolated as I do not know any other vegans. Clothes are not usually a problem why would I even some one who wears animal skins or furs? It can be a bit difficult finding snack food when i am out but as i make it a practise not to eat between meals that is no problem really though I do know were I can buy snacks if i am really hungry. It would be good to have more vegan restuarants in Birmingham but as The vegan Society (UK) has just moved here may be things will change for the better. I do not feel I am missing out on anything. I do wish the vegan shoes were more readily avalible and less exspensive but i live by the rule qaulity befor quantity and compassion befor fashion. For me going vegan is one of the best things i have ever done

[Gliondrach]

It's just part of my life now. I hardly think about it - except when shopping for food and clothes. But I usually buy the same food each time and I know what's what. I don't eat out, so there's no difficulty there.

Goodone, have you thought about joining a local vegan group? You would know more vegans then - if you want to know more, that is.

[Oracl]

For me going vegan is one of the best things i have ever done
I feel the same way. :agree:

[my3labs]

Well, it's been over a year since I last posted on this thread. I'm still angry (probably more so now than I was then) but I've learned to tame it. I haven't accepted the cruelty that happens or given up hope that the world could be a better, more compassionate place, but I've become used to being vegan in a non vegan world.

Dan (hubby) has come a long way since that last post as well. He's still only a pescetarian but he's made tremendous progress in his animal rights/abolitionist views. He's made a few comments to people that made me think that he actually IS paying attention.


I still view my veganism as the best thing that's happened to me. It has changed my life in so many ways. If I could only change the rest of the world...I could sleep at night.

[Gliondrach]

Good for Dan the Man! And, well done to My3labs for being such a good influence.

[Oracl]

:agree: :thumbsup: :cheer:

[my3labs]

I signed up for a google alert with the word vegan. It's been interesting to see all the articles out there promoting and hating vegans. This is exactly how I view my veganism.


Vegangelical: A Strong Voice for the Sentient and Innocent

I’ve seen a new word floating around cyberspace. The word is "vegangelical." I believe it is meant to be a derogatory term for us so-called “holier-than-thou” or “extreme” vegans who “impose our beliefs” on supposedly innocuous and “moderate and reasonable” consumers of animal products. This essay is dedicated to looking a little closer at some of these derogatory terms and descriptions of vegans who dare to speak on behalf of the innocent. Specifically, we'll compare...I mean contrast, "extremism" in avoiding animal products versus extremism in using and consuming animal products.

Extremism In Violence

Let’s first take a glance at that pervasive Orwellian concept that veganism is “extreme” while the "Standard American Diet" (referred to herein as “SAD”) including meat, dairy, and eggs is “moderate and reasonable.” The only way veganism can be considered “extreme” is by contrasting it with its opposite; namely, the societal norm of slaughtering 10 billion innocent animals annually. As I wrote about a couple of months ago, the average American causes the intentional slaughter of about 33.3 fully-sentient nonhuman beings annually. By contrast, there are absolutely no intentional deaths in a vegan diet, and any inadvertent deaths in crop production in vegan human populations are far less per capita than the number of inadvertent deaths per capita in any non-vegan human population. Intentionally terminating an innocent life – human or nonhuman – for completely unnecessary food preferences is extreme.

Extremism In Poor Health

I don’t normally bring up the health benefits of a vegan diet – even though there are many such benefits – because it completely misses the essential point of being vegan. That is, to eliminate the violence, cruelty, and exploitation inflicted on sentient, nonhuman beings, being vegan is imperative. However, I’ll make an exception this time and mention extremism in poor human health due directly to the SAD. The obesity and heart disease rate in this country is anything but “moderate and reasonable”, and it is a direct result of our obsession with meat, dairy, and eggs. We are literally taking several years, and in some cases, a few decades, off of our life-expectancy because we clog our arteries with the blood-sludge of the animal fat and cholesterol inherent in the SAD. Not to absolve consumers, because we consumers are ultimately responsible for our choices, but the SAD and the big animal agribusiness interests that promote it in a bombardment of daily advertising, are having an extreme field day sending Americans to their graves much earlier than they would normally arrive there; not to mention the health care and pharmaceutical costs of attempting to prevent or reduce further damage from the SAD.

Extremism In Unnecessary Environmental Filth

I also don’t normally mention the environmental benefits of a vegan diet for the same reasons that I don’t mention the health benefits, but again, this time I’ll make an exception to mention extremism in the environmental filth and degradation caused by animal agriculture, which in turn is caused by the SAD. Unimaginable amounts of raw sewage from pig farms, feed lots, and massive chicken sheds is polluting our air, ground water, and rivers and killing fish by the millions. As noted in the December 14, 2006 issue of Rolling Stone magazine in an article entitled “Boss Hog”, our large pig farms spray huge quantities of liquid shit from gigantic manure pits (which often overflow in storms into surrounding [formerly fresh] water) up into the local air, causing people unfortunate enough to live anywhere near the “farms” to breathe in the toxins and develop severe respiratory illnesses (and possibly lung cancer and related problems). As stated in the Rolling Stone article: “The smell of hog waste is unduly invasive: It’s as if something has physically entered your stomach. The stench causes pilots to gag at 3,000 feet.” Even the methane produced by cows and pigs from our feed lots and pig sheds is emitting carbon into the atmosphere at a rate that is comparable, and sometimes exceeds, what millions of cars and trucks belch into the air in our country. On top of all of this, and due to the political power these corporations wield by lobbying and buying politicians, Congress is planning to exempt these polluters from even reporting, much less doing anything about, what they emit into the environment. Further, we are now environmentally concerned about the industrialization of China and India – including their newfound fondness of the SAD, which is expected to at least double the environmental problems we have now over the coming decades – while we do nothing to set an example. What kind of world are our children and grandchildren going to live in during the next 50 years, the next 100 years? Will they even survive it and the global power struggles that will come with it?

What’s Extreme?

So what’s extreme? Veganism certainly isn’t “extreme,” unless we consider a peaceful, healthy, and environmentally responsible way of life extreme. If anything is extreme, it is intentionally slaughtering 10 billion animals annually in the U.S. (or 33.3 nonhuman beings per non-vegan person annually), killing ourselves from heart disease and obesity on the SAD, and ruining our environment (so severely that we’re literally making people sick, and not just making them gag), when it is completely unnecessary and so destructive.

Holier-Than-Thou Vegans

Let’s now turn to the “holier-than-thou” criticism; and the related charge that vegans are vegans because “it’s a sweet way of feeling superior to others”. The only way I could see this criticism holding weight in a criticism of someone’s attitude is when the difference in another’s behavior that they are disapproving of is trivial or insignificant when compared to their own behavior, and the moral judgment and disapproving attitude of that trivial difference in behavior is clearly an overreaction. But how can we, with any decent conscience whatsoever, consider the killing of so many innocent beings, the destruction of our health, and the environmental consequences “trivial” or “insignificant”? It is monstrous to dismiss such violence and destruction as trivial or insignificant.

Criticizing vegans who are outspoken about the atrocities of our day and the easy vegan solution to it as “holier-than-thou” or “feeling superior” is unwise at best, given all of the benefits of living in a vegan society. To go a step further and suggest that vegans should shut up and mind our own business – given the consequences of the SAD on us, nonhumans, and the environment – is foolish; and it is foolish because it is either embarrassingly ignorant of the facts, or so numb and apathetic to the plight of others as to be parasitic, but worse than most parasites, because most parasites must be parasitic to survive, whereas we don’t have such a need to be parasitic. We have a choice. We can go vegan.

Talk Is Cheap

Anyone can say they “care about animals” and talk about avoiding “unnecessary” suffering. But vegans walk the talk, and if some of us do happen to feel “superior to others” or “holier-than-thou” in this regard, we’ve earned every right to feel that way. The only thing that really is nothing more than “a sweet way of feeling superior to others” is using this line to cheaply pump one’s ego and feel a false sense of “morally superiority” by expressing the old self-contradictory “absolute” rule in moral relativity: Thou shall not judge (and in expressing that rule, even implicitly, one automatically contradicts oneself by committing a judgment and violating the rule).

Our Badge of Honor

Vegans should wear the term “vegangelical” as a badge of honor. After all, what crime did nonhumans commit to deserve their sentence to a life in “cage-free”, “certified humane” and organic concentration camps and a brutal slaughter to end it all? Their crime was evidently to be born completely innocent in the wrong place at the wrong time, or to be born of the wrong species/parents.

As "vegangelicals", we are the ones promoting decent, civilized behavior toward nonhuman beings and a healthy human diet, promoting life and longevity. We are the ones helping to protect the environment by our food and clothing choices. We are the ones giving the otherwise speechless innocent the strongest voice they have. This is nothing to hide, nothing to be ashamed of, but rather something strong and immensely respectable to embrace and bring into the open – a respect for all life.


From this website: ht tp://unpopularveganessays.blogspot.com/2008/03/vegangelical-strong-voice-for-sentient.html

[thevegantwins]

That's a powerful essay, my3labs and I agree with it 100%.:agree:

[Bowwowmeow]

Hehe! somebody tried to insult me once at another forum by calling me a vegangelical, so I put it in my user title. :devilangel:I am more familiar with it being used not by omnis, but other vegans, and vegetarians too.

[Gliondrach]

Excellent. I'll have a look at that blog.

Some think it's extreme to be vegan, which must mean that it's desirable, noble and honourable to slaughter and torture.

[1vegan]

Criticizing vegans who are outspoken about the atrocities of our day and the easy vegan solution to it as “holier-than-thou” or “feeling superior” is unwise at best, given all of the benefits of living in a vegan society.

In my opinon, it depends who such vegans adress, and the way in which it is done.

The only thing that really is nothing more than “a sweet way of feeling superior to others” is using this line to cheaply pump one’s ego and feel a false sense of “morally superiority”

I think some "vegan" use it this way, they attack other people who are not like them cause it boosts their ego, they call themselves the vegan police, and feel good cause they can work out their frustration on others. In reality their vegan police behavior is just a cover for misbehaving and feeling righteous.

As "vegangelicals", we are the ones promoting decent, civilized behavior toward nonhuman beings and a healthy human diet, promoting life and longevity.

As said, not all "vegangelicals" behave decent and or civilized. Those "vegans" (cause I don't see the bad kind of them as real vegans), or vegan police don't contribute to the cause, they mostly damage it.
What some of those "vegans" fail to see, is that we're all animals, so vegetarians for instance deserve some decent treatment too.

The extreme, abusing "holier than thou" "vegans" have made me consider to quit with being vegan. I never stopped with the all vegetable diet, but wouldn't call or label myself vegan anymore.

[Bowwowmeow]

I never stopped with the all vegetable diet, but wouldn't call or label myself vegan anymore.
I spent most of my vegan life not calling myself anything. I didn't want to be associated with any sort of a group, as my individuality and uniqueness were something I came to embrace as a self-defense against being tormented in school. In other words, I survived being rejected by my peers by valuing the things that made them hate me, one of which was being a non-conformist.

I still don't place a great value on calling myself vegan, but in living the way I think it is correct to live. I feel bad about it, but so many people now associate the word "vegan" with negative things that I don't know whether to stand up for it or abandon it.

Its important though, not to let other people dilute the meaning, as it is becoming more popular in marketing, and a clear understanding of what a vegan product must be is essential.

[Gliondrach]

I call myself 'vegan' because people know what it is. Those who don't can ask.

[thevegantwins]

I call myself 'vegan' because people know what it is.

I thought your name was Martin. :p

[my3labs]

I am so proud to call myself a vegan. Even with all the ridicule...I am proud to stand up and say "I am a Vegan". It gives me a sense of peace and humility and might actually open someone's mind.

[Oracl]

I too feel proud to be a vegan. :thumbsup:

The other day Mr Cal suddenly said that going vegan all those years ago was the best thing he ever did. :)

I said: what about marrying me, wasn't that the best thing? :pouty:

He said he'd get back to me on that one! :rolleyes: :rollingpin: :D

[Gliondrach]

Is he in the dog house?

[Gliondrach]

I thought your name was Martin. :p

I have many names.

[thevegantwins]

I too feel proud to be a vegan. :thumbsup:

The other day Mr Cal suddenly said that going vegan all those years ago was the best thing he ever did. :)

I said: what about marrying me, wasn't that the best thing? :pouty:

He said he'd get back to me on that one! :rolleyes: :rollingpin: :D

:lol:

[my3labs]

I too feel proud to be a vegan. :thumbsup:

The other day Mr Cal suddenly said that going vegan all those years ago was the best thing he ever did. :)


I can only hope to hear Dan speak those words sometime in the future...

[Oracl]

Is he in the dog house?
Only until I need him to cook my next meal! ;) :chef:

[Tails4wagging]

I too feel proud to be a vegan. :thumbsup:

The other day Mr Cal suddenly said that going vegan all those years ago was the best thing he ever did. :)

I said: what about marrying me, wasn't that the best thing? :pouty:

He said he'd get back to me on that one! :rolleyes: :rollingpin: :D

Well if you look at the whole schemes of things, ie the earth and animals , I guess he was right. You dear girl takes second place..:)

[Oracl]

:slappy: :grumble: :rofl:

[Gliondrach]

:whistle: