Please list all of the reasons why you are a vegan

[Kitiara]

Ethics, animals, environment, conservation, health and to feel generally better about being a living creature :)

[Shadowsoul]

I used to try it for health and fitness reasons, and miserably failed. I choose to be a vegan because I am not just a pet, animal, nature, or human lover, I am a life lover, I have a deep love and respect for all life, and I have come to know that we, as humans, do not rule over the creation, we are part of the creation.

With that, we do not usually eat our fellows, right? So why eat fellow sentient creatures? Every time someone offers me a meat dish, it feels like cannibalism. :D

This time, my cause made my commitment a success!

I am new here by the way, few days, and I am learning a lot :p

[Aarinsky]

I went vegan for health and environmental reasons. More and more I appreciate that I'm reducing cruelty to living creatures. Ethical/spiritual concerns are now a major factor in my lifestyle.

[kaitlin]

I think that question should be, "Why shouldn't I be vegan?"

[tipsy]

because when i look into the eyes of an animal... ANY animal, i cannot fathom how anyone could maltreat an animal for ANY reason.

because, in my opinon, evolution didnt make us capeable of this degree of mental development to distroy the earth...... but rather to be able to save it.

[kaitlin]

Wow, great point! I agree. We now have the mental capacity to try to undo our many mistakes eg. unsustainable farming practices and change everything as a result of our intelligence. I can't stand it when people use the "humans are smarter" routine to try to justify their omnivorous ways. So, does that make it okay to eat/kill/maltreat those with mental challenges? People just kill me sometimes.

[fiamma]

I think that question should be, "Why shouldn't I be vegan?"

Excellent answer kaitlin :)

[Mermaid07]

I was a vegetarian for two years because I didn't see anything wrong with eating dairy and eggs because at least I was not eating a dead animal. Now i realize how wrong I was. Vegan seems the only way to be. I don't understand how someone can drink milk and eat eggs. It grosses me out. I don't think many people actally think about it and realize they are drinking ANOTHER SPECIES MILK!!! yuck! I used to love cheese and thought I could not live without it so it took me a while to become vegan. I guess i am still trying to be vegan because i only started a few weeks ago and am now paying more attention to ingredients and cooking at home a lot more! I am just glad I found this forum because everyone around me thinks I am crazy for trying to be vegan!

[eclectic_one]

I am just glad I found this forum because everyone around me thinks I am crazy for trying to be vegan!
I know what you mean, more people are stunned that I don't eat dairy than anything else I've ever done:rolleyes: And this forum is great for seeing that you're not alone, no matter how much it might seem so:D

[kaitlin]

Hey All,

I am doing a presentation for my "Food, Bodies, and Power" course at my college. I would like to give the class (myself being the only vegan member) an idea of what motivates people to go vegan. B/c I don't yet have 100 posts, I am unable to make a poll. I was wondering if someone would mind making this poll for me. If so, I would be greatly, greatly appreciative!!

I would like to have people to check all of the reasons that they went vegan, including the following:

-health
-environmental concerns
-animal rights
-world hunger
-other

And if those who check other could elaborate below, that would be awesome! Thanks everyone!

[Korn]

Hi,
we had a similar poll in 'Veganforum 1' back in 2004, but it got lost when we changed to a new server/software.

I'll set up a new one soon.

Here are the answer option I plan to include:

Animals/ethics/reverence for life/compassion

Better for the environment/planet/nature

Health

World hunger/political-econimical reasons

Religious/spiritual/philosophical reasons

Because there are no reasons to use animal products

Intuition: veganism feels right/works best for me

Since veganism is about more than just diet, personal health can't be an only reason to go vegan, but it's going to be a multiple-choice-poll.

Any comments before we start the poll?

[Risker]

Distaste of animal products? As with health this can't be an only reason.

[fiamma]

That's a great idea for a presentation kaitlin!!! Good luck with it :)

[Korn]

Distaste of animal products? As with health this can't be an only reason.

I didn't add that option since I don't think someone who simply don't like animal products personally would call herself a vegan...

[terrace max]

Since we're not prioritising reasons can we have an 'all of the above' option?

I can't see where, say, 'health' ends and 'environment' begins - or similarly disentangle any other permutation of these options.

Thank you :)

[Korn]

I can't see where, say, 'health' ends and 'environment' begins

The environment starts where your skin stops... :)

I'll add 'All of the above'.

[terrace max]

The environment starts where your skin stops...

But skin is semi-permeable...;)

And the lungs are inside and kind of outside too. And the psyche is at least partly 'of the community' and much of the rest is unreconstructed nature ...

And the body and mind can't flourish in a dodgy environment...


I'll add 'All of the above'.

Thanks again.

[RedWellies]

Terrace Max, I think you'd get on with Whalespace. Come to VBB's party and meet him:)

Edit... Ooops, forgot to vote! I picked for the animals but as time goes on I think about other people and most of the reasons in this poll all merge into one.

[terrace max]

Terrace Max, I think you'd get on with Whalespace. Come to VBB's party and meet him

Great. We could compare ecopsychology textbooks. What a party. :rolleyes:

Seriously though - they don't let me out after 7 pm so I'll have to refuse. Thanks anyway :)

[kaitlin]

Hey All,

Thanks to all that participated. My presentation went well and most if not all of the students were unfamiliar w/what I was telling them about animal agriculture's impact on the environment, health, etc... So thanks to everyone for helping me speak my truth. Viva la revolucion!

[twinkle]

Glad to hear it went well, kaitlin :)

[catala]

I have never liked eating animals, feotuses, animal pus, bees puke, insects other terrestrial creatures really, it's evil and unnecesary.

[Hemlock]

Putting two fingers up at the multi-nationals!

[catala]

that´s a good one! hahaha

[krystelynn]

For myself, the environment, and the animals (not in that praticular order)