Which significant person would you like to become vegan overnight?

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[Cumin]

I agree with a few others. It has to be the pope. He is most likely to directly influence the behaviour of the most people, and therefore save the most animal lives.
At least then mass religion could do something positive (for a change).
If a politician (e.g. the British Prime Minister) went vegan, he probably wouldn't tell anyone because it might lose him votes.

[earthling]

I agree with the commenters above who suggested Richard Dawkins. He's someone I already admire greatly, and I would love for him to have the courage of his convictions and just do what he surely knows is the right thing. Ditto fellow rationalists like PZ Myers, etc.

[Blueberry]

Bob geldof!!!

[Charley333]

I want Johnny Depp to go vegan :)

That would be awesome... Mmmmm wouldn't help my crush on him tho!

I also, as someone else has said on here would like Paul McCartney to go vegan, it annoys me that he voiceovers PETA videos and yet still eats eggs and dairy products. But a lot of Linda McCartney products are suitable for vegans which is cool!

And selfishly, I would like my SO to go vegan, rather than calling it "your vegan thing". He eats vegan mostly because I won't cook anything else, but I'd love him to believe in it like I do...

[Keane]

Nigella, but not 'overnight' otherwise she would alienate rather than encourage her admirers.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1308648/Food-More-Nigellas-kitchen.html

Incidentally there are some really bitchy comments on that page!

[lastx]

Barack Obama

[MCMLXXXVI]

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[MCMLXXXVI]

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[earthling]

Regarding Richard Dawkins, here is an excellent discussion between him and Peter Singer. If you can't watch the whole thing just skip to 29:30 and Dawkins explains why he eats meat despite agreeing with all of Singer's moral arguments against eating meat. Two of the world's most brilliant minds in my opinion.

http://richarddawkins.net/videos/3951-peter-singer-the-genius-of-darwin-the-uncut-interviews

Thanks for posting this, it was really interesting to watch. I have lost a little bit of respect for Richard Dawkins now though! I just think it's a bit pathetic that he agrees with Singer's arguments but then just says that he eats meat because he's at the mercy of societal norms and conformity. That excuse doesn't really stack up as there are many ways in which Dawkins is non-conformist, most notably with his stance on religion. So to say that he just 'can't help' conforming is disingenuous... he chooses to conform to meat-eating, just as he chose not to conform with his religious upbringing.

Plus he says 'A lot of vegetarian food isn't very nice'... what veggie food has he been eating?! Perhaps he should come round my house for dinner, I'd set him straight. :D

[MCMLXXXVI]

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[earthling]

Yeah I do find it quite interesting - I'm an atheist like Dawkins and I sort of celebrate Christmas too... I say 'sort of' because I don't bother with a tree, etc in my own house and nor would I sing carols either but I do buy presents for people. I don't have any problem with a winter holiday or festival (I guess I see it as Solstice really and there is evidence that this pagan festival was co-opted by Christians but that's a bit off topic!) so the gathering of family, exchanging gifts etc is fine with me, but I do have a problem with the religious element so try to minimise this as much as possible.

I would say though that Christmas and meat-eating are quite different as you could argue that keeping the tradition of Christmas doesn't hurt anyone, whereas meat-eating definitely does. Perhaps he feels emotionally attached to the tradition of meat-eating in some ways, but this is still somewhat hypocritical especially seeing as he is quite keen on getting people to give up religion and people are definitely emotionally attached to that!!

I found it a bit odd that he was encouraging Singer to make vegetarianism more 'normal' because surely part of that process is people giving up meat? In other words, how is Singer supposed to achieve that aim when even people like Dawkins, who accept the moral arguments, choose not to go vegetarian? Does he not realise that this makes him part of the problem?

[veganese]

I've seen so much celebrity rubbish... that I really don't know wether to believe it or not... but characters like Ozzy Osbourne and Simon Cowell are said to be vegetarian... do I believe it? Do I hell!

As to who I wish to see "converted"... It has to be a powerful figure... the pope or the queen....

[emzy1985]

I wouldn't want the pope to become vegan because then all of the bad things about him would be associated with us. (Ofcourse, I'd like him to be vegan for the animals sake, but for our cause it would be disastorous.)

[leedsveg]

As to who I wish to see "converted"... It has to be a powerful figure... the pope or the queen....

Could be a bit of confusion when the Pope is heard saying that he's welcomed seitan into his life.

As for the Queen, even if she were ok with veganism, I could just imagine the Duke of Edinburgh, armed with a double-barrelled shotgun, going out to kill some wild rice.

leedsveg :p

[emzy1985]

Could be a bit of confusion when the Pope is heard saying that he's welcomed seitan into his life.

As for the Queen, even if she were ok with veganism, I could just imagine the Duke of Edinburgh, armed with a double-barrelled shotgun, going out to kill some wild rice.

leedsveg :p

Awesome!

[pat sommer]

Ya, cool if the president or a major sports figure.... wait! President Clinton is now 99% vegan and Mike Tyson is reported to be; who on the list next?

[Clueless Git]

The Dalai Lamma.

His non vegetarianism, despite his preaching the benefits of it to others, is one of the most common excuses for many buddhist seeing vegetarianism as optional to their practice.

I'm pretty sure that if he started practising, instead of just preaching, that millions of buddhists would quite quickly fall into line.

[yo-yo]

The Dalai Lamma.

His non vegetarianism, despite his preaching the benefits of it to others, is one of the most common excuses for many buddhist seeing vegetarianism as optional to their practice.

I'm pretty sure that if he started practising, instead of just preaching, that millions of buddhists would quite quickly fall into line.

that's interesting about the dalai lama, I stupidly assumed that he is veggie as I thought that was such a part of being Buddhist, but obviously not. It doesn't seem to fit with practising non-harm to sentient beings.

the person I would want to be vegan is George Monbiot who I greatly respect but unfortunately he isn't even veggie, let alone vegan, even though he is a big name in the environmental world and it does seem a bit hypocritical to call yourself an environmentalist, or have strong views about climate change etc and at the same time eat meat and dairy.

x x x

[leedsveg]

The Dalai Lamma.

His non vegetarianism, despite his preaching the benefits of it to others, is one of the most common excuses for many buddhist seeing vegetarianism as optional to their practice.

I'm pretty sure that if he started practising, instead of just preaching, that millions of buddhists would quite quickly fall into line.

Hi CS
Nothing to stop millions of Buddhists from going veggie after thinking things through for themselves. They could then shame His Holiness into falling into line by putting him very much in the minority.

leedsveg:)

[Clueless Git]

that's interesting about the dalai lama, I stupidly assumed that he is veggie as I thought that was such a part of being Buddhist, but obviously not. It doesn't seem to fit with practising non-harm to sentient beings.

'Lo Yo-Yo :)

All I'm going to say, for the time being, is this: I actualy got warned, on a buddhist forum, that no further posts from me aligning meat eating with a lack of compassion towards those being eaten would be tolerated.

When I have time I may start a topic explaining my understanding of how the significant majority of modern buddhists twist certain teachings of the buddha to justify dodging the salad bar and tucking into their prefered meals of KFC and McDonalds.

That and that on top of not being vegetarian the DL is well documented as having a preference for veal when it is available the menu.

[Clueless Git]

Hi CS
Nothing to stop millions of Buddhists from going veggie after thinking things through for themselves. They could then shame His Holiness into falling into line by putting him very much in the minority.

leedsveg:)
Hi LV :)

The second noble truth of buddhism names the root causes of suffering as being 'attachments' and 'desires'. To my understanding this is because attachment to things and desire for thing are obstacles to 'right view'; 'Right View' being, loosely the ability to see the dependant, independant, and co-dependant arising of phenonoma/events/conditions/whatever-u-like-to-call-it.

For a quick insight into how attachment to, and desire for, meat blocks the mind to even the blindingly obvious here's an experiment that anyone can try from the comfort of their own home ...

1. Log on to a buddhist forum ...

2. Start a topic along the lines of "is the breeding and slaughter of animals dependant, independant or co dependant upon the condition of people being willing to pay for the bodies of dead animals to eat .."

3. Sit back and be totaly amazed at te absolute absurdity of the vast majority of the replies ...

[emzy1985]

Ya, cool if the president or a major sports figure.... wait! President Clinton is now 99% vegan and Mike Tyson is reported to be; who on the list next?

What is considered 99% vegan? He's an omnivore......

[leedsveg]

What is considered 99% vegan? He's an omnivore......

..a bit like a person being "99% virgin", I think.:amazed_ani:


lv

[pat sommer]

As far as public perception goes and statistically speaking, he is on a vegan diet with lapses. He ain't getting an invite to our next vegan get together but, hey, this is big news with the meat and potatoes set.