Self Deceptive Vegetarians

Herbert Shelton once said:

"There is not a single argument nor a single fact that can be offered in favor of flesh eating that cannot be offered, with equal strength, in favor of cannibalism."

Some of us may agree with it while others may not. We all are entitled to our views. After all its a free world. We may be vegetarians and we may not be. It may be due to religious, moral, ethical and/or, political views or simply health issues. But there is a large population out th

ere who are vegetarians because they believe life in every form should be respected, that slaughter just for taste is not justifiable. Humans should live at peace with fellow creatures. While there are many others who argue that humans by nature are neither

herbivores nor carnivores, they have two distinct set of teeth for two differen

t purposes and are omnivores. They believe that by nature and natural instinct humans eat meat.

My objective over here is not to get into discussion wether one should be vegetarian or not. It was just the other day when I was hanging out with some friends and ordered some

food that some one in the group said that they are vegetarian and would prefer only vegetarian diet. While we were waiting for the food a heated discussion evolved as to wether we should be or shouldn't be vegetarians.

I personally don't have a strong opinion in this regard. I do believe that life should be respected. We are called humans for a reason, because we are 'humane'; we shouldn't be acting like the carnivores who mercilessly tear apart their victims. Regarding human instinct and nature dan Piraro said:

"Here's a test you can try at home: put a two-year-old in a playpen with an apple and a rabbit. If it plays with the apple and eats the rabbit, you've got a carnivore."

We are humans

by nature and should act as one. Not like Carnivores. But then again we have two set of teeth, made for vegies AND meat. I don't know its selfishness or incapability that unfortunately I'm a non-vegetarian. But what I am, I am discrete about it. If I eat meat, I am doing harm to animals, to life, its wrong and I admit it.

But I was extremely disappointed to see my friends, who advocated so strongly about being Vegetarian and Humane to animals and showing some ethical values, shopping ironically on leather products.

We "advertise" ourselves as being vegetarians because we care about life. Do we? We don't eat meat because we believe that it is the murder of life that we are feeding ourselves with and then we hop lavishly on the same murder. Aren't we deceiving only ourselves.

Truth is we don't care about life at all. What we do care is about our public image. As vegetarians getting the special attention of being humanists when ironically we are worse of than animals. The thing that really matters is that first of all we should come out of self deception. If we care about animals, we need to cover the second ground too. The ground where 'humanity' stops us from spending ourselves on leather products like shoes, bags, jackets and everything else that claimed a life.

My purpose here is not discourage Vegetarianism but only refine it to the degree where it really does become humane. This article is not meant for those who are already boycotting these products or to mock vegetarians in general. It is just an effort that if we do propagate ourselves as being humane then let us do in true spirit. Otherwise it serves no purpose at all.