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From: cbo@utai.UUCP (Calvin Bruce Ostrum)
Newsgroups: net.veg
Subject: Vegetarianism: Show us your reasons
Message-ID: <207@utai.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 25-Aug-84 18:27:04 EDT
Article-I.D.: utai.207
Posted: Sat Aug 25 18:27:04 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 25-Aug-84 20:26:59 EDT
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Lines: 36

I would like to know *why* people are vegetarians, and what other concrete
aspects of their lives stem from the same underlying ideologies. Please
circle one or more, with elaboration, and return to me.  I will gladly
appreciate your reply, and eventually post a comprehensive summary. (Of
course, post your reply yourself if you feel it is a good idea to do so).

* Generally for reasons of personal health and well being. (e.g. dont like
meat, it makes me ill, humans aren't suited to eat meat, etc). Other concrete
aspects primarily relate to personal health also.

* For religious reasons (although some of this is subsumed in the category
of ethical reasons, below). Here, other concrete would relate to the other
dogmas of the religion.

* Ethical/ecological reasons. A major component in the solution of world
starvation would be the freeing of land from wasteful meat production for
more bountiful yields of necessary food (particularly plant proteins).

* Ethical/animal rights reasons. Animals have a right to life and should
not be destroyed for human whims. Or perhaps weaker versions: animals have
a right not to be tortured or mistreated for human whims, and as a matter
of fact they are being so tortured presently in the food industry.
(Perhaps this argument might be expressed in a utilitarian fashion rather than
a rights based fashion).
Here, other concrete would relate to concerns for animal rights in
other areas (as experimental tools and clothing, for example).

There are some other reasons (perhaps faddishness is one of the big ones?)
but these seem to be the most important. Each of these reasons delineate 
different boundaries for vegetarianism; please be explicit as to what your
boundaries are.
-- 

Calvin Bruce Ostrum, University of Toronto Department of Computer Science
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