Vegetarians and cattle farms

[Troy]

Is it OK for a vegetarian to have livestock? A friend of mine who has a cattle farm is learning to be vegetarian and he wonders if it's OK for him to continue raising and selling cattle.

[jimbrown]

I am sorry but what the heck does what you eat have to do with how you make your living.

Just because you chose not to eat meat does not mean that everyone else has to. Being a person who eats only vegetables or the like does not mean you belong to some radical cult.

I have only met one person in my life that was a true vegetarian. And he was really weird. would not eat anything that had been cooked in a pan that might have had meat in it. would not buy any kind of commercial soap because it might have some animal fat in it. Refused to touch with his hands any kind of animal.

Just weird.

[CarrieAnn]

I have been a vegetarian for almost 18 years and I see no reason why he can't continue to do what he's doing. The only way it would be a conflict is if his reasons for becoming vegetarian have anything to do with preserving animal life. If that was the case, he probably wouldn't WANT to continue being a cattle farmer.

Jim - Sounds like you knew some extreme vegan guy. I've come across people like that and they are just over the top. I'm an ovo lacto vegetarian, meaning I eat eggs and cheese and drink milk. Once a year for about a month I'll go vegan and eat no animal products whatsoever, but that's more of a cleansing thing.

[Troy]

I agree with CarrieAnn. There are many reasons someone may choose to be a vegetarian, and preserving animal life is one of the reasons. But if he became vegetarian for health reasons only, that would be OK for him to continue the cattle farm.

[Xavier]

Wow Jim how weird is right! Troy- I do not see any reason that your friend can no longer have cattle. It is how he makes his living and if he chooses to raise them and earn a living, and then not eat them that is his own choice.

[jimbrown]

My father was kind of a hobby rancher. Not a vegetarian by any means. he never ate any animal that he raised. He made the mistake of naming many of his animals and he once had one cut up and packaged. He ate one bite of steak spit it out and said I can't eat poor old bully and that was the last time he ever butchered on of his own animals.

[Robertbrown]

Vegetarian, One who practices vegetarianism.
Right out of Dictionary.com
Aparently vegetarianism is more of a lifestyle than a diet or food choice by definition.
"The general use of the word appears to have been largely due to the formation of the Vegetarian Society in Ramsgate in 1847."
I would have considered the term vegetarian to be related to ones diet or exclusively having to do with a food choice not a lifestyle or any type of sprirtual belief. I guess I was incorrect. The noun defines a way of living not just a dietary choice.
So if your friend considers himself a vegetarian by definition he may well be conflicted with the raising of animals for slaughter.
I personnally would not judge someone harshly for raising beef he would not or does not eat, but I may be reluctant to buy from him.

[nue2farm]

He has to make a living, so, I see nothing wrong with his raising cattle.

[Classical Me]

He has to go by his conscience. Can he look at those critters and see dollar signs, or does he see a creature created by God? He has to decide what is right for him. Perhaps at the least, he could make sure that he is following humane practices.

[CarrieAnn]

My father was kind of a hobby rancher. Not a vegetarian by any means. he never ate any animal that he raised. He made the mistake of naming many of his animals and he once had one cut up and packaged. He ate one bite of steak spit it out and said I can't eat poor old bully and that was the last time he ever butchered on of his own animals.

Lol, Jim - poor old bully! I can relate to your dad's problem with eating his ol' friend, ol' pal

Vegetarian, One who practices vegetarianism.
Right out of Dictionary.com
Aparently vegetarianism is more of a lifestyle than a diet or food choice by definition.
"The general use of the word appears to have been largely due to the formation of the Vegetarian Society in Ramsgate in 1847."
I would have considered the term vegetarian to be related to ones diet or exclusively having to do with a food choice not a lifestyle or any type of sprirtual belief. I guess I was incorrect. The noun defines a way of living not just a dietary choice.
So if your friend considers himself a vegetarian by definition he may well be conflicted with the raising of animals for slaughter.
I personnally would not judge someone harshly for raising beef he would not or does not eat, but I may be reluctant to buy from him.

Vegetarianism most certainly can be a lifestyle, if one so chooses. It can also be related to religious beliefs. As I said before, I've been a vegetarian for 18 years (haven't cheated once in all that time) and I still once in a while come across a fanatic who attacks me for not being a vegetarian for the right reasons, according to them. It's crazy. If you support vegetarianism, support me. We're on the same team - who cares about the whys on the whole thing! Point being, the people who care about the whys are the ones who are making a lifestyle out of it. I'm not saying their wrong - whatever floats their boat - but they sometimes fall into the category of extremists.