Is Veganism a Diet or a Way of Life or a Religion?

[500channelsurfer]

(inspired by Brian W's sig; I hope he responds)

For me, veganism is a way of life. Veganism for me is not only a diet because I have expanded it to not purchasing animal products like wool, leather (shoes, jackets, etc.) or down, etc. I am not even a fanatic and sometimes I might accidentally consume a dairy product ingredient and the like, etc. Veganism as a diet would end entirely at food consumption. I think almost all vegans expand veganism into their way of life in some way, whether it be activism and attitudes towards animal welfare, concern for and action on the environment and global warming, healthy and health-conscious lifestyle, etc.

I can even see veganism for some people as bordering on religion, or being part of their philosophy and spiritual beliefs. I once went to a vegan film screening where more ardent activists afterwards gave speeches, and the audience really resonated with the way of life train of thought. It made me think about veganism becoming like a religion as some of them are so devoted (think the PETA crowd). During the 20th Century, communism was like a religion to its fanatics, and just like communism's extreme anti worker exploitation ideology, vegan activists often have extreme anti animal exploitation ideology.

 

[Mufflon]

For me it's a way of life. The vegan diet is part of this way of life.

I'm not into religion. Maybe that's why I don't like the preaching and self-righteous zealots.

 

[Lou]

Technically it's a way of life.
Not sure technically is the word I should use. Perhaps literally.

The Vegan Society’s formal definition is: "Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals."​

Key facts

Accurate details about veganism and The Vegan Society.

www.vegansociety.com

I added the bold to the key words.

There definitely is some confusion about it being a diet. It's not JUST a diet. Although DIET is an important component. Vegans, the media, and even some leaders of the "vegan movement" have done quite a bit to muddy the waters. We have all heard people refer to the "vegan diet". IMHO when referring to the Vegan Diet we should call it what it is: A strict vegetarian diet.

there is also some confusion with vegans if its a religion. Going back to " a philosophy and way of living", are words that can also be applied to Daoism, Epicureanism, and Confucianism. Technically those are NOT religions either. But that might be splitting hairs.

Also, many vegans practice veganism religiously. So when is something that is not a religion becomes a religion. I suppose its the belief of god. So back to splitting hairs, can a philosophy and way of living that has nothing to do with a belief in god be a religion. Smarter people than me consider Daoism, Confucianism, Epicureanism, Deism, and Pandeism nontheistic religions. So maybe those smart people can argue that veganism is a nontheistic religion, too.

Wasn't it in the UK that there was a court battle over labeling veganism as a religion? I think the idea was that if it could be labeled a religion, then vegan prisoners would have to be allowed vegan food. And then it follows that any and all institutions might have to do the same. And airlines, the military, education institutions....

 

[Lou]

So in today's news.....

Switzerland has been challenged at the European court of human rightsover a failure to provide adequate vegan diets to a prisoner and a patient at the psychiatric ward of a hospital, in a case that could lead to veganism being interpreted as a protected characteristic under the right of freedom of conscience across geographic Europe.​

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In its decision made public this week, the court specifically asked the Swiss state to consider whether the Geneva prison had violated article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights, which states that “everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion”.​

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While the right to a vegan diet in prison on religious grounds is already covered by case law in some European countries, the ECHR ruling could expand it by defining veganism as an ethical system of belief.​

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Vegan activist takes Switzerland to human rights court over prison diet

Man says state prison failed to provide adequate diet, in appeal joined by former psychiatric patient

www.theguardian.com

 

[Graeme M]

To me, ethical veganism is not a diet, it is our ethics. In fact, it is just our everyday ethics extended to include other species so it's really no more than what most of us do most of the time with other people. I wrote here a while back that I see veganism as the idea that we treat other species as though they have three basic rights - the rights to be free and not owned, to live their own lives, and not to be treated cruelly. Because the law doesn't protect those rights for other species, vegans are simply people who - whenever they can - behave as though those rights are protected. Sooo... I suppose veganism is how one chooses to behave, to live, whilst respecting the basic rights of other species. I think that means veganism is, as the Vegan Society says, an idea (philosophy) and people who take it on board live a particular way (lifestyle).

 

[Blues]

Is Veganism a Diet or a Way of Life or a Religion?​

It could be all of them or part of the above question .

 

[Emma JC]

Geneva prison had violated article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights, which states that “everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion”.

That's the word that means the most here, I think. Conscience!

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[Brian W]

There are differing definitions these days and I have to concede that language changes in time but definitions tend to be how people use them and not any concrete thing. I got used to the term vegan in the 1980s when it simply meant a diet without animal produce (at the time, with the possible exception of honey) so it makes me shrivel inside when todays trendy vegans say that is not a correct definition. It is a definition that is still in common usage and is therefore a correct definition. Anyway, in this woke age when people can identify how they wish, surely one can identify as vegan without it having to have an animal rights definition. The "official" (ahem!) UK Vegan Society's definition seems to keep changing according to the whims of whoever is running the society at the time so I wouldn't go by that.

 

[Kathy Lauren]

For me, veganism is a way of life. It is more than a diet. It is not a religion, though it forms one aspect of the practice of my religion (Buddhism).

 

[Graeme M]

surely one can identify as vegan without it having to have an animal rights definition

One can, of course. But if your definition is simply a diet without meat in it, then there is absolutely no reason why anyone else would care about it. Dietary preferences are just that, someone's preference, and contains no imperative for anyone else to bother. Why would anyone bother to follow a strict diet? Is it a personal motivation (health, the environment, sentimentality) or is it about justice for other species? If the former, then there is no imperative involved (though I suppose there is to an extent if the motivation is about the environment). If the latter, then you can go nowhere other than to the rights of other species to be treated fairly. The latter makes far more sense because it addresses all of our relations with other species, not just food.

I would put it this way - if veganism for you is about your diet, then it's purely about you. If it's about justice and by extension rights, then it's about others.

 

[500channelsurfer]

I am glad that the right to vegan food is spreading to those in hospitals, prisons and other institutions.

I must concede that there probably exist some vegans that purely only eat a vegan diet, and do wear leather and wool, and even work in animal testing or are employees of or part-owners of farms or agri-businesses that utilize animal products.

Here is a fun example: my city decided to experiment with herding a small number of sheep on grassy park areas to keep tall grasses down, as an alternative to running lawnmowers to cut the grass. Assuming no one was planning on eating these sheep later, or sheering them for wool, could this be considered a vegan practice? By some definitions no, because the sheep are being exploited according to very strict vegan philosophy. However from a purely dietary definition, assuming the shepherds were vegetarians, it is a vegan practice. I do not like to think that vegans would decide their philosophy would encourage lawnmowers and discourage sheep in this context.

Add to previous paragraph: the sheep are kept vegan, as opposed to recent discovery that in nature sheep are known to occasionally eat meat. Sheep and deer eat meat in wild to boost diet

Western definitions of religions and philosophies can be overlapping and not properly applicable to other cultures' ways of life. Even on this Vegan Forum, there must be members whose veganism fits into their larger philosophical-religious way of life, and others whose veganism spawns other aspects of their way of life.

 

[silva]

I've always viewed veganism as more than diet, but rather the philosophy of live and let live, do no harm.
I can't understand why the word would not mean more. You can say vegetarian, or plant based if you are describing your way of eating. Seems like so many people want to hijack the term vegan that are strictly wfpb eaters, then ridicule ethical vegans for eating things that aren't wfpb!!

 

[ewomack]

Veganism comprises a diet, a moral stance towards the world and its beings, and an overall way of life. It feels like all of those to me, all interacting and overlapping with each other. Also, it appears to require stretching empathy beyond the current bounds of the mainstream, so it also involves psychology and philosophy. I don't know how religion would fit into veganism itself, but I can see religions incorporating it into their beliefs and lifeways (such as Buddhism, mentioned above). It doesn't itself seem to involve or require any theology or metaphysics. But one could conceive of a theology that allows life to all and looks down upon exploitation, but one can still remain vegan without that added dimension, so theology doesn't seem essential to veganism. That's why I would call it essentially a diet, a philosophy, and a way of life. People can add other elements to it as well.

 

[David3]

Today on the Jerry Springer Show: Ethical vegans and their dietary vegan lovers. Wait! Don't start fighting until we turn on the cameras!

 

[silva]

This is why I believe in a more broader definition of the word vegan beyond food-the 'vegan diet' is the same as an omnivores diet that excludes animal products. No more, no less. There is no implication of health, or allergan avoidance or whether sugar or oils are consumed.

Too often I hear criticism on vegan forums of junk food. Someone will list something vegan and inevitably someone will jump on with nutritional information
If you're an overweight vegan the health police will say you're a bad example

If you're specifying certain restrictions like wfpb or plant based there is no reason to use 'vegan'.

Think of it this way--if someone doesn't eat pork or shellfish would they say they're Kosher?
If they avoid wheat would they say they're celiac if they're not?