Veganism Will never Go mainstream

[FlandersOD]

I'm no expert on Islam, but I think the Sufi Muslims are vegetarian (at least some of them). It is true that Islam does not prohibit eating meat, but neither do most religions- although Hinduism, Buddhism, and some Christian groups encourage vegetarianism. As far as I know, only Jainism forbids eating meat explicitly.

Meat does often seem particularly luxurious to almost anyone if they're rather poor to begin with (think of the opening song from the musical "Oliver": "Food! Glorious Food!")

Actually regarding meat when i looked into buddhism both of the types of buddhism i looked into expressively prohibit eating meat, and require strict vegiterianism.
So the information is false regarding at-least the forms of buddhism i've looked into.

 

[David3]

Actually regarding meat when i looked into buddhism both of the types of buddhism i looked into expressively prohibit eating meat, and require strict vegiterianism.
So the information is false regarding at-least the forms of buddhism i've looked into.

.
Depends on the type of Buddhism: Buddhist vegetarianism - Wikipedia
.

 

[VeganRob]

Veganism could never go mainstream in America. Every holiday celebrates with meat in one form or another. Independence Day - hamburgers and hotdogs. Thanksgiving Day - turkey. Memorial Day - hamburgers and hotdogs. Christmas Day - ham. St. Patrick's Day - corned beef. A huge chunk of America makes their living from animal farms. Hell, 99% of the corn grown in America is not for human consumption. Half of it is fodder for livestock, the other for biofuel. That guy who eats 72 Nathan's hotdogs every year in a contest is worshipped. The national diet is McDonald's burgers, fries and Coke. Take all that away and you'll have a riot on your hands.

 

[Second Summer]

Veganism could never go mainstream in America. Every holiday celebrates with meat in one form or another. Independence Day - hamburgers and hotdogs. Thanksgiving Day - turkey. Memorial Day - hamburgers and hotdogs. Christmas Day - ham. St. Patrick's Day - corned beef. A huge chunk of America makes their living from animal farms. Hell, 99% of the corn grown in America is not for human consumption. Half of it is fodder for livestock, the other for biofuel. That guy who eats 72 Nathan's hotdogs every year in a contest is worshipped. The national diet is McDonald's burgers, fries and Coke. Take all that away and you'll have a riot on your hands.

Maybe I'm too optimistic, but I think there are already decent faux meat replacements for most of those foods, and I think any person with a conscience (which admittedly is probably max. 30% of the population) should be able to switch. The remaining people (those without empathy, conscience) will hopefully eventually also switch due to cost and trendiness reasons.

 

[Edaryion]

• I live in a 3rd-world country.
• This culture is very meat-consumption oriented.
• Many people raise their own livestock & kill it.
• There is lack of food & amenities.
• There is 'Middle Eastern' influence, although it is a Christian country.

Pretty much everyone here is, against veganism.
I am vegan though, & I know two other people who are.
There was also an event where vegans gather, I did not go, but it seemed there was maybe a hundred people.

I think, whether an ideology does or does not go mainstream, depends on how strongly others believe in it & how strongly they fight for it.
If per say, all of those, 100 people, managed to convert two people each, that will be 300 people who are vegan. It is about doing it diplomatically, with a spice of intrigue. Now, of course, if we are being realistic, or perhaps, pessimistic, maybe 20 of those 100 people will do activism, and maybe 5 will know how to do it well enough to actually change minds. Regardless, whilst gradual, it is an increase.
Moreover, just more people learning about this ideology will potentially get some individuals to look more into it & learn the truth.

Overall, veganism is backed by science.
It is the eternal 'war' between that, religion & tradition.
Science had always prevailed; it was only ever a matter of time & effort.

 

[Kathy Lauren]

Actually regarding meat when i looked into buddhism both of the types of buddhism i looked into expressively prohibit eating meat, and require strict vegiterianism.
So the information is false regarding at-least the forms of buddhism i've looked into.

As both a Buddhist and a vegan, I do explore the relationship between them quite a bit on Buddhist forums. I don't know which forms of Buddhism you have looked into, but I can assure you that no one is more hostilely anti-vegan than the majority of Buddhists!

A few Buddhists will concede that veganism is laudable, but most will quickly get on a high horse about how there is no prohibition against eating meat. I have never found a scriptural prohibition on meat-eating. Buddhists are prohibited from killing ("prohibited" is too strong a word, but close enough), but the prevailing view is that, as long as you don't do the killing yourself and as long as the killing wasn't done for you personally, then it is okay.

Needless to say, I don't agree with that view.

 

[Tom L.]

@Kathy Lauren I was once speaking with a good vegetarian friend, and this topic came up. She mentioned that, as she understood it, Chinese Buddhists tend to be vegetarian- but Buddhists in other areas may not be. (We didn't discuss veganism at that time).

I'm not Buddhist, but once attended a gathering in my area (upstate New York); this group, at least, wasn't vegetarian (let alone vegan).

 

[HappyVegan66]

I think you have made some good points, I agree i dont think it will ever go mainstream but its deffo more common that it used to be. There are a lot more places that accommodate just to vegan people, and a lot more places offer vegan options now, so therefor it might be slowly creepings it way into the mianstream

 

[Mufflon]

I think veganism has become kind of mainstream in the sense of that we're "that vegan weirdo" less often than we used to be some years ago. What I doubt though is, that veganism will ever appeal to the majority of people, at least not in the near future.

People will maybe consume less animal products because meat and dairy might become more expensive and the vegan alternatives might finally be cheaper than the foods they're imitating. However, I'm willing to bet that people who eat a vegan diet because of cost will have no qualms with other non-vegan products they're using in everyday life as long as they're cheaper than their vegan counterparts.

 

[Lou]

but the prevailing view is that, as long as you don't do the killing yourself and as long as the killing wasn't done for you personally, then it is okay.

Thats the stupidest thing I have heard in a long time.
not calling Kathy stupid, just the people who said that

 

[Mufflon]

Thats the stupidest thing I have heard in a long time.

Justification at its best. The lengths to which people go to excuse their behaviors is astounding (and sometimes kind of scary).

 

[Tom L.]

Justification at its best. The lengths to which people go to excuse their behaviors is astounding (and sometimes kind of scary).

BIG TIME. As a famous Public Service Announcement once said: "A mind is a terrible thing to waste". (and I would add: "on lame excuses.") I'm sure that such sophistries are a main reason I often feel more at-ease with animals.