Vegetarianism

I. VEGETARIANISM IN ALL ASPECTS

Man must live and let animals live in freedom . The word "vegetarian" is derived from the Latin word "vegetare" which means "to enliven". In general, vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, poultry and eggs. Some people who call themselves partial vegetarians eat fish and chicken but no red meat such as beef, pork and lamb. Others, who call themselves lacto-ovo-vegetarians, include eggs along with milk and milk products in their diet, lacto-vegetarians include milk and milk products but no eggs in their diet while fruitarians live on fruits, seeds, grains and vegetables only. According to Jainism, only lacto-vegetarians and fruitarians are vegetarians.

Foods allowed in the main vegetarian diets

Diet Name Meat

Eggs

Dairy

Lacto-ovo vegetarianism

No Yes Yes

Lacto vegetarianism

No No Yes

Ovo vegetarianism

No Yes No

Veganism

No No No

History of Human Diet:

Many modern anthropologists believe that the diet of prehistoric man consisted of nuts, fruits, plants and probably some insects. Scientists have established that early man originated in a warm climate where growing plants was easier than hunting. In the Stone Age, man started eating meat, but he ate far less of it than many of today's non-vegetarians do. It was during the last ice age when fruits, nuts and vegetables were unavailable that early humans had to start eating animal flesh in order to survive.

Throughout history, many individuals and groups of people realized the importance of the vegetarian diet for spiritual development and also for health reasons. Thus they became vegetarians. Many great Greek scholars including Plato, Socrates and Pythagoras supported a vegetarian diet. In India, all sages and saints preached the importance of vegetarianism. “As long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seeds of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.” (Pythagoras 15). It is clear that meat has not been a component of the food of all human beings since prehistoric times. “It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical effect on the human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.”( Einstein Archive 46-756)

In modern times, many people are adopting a vegetarian diet for moral, health and economic reasons. This paper discusses the various aspects of vegetarianism.

Human Aspects:

Jainism and some other religions say that soul is the entity that distinguishes living beings from nonliving objects. They also emphasize that the souls of animals are basically of the same kind as those of human beings and that all animals including the tiniest of insects are seen to avoid dangerous situations, painful experiences and death. No one can deny that an animal feels pain like a human being. Thus, like humans, all animals have the right to live. Therefore, avoidance of the killing of animals is the most important reason for a vegetarian diet. We should not kill any living being for food. It is a violent and selfish act which is totally unnecessary. Later, in this article, it has been shown that a balanced vegetarian diet is better for health than a non-vegetarian one.

Most men and women, vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians, find it hard to injure or kill animals. However, many people eat meat because of their lack of awareness of the process of production of meat. In spite of all efforts to minimize the suffering of animals involved and all the government regulations, cattle and poultry undergo considerable pain and suffering. For example, the owners cut the horns of steers and tails of pigs so that they may not hurt each other in the crowded indoor pens. The animals are overfed to build up their flesh. In cattle farms, cows spend their entire lives pregnant, giving birth, having their babies taken away from them and starting the whole cycle again. Animals must be kept conscious at the time of

slaughter. U. S. sanitary law requires that animals must be off the floor when killed. Hence animals are hung by their hind legs at the time of slaughter. Many times, their leg bones or pelvic bones break or the legs are torn from the socket as they twist in an effort to get free. If people become aware of these facts, they may give up eating non-vegetarian food.

Some people