Mentions of vegetarianism
Aug. 19th, 2008 12:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jackFish eggs
After seeing most all varieties of being proselytized at through my life, a friend (fishpi) is to be congratulated for finding an argument to which I really did respond "Hm, yes, you're right, I hadn't thought of it like that. I'm going to change my conviction on that topic."
Specifically, I'd never thought about fish eggs, just assumed without thinking they would be non-vegetarian. Fishpi pointed out in passing that they should be equally as acceptable as hens eggs, and he's perfectly right. (To be accurate, I think he just posed the question.)
Of course, it's completely moot, since fish eggs are always gathered by killing, or at least operating on, a fish. But in principle I changed my mind. (I was particularly touched that both he and I, after this passing mention, went to look up whether fish eggs ever were considered vegetarian over the next week.)
There is a product marketed as vegetarian caviare, which is slightly ambiguous: I think everyone understands that to be a non-animalia substitute, although a more literal reading might lead you to suppose it was humanely-gathered actual caviare :)
Contamination
When I was willing to eat food that's touched meat may seem inconsistent, but when I considered it, it wasn't particularly logical, but nor was it very unusual: it conforms exactly to when I'd be willing to eat food contaminated by, eg., a probably-clean table or floor.
That is, I'd not eat food that's been mixed with contamination, and would always prefer not to eat food that's been touched by contamination. And if I were more scrupulous or fastidious, I wouldn't, but as it happens, I'm happy to just ignore touching if it looks ok.
That's not a golden rule, it's just a self-analysis of how I happen to feel, which changes over time, but if you've ever wondered why on earth I did think like that, that analogy might provide intuitive if not analytical understanding :)
Vegetarian majority
I still notice, in passing, whenever a group of friends chances to be majority vegetarian. Tonight at bridge was 4:3 in favour. It's nice that it's common enough that I rarely do notice, I certainly can't remember very precisely who else is vegetarian.
After seeing most all varieties of being proselytized at through my life, a friend (fishpi) is to be congratulated for finding an argument to which I really did respond "Hm, yes, you're right, I hadn't thought of it like that. I'm going to change my conviction on that topic."
Specifically, I'd never thought about fish eggs, just assumed without thinking they would be non-vegetarian. Fishpi pointed out in passing that they should be equally as acceptable as hens eggs, and he's perfectly right. (To be accurate, I think he just posed the question.)
Of course, it's completely moot, since fish eggs are always gathered by killing, or at least operating on, a fish. But in principle I changed my mind. (I was particularly touched that both he and I, after this passing mention, went to look up whether fish eggs ever were considered vegetarian over the next week.)
There is a product marketed as vegetarian caviare, which is slightly ambiguous: I think everyone understands that to be a non-animalia substitute, although a more literal reading might lead you to suppose it was humanely-gathered actual caviare :)
Contamination
When I was willing to eat food that's touched meat may seem inconsistent, but when I considered it, it wasn't particularly logical, but nor was it very unusual: it conforms exactly to when I'd be willing to eat food contaminated by, eg., a probably-clean table or floor.
That is, I'd not eat food that's been mixed with contamination, and would always prefer not to eat food that's been touched by contamination. And if I were more scrupulous or fastidious, I wouldn't, but as it happens, I'm happy to just ignore touching if it looks ok.
That's not a golden rule, it's just a self-analysis of how I happen to feel, which changes over time, but if you've ever wondered why on earth I did think like that, that analogy might provide intuitive if not analytical understanding :)
Vegetarian majority
I still notice, in passing, whenever a group of friends chances to be majority vegetarian. Tonight at bridge was 4:3 in favour. It's nice that it's common enough that I rarely do notice, I certainly can't remember very precisely who else is vegetarian.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-19 12:57 pm (UTC)Regarding the contamination issue: I think that vegetarians who are OK with contamination make it harder for those who are stricter, in just the same way that pescetarians who claim to be vegetarian make it harder for vegetarians. Of course it's a matter of personal preference and neither is the one true way and morally superior or anything like that, just something that non-fussy people should consider carefully. (Of course, I mainly care about contamination because I am sick to the back teeth of being made violently ill because of [as it happens, not-meat] contamination :-(.)
no subject
Date: 2008-08-19 02:04 pm (UTC)No, I doubt it.
Regarding the contamination issue: I think that vegetarians who are OK with contamination make it harder for those who are stricter,
Yeah, good point. Thank you for putting that well (and politely :))
If I ever turn into someone who has a beefburger occasionally, but likes to think of themselves as vegetarian (God forbid, it seems pointless and counterproductive and almost certainly hypocritical to me, although I suppose might be understandable for someone vegetarian for health reasons) I'd say I was mostly vegetarian, hopefully conveying that I'm normally vegetarian, but not always, rather than trying to pretend that what I'd become was vegetarian.
As it is, I really hope that no-one says "Well, it's ok if I drop the food on the [barbecue ash], so I'll always do it" :)