Vegetarianism Philosophy

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Recommended: The benefits of being a vegetarian

Vegetarianism is a custom practiced in six out of the seven continents and has become more popular over the years. Vegetarianism can be defined as the exclusion of animal products such as meat and fish from one’s diet. Dairy products and eggs are often times excluded as well. Although there are many reasons one may decide to become a Vegetarian or follow such a code of ethics, the most common include: moral, religious or health reasons.

Morally, one may feel obligated to exercise Vegetarianism due to the inhumane treatment of animals throughout the farming process. The issue is that roughly ten billion animals are raised for United States food consumption alone. Animals such as cows, fish, chickens, pigs, and turkeys are subjected to entrapment and confinement, less than sanitary living conditions and mutilation for the purposes of efficiency. Cows and pigs, from birth, are placed in narrow stalls where there is no room to turn around or even lay down. These animals’ daily lives consist eating and overeating until it is time to be slaughtered. Thousands and thousands of egg-laying hens are packed in cages, chicken crates, and coops. These animals are so densely packed that it is hard to distinguish between those that are living and dead. This often times leads to the spread of diseases among these animals and is one of the more prominent factors that contribute to unsanitary living conditions. The discomfort experienced by these animals leads to them being mutilated. The chickens that try to peck have their beaks cut; the chickens that try to fly have their wings clipped; the livestock that lose mobility, as a result of limb atrophy due to the stationary lifestyle experienced in stall confinement, are beaten. Animal mutilation, ...

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...b. 15 Nov. 2011. .

Mostly Magic Productons, Inc. "Dr. McDougall: Type 1 Diabetes Caused by Milk (VIDEO) - Vegsource.com." Vegsource - Your Source for All Things Vegan and Vegetarian. VegSource Interactive, Inc., 2010. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. .

NCGA. "Humane Treatment of Farmed Animals | NCGA." NCGA | Putting It All Together for Food Co-ops. National Cooperative Grocers Association. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. .

Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians. "Vegetarianism and the Major World Religions." Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians. Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians, 2005. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. .

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