Veganism

[October]

I just tried to express my intentions of furthering my dietary lifestyle to a more vegan approach and got met with nothing but hostility almost.

At the moment, I can't afford anything more than a vegan diet, not lifestyle, but while trying to explain that I got chided for my convictions on the subject. In truth I want to pursue the lifestyle because I am 100% against animal cruelty and the conditions in which they're subject to. I don't think an animal should be abused or slaughtered for my personal gain. I've been a vegetarian for 6 years but I can't sit idly by and consume dairy products, however rarely, in good conscious when I know how the product is attained.

I can't be a vegan due to not being able to afford non-leather materials at a constant rate, and the fact that my transport has leather in it, too. That's the only thing stopping me from the lifestyle of veganism.

Anyways, I was told that it'd be foolish to be a vegan because no-body is a full, true vegan. In my step-father's mind, in order to be a vegan one must be pretty much Amish, due to the use of electricity being derived mainly from fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels are created from animals long gone, millions of years before our time. His argument is that they were still animals, yet almost everyone, vegans alike, use them via electricity from fossil fuel, thus eliminating the vegan moral ethic. He also believes that true vegans don't come in to contact with those who wear animal products, including leather shoes and belts, nor take any transportation with leather.

So I ask you, do you agree with him or not? What is your stance?

Personally, though he did give me a new look on it, I still disagree with him. There are things beyond a vegan's control, such as the lifestyles of others and whether or not they wear animal products. As for the electricity, the fuels we use come from animals that predate us by millions of years. I personally believe it is that vegans don't use animal products because animals are either abused or killed by man, whereas fossil fuel animals are different: humans had no control over them nor took part in their destruction. That was nature doing it's work. But the fact that it has been from an animal does make me question it.

Opinions?

[Wig44.]

It's not just fossil fuels, animals pervade every part of your life.

[FlyingJesus]

All other things aside, animals taste really good

[velvet]

don't even get me started on this topic... lol
vegan morals are ridiculous

[beth]

i've been a vegetarian since birth, not through choice and i wish every day that my mom hadn't made that choice for me.

[Eric]

Farm animals are raised to be eaten.

[Firehorse]

Almost every manmade item is either made out of an animal part or had animal parts used in the manufacture process, as said above to do with fossil fuels - even my computer would be non vegan.
Even foam fire extinguishers are made from sheep hooves.

Cutting down on eating animal products can be a healthy option, but at the same time it can be very healthy to consume animal products, it's just how we're wired.

[Jordy]

I know a fair bit about Vegans being a long-term Vegetarian (purely due to the unpleasant taste of meat, surprising ease of the lifestyle and health benefits) but that stuff about Fossil Fuels is complete and utter nonsense. Animals died naturally and decayed millions of years ago to create fossil fuels, there's nothing unethical what-so-ever about burning fossil fuels when it comes to Veganism.

It's so ridiculously far-fetched, I mean where does it end? Shouldn't you stop eating crops etc to as animals may have been moved from their natural habitats to allow for the fields. Aren't you essentially using the "insects" who spread the seeds, allowing plants to reproduce? Absolute madness.