Frequently Asked Questions about Cruelty against animals, vegetarianism and veganism

Below are a few questions often asked of vegetarians, the factually accurate answers given can be used as a platform on which to base calculated and intelligent responses.

WHAT IS A VEGETARIAN?

vegetarian is a being who doesn't eat meat of any kind. The two main types of vegetarian are Lacto vegetarians who will not eat any products that involve the slaughter of animals but still eat dairy products, and Lacto-ovo vegetarians who will include eggs in their diet.

WHAT IS A VEGAN?

Vegans are the strictest of us all and do not consume any products that are derived from animals, such as dairy, eggs, honey, leather, wool, silk, etc.-

IS IT HEALTHIER TO BE A VEGETARIAN OR A MEAT EATER?

It is medically proven that a vegetarian diet is healthier than one centred around meat! It is not only healthier but actually reduces the risks of colon, rectum, breast, uterus, and other cancers by up to 40%. These types of cancer are rare among vegetarians, they also have very little chance of suffering with kidney and gall stones, high blood pressure, strokes, diet-related diabetes and arteriosclerosis. As a vegetarian you are less likely to suffer from problems related to obesity, your cholesterol levels reduce, as does the risk of developing coronary heart disease by approximately 30%. Ninety to ninety-seven percent of heart disease could be prevented with a vegetarian diet. Studies have scientifically shown that after tobacco and alcohol, the consumption of meat is the greatest single cause of mortality in Western Europe, the United States, Australia, and other affluent areas of the world. A vegetarian diet can also lead to a 20% lower premature mortality rate when compared to meat eaters!

ARE OUR BODIES DESIGNED FOR MEAT CONSUMPTION?

No, definitely not, our characteristics are closer to those of a herbivore, the action of eating involves both the hands and the mouth; if our hands were meant for meat-eating we would have claws for hunting, not hands with outward stretching fingers, which are better suited for harvesting fruit and vegetables. Here is a comparison table to take a look at.

WHAT ABOUT PLANTS, IS IT NOT BAD TO KILL THEM?

It has not been proven that plants experience pain, they are obviously living organisms and they grow and react to energy. We live in a world where we need to exist; we survive by taking advantage of our planet and the ones who we live with. As vegetarians, we exist by doing the least harm possible, we need to live healthily and can do so by eating fruit, grains and vegetables, and in this way are not contributing to the suffering of animals. Plants are our source of nutrition, animals should not be.

WHAT ABOUT LEATHER?

Leather is widely considered as a problem that pales in comparison to the millions of animals slaughtered daily for food. Leather in particular accounts for a huge proportion of the meat industry income and is greatly relied upon. There are many companies that provide alternatives to leather and sell cruelty free shoes, bags, belts and wallets etc. If we were to never buy leather goods again and buy only these animal friendly products, the meat industry would be forced to reduce the amount of animals slaughtered due to the reduced demand. Click here to see a list of such products and where to purchase them.

IF WE DIDN'T EAT THE ANIMALS THEY WOULDN'T EXIST AT ALL…

Of course they wouldn't exist in the same numbers, millions of animals living in captivity awaiting slaughter. The few animals would at least live as other wild species do; this is surely better than breeding them by the million only to kill them in less than a year of their birth. Would we ever, in this day and age, consider breeding and raising humans to use as slaves? This analogy can easily be dismissed as ridiculous but is it really such a long time ago since this kind of behaviour took place?

ARE ANIMALS KILLED HUMANELY IN THE SLAUGHTERHOUSES?

What exactly is killing humanely? It is a contradiction that most people seem more than happy to go along with. Is it possible to shout quietly? Of course not and it's also impossible to kill anything or anyone in a humane manner. More than 2,000,000 animals are murdered every day in British slaughterhouses, that is 250,000 every hour, 4167 every minute, 69 every second; With such a high volume of killing taking place, the precautions and HUMANE measures aren't always strictly adhered to, because of this many animals experience huge amounts of pain and suffering.

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