Why Vegan?
What is a vegan?
There are many definitions of a
vegan. The International Vegetarian Union
sums it up nicely: “Veganism may be defined as a way of living
which seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practical, all forms of
exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other
purpose. In dietary terms, it refers to the practice of dispensing all
animal products, including meat, fish, poultry, eggs, animal milks, honey,
and their derivatives.”
Why vegan?
Every vegan is different and therefore will have different reasons for being
a vegan, but the most common ones are: for health, for animals, for the
environment, and for human welfare (to provide more food for starving people and
to not support the mistreatment of factory farm and slaughterhouse workers).
See these links for more info:
Vegan Outreach "Why Vegan" Page
For the animals-
Veganism extends further than what a person does
and does not eat and wear. Being vegan revolves around the
philosophy of a reverence for life and not contributing to any suffering of
any living creature, or to the world around us. Gandhi coined the
term “ahimsa,” which is a way of life in which vegans partake. “Ahimsa”
basically means non-violence and is an acronym that comprises the “six
pillars of the compassionate way”:
Abstinence from animal products
Harmlessness with reverence for
life
Integrity of thought, word, and
deed
Mastery over oneself
Service to humanity, nature, and
compassion
Advancement of understanding and
truth
See this Washington Post article- "They Die Piece by Piece"
For your health
For the environment
For humanity
Check out Pamela Rice's "101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian":
http://www.vivavegie.org/vvi/pdf/101reas2005.pdf
Please check back for more info as
this page is not quite done yet.