Veganism — Another Cult?

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Nyarlathotep's picture
Yeah, I have a friend who

Yeah, I have a friend who went hardcore vegan. Six months later he was in the hospital, with some serious deficiencies (don't remember all the details, but I know B-12 of one of them). Now he takes a couple pills to get those substances he was missing; and his doctor recommended he eat one egg a week (as you suggested). This seems to be working well for him for the last decade.

Garrett Smith's picture
@Nyarlathotep

@Nyarlathotep
B-12 deficiencies are a serious issue. B-12 is essential for neurological function. B-12 is produced by bacteria. Some of those bacteria exist in the ileum in humans and might be bolstered by consuming the right probiotics, prebiotics, and minerals.

You could also supplement b-12 and be on the safe side (recommended). This can be done a few ways: 1) The supplement is injected into the animal which is then slaughtered and consumed by the humans; or 2) take a pill once a week or so.

Livestock get b-12 injections to prevent deficiency resulting from their diet and environmental conditions.

dogalmighty's picture
Ummmmm yup. Balanced diet. As

Ummmmm yup. Balanced diet. As previously mentioned, its silly to change your diet because of belief.

boomer47's picture
A feature of some of the

@doG

A feature of some of the smaller religious sects especially is dietary laws, especially when they feel persecuted. ;

Eg : I've been told by a believer that lot of Seventh Day Adventist are vegetarian. Mormons don't drink alcohol, smoke anything nor drink any caffeinated beverages. Jains practice a severe form of veganism. Of course Jews have had the kosher dietary rules for millennia.

Such people tend to think they are 'special' ; superior, or perhaps god's chosen. Special rules about food [at least] reinforce their feeling of being special and superior.

Perhaps White can tell me about unusual JW's practice and their view of of the general community.

Addendum: For a bit over a hundred years catholics did not eat meat on Friday. The official reason was to remember Good Friday . Cynical non catholics have claimed the sacrifice was introduced to help the ailing Italian fishing industry.

Garrett Smith's picture
@doG "its silly to change

@doG "its silly to change your diet because of belief."

I diametrically disagree. Reasonable choices are supported by evidenced beliefs.

Reasonable thinking has evidently better odds than luck or faith at making choices to affect a desired outcome.

We could postulate arguments about vegan diet, including nutrition, suffering endured by the animals, harm to the environment, or other claims about veganism. Such debate, if healthy, tends to lead to better understanding and thus, more informed, better choices.

However, the fundamental question is the Vegan devotees' prohibition of such discussion on the basis that certain questions are taboo. It is this tabooing of the topic that is the problem. To questions their belief at a variance from their established standards; to even consider the arguments in opposition to their position, is verboten.

No matter the empathy, civility, and reasonableness of the raised questions, the question are verboten. They hold an unquestionable belief that Veganism is the way.

If your belief requires that opposing views be silenced, you don't have good reasons for holding it. That doesn't mean that good reasons don't exist; it means that your position is not based in reason.

(I also pointed out some claims about veganism a few paragraphs above that might serve as topical matter.)

Unquestionable belief is a foundational problem of faith.

But their unquestionable belief is less reasonable in the context of reality, where the majority of society consume omnivorous diets. Thus, it is not just that their belief is unquestionable, but that their approach to dealing with any questions to their unquestionable belief hurts their cause. Thus, we have an unquestionable belief system held by a minority. That's cultlike.

Nyarlathotep's picture
Well I've never met a vegan,

Well I've never met a vegan, who shunned other vegans because they spoke with former vegans. That is what cults do, imo.

Whitefire13's picture
Here’s whitey!!! Re: Perhaps

Here’s whitey!!! Re: Perhaps White can tell me about unusual JW's practice and their view of of the general community.

No food restrictions (except blood and by-products); alcohol allowed in moderation; no smoking

Other than that, everything is unusual ;)
And the general community belongs to Satan and everyone (even some weak JWs) are going to die at Armageddon (just like Noah’s flood - babies, disabled, old folks, kids playing ball, mom’s baking cookies after a day at work, dads doing laundry to help mom...you know, people)

boomer47's picture
@White

@White

Thank you for your reply.

"Other than that, everything is unusual ;)
And the general community belongs to Satan and everyone (even some weak JWs) are going to die at Armageddon (just like Noah’s flood - babies, disabled, old folks, kids playing ball, mom’s baking cookies after a day at work, dads doing laundry to help mom...you know, people)"

--and I suppose the-holier-than-everyone-else -JW's are just as liable to old fashioned schadenfreude as everyone else ?

I suppose that like the most devout of believers, such good folk have been blessed with the truly handy ability to endure the suffering of those unlike themselves with great equanimity. (?)

I did truly once run across a good christian in who shared with me that she was going to look down on those in hell with great relish. She saw no conflict with the more inconvenient admonitions of christianity, such as love your enemy and love your neighbour as yourself .

No fucking wonder Mohandas Gandhi said (whilst visiting England) :

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

I guess that's 's a benefit of being an atheist. I don't need to pretend to be other than I am; an ordinary human being, who is neither especially good nor especially bad. Both my vices and my virtues are really quite boring.

Whitefire13's picture
You will get some arrogant

You will get some arrogant JWs

Myself, I really wanted to “save” people. I really wanted to “help” them ...I did “love my enemy”

Just too bad Jehovah didn’t/doesn’t ...

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