Vegetarians have more fun?

I have been vegetarian for almost six years (and vegan for the past month) and never before have I received more criticism for my dietary choices.

Sure, being vegetarian in a suburb of Boston is slightly less common than in California, but I'm really shocked by the way some people here react when they find out I don't eat meat. They are offended, get defensive, and frantically try to convince me that I'm wrong... why? I mean, I don't know how anyone could view my vegetarianism as detrimental to the world; I would say it's beneficial, or at the very least neutral. And all these negative responses have made me even more passionate about my vegetarianism (opposition usually makes me feistier...) so I feel like I should explain why I'm vegetarian in the first place.

On one level, it's a moral decision. There's plenty of evidence out there to prove that the meat industry is extremely cruel and unjust, meaning that both animals and humans are often treated terribly. Also, newer research is revealing the environmental impact of the meat industry and the havoc it's wreaking on consumers' health. To me, all of these things make eating meat not only unethical but also illogical; I don't understand how you could know this information and still choose to support such inhumane (and unhealthy) practices just so you can enjoy a steak. Giving up meat seems like a small personal sacrifice to make when you take into account the incredible benefits of going vegetarian.

But, for me, being vegetarian is also a spiritual decision. For both scientific and religious reasons (take a look at Genesis - the first humans were vegetarians!) I don't believe people are made to eat other animals and I feel like choosing to do so anyways is a denial of your physical nature. Yes, I know that God gave Noah permission to eat meat, but to me, that is more of a concession than a command, something that falls into the "permissible but not beneficial" category. I strive to be more like the individual God created me as, the pure soul unblemished by dishonesty or desire or hate, and I don't think that individual is supposed to eat meat. I view eating meat the same way some people view the use of alcohol: something that won't land in you in hell but still separates you from God. I don't want to separate myself from God, I want to serve God, I want to glorify God by rooting my life in love and respect for all creation, and I believe that abstaining from the consumption of meat is one way to do this.

Being vegetarian is an important part of my life and a personal decision that I'm proud of, so it's inevitable that I will talk about it (and subsequently make meat-eaters uncomfortable.) At the same time, however, I know that if I want my decision not to eat meat to be respected (and I do) I need to be respectful of others' decision to eat meat. If you eat meat, I don't think you're evil, and I don't think I'm better than you, so don't get so defensive! Just be willing to listen, and have an open mind, and I will do the same.

...end of rant.