How is it that people that eat fish can say they are vegetarians?

I see what you mean, it doesn't seem like you are judging anyone, but just making an observation. No need for some of the others to get so defensive. I don't eat red meat, but I don't try to say I'm a vegetarian. Morally, a fish doesn't have less of a right to life than a cow. I don't eat it for health reasons.

I know exactly what you mean. I guess people just don't know what being a vegetarian means, some people told me 'eating only vegetables' or 'not eating red meat'. I remember a conversation with my aunt that went like this:

Aunt: So what kind of fish do you like?

Me: I quit eating fish because vegetarians don't eat fish

Aunt: Oh, I'm pretty sure vegetarians can eat fish.

Me: Well, seafood is still meat.

It likely stems from the Roman Catholic (maybe other religions, too) practice on fast day (Friday). "Meat" is forbidden on fast day, except for fish, which is not considered "meat." Many people, whether Catholic or not, do not see fish as "meat," although it clearly is by definition.

I have spoken with several self proclaimed vegetarians who have told me they will not eat "anything with a face." Does this mean molluscs (clams, scallops, snails, etc.) are acceptable to eat? Just another example about the misconception of vegetarianism by definition.

Technically if the only meat you eat is seafood, you're a pescetarian. However, most people don't understand that term, so some pescetarians just say "vegetarian" in passing so that people will get the basic idea.

True, but many people just don't know or care about the labels. When I first "became" what I thought was a "vegetarian", I ate seafood. I simply didn't know. Now, I am fully vegetarian, but I really could care less about the terminology. Eating is a personal choice, and others shouldn't judge anyone who doesn't eat like they do. What difference does it make, really, what someone calls themselves?

They are not vegetarians, they are pescetarians.

They are hypocrites if they are saying that they are vegetarians, since they do eat animals (fish).

And yes, the flesh of fish is a meat regardless of what the Pope says. It is an animal, it has a heart, a brain, it lives, it breathes, it bleeds - a n i m a l .

I think it comes down to the common misconception that somehow seafood isn't "meat." Vegetarians don't eat "meat." If seafood isn't "meat" then vegetarians can eat it, they say.

Never really got the logic.

They can say that because they can say it as is their right under the (in the US anyway) US constitution.

Is it correct? No it isn't.

But people can say they are vegetarians even if they are not. Can people call a red ball blue? Sure even if it's still wrong.

What you may be referring to is "should they call themselves vegetarians?" The answer is no. But "should" and "can" are two different things. People can do a lot of things that they shouldn't.

and can you really blame them and call them all sorts of names? Merriam Webster, a long time and well respected dictionary company defines pescetarians as "vegetarians who eat fish". Between the fanatics who posted and the long time dictionary company, the one with more credibility is obvious.

Well that's very simple to answer...

People that consider themselves to be vegetarian when they eat fish are stubborn closed-minded people, who will not bother to look up definitions in the dictionary. These people usually have low IQ's.

Vegetarian - Eater of fruits and grains and nuts; someone who eats no meat or fish or (often) any animal products.

Vegetarianism - A diet excluding all meat and fish.

Meat - The flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food.

The argument of... it just makes it easier to say that I'm a vegetarian even though I eat fish, sounds just like those smokers that say, "I only smoke to reduce my stress levels" even though smoking actually increases stress levels.

vegetarian /vegan - one who does not eat animal products

lacto-vegetarian - only eats dairy products from animals

ovo-vegetarian - one who eats eggs and no other animal products

pescetarian - one who eats fish but no other animal products

most commonly - lacto-ovo vegetarians. They eat eggs and dairy but no flesh of an animal