Could vegetarianism or veganism be considered a religion?

I'm a vegetarian, and I had one or two vegan friends, and sometimes I thought the same thing. Although I would call it more a lifestyle than religion, as I call guys who ride Harleys and wear leather duds living a biker lifestyle vs. worshiping a biker religion. Many vegetarians are so for health or religious reasons, vegans often have deep feelings about animals aside from any religious reasons.

It is very hard being a vegan in an omnivore world, particularly if that person has those deep feelings about animals as it becomes difficult to even watch someone eat meat. And like anyone who is born-again to anything (God, non-smoking, T-totaling), they think they have found the true path and want everyone to join.

yes and no.

it depends on the mentality and intention of the vegetarian or vegan who you are talking about and thier subjective reasoning for bieng a vegetarian or vegan.

vegetarians can be in it for one of two reasons:

a- they believe it is wrong to kill and eat animals; or

b- they want to eat a vegetarian diet for health reasons or maybe they just happen to not like meat, poultry and beef (its statistically probable right?).

the same could be held true of vegans they are eitehr:

a- spiritually motivated to not eat food from animals or animal products

or

b- they erroneously believe that they can actually be healthier or by some EXTREME random chance, simply don't like how animal and animal products taste (if this person exists, they should do the talk show circuit). as for the first part, they are the ones who might not be spiritual, but maybe they were fed a line of crap and junk science from someone who was a spiritual vegan, or just read some of the huge amount of false information out there on the subject and bought into it without doing further research about maintaining a vegan diet long term. (i'm not going to discuss the limited medical uses or short term use of the diet as that is mroe akin to bulking diets or carbo loading diets used by long distance marathoners- the latter)

without getting into too much details-

the "type a's" tend to act more like it is a religiously held belief- and some extreme ones might go so far as to convert others or make sounds or feel uncomfortable when someone is eating meat at the table.

the type b's- tend to act more like they are eating that way to achieve a balanced diet and don't have much care for whether or not it is the poor fuzzy animal bieng consumed.

- just to clarify a point here- a VEGETARIAN diet is not what i have an issue with long-term here, there is more than enough options for a vegetarian to obtain all that they need naturally from foods. its they type b that is usually the one that is actually getting this benefit- i can't say all, but many type A's tend not to pay attention to the diet and get the proper nutrients and as a result suffer. at least if you are on a vegetarian or vegan diet for percieved (or real) health reaosns, you will strive to actually build a balanced diet and not just "avoid the verbotten animals".

i have the same critisisms of non balanced omnivorous diets.

i don't think you can generalize about all vegans and vegetarians however, and maybe some treat it like a religion, and act as if it is- while others have different motivations and act differently.

There are vegetarians who are guided by moral principle. Maybe that is like a religious belief. But your painintheass friend sounds like an anal-retentive obsessive compulsive. I suggest that you convert to the religion of cannibalism and make him the first course.

Not all vegetarians convert omnivores... if someone tries to say you shouldn't be a vegetarian or you shouldn't be an omnivore, just tell them where to stick it. It isn't anyone else's business to harass another person for what they eat.

I wouldn't necessarily say a religion, it is a lifestyle. I think vegans and vegetarians shouldn't think themselves so high and mighty. The fact is, people have different priorities. To me, minimizing my harm to animals is important. To others it could be helping the sick, curing diseases, helping the hungry, the homeless. Everybody's calling is different, and nobody should try and change who you are if you feel that strongly about something, or don't feel that strongly about it.

Absolutely not. Although there are extremist vegetarians, it does not have the required characteristics (namely, worship of a supernatural deity) to be considered a religion.

I'm a vegan. I don't consider omnivores to be evil, I'm dating one.

Could be. Vegetarianism may be related to one or more of the following: morality, religion, culture, ethics, aesthetics, environment, society, economy, politics, taste, or health

no religion is basically you worship something without proof

No