# Vegetarians Are Intolerant Jerks \[Moved from BBQ Pit\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 27, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarians-are-intolerant-jerks-moved-from-bbq-pit/507967 "2009-08-27T22:44:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarians-are-intolerant-jerks-moved-from-bbq-pit/507967/401 "2009-09-02T03:23:22Z")
There is some intolerance on both sides. Myself, I would never stop eating meat, but when a vegetarian tries telling me about the suffering of the animals, as if that would change my mind, i go on about how yummy the meat is when they are killed ‘inhumanely’, and exaggerate (1,000,000 chickens stuffed into a 5 by 5 inch cage). ---
**Author:** ![geezermom67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@geezermom67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geezermom67)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarians-are-intolerant-jerks-moved-from-bbq-pit/507967/402 "2009-09-02T03:34:04Z")
> [@Tamara+](#): > > There is some intolerance on both sides. Myself, I would never stop eating meat, but when a vegetarian tries telling me about the suffering of the animals, as if that would change my mind, i go on about how yummy the meat is when they are killed ‘inhumanely’, and exaggerate (1,000,000 chickens stuffed into a 5 by 5 inch cage). and you do this because? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarians-are-intolerant-jerks-moved-from-bbq-pit/507967/403 "2009-09-02T04:37:01Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > If you’re not going to pull him up for blatant dishonesty, what else is there to do. > . . . > > If you can’t maintain some minimum standards of honesty in GD, don’t be surprised if the quality of debate deteriorates. It has never been rthe SDMB policy that Moderators control the content of debate. The thing “to do” was what actually happened: multiple posters provided his own link to demonstrate that he was talking out his ass. The participants of Great Debates considered at some length the issue of lying and decided that it is just not appropriate to employ the tactic of accusing other posters of lying in this forum, so don’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarians-are-intolerant-jerks-moved-from-bbq-pit/507967/404 "2009-09-02T04:39:00Z")
> [@TheMadHun](#): > > You’re right. They should ban you on general principles, not because of what bloody things you eat. The tone of this thread is sufficiently testy that if this was a joke it was misplaced and if it was not a joke you are out of line. [/Modding] ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarians-are-intolerant-jerks-moved-from-bbq-pit/507967/405 "2009-09-02T05:50:32Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > I’m supposed to quote the entire thing? I took out the part that was relevant. As did I. And yet, you criticized me for doing so. > [@](#): > > Well, that’s just not what I said, is it? I said there is no “meant” to do. We do what we want to do. What I personally do is apparently fine for my health, but by no means did I universalize that to say that whatever the collective “we” do is good for us. I also said that there was no “meant” to do, so your correction was meaningless. By any _objective_ standard, we are omnivores, not vegetarians and not carnivores, so again you’re mistaken in correcting me. Some studies show that eating a vegetarian diet has some health benefits. Others, like the ones on the paleo diet page I linked to earlier, show that eating a high protein diet can have health benefits. It is _not_ conclusive that vegetarian diets offer substantial health benefits over a balanced diet that also includes animal protein. **Qadgop** very carefully said that _some of his patients had improved outcomes_ from switching to a vegetarian diet, but did not make a blanket statement that a vegetarian diet was the best for all people. You can eat whatever you want to eat. You can say whatever you want to about your health. I’m not going to criticize you for your choices. But I will dispute your statements if I believe you are mistaken, and I will point out faulty logic in your arguments. As for personal anecdotes having any weight, I could point out that I eat quite a bit of animal protein — between 30 and 40% of my daily calories — and my health indicators are great. I have cholesterol levels well within the healthy range…for Japan, which has more restrictive guidelines than the US. At 10% body fat, I 'm well below the average body weight, especially for my age cohort. I can run a 5 k in 22–23 minutes, deadlift 2x my body weight, and have a resting heart rate in the 50s. Does this mean anything about the benefits of my diet? No, not at all. I wouldn’t generalize anything in my personal circumstances to cover everyone. It also is irrelevant to the two points I originally came into this thread to make: 1)The book, The China Study, cherry-picked evidence and misrepresented data from the study it was based on, and most of the body of the book is not supported by either that study or by sufficient outside sources. It consists of the opinions of the author. 2) That vegetarian diets are not conclusively superior to diets that incorporate meat and other animal products. That’s all. I did not make any statements about the ethics involved in vegetarianism or any individual’s dietary choices. I also do not believe I’ve been anywhere near as confrontational in tone as you have. I’m done responding to you personally. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarians-are-intolerant-jerks-moved-from-bbq-pit/507967/406 "2009-09-02T06:05:56Z")
> [@Sleel](#): > > As did I. And yet, you criticized me for doing so. I criticized you for misinterpreting me. I also pointed out exactly where you did it. Want me to do it again? > [@Sleel](#): > > I also disagree with both of you that whatever we can do is good for us. I never said that, so you were wrong in attributing that sentiment to me. > [@](#): > > I also said that there was no “meant” to do, so your correction was meaningless. By any _objective_ standard, we are omnivores, not vegetarians and not carnivores, so again you’re mistaken in correcting me. You keep saying that after the fact, but that’s not what you said. I quoted what you said, and despite putting “meant” in quotes, meant is very much what you… meant. > [@](#): > > **Qadgop** very carefully said that _some of his patients had improved outcomes_ from switching to a vegetarian diet, but did not make a blanket statement that a vegetarian diet was the best for all people. No one has said that. So what are you arguing against, exactly? Vegetarians have been taken to task repeatedly in this thread for allegedly claiming their diet is superior, when no one has done that. In fact, the meat eaters, including yourself, have said that the vegetarian diet has no proven health benefits, which is incorrect, and now you’re backpedaling, which is better than what Diogenes is doing, which is just glossing over the fact that his blanket dismissal of the health benefits of vegetarianism were wrong. > [@](#): > > You can eat whatever you want to eat. You can say whatever you want to about your health. I’m not going to criticize you for your choices. But I will dispute your statements if I believe you are mistaken, and I will point out faulty logic in your arguments. And yet, when I do the same to you, I guess this rather huffy exit line: > [@](#): > > That’s all. I did not make any statements about the ethics involved in vegetarianism or any individual’s dietary choices. I also do not believe I’ve been anywhere near as confrontational in tone as you have. I’m done responding to you personally. Oh noes, you’re not going to respond to me anymore! I’m heart broken. Since you can’t seem to follow a conversation, even when it’s quoted back to you multiple times, I won’t consider it a grave loss to the discussion that you’re not going to address me anymore. You weren’t really addressing me anyway. > [@](#): > > Does this mean anything about the benefits of my diet? No, not at all. I wouldn’t generalize anything in my personal circumstances to cover everyone. It’s very amusing to me that you’d say this to me, after I said the exact same thing to you about not universalizing my personal health based on my diet. I am in total agreement with you, so your point, while valid, is not one that particularly needed to be made, unless you were just looking for an excuse to brag about your fitness at great length. Good for you! ---
**Author:** ![geezermom67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@geezermom67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geezermom67)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarians-are-intolerant-jerks-moved-from-bbq-pit/507967/407 "2009-09-02T17:14:01Z")
> [@Sleel](#): > > 1)The book, The China Study, cherry-picked evidence and misrepresented data from the study it was based on, and most of the body of the book is not supported by either that study or by sufficient outside sources. It consists of the opinions of the author. Have you read The China Study? It is very well referenced, and certainly is not just the opinion of the author. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarians-are-intolerant-jerks-moved-from-bbq-pit/507967/408 "2009-09-15T03:49:37Z")
My guess is that most vegetarians get to debate about their food choices all the time but don’t necessarily want to do it everywhere they go. I’m wondering why a non-vegetarian would go to the trouble to find a vegetarian-only site online and be pissed off that they don’t want to debate him/her there. “Somebody” has some repressed hostility or overt mental illness, I’d say. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarians-are-intolerant-jerks-moved-from-bbq-pit/507967.md?page=20)