Throw away or eat?

[Char-x]

The other day we served the teachers their xmas dinners and we got offered dinner too. I said no since the vege option was disgusting - some tomatoe and something weird omelette. Anyway they ended up setting me a place with a meat dinner! I ate the roast potatoes, then I wasn't even thinking of eating the meat, but I just thought (and I have the habbit of analysing everything by the way) if I don't eat this it will go in the bin, surely that would be a waste of a death? But I didn't want to seem as if I was condoning anything - plus it's flesh in my mouth - so I didn't. Thankfully my best friend was there - as I was starving so she offerend me her roast potatoes as she didn't want them and I offered her the meat on mine since I was so anxious it didn't go to waste. Unfortunalty it did. Is there anyone here who would eat it so it wasnt simply chucked away? Oh and I realise the roast potatoes could be "contaminated" in some of you're eyes but had I refused the entire dinner all I would have gotten across to the entire room was being a vegetarian was difficult and un-socialable. What would all of you had done?

[nismosmama]

I wouldn't have thought about it twice, because at this point just the thought of the flesh of a dead animal in my mouth is disgusting. To me its not really good reasoning to say, well I'll eat it so it doesn't go to waste.

I feel like this is the same type of reasoning people use when buying animals from pet stores. "Well if I don't buy it then the animal will suffer". Its not really the point.

To me not eating meat is a personal choice and making a statement. Just like I could easily eat meat when no one is watching, I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I did that and went against everything I believed in.

[gpigluver14]

I could never just eat meat because I "don't want it to go to waste." First of all, it would be going completely against my beliefs, and I'd be supporting the meat industry and everything I'm against, for what? So the animal still has to die? It would be more of a waste to me if I still ate it. Besides, after being vegetarian for almost a year now, I couldn't just eat it because of that. I can't even imagine- I'd probably throw up. Thank goodness you didn't eat it. My first thought would be to offer it to someone else, not eat it myself.

[Char-x]

[SIZE=2]Yeah thats what I done, offerend it to my friend. I wouldnt have eaten it if it had really come down to it, but being an the Empath that I am, I pretty much analyse everything I do.

See difference between someone eating meat when no-one is looking is that they would be putting money into the meat industry (say at home if their family brought a packet of ham and they ate some - it would make it go down quicker and therefore the family would buy another packet quicker than they would of had too) where as if I had eaten it, it wouldn't have done so. Samething goes for petstore pigs really.

I'm a huge animal activist - like to a big degree. I live and breathe it. However I do think it was reasonable to question what I should do at that precise moment.
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[CavySpirit]

I think it's a very reasonable question and dilemma, especially, when you are someone like me, who struggles almost every day with not eating meat. Yes, the longer you do it, the easier it gets. But, for many, it's almost like being on a permanent diet.

If you are already at the point where the thought of meat makes you ill and you don't have any problems resisting, that's great.

Here's something to consider in your situation and I think a more important reason why you did the right thing.

By not eating the meat and trading it with someone else, you sent the message to someone else, that you stood by your beliefs, that you didn't 'eat it because it was already dead and would go to waste.' That logic is a very slippery slope depending on circumstances. Others would say, in the grocery store, "well, it's already dead, if I don't buy it, someone else will or it will go to waste."

And every time you are 'good', you make it that much easier for yourself to stick to your beliefs and practices in the future.

[nismosmama]

Yea its really tricky. Same thing goes for people who are Vegan and wonder if its ok to buy second hand leather items (clothes, furniture, etc.) Because if its second hand, that means you are not putting money into the industry, technically. But it comes down to a matter of choice and belief. LIke I wouldn't buy anything leather, or fur, or made of animal materials even if it was second hand, because even if I"m not putting money into the industry, by wearing it I'm promoting that its ok for other people to buy it and support the business of killing animals for fashion or comfort.

[PiggieMamaKelly]

Nismo- great point about the leather. Although I don't own any I had always thought that it would be fine to buy second hand leather because the animal has been dead 10 years and not because of MY money. But you have made a really good point and I'm rather pursuaded!

The original question is a great one. I've pondered it many times. I used to be a nanny and when I cooked meat for the children I often ended up throwing some out after dinner. I always thought that my money didn't buy it, and it was either my tummy or the trash, so what's ethically wrong? But the truth is that if anyone sees us eating meat they automatically shut out any messages we might be sending (directly or indirectly) because they no longer consider us vegetarian. Even when I'm alone I've thought about taking a little bite... but I always just simplify it this way: "I'm a vegetarian. I don't eat meat. Who is in the room doesn't make a difference."

I'm like CavySpirit and I envy those of you who think meat is disgusting. I would love to dive into a big ole turkey sandwhich right now! So if you think meat is gross consider it a blessing!

[Ally has U's]

CavySpirit is right.

Going veg isn't as easy as we put it off to be.
Also I agree with you about questioning meat and questioning the waste. I would never do it but I have questioned myself.
Especially if you are new at it all it can be terribly hard. Because no fake meat taste good, which can make you either quickly go back to meat OR quickly feel that you don't have to eat meat not even the fake stuff!
Questioning is part of our life, analyzing is part of it too. Don't feel bad Char-x.

[Char-x]

I agree about leather etc...if you wear it you promote it, second hand or not. Same with fake things, I would never wear fake fur/leather that looked real, a fur trim hood on a coat that looks fake, is fine. But nothing that people could look at and think it was okay to skin an animal for...if that makes sense. Ally I agree, being a veg isn't that easy really, especially at a time like Christmas where everyone huffing about how awkward you are but I look at meat differently now - like the meat in the aiseles to me is chopped up animal carcus, not meat. And like I said I think if meat was to be put near my mouth I would be sick - its flesh....