Ethical dilemma

**Bakiryu** · 10-23-2007, 10:06 PM

I know this is going to sound really stupid/or shallow

but since I'm a vegetarian my mother has been making lots of eggs lately, instead of meat.

But eggs are animal products, so isn't me eating then actually animal murder?

Should I actually eat eggs? Or am I going against my beliefs every time I have a piece of cake?

Help!

**Virgil** · 10-23-2007, 10:10 PM

There are vegetarians on the forum that can give a better opinion than me. I'm not a vegetarian. But I don't regard eggs as animals. They are unfertilized eggs. They have no capability to develop into animals. So what's the problem with eating them? Plus they have a lot of nutrition. Nutrition that you are probably not getting because you are not eating meat.

**Bakiryu** · 10-23-2007, 10:12 PM

Yeah, but they could've been chickens!

Can't you get enough nutricion from veggies? I've always had perfect health since I stopped eating meat.

**Shalot** · 10-23-2007, 10:14 PM

Can you eat egg beaters? They're just egg whites. I've been digging those lately. You just pour some in your frying pan and you've got a tasty protein filled breakfast. I don't know about it Baki - I think you need to eat meat. it's brain food!

I can see your point though in not wanting to eat meat just because the slaughtering process is so disgusting. But if it's an egg I don't see how that counts. A person has to eat.

**Bakiryu** · 10-23-2007, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by Shalot

Can you eat egg beaters? They're just egg whites. I've been digging those lately. You just pour some in your frying pan and you've got a tasty protein filled breakfast. I don't know about it Baki - I think you need to eat meat. it's brain food!

I can see your point though in not wanting to eat meat just because the slaughtering process is so disgusting. But if it's an egg I don't see how that counts. A person has to eat.

I eat a lot, one full plate a day! plus, all the milk I drink for breakfast and lunch, and tea.

It makes me kinda sad thinking that my food could actually have been alive before I ate it.

**Oniw17** · 10-23-2007, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by Virgil

There are vegetarians on the forum that can give a better opinion than me. I'm not a vegetarian. But I don't regard eggs as animals. They are unfertilized eggs. They have no capability to develop into animals. So what's the problem with eating them? Plus they have a lot of nutrition. Nutrition that you are probably not getting because you are not eating meat.

I guess I have nothing to add to this thread then.

**packersfan** · 10-23-2007, 10:19 PM

Protein is obviously one of the food groups, so you should try and get as much protein as possible. Truly this question relies on your eating habits. If you eat a lot of beans, soy products, fish (if you eat fish) and nuts, and you can be okay without eggs, then no. But if you don't eat enough protein products, you might just have to. There have been a lot of vegatarians getting sick from not eating enough meat. You don't want to protest eggs if you end up getting sick yourself. It also depends on the way you view baby eggs. Personally, I think its fine. The chicks haven't become yet, but then again I'm not a vegatarian. I believe in animal rights and I believe its better to be a vegatarian then not, but there are to many places I go where meat is all that they have, and not protein like beans and fish and what not. I hope this answered your question.

**motherhubbard** · 10-23-2007, 10:45 PM

I was a vegetarian for a few years and I understand your dilemma. There are those who eat no animal products- but it’s hard and takes a lot of planning and effort. You know I have chickens and can tell you a thing or two about the eggs. Store eggs are not fertilized, farm eggs are- my roosters wake up in the morning crowing for a reason. But they’re not even close to chickens yet. I eat my farm eggs every day and there isn’t even a start of a chicken in there, not even a speck. I couldn’t eat one if there was. Also, I hatch out many of my eggs and only about 30-50% ever even hatch. So don’t worry, you’re not killing chickens when you are eating eggs. In fact, if the egg gets cold it will never even make a chicken. You can get a lot of protein from vegetables and this is where the bulk of your protein may come from, but there is a lot to be said for animal protein. Keep in mind that protein is the building block for life. Everything is made out of protein. Think about your bones- most people think that bones are made from calcium but that’s not exactly true. Bones are made from protein that has calcified. When you eat healthy fats your body produces hormones that cause those bones to calcify and strengthen. This is one reason women who have been on low fat diets for years and years have a higher risk of osteoporosis. Also, if you are still a vegetarian when you decide to have children I would strongly recommend you eat eggs. Sometimes the sons of women who don’t get enough animal protein during their pregnancy have a minor birth defect causing the end of their penis to be a little different, but it is easily corrected with a minor surgery. I’ve even seen this in women who were not vegetarians but just didn’t feel they could stomach meat when they were pregnant, but it is more common among women who are vegetarians.

**Virgil** · 10-23-2007, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by Bakiryu

Yeah, but they could've been chickens!

How could they have been chickens? The eggs weren't fertilized.

**Virgil** · 10-23-2007, 10:49 PM

Originally Posted by motherhubbard

Also, if you are still a vegetarian when you decide to have children I would strongly recommend you eat eggs. Sometimes the sons of women who don’t get enough animal protein during their pregnancy have a minor birth defect causing the end of their penis to be a little different,

Well thank God my mother wasn't a vegetarian.

**Bakiryu** · 10-23-2007, 11:03 PM

So lucky I'm adopting. My son would kill me.

**higley** · 10-23-2007, 11:07 PM

Oh geez Virg.

If you stopped eating eggs, Bakiryu, would you not also have to discontinue with anything else made with eggs, like cakes, pastas, ice cream, mayonnaise, etc? I know there's egg substitutes but if you ask me "substitute" is probably a pretty generous term for it.

**Bakiryu** · 10-23-2007, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by higley

Oh geez Virg.

If you stopped eating eggs, Bakiryu, would you not also have to discontinue with anything else made with eggs, like cakes, pastas, ice cream, mayonnaise, etc? I know there's egg substitutes but if you ask me "substitute" is probably a pretty generous term for it.

Well, there's a very slight chance of me getting any cake (

care to make me some?

) or ice cream. I don't eat mayonnaise (I do put in on my hair, does that count?)

I guess I'm too picky with my food

And there are the energy shakes (you know: milk, raw egg yolks, sugar and vanilla, pour it on a vase and drink it down before going running) The energy shakes are important.

**Stanislaw** · 10-23-2007, 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by Shalot

Can you eat egg beaters? They're just egg whites. I've been digging those lately. You just pour some in your frying pan and you've got a tasty protein filled breakfast. I don't know about it Baki - I think you need to eat meat. it's brain food!

I can see your point though in not wanting to eat meat just because the slaughtering process is so disgusting. But if it's an egg I don't see how that counts. A person has to eat.

well, I suppose one could object to eggs because they are mass produced...unless you buy eggs straight from an ethical farmer...

Originally Posted by Bakiryu

I eat a lot, one full plate a day! plus, all the milk I drink for breakfast and lunch, and tea.

It makes me kinda sad thinking that my food could actually have been alive before I ate it.

milk could theoretically fall into the category of animal products/byproducts though... but, the egg...I suppose this depend on how you define life, and if you consider both parts of the reproductive process to be independantly alive...

**SleepyWitch** · 10-24-2007, 01:30 AM

Originally Posted by Virgil

But I don't regard eggs as animals. They are unfertilized eggs. They have no capability to develop into animals. So what's the problem with eating them? Plus they have a lot of nutrition. Nutrition that you are probably not getting because you are not eating meat.

I'm a veggie and I agree with Virgil. I eat eggs (I'm a bit ambivalent about it, but then you gotta eat something).
I think every veggie has to decide this question for himself. but if you don't want to eat eggs, you might just as well become a vegan because are eggs are found in many foods, e.g. pasta.

edit: ooops, higley arleady said that