Erm- I'm not sure whether I've understood the question properly, but you'll probably find vegetarians give a lot of different reasons for being vegetarians. In my case, for example, I don't consider my vegetarianism to be a "belief" so much as a preference- I don't see any over-riding reason why I should eat meat, so I choose not to. I think the best way to see it is that there's no reason in these days of plenty why someone should eat meat. If someone chooses not to, it doesn't do anyone any harm. This is probably a good summary of some of the different reasons people are vegetarian: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view.php/68962 As a veggy, whilst I try to be patient, I get a bit sick of people asking me "Why don't you eat meat?" I don't see why there really needs to be a reason or why its anyone elses business anyway. I often find that the minute I say I'm vegetarian, committed meat eaters leap in trying to justify themselves (despite the fact I, like most other veggies, don't really have a problem with, or much of an interest in, other people's dietary habits) Personally I find this very odd behaviour, considering I've met very few vegetarians who really make any kind of big deal of their prference, or who try to enforce it on others. If I invite meat eaters round for dinner I will cook them vegetarian food, but if we eat in a restaurant I'd expect them to order whatever the hell they liked. EDIT: Ulysees: I have to say that's something that annoys me equally. To me (and to the UK Vegetarian Society) Vegetarianism entails avoiding eating anything that used to be alive. That includes fish and I can't understand why anyone would think otherwise. One of my pet hates in restaurants is when the menu has a small "V" next to the tuna baguettes. The Vegetarian society actually now prints "Vegetarian Calling Cards" explaining the true definition of a vegetarian that annoyed vegetarians can leave behind in restaurants that ignorantly try to feed them fish. Almost as irritating as the "Why don't you eat meat?" question is the string of "Do you eats..?" that follow it. "Do you eat fish?" "Do you eat eggs?" "Do you eat cheese?" and of course "What do you eat?" (I realise they're well intentioned, they just really get on my nerves!)

Not all vegetarians avoid meat for ethical reasons. Some do it because they see a vegetarian diet as just more healthy. Most often the reason for avoiding meat is ethical, though. The notion that animals are sentient and have rights which are violated by the whole meat-farming and processing practice is very old. In our culture, it generally seems strange because we're conditioned (largely by Judeo-Christian influence) to believe that humans should dominate animals. Its an anthropocentric perspective which normally goes unquestioned. These vegetarians base their ethical decision on the notion that a wider scope of concern (all sentient beings) is more sensible than just limiting the do-not-kill principle to humans. In extreme cases, this abhorrence of killing leads to weird practices like wearing masks so as to avoid breathing insects, etc.

The Bible says: Thou shalt not kill It did not say: Thou shalt not kill humans The bible also says specifically not to eat swine (pig meat)

My view is that only vegans are true vegetarians. I can't explain on behalf of all vegetarians in the world but if they really want to know what vegans had always knew a long time ago, then they are recommended to watch the following documentary - "Earthlings". After that they will want to be vegans for sure. They will definitely kick themselves for not being one any earlier.