Vegetarianism In Modern Culture

Religion is entrenched in our society and according to Kent Richter, “...a complex set of beliefs, behaviors, and experiences rooted in some notion of transmundane reality thought of as Ultimate Being.” Many definitions of religion are generally understood as and typically linked by people to Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, etc. Other associations that people might make when they think of religion are temples, pilgrimages, and dietary beliefs. Besides the more self-evident aspects of religion, religious aspects can also be seen in one’s lifestyle as they have made their ways into popular and mainstream culture. One can see the influences of religion on various categories of daily life such as language, entertainment, and practices.

Language

Vegetarianism is strongly linked with a number of religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism. The main doctrine in Jainism is “ahimsa” (non-violence) therefore vegetarianism is a major component in Jainism. In Buddhism and Hinduism, vegetarianism is advocated by some scriptures but not all. In regard to modern culture, vegetarianism has become a popular trend due to its health benefits and the growing concern of animal welfare. Veganism is a stricter form of vegetarianism in which one abstains from eating or using animal products. There is a movement that is trying to characterize veganism as a religion. Dr. Will Tuttle states that, “... as our veganism deepens, we begin to realize that it is an authentic, demanding, and rewarding spiritual path that not only positively transforms ourselves, but also positively transforms our society, as a religion should.” The definition that Dr. Tuttle gives on veganism shows his views on what he believes a religion is. This is a topic of debate as religion is not something that is easily defined as they tend to display inaccuracies like being too-broad or too-narrow. The definition that Dr. Tuttle gives can be classified as too-broad since there are many things that could fall under his definition that may not be considered religious. One may argue that education is something that positively transforms people and society but not necessarily something that is