Raven's Restaurant - Vegan Cuisine

In conversations I've had with people over the years about being vegan, there have been several where people attempt to belittle, or perhaps just reduce my Veganism to just "another religion" or a religious fanaticism like any other. I've thought about this a lot , and have noticed both similarities and dissimilarities with standard religions. I thought I'd run through some, and would love some feedback on the subject.

I am in no way a religious scholar. I was raised Jewish, and was bar-mitzvahed at age 13, but that's it. When I reached adult-hood, I rejected both Judaism and all organized religion in exchange for a direct relationship with God as I understand it to be. As I read more and more on Veganism and the treatment of animals raised for food (dairy and meat), I have found it completely hypocritical for most religions to expound the virtues of compassion, while condoning the torture and suffering of innocent creatures (God's creatures, nonetheless). I mention this only to make the point that since my rejection of any collective religion, I haven't found one even remotely worth joining on that point alone. Unlike religions, Veganism isn't a collective of people searching for meaning, or worth, or the knowledge of what happens to us after we die. Surely there are Vegan groups and organizations (none of which I am a member incidentally), but I believe them to be simply ways of a very small minority of people (last I read, Vegans made up about 1% of the U.S. population) to relate and communicate on something very important to each.

Also, unlike religion, there is no text, ancient or otherwise, that Vegans follow because we believe it to be the "truth." I came to be Vegan because I read many different books (some pro-Vegan, some nutrition, some environmental, some ethical) that lead me to making this decision for myself. I began being Vegan for purely nutritional reasons--I had chronic asthma and carried an inhaler with me. I immediately felt better and have not had asthma since, but it was my subsequent reading of other books besides nutrition-based ones that led me to further solidify my choice and realize the far-reaching effects it has.

There is no doubt that my passion for Veganism bears similarities to religious fanaticism. I admit that freely. But my knowing what is happening to animals as I write this is devastating to me. I make a conscious effort to not force Veganism down people's throats, and the reality is that 99% of my conversations come from questions asked of me when people find out I am Vegan. In other words, I do not, and have never, walked around trying to start conversations with people, but when they start, I am absolutely passionate about what I believe. Do I wish that everyone were Vegan? Absolutely, because the environmental, health, and ethical ramifications would be profound and absolute. I would also argue that daily compassionate decisions such as not brutalizing animals translate into humans treating each other better as well. But I do not want everyone to be Vegan because they will end up in the same place as I after they die, or because they can be a part of my collective, or because they will follow the same rules of behavior set forth in some unified text that a 'higher-up'--a minister, preacher, reverend--has told me is the 'way.'

I guess, in the end, it really makes no difference if Veganism is a religion or not, except that it being perceived as such might turn people away from it. Similarly to religious individuals, I do believe this to be a decision of utmost importance, and would love to engage everyone on this subject. Unlike religions, though, Veganism is supported by research and facts that come from individuals of many different beliefs, many different cultures, many different lands. One thing we share typically though, is that we are profoundly passionate about being Vegan. The earth, and all life on it, is too important for us not to be.