SC - Various levels of Vegetarianism

[James F. Johnson]

LrdRas at aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 4/17/00 2:49:11 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> mermayde at juno.com writes:
> 
> << Some people consider themselves vegetarians, but eat seafood. Since
>  > when did fish become a vegetable? I wouldn't consider these people
>  > vegetarians if they eat fish often. >>
> 
> This seems to be the form vegetarianism took in the middle ages. No red meat
> at all and eggs and dairy severely restricted.
> 
> Ras

Depends on how one wishes to define vegitarian. If it means only eating
vegetables, then seafood would be out. So would milk and cheese. This is
close to the modern 'vegan' diet. If if means not eating _meat_, then
again, it would depend on how one defined _meat._  It has two main
definitions, the first being the edible flesh of _mammals_, the
secondary being the edible flesh of (all) animals. Technically, it is
quite appropriate to use the word meat much the same way as brawn.
Hence, one could avoid (mammal) meat and still eat fish and poultry. I
know people who are quite at ease eating fish and poultry, but abstain
from (mammal) meat because mammals are 'higher' up the food chain, or
Great Chain of Being, etc.

Seumas