Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Hi all. I have an undoubtedly stupid question, but so many people expect me to know I'll ask anyways. Why don't vegans eat honey? It's the only part I don't understand. You'd be suprised how many people I know ask me that because they know I'm a vegetarian and I have no clue, as far as I know nothing is harmed. What don't I know??? Thanks in advance for any answers you have. -Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 A few web pages of info: <http://www.vegetus.org/honey/honey.htm> <http://www.vegsource.com/jo/qa/qahoney.htm> <http://www.vegetarianteen.com/questions/question20.shtml> The first two web pages have rather extensive explanations. Here's a short answer from the third source above. " Honey is made by bees, which are animals, therefore using honey would be using an animal product, which vegans aren't supposed to do. In the " mainstream, " Queen bees are artificially inseminated by the body of a decapitated male bee (Resource, Vegan Society) and the bees are also not allowed to swarm. " Similar uses relative to the use of silk. Gary --- starfirefive <starfirefive wrote: > Hi all. I have an undoubtedly stupid question, but > so many people > expect me to know I'll ask anyways. Why don't > vegans eat honey? It's > the only part I don't understand. You'd be suprised > how many people I > know ask me that because they know I'm a vegetarian > and I have no > clue, as far as I know nothing is harmed. What > don't I know??? > Thanks in advance for any answers you have. > -Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 I would say it is because honey comes from bees which are insects and part of the animal kingdom?? Marilyn Daub mcdaub Vanceburg, KY My Cats Knead Me!! - starfirefive Wednesday, July 12, 2006 4:30 PM Vegans & Honey Hi all. I have an undoubtedly stupid question, but so many people expect me to know I'll ask anyways. Why don't vegans eat honey? It's the only part I don't understand. You'd be suprised how many people I know ask me that because they know I'm a vegetarian and I have no clue, as far as I know nothing is harmed. What don't I know??? Thanks in advance for any answers you have. -Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Beats me, I know as many veggies who use honey as those who don't. I am a lacto ovo vegetarian, some aren't. I also use honey when I can get it fresh from a friend's bees. (and I use yeast, a living organism, to raise my breads) Jeanne in Georgia How low will we go? Check out Messenger’s low PC-to-Phone call rates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Do you have a chance to read the link I posted yet? I'm lacto ovo too and I do have cow's milk allergy so I'm careful, if it's aged Parmesan or Cheedar I get away with a little and for some reason I can eat the whole stick of butter and it doesn't bother me, I cook with eggs and I use maple syrup in place of honey since it pours out faster and I like the flavor, I will use honey when I make baklava. I Donna treazure noname <treazured wrote: Beats me, I know as many veggies who use honey as those who don't. I am a lacto ovo vegetarian, some aren't. I also use honey when I can get it fresh from a friend's bees. (and I use yeast, a living organism, to raise my breads) Jeanne in Georgia How low will we go? Check out Messenger’s low PC-to-Phone call rates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 At 06:45 PM 7/12/2006 -0400, you wrote: >I would say it is because honey comes from bees which are insects and part >of the animal kingdom?? That's kind of an arbitrary reason though. I mean if they decided to change the classification of cows to plants, I wouldn't eat them or their milk. I do honey because I honestly couldn't find a good reason not to when people would ask me why I didn't eat it. The bees can leave any time they want. Maybe I'm missing something. Do they really cut the heads off of males? I've heard that was bunk, but I'm willing to change my mind, certainly. The beekeepers I have met seem to keep them more like a semi-feral cat or something. Wild, but caretaken. Unrelated to honey, there's much philosophy about the " animal " definition being hard and fast. I go by sentience/suffering. Sponges, oysters, clams, mussels and similar species have no nervous system and nothing resembling a brain. Hence the book " Animal Liberation " considers them vegan-friendly. Not to start a big debate. It's just kind of interesting to see where the line gets drawn. Veronica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Find this discussion interesting. So you're saying that animals include insects? I have considered them mammals. Also, I have trouble with oysters and such because they are basically scavengers. Bacteria have no nervous system and yet many of them are not edible. Seems this whole area is quircky <smile> Bees are insects. Seems to be a better argument for not eating honey if one doesn't, is that it is sugar. Diana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 This reminds me of a character in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Thendara House. The character would not eat natural foods that had once had life, only " food " made of chemicals,that had never lived. Jeanne in Georgia chomping on a tomato sandwich and being very grateful for tomatoes and sunshine and and and and How low will we go? Check out Messenger’s low PC-to-Phone call rates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Hi folks, My name is Kathy. I know a little about this but am by no means an expert. I have read that some people don't eat honey because they feel the bees are being taken advantage of. Personally I do eat honey. I also consider the source of the honey. I would never eat honey taken from a wild hive. Those bees are doing their best to just survive. Honey from bees that are being 'kept' is different to me. Kept bees have their homes provided for them so they don't have to put their energy into building one. The also are fairly well protected from predators (except from humans, if you think that way). Those bees put all their effort into producing honey and end up with a lot more than they need to survive. Ethical beekeepers take the extra, leaving enough for the bees to survive. Like I said, I'm not an expert, but that is the story as I know it. Peace, Kathy *Joy is the reason* Music Unlimited - Access over 1 million songs.Try it free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 -And I had a grated carrot sandwich Jeanne w/ Vegenaise. Now do we know how to live or waht. Lots of sunshine and blue sky here that goes on forever. Smiles and hugs coming your way Deanna-- In , treazure noname <treazured wrote: > > This reminds me of a character in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Thendara House. The character would not eat natural foods that had once had life, only " food " made of chemicals,that had never lived. > > Jeanne in Georgia chomping on a tomato sandwich and being very grateful for tomatoes and sunshine and and and and > > > > How low will we go? Check out Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call rates. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Oh now that is another of my favorite sandwiches, carrots and 'naise!!!! Or cole slaw. YUM! Is there anything better than fresh from the ground, grown in the sun veggies? ~hugs back at you!~ Jeanne in Georgia Get on board. You're invited to try the new Mail Beta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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