VeganVanguard.com - Strange Bedfellows: Veganism and the Atheist ______________________________

Strange Bedfellows: Veganism and the Atheist

Introduction

You may be asking yourself, “What does atheism have to do with veganism?” The answer is simple, nothing. However, for the few individuals who claim both atheism and veganism there are some issues, albeit few, where the two areas meet that I wish to address.

I don’t want to offer a defense of atheism, or an attack on theism, as it is not what I intended for VeganVanguard.com. However, I must make one thing clear about the nature of atheism before proceeding. Some atheists state that atheism is a way of life; it is not. In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. A theist is a person who believes in the existence of god(s). An a-theist then is someone who does not believe in the existence of god(s). Atheism is nothing more, nor less. There are reasons to be an atheist, or a theist for that matter, but those reasons are separate from the metaphysical belief, or lack thereof, in the existence of god(s). If someone tells you they are a theist, it tells you nothing about the principles that guide their life. The only thing revealed is that they believe in the existence of god(s). The theist may follow Gnostic, Christian, Shinto, or any other assortment of religious tenants, all of which can guide a person’s life, but rest separately from the fundamental claim of belief. Atheism is the same in that for a person to say they are an atheist is to say that they do not believe in the existence of god(s). The atheist may have any assortment of guidelines for conducting their actions and may fit any one of a variety of ideologies, but none of this can be ascertained by the utterance of the phrase, “I’m an atheist.” I would ask that if you follow the links below you keep in mind that nothing is being asserted about atheism, and in turn, try to do the same.

The questions and issues addressed below primarily involve veganism and may be useful to the vegan who is a theist as well.

Articles

Questions and Answers for Vegans who are Atheists

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Posted/Updated: 7/27/03