veganism: If you had taught them your values and morals their entire lives and they decided to reject them and consume meat, dairy, and eggs? Would you be MORE or LESS disappointed than if your children rejected your views on politics or religion?|||Of course I'd be disappointed, since the value would not be just about diet, but also about the treatment of animals. I'd be sad, but of course I'd still love my child. I don't have kids yet, but I can imagine my disappointment being on par with the disappointment most folks would feel if they found out that their child was running a dog fighting operation, or bullying smaller children, or something similar to that. What I hope my children absorb from me is not just about diet, but a value about how to treat and approach other sentient animals (including, of course, people). I am agnostic-ish. I wouldn't be upset or disappointed in my child for choosing a specific religion/faith. I hope to expose my child to a number of different faiths and educate them about what people believe and why. I hope my child learns a lot about different religions and finds them as interesting as I do! The only instance where I think I might be disappointed in my child would be if he or she converted for the wrong reason (to impress someone, for example), or if s/he chose to express his/her faith in a way that was destructive in some way. In terms of politics, I hope my child is somewhat close to me, because I'd like to instill certain values in him/her. I think that your political beliefs are essentially just another expression of values, don't you? I do think it is important to teach a child to think for his or herself, but I hope that I can also teach my child important values that will guide his or her thoughts and actions. Compassion and non-harm are very high on my list. I hope that helps.|||I would encourage them to make their own, well-informed decision, once they are old enough to do this.|||I'd like to think I'd be happy they could think for themselves and didn't take what I told them as gospel, but used it as a stepping stone for forming their own values and opinions. I don't have strong religious views so I can't say how I'd feel about that. I'd probably be the most upset if all my future children decided to set up camp with the tori party. Edit: So, Cletus, if you avoid meat for 'health reasons' then you wont starve to death? Informative.|||I would say that it is a child's own choice as to how it nourishes itself when it is old enough to make the choice. The same goes for politics and religion. Imagine if every child just became a "Yes, Mum and Dad. No, Mum and Dad" little clone! Parents who believe they are right and everybody else (including in this case their children) is wrong should really have a good look at themselves.|||I tend to think it is more important we know about our food and less important we give a label to it. I eat what I eat because I like it, appreciate the work that was one to get it, and know where the food came from. I tend to think that knowledge to be more important then an ideal of what a certain person would be like. To give you an example my vegan friends have eaten chicken I have made. It is free range, organic chicken (meaning I let them run around). If they like it I give them more, if they do not I do not force them to eat it. But do I consider them "bad" vegetarians, no. I consider them to be bad as much I I consider myself to be a "bad" omnivore for trying TVP. I am an omnivore by definition. I try to eat locally raised food and do so for most of my food. So I am what people call a local-vore. But I do not eat ALL my food locally (I drink coffee), but I try to. Is that so bad when I "fall" from my diet and eat something other people would judge me by? Should I really care that I do not stick to my diet 100%?|||I think if they had made a well evaluated decision later in life and are not doing this purely to rebel, I would support them, but I would never serve or stock any meat products in my house. I think it is very important that they have their own sense of individuality and are able to make their own decisions. I think attempting to control them too much will make them reel more and possibly resent me in later life.|||No - I expect my children to form thier own opinions when they are able to. As long as they are well thought out I would not have an issue with them.|||i really dnt mind if my kids want to b omnivores i want thm to b happy and make there own desicions if they want to eat meat that is fine but if they reject christianity i will b very very very dissapointed and probably kick them out of the house or make thm go to church anywayzz bc they will grow up n a christian enviroment and no who god is|||Deep down I would be dissapointed but I would let them make up their own minds. It wouldn't mean I would cook it for them though!|||Meh... at the age when they leave my home/etc. their choices are their own to make. Politically, religiously, and also with what foods they eat. Doesn't mean I'd be cooking meat for them when they came back to visit, though! ;)|||I wouldn't be disappointed in them, I'd be very happy if they decided to eat meat.|||this is a silly question i just want my 2 points.|||no way im a carnivore i rape meat|||Hardly surprising. If you eat no meat b/c of health concerns then fine. The logical end to "be nice to critters... don't eat them" is to starve yourself to death. A single instance of abuse caught on video immediately translates into millions of people torturing their livestock to death. And it's that kind of complete over reaction that causes people to lump you in with the wing nuts. Maybe they just wanted a steak and were tired of listening to you belly ache? Plants are responsive to stimulus, communicate with each other in a manner (chemically) very similar to the way ants communicate and plants can act altruistically (by not drawing too many nutrients out of the soil) if they determine "siblings" are growing nearby. So if you're going to extend the benefit of the doubt to your barnyard pals then you ought to extend it to everything. Otherwise you're no different than the people you condemn... only too stupid to realize it. Maybe your kids get that?