Carnism. No it’s not a new religion. Neither is veganism, if you’re wondering. Carnism is the belief that certain animals can be eaten but others are disgusting if eaten. It’s the invisible belief system present in “normal” society. It’s why people think that you are a sicko if you eat dog or cat (in the United States) but normal if you eat chicken, cows or pigs. In certain culture eating dog is normal and eating cows is not. But to make it easier I will only talk about the United States. For some people eating game (deer, ect.) is disgusting, other’s its not.
Have you ever wondered why we eat cows and chickens but not dogs? Who made it ok and acceptable to eat certain animals? What if we had pigs as pets and ate dogs? Would it be disgusting if everyone else is doing it? Is it because everyone else is doing it, it’s not disgusting?
Vegans aren’t the only ones with a belief system. Honestly, whenever you eat you are putting your beliefs into practice. Even if you don’t think you are. The only reason that veganism is weird is that the majority of people are not vegan. It’s not the norm, therefore people think they are the weird ones. But what makes it weird? What makes not wanting to eat the flesh of another weird?