There is absolutely nothing wrong with veganism. You should be able to eat whatever you deem fit for your body and your conscience. The problem begins when a group of people get together and decide that their moral code, and their way of life, is inherently superior to everyone else’s. Unfortunately, this has been done in many different ways throughout history with the use of race, ethnicity, language, and various other social markers in order to designate a dominant group of those who believe themselves to be superior and a non-dominant group.

The new age wave of moral entrepreneurship just happens to revolve around food -- specifically, veganism -- but it’s only a reincarnation of age-old forms of prejudice. I don’t personally know many people who adhere to this militant vegan set of ideals, but I have seen a growing social media presence of such people, and I am finally fed up and feel the need to respond to their dissemination of misinformation.

Keep in mind that most vegans don’t do this. Most just eat what they choose to eat and go about their day like anyone else, but there are a select and very vocal few who paint their diet with a moral brush, and who have decided that their life’s purpose is to evangelize to everyone else and spread their veganism because, according to them, it’s the only right way to live.

I have several problems with the conversion messages of these new age moralist vegans, but here are a few of the most misguided, inaccurate, and downright offensive statements.

Eating animal products is akin to rape, torture, and slavery.

Now, that’s just plain wrong. Comparing eating animal products to hundreds of years of oppression justified by portraying racial minorities as sub-human, or inferior, is offensive because you’re comparing to actual animals the countless human beings who were treated like animals by those who felt entitled to their bodies.

Moreover, domesticated animals aren’t enslaved, unless you also consider your dog, cat, or hamster to be enslaved. If producers are treating their animals with care and following proper welfare guidelines (which, granted, not all of them do, and that is another issue entirely), then there is nothing morally wrong with raising animals for consumption. Moralistic vegans would call this “speciesism,” the belief that humans are discriminatory and oppressive in deciding that our species is more important than all others. Whether you agree with that or not (and the sentience of animals in different stages of the evolutionary chain should definitely be considered), humans happen to be the apex predator here. If we’re wrong for eating meat, then so is every carnivorous and omnivorous animal -- and that doesn’t make much sense, now does it?

Veganism is the only way to truly help the planet and be an environmentalist.

There are so many ways to be a friend to the planet besides going vegan. Some militant vegans will tell you that farming is the biggest contributor to fossil fuel emissions, so eating animal products or not eating locally grown food is morally wrong because you’re contributing to global climate change and pollution. However, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, the largest contributor to carbon emissions is actually the use of electricity. Agriculture only accounts for about nine percent of emissions. You’d be a more effective environmentalist by focusing your energy on the larger sources of emissions, renewable energy, reducing waste, and various other factors besides farming. Also worth considering: there are many ways to make the agricultural industry more environmentally friendly without toppling it altogether, which would jack up food prices dramatically. Mass agricultural industry is what makes our food affordable.

Veganism is healthier for your body.

Again, not true for everyone. If you know what you’re doing, then you can definitely have a healthy and balanced vegan diet, but not everyone has access to proper dietary information. Not everyone can afford to be vegan, either. Some people have health concerns that would make a vegan diet dangerous. Some people simply don’t have the time to make a balanced vegan meal three times a day. Most importantly, growing bodies shouldn’t be fed a vegan diet. It’s dangerous, and your body needs animal fat to grow and heal properly. The fact of the matter is that our bodies evolved to eat meat; that’s why we have canine teeth and no cecum. Take, for instance, the 11 month old baby in France who died due to her parents’ decision to feed her a raw vegan diet, despite doctors’ warnings. This is nothing short of negligent homicide. Adults can definitely have a healthy vegan diet, but children can’t.

Aside from these overt messages, there’s always the underlying assumption that everyone has the means to be vegan. It’s an elitist, ethnocentric message. There are plenty of cultures around the world that include eating meat as a central part of their diet and as part of holiday celebrations.

At the end of the day, veganism is great if that’s what you’ve decided is best for you; vegan evangelism, however, is not.