In some parts of the world, this is still true. Present day vegetarians, however, choose their lifestyle for a variety of reasons. Trappist Monks, Seventh-day Adventists, and Hindus have a long standing pattern of not eating meat. Some of the new vegetarians are also members of religious cults with diet-related taboos. Even though these cults differ greatly in their practices, they all tend to believe that they can purify their bodies and souls through a religion and lifestyle whose essential element is vegetarianism.
Many people question the practice of growing crops to feed livestock.
They wonder if there will be enough food, particularly animal protein food, to feed the people of the world. Some people have a philosophy and practice of compassionate living and so are opposed to the act of killing. They find it impossible to sanction the slaughter of animals for food. Thus, they abstain from eating meat, poultry, and fish. Diets low in animal proteins are typically less expensive than meat-based diets.