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Vegetarian Background
Vegetarianism is an ancient custom. It has a strong bond with religion
but in modern days the reasons for 
becoming vegetarian are leaning towards cultural and health
reasons. It has existed for a long time among Hindu and Buddhist sects that consider
animal life as sacred. In the Roman Catholic church it has also been practised by
Trappists since 1966. It has recently been practised among Protestants by Seventh-Day
Adventists. It then began as a strong Western movement originating in Manchester, England
in 1809 by members of the Bible Christian Church. In 1847 the Vegetarian Society, a
non-religious organisation was founded. The movement then proceeded to spread to
continental Europe and the United States. In 1908 the International Vegetarian Union was
founded. The idea has since been adopted more and more readily by Western cultures after
research into the benefits of a vegetarian diet.
Adapted from Microsoft Encarta '97
© VegIreland 2000