On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 02:00:28 +0100, "Richard" > wrote:

>"Digger" > wrote:
>
>> >What do you mean not vegetarian? A vegetarian doesn't eat the meat of
>> >animals? If the baby doesn't eat the meat of animals, then it is
>vegetarian.
>
>> Does that logic apply to suckling lion cubs as well?
>
>Well they don't need meat to live in the early stages so sure.

No. A lion cub is never a vegetarian, even while
nourishing itself from another animal, namely its
mother in this case..

>> >> I wouldn't, for the simple fact that it doesn't feed exclusively
>> >> on vegetables. It's a suckling baby without any labels or
>> >> stigma attached to its diet.
>> >
>> >What have vegetables got to do with it?
>>
>> Quite a bit, actually.
>
>Elaborate.

A vegetarian eats them. A non vegetarian nourishes
itself with animal derived foods such as milk and meat.

>> >You could be a vegetarian without
>> >eating vegetables.
>>
>> No, you couldn't.
>
>Yes you could. I wouldn't recomend it though.

Neither would I, because if a person goes without veg
of some description for too long, he will most probably
die. Therefore your earlier statement cannot be true.

>> >Do you have even the slightest idea as to what a
>> >vegetarian is?
>>
>> Some.
>
>A person who eats no meat can be called vegetarian.

He can be.

>> >Of course the baby is vegetarian.
>>
>> No, it is not.
>
>Denying it don't make it so.

Asserting it won't make it true, either, especially when
the baby is nourishing itself on animal fats and proteins.
Vegetarians don't nourish themselves on animal fats
and proteins, so while a baby does, it cannot be
described as a vegetarian anymore than you could
describe a lion cub as one.

>> >It only stops being
>> >vegetarian when you make it meat.
>>
>> It was never a vegetarian or a vegan to begin with,
>> and no, I wouldn't make a baby eat meat.
>
>Doesn't really matter what you choose to call it.

Then why call it a vegetarian?

>A baby is vegetarian because it eats no meat.

Affirmation of the consequent.

1) If an animal is vegetarian, then it eats no meat
2) A lion cub eats no meat
therefore
2) a lion cub is a vegetarian

>If you think it is not, then at what point does it
>become a vegetarian or a meat eater?

That question assumes I agree that a baby was at
one time a vegetarian, and I don't. If a baby goes
on to eat meat after finishing with its mother milk,
then it would never have been a vegetarian by dint
of its diet on animal fats and proteins.