All worth considering, and good to know. And my health is my main ethical concern, so it won. I wasn't a Christian when I tried veganism, and hadn't given the bible any real critical thought yet, so that played no part in my reasoning. Have you seen how livestock are actually raised? Not the nice farm pictures, with the happy cows and happy grass - that is small and inconsequential, and so is mostly an unrealistic idea. The reality is horrible - crowded and unsanitary animal factories. Their whole lives are suffering. Its not just suffering at death... Find video of it, it's appalling. I do think eating meat is generally healthier than eating plants, and that's my primary concern. Look at how rich people eat, or how medieval knights ate - they eat/ate meat, and let the slaves eat the plants. I see myself as a warrior, not a slave, so I deserve the meat. On the other hand, would I stop and do something to help an animal that's suffering, if I found one randomly suffering? Yes. So extend that... I don't want to eat animals whose whole lives were suffering. But like I said, I'm in the US, and I'm not rich, so my first concern is my health, which means veganism is not an option.