[rixed]

Well, I'm glad I've asked because I very much enjoyed reading your answer.

I had a different experience of vegetarians though. In my mind, based on my experience, a vegetarian is someone who, when you invite in your place, or when joining a coliving or a mere picnic (was not thinking of a restaurant, that's another matter), will insist that he can't touch any food with meat, or any food cooked in a pot that had just also been used to cook meat, really like it was a taboo rather than a practical decision about a very earthly thing, and not willing to give any more explanation than "it would be offensive". To me the proselytism is even more important than the choice not to buy meat (which is itself more important than the choice not to eat meat).

It seems that you are of a different blend and that I might have over-estimated the number of vegetarians-by-religion; maybe many are just tired of explaining indeed.