Into the Wardrobe

I think that as the op and the pp mentioned, there can be downfalls to Christian vegetarianism, such as becoming a kind of glutton or being a bad guest when eating with other people. I don't buy the argument that Christians are morally obliged to be vegetarians because Adam and Eve were or anything like that.

I also don't think that a diet including sensible and sustainable amounts of meat, properly sourced, is less healthy than a vegetarian diet.

However, many people have a hard time fining meat that is ethically raised, by Christian standards. As well, most Westerners eat way more meat than is sustainable environmentally or just in a way that everyone can get what they need. So I think Christians should seek out ethically and sustainably produced meat and other animal products, and not eat too much of it. - No battery hen eggs thank-you!

As well, vegetarianism can be a very good spiritual discipline.

For the record, I like tofu, but not those fake hot-dogs.

I'm no vegetarian, though for health reasons I limit my meat intake somewhat, avoiding red meat and preferring fish. Jesus ate fish, so I presume it's okay for me to eat fish too.

Besides, vegetarian diets depend a lot on soy, and soy has its drawbacks, particularly for men -- it alters the hormone balances in the body in favor of estrogen. And other good sources of protein are hard to find.

I see no indication of vegetarianism in the bible: I am sure there were no tofu lambs for Passover or tofu fish swimming inthe Sea of Galilee. Seems to me the decision on one's diet is not a spiritual decision but a simple matter of health choices.

Speaking as a carnivore,
Art

I would take it one step further an be vegan if I could. Only for health reasons. I eat meat occasionally because It's hard for me to get the protein I need without overdoing soy. In my opinion some people overdo soy (much of which is genetically modified).

I don't have much to add, seems like it's mostly been said already.

There is nothing wrong with either eating or not eating meat. You can be a vegetarian or even vegan without consuming mass quantities of soy. Food should not become a god.

The big issue I see is not whether a person makes an individual choice about food for him/herself or his/her family (I am responsible for my kids' eating habits, for example). The problem I see is when it becomes:
1. Joyless (no pleasure in preparing and eating the food)
2. All-consuming (you are so busy concentrating particularly on what you can't or believe you can't/shouldn't eat that you do little else with your time)
3. A way to pass judgment on others

I have known several people who fall into the last trap, referring to vegetarians as "better" than meat-eaters. It's annoying, but I believe those people will eventually gravitate towards others who share that view or will drive friends away and realize their error. But sadder still are people who do the first two things. What a terrible way to live. It's almost like food becomes not only an obsession but a fear. This can happen whether one's dietary choices are vegetarian, low-carb, gluten-free, or any number of other things. (I realize that some things are a matter of allergies/sensitivities/intolerance, rather than choice. However, I met one woman who claimed that eliminating a particular food did far more than it possibly could have, along with a judgment that people who eat said food are "addicted" to it.)