Are you a believer?

A vegetarian couple in West Sussex who were told they could not foster children have persuaded the county council to change its guidelines.

This raises the ever murky question of whether you should you raise your children as vegetarians? I have just written an article for BBC Good Food magazine (unfortunately there is no link as it doesn't have a website) about this very subject. But more of that later. The lady in the fostering case said: "Some people have accused us of trying to push our values on to children but one comment I would say about that is the very nature of parenting is that you influence your children."

This makes sense. If you believe in something, you try to pass it on to your children. You obviously hold beliefs because you feel they're right. Right? This is where it gets sticky, and you have to be really honest with yourself. How much do you believe in it? She compares it to bringing your children up in a certain religion. I made the same comparison in my BBC Good Food article. But what happens if you don't really believe in your religion, as I'm sure many people don't?

I may be waffling here, but for me, vegetarianism is something I believe in, very strongly, for me. It is part of who I am. I like being vegetarian. I find meat replusive. But, you know, I don't actually think eating (free-range) meat is wrong. I want to think that, but my logic says it isn't. My logic says it's natural to eat meat, occassionally. Jeez, what a mind-field.

However, despite this doubt, I fully back the foster parents and I have no intention of giving my children meat. You want to know why? I just can't.