Why is fish not considered "meat" in certain circles?

[UntimelyDhelmise]

Lent, piscivores ("vegetarians" who also eat fish), whatever. There seems to be this running theme of people groups who don't consider fish as meat for one reason or another and I've always found it odd. They're animals you kill and consume the flesh of, so why are fish randomly exempt from specific practices and religious observations that forbid eating meat? Different definitions over what counted as meat when said traditions started? Loopholes to still get protein? What gives?

 

[Marco Fucko]

I'd wager it's because sea meat is the healthiest for you and lacks more complex sentience. I've seen vegans argue that eating meat is tantamount to cannibalism or just being cruel to creatures that can feel emotions like we can, but sometimes making the exception for things like clams, oysters or scallops due to them being less sentient.

EDIT: For what it's worth I think this line of reason is retarded, before anyone accuses me of sympathizing with people who block traffic to stop pigs from being killed or whatever.

 

[TFT-A9]

They're not cute and cuddly, I guess. Never made any fucking sense to me either, but then again neither does the idea of arbitrary dietary restrictions.

 

[SilkGnut]

For a few hundred years the Catholic Church claimed that certain geese transformed in to barnacles during winter (apparently migrations were at that point unheard of). Since these geese turned in to crustaceans, they were fair game to be eaten during Lent.

What I am saying is that many rules surrounding food classifications seem to be very flexible.

 

[Heartmoth]

bcuz we're mammals and not fish, and "empathetic" vegans/vegetarians may feel more affinity for our closer relatives in birds and mammals than in fish.

 

[NOT Sword Fighter Super]

I've always wondered the same thing.

Also pescatarians are usually pretty smug about it.

 

[keyboredsm4shthe2nd]

For a few hundred years the Catholic Church claimed that certain geese transformed in to barnacles during winter (apparently migrations were at that point unheard of). Since these geese turned in to crustaceans, they were fair game to be eaten during Lent.

What I am saying is that many rules surrounding food classifications seem to be very flexible.

The Catholic Church allegedly also claims (or claimed) the capybara (basically a giant gerbil) to also be a fish and therefore able to be consumed during Lent. Just like in the same way pizza is a vegetable. It's bull but if it means people get to shove it in their faces no one cares.

 

[GHTD]

Probably something to do with the Abrahamic religions, considering the association with fish and the times of Jesus.

 

[NOT Sword Fighter Super]

For a few hundred years the Catholic Church claimed that certain geese transformed in to barnacles during winter (apparently migrations were at that point unheard of). Since these geese turned in to crustaceans, they were fair game to be eaten during Lent.

What I am saying is that many rules surrounding food classifications seem to be very flexible.

Catholics also like the idea of transmuting bread and wine into flesh and blood.

 

[Tim Buckley]

Because of mental retardation, this answer appplies to 99% of your sociological inquires by the way.

 

[Absolutego]

100% it's because fish and shellfish don't count as meat for Lent.
Mankind can always be trusted to rules lawyer their way around societal constraints. See also: Muslims doing shit like counting cloudy days as the sunset to cheat Ramadan.

 

[WarJams]

The Catholic Church allegedly also claims (or claimed) the capybara (basically a giant gerbil) to also be a fish and therefore able to be consumed during Lent. Just like in the same way pizza is a vegetable. It's bull but if it means people get to shove it in their faces no one cares.

I think the Jewish thought progression on turkeys is the best.

I already ate this turkey. So it must be kosher, because if it was not kosher I could not have eaten it.

 

[Crystal Golem]

Apparently a lot of things weren't considered meat in the early days of the catholic church. Sausages and other force meats were considered meat-ish but not meat. Picked that up reading about the anglo-saxon conversion process.

 

[Stoneheart]

because its not meat, same goes for chicken...

 

[soft kitty]

Fish are brain dead.

 

[AnOminous]

"But it's okay to eat fish / cause they don't have any feelings."

 

[Pukebucket]

I wonder what we would call vegetarians who don't eat fish but still consume honey, milk, and other animal products that vegans believe is equitable to murder? Vegantarians? Veggans?

Edit: Thank you, word filter.

 

[JambledUpWords]

In Jewish dietary law, fish is considered “parv” so it’s allowed to be served on the same plate as fruits/vegetables and can have cream sauces on top as well. It’s pretty much the only meat that can be served that way if you abide by kosher rules. All other meats can’t have dairy served in, on, or with it. If I were an orthodox or conservative Jew, I’d definitely be eating lots of fish as it’s more versatile if you’re trying to be kosher.

 

[Bland Crumbs]

White girls do not fuck dogfish.

 

[Spamy the Bot]

I guess the rules were made with attention to the fact that if you were a fishing town / island town back in the day you pretty much ate fish all day, every day. Israel was in the desert, so they ate fish and whatever animals they were pastoring.

Animal husbandry takes time and human input. Also it requires much more effort to be processed and conserved.
You could just salt or cure fish more easily.