On /r/buddhism I see these topics multiple times a week. Always ends up with meat eaters getting downvoted and the top comments being a vegan/vegetarian circlejerk. I've stayed my hand from posting these to BEP but really AFAIK in my study of Buddhism there's no absolute logical conclusion that even monks need to abstain from meat, see Japanese and Tibetan Buddhist monks.

I've concluded in general it's influence from Hinduists, especially the Brahmin caste, that has caused Buddhism in many countries to adopt vegetarianism. Either that or cultural influences. In the West, it's the Vegan circlejerkers who have superiority complexes against meat eaters that are the worst.

Anyone else notice this? If I'm wrong or missing something here, let me know. In my study of both Zen and Vajrayana texts I'm seeing literally nothing that points to this being an absolute or expected conclusion.