I found enormous opposition to my religion. It's like if you want to strengthen your biceps you lift heavy weight as heavy as you can handle and work your muscles against resistance until it grows strong. I had to do that with my religion.
Even today in our progressive times in most movies that come out the men have to have biceps and the women have to be thin or something.
I have been following a vegan diet now since the 1980s and find it not only healthier but also much more attractive than the chunks of meat that were on my plate as a child.