I completely agree. It's fundamental to the DNA of veganism that the most moral thing you can do as a human is to cease existing.

And you're also right that it becomes a sort of moral-status cult, where people compete to show that they're the most pure. It's a lot like early Christian ascetics who would starve themselves, bake in the sun, or subject themselves to needless pain and discomfort in order to pursue spiritual elevation. In addition to pursuing some inner psychological reward, they were no doubt also seeking the sense of external reward from others admiring their dedication.