Meating your conscience

[Leon]

I realize that this topic isn't of excessive importance, but nevertheless I felt like discussing it:


Eating meat; surely it's the best resource for proteins for the body and is essential for its development and proper nutrition. The controversy is about the range of animals that provide it; some eat only beef, fish and poultry while others will add canines, reptiles, even some rodents to their edible list. After reflecting a little, it made me wonder why the latter choice seems wrong to me (I don't think the answer is cultural difference).


Although according to my faith (religiously) I believe that animals were created to help humans whether in transportation, carrying weights, or providing food, vestment and habitat from their milk, meat, and coats.


However I ask myself, what is the right choice? If it's eating meat then why limit ourselves to certain kinds while it seems wrong for others? or is eating meat morally wrong but is just accepted by the world society as a necessity?

 

[Doctor]

Here's something I learned through many discussions on the same topic, and similar ones;

Beef cattle, which provide us with our meat, are raised on hundreds and hundreds of pounds of food to fatten them up, every day, for one to several years, just to produce a few pounds of meat once they are slaughtered. These cattle are raised in terrible condidtions, as well; they are kept in tiny stalls, just to be fed and fed, without any exercise. Eventually their bones and muscles deteriorate, and then they can't move entirely anymore. Most of these cows don't ever get to go outside, or even see the sun...they live a pitiful existence just to eventually get slaughetered for some f***in' steaks.

And you have to think about all of the grain and food that goes into feeding the cattle; so much of it...we have enough food to feed the ENTIRE WORLD, EVERY man woman and child, 3-4 times over! But no, most of it goes into raising livestock for meat and eggs and such...there's nothing wrong with getting milk or eggs, but to see so much food wasted so that animals can get slaughtered, producing MUCH less than that of what was fed to them...it's disgusting. Simply disgusting.

Which is why I don't believe in eating meat at all; if people ate less meat, or no meat at all, then a lot more food could be saved, and could go towards feeding people that need it.

But that's just all about beef...as for other kinds of meat, even though some would disagree, saying that it would help control the population of some species, I don't think we should even try to eat other animals, such as dogs and lizards and whatnot...Unless it was ABSOLUTELY NECCESSARY, eating something that was once alive and living and breathing and feeling...just, DEVOURING it, should seem morally wrong, in most aspects..it's just as cannibalistic as eating another human being.

I don't have any concrete evidence to back up some of my statements, which is really just silly of me, but if you check out PETA's website, I'm sure you'll find something there..

(One could also point out that my statements are false, because there ARE people out there who like to implement false statements and evidence into people's minds in order to help support a seemingly good cause, but I'd rather not go into deep discussion on that. Either just take my word for it, or not...I suck at explaining things, I know. >> )

 

[Phoenix Flame]

I may have a somewhat unique opinion here... x3


I think that m33t is l33t... I mean D: Meat tastes good. =o) However, according to the guy who came up with the Lemonade Diet - eating Protein, consisting of decaying flesh (animal's cells) doesn't really provide the kind of protein our bodies were ment to metabolise. According to this guy, you can 'make' your own protein with the air you breathe....I don't have the book on me, but when I have time I'll quote him on that one.

...it's far better to get your protein from other, healtier sources...soy products, nuts, etc. Besides - if you read the Bible, man didn't eat anything besides the fruit in the Garden of Eden...God killed the first animal to make skins for man after the Fall. So I think that people who are vegetarians/vegans aren't really freaks - but I also don't think that eating meat is 'wrong'...morally speaking. However, more power to you if you can pass up a juicy hamburger. = p~ I know I can't!

 

[Doctor]

One could make protein by breathing..? Sounds pretty far-fetched to me, and yet quite fascinating at the same time. I'm curious.

Yes...there are many other ways to get protein, a good one coming from nuts...organic, not salt-processed shit. XP

And...did you know that, when one eats meat, such as a steak, the meat doesn't digest full for a long while...it stays in your stomach, rotting. Which is another reason I can say why meat itself isn't so appetizing to me, other than the fact that to me it's morally wrong. >> (Sorry if i grossed out anybody--you can yell at me if my little fun-fact ends up ruining your dinner, or something. o_o )

 

[Shinra Soldier 1]

I think we limit ourselves to certain kinds simply because we've domesticated cats and dogs, other animals of the such to be our friends and companions, and in doing so we can't bring ourselves to kill them. I do not agree that it is morally wrong to eat animals personally, as I am an agnostic I do not see it in any negative way.

 

[Doctor]

Being agnostic has nothing to do with what you believe is right and wrong on a CERTAIN moral level..there are religious morals, but you can believe whatever you want regarding eating meat, no matter your religion (which brings up something else; should religious moral codes be so strict? I think things should be loosened up a bit, personally.)

 

[Avathar]

Although according to my faith (religiously) I believe that animals were created to help humans whether in transportation, carrying weights, or providing food, vestment and habitat from their milk, meat, and coats.


However I ask myself, what is the right choice? If it's eating meat then why limit ourselves to certain kinds while it seems wrong for others? or is eating meat morally wrong but is just accepted by the world society as a necessity?

I personally fail to see that there's anything morally wrong with eating meat, a) 'cause I don't follow any religion that even slightly forbids certain animals to eat, b) I really really can enjoy a fine dish, that happens to include meat, c) I went vegetarian once for almost a month (to support a good friend of mine who turned vegan), and I really really missed out on those specific proteins which is only available in meat products, not in surrogates.

And of course, not all nations in this world are the same when it comes to morally eating, it'll never be one whole with no differences, if you'd look at the Hindus. Everyone knows they're never going to eat a cow, 'cause divine beings according to their religion. So there really isn't a right choice to follow, because of the many cultural differences which actually goes hand-in-hand with plain morals. Believe what you want, but BRB, GOING TO EAT SOME CATTLE LOL.

Which is why I don't believe in eating meat at all; if people ate less meat, or no meat at all, then a lot more food could be saved, and could go towards feeding people that need it.

Good point. Thing is, I don't think it would really be that simple, if rich western people would start eating less, people suffering povity would receive more food packets ('cause of major food companies only thinking of profit, not global merit).

But that's just all about beef...as for other kinds of meat, even though some would disagree, saying that it would help control the population of some species, I don't think we should even try to eat other animals, such as dogs and lizards and whatnot...Unless it was ABSOLUTELY NECCESSARY, eating something that was once alive and living and breathing and feeling...just, DEVOURING it, should seem morally wrong, in most aspects..it's just as cannibalistic as eating another human being.

No. Maybe I'm rather heartless then, but food is food to me, wether it be something that lives on photosynthesis or something that breaths exactly like I do, I fail to see it as cannibalistic, I see it as a logistic way of collecting all possible nutritions.

And...did you know that, when one eats meat, such as a steak, the meat doesn't digest full for a long while...it stays in your stomach, rotting.

Odd, I really assumed that my stomach could actually digest my steak, not linger until it rots, DOCTOR, YOU MIGHT WANNA GO SEE A DOCTOR!

I do not agree that it is morally wrong to eat animals personally, as I am an agnostic I do not see it in any negative way.

Haha, do you know what being an agnostic means? =p

 

[Luis]

Haha, do you know what being an agnostic means? =p

I don't think so xD lol

Ok, I wasn't feelling like posting in this thread, 'cause many people are really sensible to it, and you all may do whatever you want to.

But there:

Proteins are needed --> Meat is good for you.

If meat is good and people eat meat ---> People do not do anything wrong eating meat

xD

I love eating meat, and it's good for me. I don't care whether it is beef or lamb, or whatever... meat, fish, vegetables, fruits... are needed in order to have a healthy diet.

I know a few people who do so (do not eat meat), and I do not really care: I respect it.
But, do not pretend to say that what the people who eat meat do is wrong, because it's not. And that ticks me off! xD
You may probably feel less guilty for not eating innocent animals, and if it's that way... you should also remember that you use computers, cars, or heating... and it's usage is also polluting the planet or drowning its natural sources. Do you actually care about that?

I'm sure you won't stop using your car, computer, or heating.

 

[Nemo12]

Psh, it makes me mad when people sit there eating chicken-ceaser salad and proclaim themselves as vegetarians. I have mixed feelings of eating animals as well, though. You see them in real life and you wouldn't dream of killing them(for most of us), but then you eat mom's chicken/meatloaf/etc anyway. I'm generally unsure; I just don't think about how cute cows are when I'm eating a hamburger.

 

[Spec Highwind]

I don't see how you could create proteins by breathing xD
The air just wouldn't have enough carbon for that, I guess, no?