Is it moral to eat meat? ***Constructive Discussion ONLY***

[chickenannie]

Oprah's 21-day vegan diet seems almost like a good "fasting" time. I think it might be different than long-term veganism. While I have nothing against vegans or the food choices of others, I have a friend who was a vegan for 20 years. He was also a runner, and now believes that his vegan years contributed to many health problems and injuries he developed. He now eats (limited) meat, raw milk, eggs, etc., and many of his health problems that he had been living with for a long time just *disappeared* in a few months after he started eating meat. He had no idea that his vegan diet was not providing him with enough nutrition to repair his joints, bones, skin cells, organs, etc.

 

[texaschickmama]

Gosh, all this gabbing has really gotten me hungry for a Porterhouse steak.

I don't kill what I eat, I don't think I am a coward for that. We are raising our own beef that we will take to a professional to do that for us. I will know that our meat had the best possible life while it was here putting on weight for us to consume. Do I think I would be healthier if I was a vegatarian? YES. Will I ever be one, HECK no. Everything in moderation.

We have to respect each other's opinions. I won't try to force meat on you, don't force your veggies on me. This is America and we are all free to do as we please.

 

[Nugget]

This has been a great thread with lots of really good thoughts.

Animals that eat other animals can't be considered immoral for their lack of understanding. Humans, however have the intelligence to empathise and the ability to choose other food sources.

An animal cannot die without some suffering. Responsible people try to minimize it, but it can't be eliminated. I've been in small scale abattoirs and assisted in cattle slaughter.

The stress of shipping alone is a degree of suffering. I've seen downer cows that the farmer sent off, hoping to slip through the cracks so he didn't lose the money he could get for the carcass and I've seen cows that had to be re-pithed because the first shot missed the mark.

When a fish is caught on a hook, or when a deer is shot it experiences pain and fear, though at least they lived a natural life.

As we have the ability to recognize this, and the ability to live well without it, I feel it is immoral to choose to continue to eat meat. I've been a vegetarian 17 years and I've never eaten so healthy as I do now.

I think it is wrong to feel twangs of guilt or anxiety but try to ignore those feeling without changing our habits. I know a lot of people who are quick to change the channel, or refuse to listen to stories about where their food comes from. I think people are making more careful choices about the food they buy though (small-scale, organic, free-range or meatless), and I hope that continues

 

[ilovemychickies]

I eat meat because I like it. I like the taste of grilled chicken,steak,burgers, and lots of other kinds of meat. I will say though, that when I eat meat bought from a store I do feel a pinch of guilt knowing what the animals went through to get to my table. Because of that I plan to get meat birds sometime soon so that I'll know what they've been eating,how they were cared for, and also how they were dispatched. Another reason I eat meat is because God gave us the animals for us to eat. My last reason is because you need protein in your body and protein comes from meat. There's my opinion.



*Edited because I spelled "protein" wrong. *

 

[dogzrule5]

I was raised on meat and potatoes and loved eating beef, pork and chicken but I couldn't think about what it actually used to be before it was on my plate. If I did think about it, even for a couple of seconds, I couldn't eat it. My ex-husband even said one time that it was a wonder that I wasn't a vegetarian.

I've always had a deep love and respect for animals and nature and have been involved in animal rights and conservation efforts since the 70's. By this I mean I make donations to my preferred charities, will distribute petitions, try to educate people about the impact we humans have on the planet, etc. I've been a foster mom for dogs and a few cats for local rescue groups for years now and have participated in fund raising events for the local SPCA, etc. I'm not a radical by any means! I understand the food chain and the survival of the fittest as it regards to animals, but modern-day factory farming is horribly cruel and that started to weigh on me heavily.

About 14 years ago something started happening to me - I started to gag every time I ate meat. I loved a good steak sub. The last time I ordered one for lunch, I couldn't eat it. This continued and I thought to myself - ok, this is the next step I'm supposed to take - so I became a vegetarian. I continued to cook they way I normally did, just without meat of any kind with the exception of tuna and salmon. It's just something that happened to me; I didn't consciously pursue it.

After more than 10 years of being a strict vegetarian, I started craving meat again. I struggled with my personal conviction and the desire for meat and caved in. I bought a pkg of chicken breasts and grilled them and it was so delicious, but I felt horrible. After that, I would eat chicken only once in a while - still do. My rationale is that they die more quickly than the large animals, which I will never, ever eat again.

I know that all the animals that are slaughtered are tortured more than people realize and I abhore that. I think that if the animals that are raised for food were treated better and if the slaughter process was carried out humanely, I wouldn't have such a problem with it. But because of the almighty dollar, all aspects of the process is rushed from birth to death. It's very sad.

I love my pet chickens and enjoy their eggs. When I see a chicken truck, or any other animal carrier going down the road, I feel very sad...and guilty for contributing to the process.

Phyllis

 

[Guitartists]

I wanted to add.....

I don't believe that our intelligence or relgion makes us "better" or "higher" than animals. I'm still not completely convinced that we (as a human race) ARE more intelligent than animals or have a true sense of "God". (not meant to incite a religous debate, or question anyone's faith... I just sometimes feel that the Natural world has it much more figured out than we do) That being said, animals come in all forms and with ALL form of diets... carnivore, omnivore, herbavore. So, I don't feel that it is necessary to exclude meat from one's diet, unless one chooses to do so for their own personal beliefs.

I think it's great that people are vegetarian and vegan..... just so long as I still get to maintain my rights to eat meat

I love a good steak, or bacon

mmmmm

Also, I must mention that as much as I do love bacon.... and trust me, I DO love bacon! I have often wondered, after a strange list of events and thought processes... if we are closer to pigs than we know. Everyone says that everything "else" tastes like chicken.... but, I'll bet people taste like PORK!

Ok. don't lynch me.... I don't support cannabalism... I'm just sayin

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

1. I choose to eat meat because I can. I dont like any vegetarian stuff, like tofu, or tofu hotdogs. I wont eat Duck, rabbit, or lamb though. I dont like the way that they slaughter the animals. I just saw on the news that some meat production company will stick electrical prods in the eyes of cows and push them with a forklift to get them to stand up. If the cows are downers and cant stand up they are not supposed to be used for human comsumption, so if they get the cows to stand, by beating them and sticking prods in their eyes, they can be used for human consumption, which makes me sick what they do to those animals.

2. Owning chickens has not modified my philosophy, but I would never kill and eat one of my own chickens, they are my pets. I wont eat store bought eggs anymore though. I know that isnt meat but I will never eat another store bought egg, only my own eggs. I dont agree how the stick a bunch of hens in battery cages, where they cant move, flap their wings, dust bathe, or run around. They just spend their life in those tiny cages until they get sent to the slaughter house.

 

[Guitartists]

Quote:
My mom has had this start happening to her.... someone suggested it could be a problem with her Gall Bladder, i think.... it has been a while. But apparently when it is being overloaded, it will turn you ill over greasy foods and meats. She has cut back on her meat and greasy food intake and is feeling better. I doubt she'll stick with it though

 

[Flyman39]

We're not debating evolution or creation here - Mod.

 

[meriruka]

I just wanted to put some information out there about protein, I used to believe that I needed a lot of it and that it only came from animals.
Here's a quote:
"It is a myth to think we need to eat protein to get protein. If that was the case, where do cows get all the protein from, which they obviously have- seeing their huge bodies and the amount of protein that is supposed to be in the milk they give. Cows get their protein from the grass they eat. Green leafy vegetables have small quantities of very high quality protein, and cows do eat a lot of grass."

Here's the whole article for those interested:
http://chrysalisyog.homestead.com/nutsprout.html