How many people here agree that killing animals is wrong?

[music_lover]

I'm a vegetarian and I believe its wrong to kill animals. My boyfriends argument is that we kill to feed our families... what about growing a garden? Healthy for us and the environment. On top of that, whenever an animal attacks and kills a human, they track the animal down and kill it. But what about their families? They were just feeding their families. My point is that humans have a double standard. Am I alone in feeling that killing animals is wrong?

[Theguynextdoortoyou]

I think some people prefer to not kill animals because it is easier to empathize with them. However, do you have problems killing ants/spiders/worms if so, then the view that killing animals is wrong would be largely hypocritical

In a ideal world, sure death would be avoided. However, the reality is that humans have to kill. It's ugly but necessary.

For example, if everybody stopped killing animals and ate meat- millions of people worldwide would starve to death because of lack of food. Furthermore, many animals would die since hundreds of thousands of acres of forests would have to be cut down in order to make enough room for new farmland to be built.

It's hypocritical to state that eating vegetables is a better alternative than killing animals for sustenance.
Countless habitats would be destroyed in order to make room for more farmland. The plants that animals eat would be eaten by humans instead, leaving the animals themselves to starve and die.

When you eat a vegetable, it is likely that you will eat millions of living, moving, breathing microorganisms. Is it wrong that you killed them too?

I believe that the United States has a horrible output of food, resulting in waste. Which is unacceptable. However, I don't believe eating more plants and less animals is going to do anyone any good. If you feel bad for the animals then it would be more appropriate to be focused on the issue of waste ( restaurant gargantuan portion sizes being thrown out)

Just by existing, you are retroactively killing other animals, either by taking up space, eating their food, or eating them directly.

What is important is to understand the Earths natural balance. Too many animals and you have the problem of overpopulation and starvation. Ecosystems require a very well maintained homeostasis, as long as people acknowledge that and act accordingly, then you cannot fault them for their eating preferences

[WhiteSteve]

The problem I have with stuff like this is that it "un-animalizes" (completely made up word, haha) humans. The Earth doesn't belong to humans. Thats one of my issues with Christianity, it suggests that this is the humans' world and everything else is just living in it. The reality is that the world is just a collection of animals and plants living among one another. Nature would have it that there is a food chain, and we are a part of it. Humans were able to use their mental capabilities and opposable thumbs to create a way to cheat our way to the apex of that food chain via weaponry and raising weaker and/or more docile animals as livestock. We've created a false reality with our society. We're supposed to be chasing and being chased for dinner.

I don't have a problem with vegetarians/vegans, do you. I personally believe that it's a misguided approach to nutrition, but I can respect that you feel strongly about your decision and make the inconvenient choice to stick to your convictions. It's just so delicious I couldn't live without it regardless of how I felt, haha. So you're a better person than I in that regard. And I'd tend to agree about te double standard you speak of. I hate when they kill wild animals for acting naturally. But it's our nature to protect our own species, and we have the weapon advantage. We probably kill our own as much as any species too. But it's no different than a wildebeest running headlong at a cheetah that gets too near the pack. You know it has bad intentions, and if you don't attack it, it will attack you.

[Cleveland]

I'm a vegan because animals are not worthless creatures people should take for granted every time they feel like a hamburger. The animal did not have a great life growing up on a farm with room to graze, sun on it's back etc. and then humanely put to sleep after years of enjoying the earth we all love. Instead, humans forcefully impregnate (this is what produces milk people), use the babies as veal, keep the females for 2-5 years on a factory farm (after her time producing your milk against her will, she becomes your lovely hamburger because humans believe her meat is not good enough to be a steak). I believe in the food chain, but I do not believe in operating a concentration camp for animals. People love to turn their cheek to reality so they can continue living selfishly while supporting companies that do nothing but promote the hiring of felons and abuse of animals. Humans are the definition of double standards. Oh, and I wonder why I prefer any/all animals over people? Hmmm, not much to think about there.

[Willow4]

I agree with you. Since my sister became vegetarian about 6 years ago I've been forced to challenge my views on a lot of things and actually it's possible to eat a completely non meat diet and be healthy these days especially considering the majority of our ancient ancestors had vegetarian diets.

We're living in a time where food is much of a luxury than it used to be, we over indulge all the time without thinking and as a result we take meat (and the animals we raise for it) for granted. The demand goes up and to make matters worse we end up treating the animals badly before we kill them.

I pretty much live a vegetarian lifestyle at the moment, I've been steadily eating less and less meat.

[BertMacklinFBI]

made a lot of sense

[Willow4]

Thank you for MH! :)

[music_lover]

No problem!

[BertMacklinFBI]

I don't compare animals rights exactly to human rights so I don't think killing them is wrong. Although if that were the case and killing animals were illegal I wouldn't mind that either, there's some really good imitation meats on the market today. Ever heard of Native Foods? haha so delicious. I do feel bad when I watch them being slaughtered in those videos made to be viewed in their favor but that still didn't stop me from going to In-N-Out Burger and ordering a 4x4;)

[Willow4]

Thank you lol :) and alternative meat products are actually pretty good!

[BertMacklinFBI]

I don't know how they do it but they make it taste soooooo goooooodd. I went to Native Foods and got a meatball sub 100% vegan whaaa?

[icantwait]

Although I don't really like the killing of animals its a necessity.
1) people need to eat
2) sometimes there can be an over population of animals that begin to cause serious illnesses to arise, also destruction of crops and farm land
3) we are omnivorous for important reasons, as a vegan several dire nutrients are lacking from that diet.
4) our economy is heavily dependent on animal products, taking that option out of the picture could put a serious damper on things and leave families without shelter or food not to mention international trade would take a hit

[swiftsaver602]

+1 for saying the justifications I didn't :)

[icantwait]

Hey awesome thanks! (:

[MrOracle]

Is it wrong for a lion to eat a gazelle? Is it wrong for a cat to eat a mouse or lizard? Is it wrong for crows or buzzards to eat carrion (dead animals)?

Humans are omnivores - we evolved to eat BOTH plants and animals. That's the natural way of things, just like lions or cats or bears or birds.

While it's wrong to be NEEDLESSLY CRUEL to animals, there is nothing wrong with killing animals to eat. If it's wrong for humans, then it's wrong for other animals too, but trying to change it will only destroy the entire ecology, because all of nature is balanced by animals killing and eating other animals.

[bleedingquadrophenic]

Right.

Tell me something, do you use a fuel powered vehicle? Do you live in the United States of America? Or maybe any western country? Your lifestyle in and of itself causes far more environmental destruction, loss of habitat, and resultant damage to animal life than not eating meat so maybe you should renounce society, and go live as a hermit.

It's hardly a double standard. Members of one's own community are always viewed as more precious than outsiders, that's basically the raison d'etre of society. strength in numbers against outsiders and to secure a better life for oneself through division of labour.

[Izzy2102]

depending on who you believe, 1/3 to 1/5 of americas greenhouse emissions are cause by the meat and dairy industry.
So ya maybe gas is equally as bad or worse, but imagine the difference it would make if we were all vegans tomorrow? Or even just reduce our meat intake to once a week

[bleedingquadrophenic]

See, your sample size is where you go wrong to begin with. A massive proportion of America's emissions don't take place within America at all. Ever since the Marshall plan, American corporations have been proliferating across the world and wrecking environments practically everywhere. Emissions again, are just one part of environmental destruction. From the perspective of damage to animals, loss of habitat is a much greater issue, which is almost entirely caused by industrialization.

[swiftsaver602]

*slow clap* well said, sir.

[Izzy2102]

Well actually upon looking further into it, it actually refers to global greenhouse emission, with big variety by region

But even assuming it was only refering to the U.S. we are second worst with polluting the air. 19% of all greenhouse emissions come from the U.S. even cutting that in half is a huge difference. And you could assume that similar change can be made in other industrialized countries

[bleedingquadrophenic]

:)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj0bwLBckkI&feature=kp

[Izzy2102]

loss of habitant, yes greatly due to other industrialized inventions and a lot of it done before we were born. There is nothing we can change instantly. That's different for eating meat. And a lot of it was also done to make space for factory farms.
And I never said it will solve environmental pollution instantly, I'm saying it would make a big difference

[bleedingquadrophenic]

Well from an American perspective sure. What would make a bigger difference is if you guys cut down on consumption in general. 40-50% of all food is wasted in the States. Consumption levels are off the charts in comparison with any other country so yeah as far as the American chain of supply goes, cutting down on meat consumption would probably help. But then again, the very structure of the American economy has been built around consumerism

[Izzy2102]

We do or did kill to feed our families. When it comes down to a cow and my family, the choice is obvious. The thing is that today we don't need to. In fact we never have been eating as much meat as we do now. And there obviously are a lot of problems with that
Meat and dairy isn't sustainable anymore, with an ever growing population, so I don't think that being vegan will be optional for that long

To answer your questions, no I don't think it's wrong. Animals kill other animals, that's how it is. What I think is wrong is how we farm and feed and kill them. And being vegetarian is good but it but's really only scratching on the surface

[SüßeJäger]

I think it is ok and necessary to eat animals. I also love meat and I am not going to stop. I also hunt. It is more moral to kill my own meat quickly and eat it rather than have someone else kill it slowly like the govt requires. Im willing to bet 90% of "vegitarians" do eat meat secretly even if they say they don't. Everything would be so bland I couldn't stand it. I've tried 'meatless' stuff and it usually falls from eatable to disgusting. I love food and I love to eat. I want to eat good food that I like, not some phony crap.

[sarmac]

i'm a vegetarian as well. I've been one for almost 10 years now. people can go into the whole argument about killing them because we need to eat them and whatever. no..we don't NEED to eat animals to live. some people choose to eat them and that's their own choice..we can't do anything about it.
animals killing humans to feed their family? when it comes down to it, humans > animals. so yes, people will try to find that animal and put it down so that it doesn't do it to more humans. i mean can you tell me that if an animal OR human killed someone in your family you wouldn't want them dead? i sure as hell would. its life i guess

[RandomStudent]

Its part of nature. Other animals hunt and kill animals. Simple biology. I like meat and I'm going to continue eating it forever. If you choose not to eat meat, that's fine with me, but don't bug me to go down your path. Not everyone is like you. Human lives are vastly more important than animals, so double standards are OK in this regard.

[Cleveland]

Nature has nothing to do with factory farming. Hunting is nature. How would you like you and your family to be lined up on a conveyer belt as a machine slashes each and every one of your throats and you all can do is gradually bleed out (while being amongst the bodies of your bloody family). That way your meat is nice and tender just the way the lion likes it. Wouldn't you like a chance at life where the lion has to chase you and there is a possibility of you living.

[RandomStudent]

Your comparison is completely invalid, because poultry is vastly different than humans. Humans can feel beyond the physical realm. Also, farming is human evolution. We've progressed from nomadic ways by farming poultry, in order to accomplish new grounds. Poultry isn't self aware, to the point of knowing they have no chance of escape. Humans would be, but again it is ridiculous to compare expansively complex beings, to creatures who cannot think beyond "I want food".

[Izzy2102]

factory farms are a 20st century invention, before that they were family run, where animals mostly had a good life before they were killed.
Something that existed for a good 60 or 70 years is not yet evolution

[RandomStudent]

You ignored my other points, but yes modern evolution is still evolution. Also, not all farming is factory. Plenty of countries still have family run farms, and a plethora of countries have laws protecting animals from terrible lives. There lives aren't too important anyways though, because poultry doesn't have feelings beyond the physical realm.

[Cleveland]

Oh my bad, a billet gun will be used on you. That's what happens to mammals. Stop making excuses for why you support I humane murder. Is that the only way you can live with yourself.

[Cleveland]

Correction * bullet gun

[Cleveland]

I guess there is no point in arguing with a child.

[RandomStudent]

That is SUCH a huge cop out argument. Logical arguments aren't excuses. However your horrid grammar, and lack of critical thinking would most likely point to you being the child in this situation. Learn to think beyond the PETA advertisements, youngster.

[xHoneyxBeex]

It depends. Utimately, a humans life is more important to me than an animals. If an animal is attacking myself or another human being then I will kill it. I also come from a hunting family. We always eat what we kill. It's much more humane than the animals killed for meat that grocery stores sell.

Killing animals for fun is wrong. Killing them for food or in self-defense is not wrong. I don't view animals at the same level as human beings so I disagree with your "double standard" comment.

[bunnahies]

you kill to feed your family. thats just how the food chain is. if we dont kill them, something else will.
i think its acceptable to kill for food, not for fun. but if you waste the meat...then i might kill you instead. how dare you kill a whole cow for that once piece of meat and then throw it out because you can't finish it. HOW DARE YOU. HOW DARE YOU STEAL MILK FROM BABIES JUST SO YOU CAN DUMP YOUR MILKSHAKE. SHAME TO YOU PEOPLE!

[BertMacklinFBI]

daaayuuum

[AdamThomas]

If it's wrong to eat animals why are they made of meat?

"On top of that, whenever an animal attacks and kills a human, they track the animal down and kill it. But what about their families? They were just feeding their families. My point is that humans have a double standard."

And you think animals don't hold the same double standard? lol

[AndyWes]

Depends on the animal, the reason, and the fashion in which you kill it.

Oh, and a lot of animals don't share your feelings. Me, I'd rather be likened to a wolf or a panther instead of likening myself to most vegetarian animals, like a cow, or a deer.

[kambo_trick3y]

I do love animals, but if it's already killed and served to me, I'll eat it.

However, if I was sitting in front of a cow/chicken whatever, and it was about to be executed in front of me for my culinary enjoyment, I would stop the process.

I know it ultimately ends in the same result but, yeah, it's just a mental thing.

I wouldn't mind being vegetarian, my dad is a vegetarian and I ate plenty of delicious vegetarian meals.

[Alessus]

Humans have double standards about humans too. Why would animals be any different?

To answer your question, no, I don't think killing animals is entirely wrong. Of course if it's a slow and agonizing death for no good reason then I might consider it wrong.

[Dazzledxx]

I feel terrible. I think that I have double standards when it comes to this because I hate the fact that those dear, precious little animals get killed and slaughtered and... :'( Yet I'm a chicken lover, I love meat! :O I know, im terrible :'( But I love the little things <33

[BertMacklinFBI]

little things like chicken nuggets?;)

[Dazzledxx]

No little things meaning the chickens. Okay there not so little lollz :)

[Betwyn]

ok.. How about we just reclassify Chickens, Cows and Pigs as "Living Food Sources" and not animals...

WE still get delicious yummy steaks and bacon...

YOU get to not deal with "animals" being killed to feed us

WIN / WIN

[GreatnessPersonified]

I think nothing of killing animals, as long as it's for survival. Apart from that, I don't see a reason to. I don't like the killing of elephants and rhino just for their horns. That is not for survival, but for greed (arguably). I eat meat so I think it's ok for that.
"They were just feeding their families"
No, most carnivores don't have a taste for human meat, unless really hungry and herbivores have no reason outside of protection.

[Anonymous]

Either way we're still killing something for survival. If not animals than plants. Once we kill plants, they bring a certain scene to warn other plants. And plants are living things as well since they grow. So really there's not much options. The only difference is that people view animals as living things since they move around like us whereas they ignore the fact that plants are living things as well and global warming, as well as us, kill it until everything starts to dry up

[Anonymous]

We are animals too, who happen to be omnivorous. We are MEANT to eat meat and plants. So while I see why slaughter makes you uncomfortable and sad, I believe it's a necessary evil. I think what needs to happen though, is for laws and regulations in slaughter house be improved and enforced to protect the animals who go through these places. Many of them often lead very pour lives up til their slaughter, and the way they are slaughtered can be very inhumane, that is what isn't right.

[wolf-girl]

I'm a vegetarian. and I'm opposed to people who mass murder animals in order to fill their nasty bellies. but I'm not opposed to hunting. hunters deserve what they get. it is nature, and as an animal you can get your share from it.

[erock13]

I eat meat everyday! We are at the top of the food chain so it is natural for us to kill prey and eat it. If your problem is the way we raise animals just for food than you have to look at our other option which is to take a gun and kill these animals ourselves. Either way it will be killed and end up on my plate next to a vegetable.

[swiftsaver602]

I enjoy animal proteins too much to agree with you :)

[BertMacklinFBI]

yeeyee

[swiftsaver602]

lol :P

[Ildskf]

I agree...I've been a vegetarian for over half my life and the idea of eating animals disgusts me. My whole family eats meat, so I respect their beliefs too even though I don't agree.

[RPGamer]

There are many other vegetarians like you who think the same, but I'm not one of them. I think it's part of life, nature.

[Sex_Panther]

If killing animals is wrong breeding pets is wrong. This is the conundrum that I can't tackle.

[music_lover]

All my pets are rescue pets for a reason. Two got pregnant by accident and resulted in two more pets. I have a yorkie who was saved from a breeder. And I have rescued all my cats (I have two and I'm taking care if my aunts three at the moment) all were rescue pets. My life has been devoted to animals.

[NoblesseOblige]

Animals are delicious. It's their own fault :)

/thread.

[icantwait]

Lol

Humans I hear taste like pork (:

[BertMacklinFBI]

wtffff

[WhiteSteve]

@icantwait, The other, OTHER white meat

[smokahontas]

It's the circle of life. I do not think it is wrong to kill animals for the sole purpose of eating them. I love my meat!

[lifes_curve_ball]

Plants are living things too though. You ultimately gotta kill something if you plan to ever eat.

[knotme]

I'm a canivore, so it would be hypocritical of me to agree with you

[Izzy2102]

you're an omnivore. Well most likely

[Cleveland]

Haha!

[knotme]

No not true. I said what I meant

[knotme]

I always do that. Such an idiot. =(

[Anonymous]

You're not alone, I agree with you completely, and for that reason I found it hard to be a vegetarian as well - I'm fully vegan for 2 years.

[tiredofwaiting]

No you are not it upsets me a lot too. And I get more upset over animals getting killed when they attack humans.

[Vegvisir]

I love eating animals, don't like how they are killed though. I would rather kill them myself, more honour in it

[gemgem]

Animals also kill animals. I guess they are "wrong" too?

[TheNewClassic]

It is wrong and i love animals but some are so delicious I can't help it!

[Born-confused]

This what vegetarian would say? Why do we kill animals and not eat carrots all day all night

[yaddayaddayadda02]

I love eating animals. They are delicious.