For me, to hell with animals, who cares. Hah. No really though, I personally don’t think it’s immoral even though they have a consciousness to some extent. But I don’t think it is an okay thing to exercise in how some people kill the animals. I forgot most of the instances but some people are just plain sick, finding enjoyment in torturing the animals, and some of the methods they use for slaughtering them is quite bothersome.

If you kill it, you should eat it. No creature should be killed for sport or "for the heck of it". Just because as humans we are the "highest" life form on the planet, it does not give us the right to destroy something else "just because".

Personally, I lived on a ranch and have several friends and family members that hunt and raise animals for food - I have no problems with that. While I have no issue with people eating meat, I have been a vegetarian for almost 2 years due to the fact that in the area I live in, alternatives to meat are plentiful and I do not feel the need to kill something for food myself. Also, I have visited a slaughter factory (agriculture major requirement) and while I understand the need for such a place, I know how much of the product goes un-purchased at the market or is never used if it is purchased. I cannot promote waste and unnecessary slaughter.

If I were to eat meat again, it would only be something that I either raised for that purpose or that I hunted/fished to eat.

Animals have lived this way for thousands of years, carnivores need to kill to survive. I guess not all animals need to kill...like cows, they just eat grass lol. It's not like cows have fangs or anything. Killing another animal to eat is normal, as cruel as killing is. It reminds me of an episode in Trigun when Vash and Knives were kids and there was a scene where they were debating whether or not a spider had the right to kill/eat a butterfly trapped in its spiderweb.

Then there are those that kill for other reasons, like for the animals fur. Take the seal hunt as an example. People in northern/northeastern Canada say it's their tradition and so they continue to do it. With the Vancouver Olympics coming up to my own city, I remember a news report on TV a few weeks ago where a company (whether or not that's Vanoc I don't know) started making clothes for athletes out of seal skin and that's outraged people here in Vancouver.

There's a line somewhere where animals should and should not be killed for a reason (food, clothes, etc).

I eat meat sometimes, but I think I eat non-meat stuff more often.

Nature is a cruel thing. Spending any amount of time watching animal documentaries will reveal just about every shade of violence and suffering imagineable. From parasites that consume their victims alive to predators that maul and rip flesh, it's ugly.

But those same documentaries will show in almost all species the same thing that all pet owners already know first hand- animals can show an incredible amount of compassion and love. In that respect, we are not as unique as some would have use believe.

I'm not saying everyone should be vegetarian or vegan but it's probably good to have a healthy respect for the things you kill for food. And to that effect, no one should ever be intentionally cruel to animals. That much should go without saying.

AsahiSuperDry

From parasites that consume their victims alive to predators that maul and rip flesh, it's ugly.

Haha that made me feel disgusted about a second.

AsahiSuperDry

But those same documentaries will show in almost all species the same thing that all pet owners already know first hand- animals can show an incredible amount of compassion and love. In that respect, we are not as unique as some would have use believe.

Well, pets are domesticated... And wild animals are a totally different story as they rely very much on their instincts. There was an instance where someone from New Zealand, I think, had a chimp in a cage and if I recall correctly she was trying to feed the chimp and the chimp just swung a fast one and ripped her face right off... And as for us, we can at the least think and have the ability to understand concept of compassion and can control our actions (though it can vary person to person).

tofuguy

Well, pets are domesticated... And wild animals are a totally different story as they rely very much on their instincts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSJYIEk5n6o

All animals have instincts but that doesn't mean compassion can't be found in the wild. There are countless other examples like the video above or the very famous water buffalo attack (youtube "Battle at Kruger") but I think the point has been made.





Edit: As far as parasites go, if the mention of that made you ill definitely do not read this:

http://www.cracked.com/article_17199_7-most-horrifying-parasites-on-planet.html

Killing animal is tasty. I am proud member of PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals). Personally i don't see how people can get by with out eating some sort of meat, be it chicken fish eggs or other wise, they are all just so tasty it's like your depriving yourself of a carnal pleasure when you abstain from using your canines for what they were made for.

AsahiSuperDry

All animals have instincts but that doesn't mean compassion can't be found in the wild. There are countless other examples like the video above or the very famous water buffalo attack (youtube "Battle at Kruger") but I think the point has been made.

Just to point out I did not directly state nor did I imply that animals don't possess some degree of compassion and it's normally practiced in its own species.

Hm... I've seen that show a long time ago, and would assert that they really don't practice compassion/care on other species, that is/was a very rare occurrence. But I would suggest that was a misplaced and very superficial view of "compassion" that it may just have seemed like it was compassion even though it acted to protect it, it could have just been possessive. (Just something to think about because most people would dismiss it as being compassion/love instantaneously)

Compassion to its own species is obvious and it may be instinct in the animal kingdom.

Depends on the animal. If it's a fly, I'm not gonna hold you up on the "you kill it, you eat it" thing. If it's a human (I've known a good many that I could be labelled animals), then I'll say some decent person out there will most likely be hurt, and that just ain't cool.
Most people need to realise that what really counts the most in making us different from other species is not sentience, nor is it "souls" or "that God says so". It's plain old power. We are the most powerful animals on the planet, mainly thanks to our intelligence, unparalleled ability to communicate and opposable thumbs, and that is what gives us - not the right (there is no such thing) - but the *power* to decide what is "right" to kill and what is "wrong".
It's deeply ingrained in our culture that it's wrong to kill other humans, mostly because it makes it so much harder to organise in larger tribes if nobody can trust each other. And I think that, when people start thinking that that animals should have rights too, they have no idea why we humans even have them to start with, and most likely they don't realise their hypocrisy when it comes to the killing of a kitten vs the killing of a tarantula. It's not really about right and wrong to them, it's about what manages to activate their sympathy.
In closing, there is nothing right or wrong about killing animals, no matter the reason.

I think of this on the big picture. This is only directed at people that don't want any animals to die.. Animals will die, and we will kill them to feed ourselves. Even if it means massive slaughter houses and we are killing helpless animals by the millions. For the people that can't stand the thought of this, you know it will never stop. Nothing you do will stop people from eating animals. If you don't accept that, and you can't stand the way humans on this planet eat, then leave and settle another planet. However even if you do, you will always look back and know that somewhere out there in space, people on earth are still slaughtering and eating it's animals. So there is no escape really.. Well there is one for sure escape...

I for one don't like when people kill animals. Though it won't stop. So this is my mind set. If I have a live deer prancing around to my left, and a garden full of vegetables to my right, and I'm starving, I'm going for the garden. Now if that deer was dead, then I'd go for the deer, so it wouldn't go to waste.

I hate how people can just go out and kill a deer for it's meat, when they can just go to the store and buy some deer meat. Now you are just killing another one, when you didn't need to. That is what annoys me.

I try and not kill anything. Hell, I just saved a spider from drowning yesterday when cleaning someone's pond. I bet most people would have stomped the hell out of it. That's just cruel. Even if the spider is smaller than the size of your thumb. All things have a chance to live, why take that away?

tofuguy

Just to point out I did not directly state nor did I imply that animals don't possess some degree of compassion and it's normally practiced in its own species. Hm... I've seen that show a long time ago, and would assert that they really don't practice compassion/care on other species, that is/was a very rare occurrence. But I would suggest that was a misplaced and very superficial view of "compassion" that it may just have seemed like it was compassion even though it acted to protect it, it could have just been possessive. (Just something to think about because most people would dismiss it as being compassion/love instantaneously) Compassion to its own species is obvious and it may be instinct in the animal kingdom.

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss those examples because after all, couldn't the same be said about people? I mean, if you wanted to it wouldn't be hard to make humans out to be instinctually driven, violent creatures who only show kindness if it benefits them or is instinctually driven for the survival of the species. Do you ever love selflessly or is it because deep down your biology hardwires you to find a mate, stick to social groups like families and absolve fear of the unknown through religion and self serving good deeds?

AsahiSuperDry

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss those examples because after all, couldn't the same be said about people? I mean, if you wanted to it wouldn't be hard to make humans out to be instinctually driven, violent creatures who only show kindness if it benefits them or is instinctually driven for the survival of the species. Do you ever love selflessly or is it because deep down your biology hardwires you to find a mate, stick to social groups like families and absolve fear of the unknown through religion and self serving good deeds?

Well, I would argue that it would be very much different for people as a whole because people have the ability to exercise self-restraint. I would assert that the whole "survival of the fittest" idea isn't a role in humanity as you may assume so because people are social creatures and are able to communicate. Though you can say that selfishness is human nature (and I think there are claims that it may be hardwired in us) we can still act for the good of others even though there may be self benefit to come along with it. What is so bad with seeking to do good when it helps others and all the while boosting your self esteem (talking in the naturalist perspective)?

Humans, unlike animals, have the ability to exercise will which puts us at a whole different plane.

Eating animals?
I do, at least. It's not like I think about it much. It's just the way things are in this world. I can understand those who might be offended by animals being killed/eaten but until there's a law saying that we need to become vegatarians, I don't think anything's gonna change. I don't believe animals should be hunted for no reason. That's horrible. But if you're going to eat it, then eat it. End of story.

Animals kill animals, too. Just like people kill people.
We both should be treated the same.

tofuguy

Well, I would argue that it would be very much different for people as a whole because people have the ability to exercise self-restraint. I would assert that the whole "survival of the fittest" idea isn't a role in humanity as you may assume so because people are social creatures and are able to communicate.

Wait, what? Animals are incapable of self restraint? Survival of the fittest has no application in the modern model of human existance? Humans are the only social creatures that are able to communicate? Are you serious?