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Originally Posted by Edgar
Do what you want, but saying you woudn't want to be a vegetarian because it's hard, or because you really, really like meat, or because you dont want to be seen as a hypocrite if you occasionally eat meat, well, that doesn't seem very moral to me.
Its not a moral decision for me. Its one for you. And I didnt say that you would be seen as a hypocrite for occassionally indulging, you will be seen as a hypocrite for anything and everything that could be possibly associated with animal cruelty, and then held accountable for that because you have made your decision a moral one, and therefore put your morality on display and made something that isnt generally a moral decision for most, something thats moral. Which, coincidentally, you have also made those that dont agree with your not eating meat logic as beings that are immoral. People dont like to be labeled as immoral, especially by vegetarians.
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You'd have to first shrug off the suffering like it was nothing. Say, Oh it's not happening to me or my kind, so why should i care?
I guess we think differently. I think you humanize animals, whereas I see them as just animals who serve a purpose. Do I believe they feel physical pain? Sure. Do I believe they feel betrayed, disappointed, taken advantage of, abused or tortured? No.
Frankly, there are much more important issues I'll get worked up about before I start worrying about some animals suffering or whether or not animals have emotional feelings similar to those of humans.
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If you were to truly rationalize the situation, you'd see plain as day that you contribute in a big way to the suffering of other sentient beings and that it would be a simple thing to cut down on the amount of suffering you contribute to. I think you should care more. I think I should care more, but unfortunately i'm becoming more and more desensitized.
Well, at least you live in a country where you can make a choice to not eat meat based on moral objection.
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Oh and I'd be willing to bet that something like 90 percent or more people on this earth are hypocrites in one way or another, whether they know it or not.
I completely agree.
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And guess what? I'm a hypocrite! I eat meat. I know it's wrong, and i still do it. I've cut down, and i was a vegetarian for about 12 years, but i still eat meat on occasion.
Its not wrong to eat meat. Its been made wrong in your own head because you have leveled yourself with animals.
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Originally Posted by ghostoker
Exactly. Humans have determinded that humans are the most important race. Funny that. Do you really think that humans as a whole would ever think anything different?
Yes, we have determined we are more important than animals because we all know if it came down to it, we would sacrifice the animals to save ourselves. And you know we would, and that we should...if it really came down to it. ;)
Im all for being humble and aware of man's arrogance, but there is definitely a line, and I will not ever agree that animals are of equal importance to myself or my fellow man.
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That's fair enough.. but you know the suffering that these animals go through. surely you can change your diet, just as I and many others have, to help stop this? It's not much of a sacrifice.. yet again, if you don't give a shit then I guess it is. That's all it comes down to at the end of the day; giving a shit or not giving a shit.
Ive given up meat before because I thought eating vegetarian might help shed some pounds, and it was a miserable experience. I do choose my happiness over that of an animals. Sorry.
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I don't know.. but like Edgar said I know for a fact that animals suffer, where as I don't know whether plants suffer or not, and as far as i'm aware they don't. That's the only distinction I can make.
You know animals feel and recognize pain, but you dont know if they suffer. Emotional pain is a far worse pain than that of just physical pain, and you cant make the call on whether animals do feel emotional suffering from physical pain or not. Emotional suffering like a feeling of being wronged, manipulated, degraded. Not just ouch! or no ouches, which given animals intelligence is probably all they can determine. I cant really make that distinction to others either, and Im not going to pretend to and then imply some moral objection based on my own distinctions.
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ousted: Actually, we have come this far because we believe ourselves to be more important.
How so?
Survival of the fittest. We didnt get to this point because we exercised our ability to be empathetic. We never would have survived if we didnt outsmart creatures, and believe ourselves to be above them in every way.
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So, even if animals are less important, why is it okay to treat them as we do? To murder them because we can't be assed to change our diet..
We can be asked to change our diet, but why be surprised when people dont? Again, vegetarians and alike have made this a moral issue for themselves, and its foolish to put your moralities on other people, and then be surprised that they aren't interested, or dont find it as important or serious as you do.
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So which is it? Are we better than animals and therefore capable of showing compassion and sympathy for creatures who are defenceless against us, or are we animals ourselves? If so then we aren't any more important, just more advanced.
I dont really understand your question. I believe us to be more important than animals because we are capable of emotion and because I find our species to be superior to all others, and I also believe in eating animals. :confused:
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I'm not miserable. What makes you think that?
Just an assumption, which was wrong of me to make, I admit. ;)
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Cutting meat out of my diet was hard because humans are lazy and we grow accustomed to things pretty easily, but since then i've never felt healthier (apart from my health problems at the moment.. +lol+ but that's unrelated). I don't see how it would help if I started eating meat again? How am I not helping animals to stop being killed? And how would eating animals again help?
Im sure you are helping to some very small degree, however insignificant of a difference you may be making Im sure your efforts are very much appreciated by those who feel the same as you do.