RA1 Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 What are the reasons why why we should use animal products - in food, clothing, or anything else. What are the reasons why we should not use animial products in food, colthing, or anything else? Is there a middle ground, whereby we might use animal products now but plan to phase them out? Or a middle ground where some animal products might be acceptable while others are not? Obviously, there is a whole spectrum of current beliefs here. Where do we think the world will go in the future? What is most on peoples' minds -- cruelty to animals, human health, or other? Link to post Share on other sites
disgracian Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 I am perfectly happy to participate in the food chain like every other animal in the world does. Some of the reprehensible practices of the meat industry does put me off. I try to avoid such products where possible. Cheers, D. Link to post Share on other sites
threebyfate Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 We're omnivores, so avoiding animal products makes no sense to me. I enjoy meat and don't intend to give it up. I like and use leather goods. I enjoy fishing and have no qualms about eating what I catch, as long as it's decent fish. Beyond that, it's catch and release. While I don't hunt, I'm not against hunting, as long as the meat is consumed and if other parts are used as well, fantastic. As long as it's controlled hunting, whereby environmental impact is correlated to the amount of licenses sold, it's all good. Link to post Share on other sites
Ross PK Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 We shouldn't use animals in products as it causes unnecessary suffering to the animal. It's possible to make a lot of things and to eat food which don't have anything to do with animals. That being said I probably do use products that have been made from animals and I do eat meat, because I don't ever bother reading the back of products and I'm really not sure that if I don't buy that packet of meat in the supermarket an animal will be saved. Link to post Share on other sites
Moose Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Did you know that God Himself killed the first animal to clothe Adam and Eve? Did you know that Christ blessed all foods, (pork in particular) simply because it is not what enters your mouth and is processed, it is what come OUT of your mouth that corrupts your Spirit/Soul.... Furthermore, most "processed" meat, (animals) don't suffer. It's not like we torture them until the give us just cause to spare their lives.... Link to post Share on other sites
norajane Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 (edited) Are we likely to stop using animals for food, clothing, couches, biological and chemical testing? No, probably not. Should we try to be more humane about how we go about it. Yes, absolutely. Will we...not likely, until it becomes more profitable to treat them better than not to. As an example, there are a lot of people who enjoy eating chicken and eggs. And they are not likely to stop. However, those same people would probably be upset to learn those chickens are squished in tiny cages with 100 other chickens and force fed to get fat their entire lives until they are slaughtered, and they would be distressed to know their egg-laying chickens are tricked by artificial lighting to lay more eggs per day than is natural or healthy. Would we like it better if they were all free-range chickens who went around clucking and eating organic feed and growing naturally and without constraint, leading happy chicken lives? Of course. But, that's not profitable and we like our chicken at 99 cents a pound and our eggs at $1.50 a dozen. So, nothing much will change any time soon. Animal testing is a huge gray area. No one wants to think of deliberately sick puppies and bunnies and kittens, but that's how our medicines and make-up and motor oil are tested for cancer-causing side effects. It's tough to determine what's humane there, but human needs will win out unless there is an outcry to find some better way, if possible. With some goods, such as make-up, we can vote with our money and make it more profitable for companies to abandon animal-testing. But for other things, like life-saving drugs, we simply cannot. Edited December 1, 2009 by norajane Link to post Share on other sites
disgracian Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Animal testing is a huge gray area. No one wants to think of deliberately sick puppies and bunnies and kittens, but that's how our medicines and make-up and motor oil are tested for cancer-causing side effects. It's tough to determine what's humane there, but human needs will win out unless there is an outcry to find some better way, if possible. With some goods, such as make-up, we can vote with our money and make it more profitable for companies to abandon animal-testing. But for other things, like life-saving drugs, we simply cannot. We could always start using humans. Cheers, D. Link to post Share on other sites
Toki Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Soylent Green is People!! Link to post Share on other sites
Malenfant Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I like eating meat and wearing leather. However, i'm not neccessarily 100% comfortable with certain practices as far as rearing goes. My problem is I dont have alot of money, so I cant always afford free range produce, but if i could then i would always buy free range. One thing that i find curious is the number of people who eat meat, but yet would not be prepared to kill an animal for food. Going to the supermarket and picking up a packet of meat, all cut and cleaned up somehow distances people from the fact that that is a piece of a dead animal. It somehow absolves the consumer of the fact that this animal died so we could eat. People should not forget that creatures, regardless of wit or intellect were brought into this world and killed so we could have a nice bit of steak with our chips. I dont agree with using an animal for a small piece of their bodies and throwing the rest away, i think that if an animal is killed its only respectful to use as much as possible. I saw a documentary about sharks where the fishermen just chop the fins off and drop them back into the sea, still alive, where the shark takes weeks to die, slowly starving to death. i think this is pretty appalling disrespect of living creatures. Link to post Share on other sites
motive2002 Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I do lean towards free range and cruelty free when it comes to buying meat, eggs and dairy. You can vote with your dollars when it comes to how animals are treated. Link to post Share on other sites
laRubiaBonita Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 why do plants not deserve the same compassion as animals? Link to post Share on other sites
Malenfant Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 why do plants not deserve the same compassion as animals? i always feel guilty if i have forgotten to water a plant and its all droopy and sad. i even apologize whilst i'm tending to it! Link to post Share on other sites
knaveman Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 why do plants not deserve the same compassion as animals? Most humans can't show compassion for other humans, plants are probably pretty far down on most peoples list. Link to post Share on other sites
threebyfate Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Okay everyone, just stop eating. Guaranteed with this type of altruistic action, you'll rise to another plane. Link to post Share on other sites
FleshNBones Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Okay everyone, just stop eating. Guaranteed with this type of altruistic action, you'll rise to another plane.They could limit themselves to eating sand and drinking water. Link to post Share on other sites
StalledGirl Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 I'm a vegetarian and although i'm not a big animal lover I don't want to eat them and would feel strange tucking into meat and fish. I don't wear leather but that's because I am simple when it comes to clothes. I wish that there were more animal free cosmetic products like soaps , toothpastes and moisturisers that didn't cost so much. Link to post Share on other sites
Ross PK Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 If I was Prime Minister I'd put a stop to animal suffering as much as I could, yup, I'd ban animals being used for food and products, and I'd ban animal testing. ^_^ Link to post Share on other sites
threebyfate Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 They could limit themselves to eating sand and drinking water.There you go, another solution which will lead to a higher plane of existence. I will admit that I don't use any cosmetics that utilize animal testing. Cosmetics are a superficial product that's unnecessary. If something happens to my skin because of this, I stop using the product. I don't know enough about pharmaceuticals, to make a judgement call on whether animal testing is necessary. For certain, pharmaceuticals are a necessity. Link to post Share on other sites
Toki Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 If I was Prime Minister I'd put a stop to animal suffering as much as I could, yup, I'd ban animals being used for food and products, and I'd ban animal testing. ^_^ Say hello to the first Assassinated Prime Minister in 300 years. Link to post Share on other sites
Author RA1 Posted December 4, 2009 Author Share Posted December 4, 2009 I am perfectly happy to participate in the food chain like every other animal in the world does. You are right that all animals participate in the food chain in accordance with their evolved instincts. However, there is one animal that is capable of breaking away from its instincts and choosing how to participate in the food chain -- the human animal. It saddens me that so few humans choose to exercise the freedom of choice that is the unique prerogative of our species. Link to post Share on other sites
Author RA1 Posted December 4, 2009 Author Share Posted December 4, 2009 why do plants not deserve the same compassion as animals? Because plants do not have the capacity to suffer as animals do. Link to post Share on other sites
Author RA1 Posted December 4, 2009 Author Share Posted December 4, 2009 Did you know that God Himself killed the first animal to clothe Adam and Eve? Did you know that Christ blessed all foods... It's sad but true that religion helps perpetuate cruelty to animals. Furthermore, most "processed" meat, (animals) don't suffer.... What? How would you feel if you were treated like a "processed" animal? Would you not suffer? Link to post Share on other sites
disgracian Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 It saddens me that so few humans choose to exercise the freedom of choice that is the unique prerogative of our species. Isn't what people eat (including animals) a choice by default? Cheers, D. Link to post Share on other sites
StalledGirl Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 If I was Prime Minister I'd put a stop to animal suffering as much as I could, yup, I'd ban animals being used for food and products, and I'd ban animal testing. ^_^ I don't think i'd ban people from eating animals if I was PM as it is natural and personal choice , even if I disagree with it. Link to post Share on other sites
Toki Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 Animals are there for us to consume, just like Trees are there for us to build homes, minerals are there for us to mine, water is there for us to drink, and crops are there for us to grow. Before we reached this capacity, our existence was for more harsh, and primeval. Without adequate fat and protein our bodies would become malnourished, and weak. I choose not to be a vegetarian because the western institutions that tell us proper omnivores that the Meat industry is immoral (which it most certainly is) also hide the fact that the same could be said of all subsidized agriculture. The Vegetables we eat are chock full of chemicals and artificial hormones, and at this point Organic is a masturbatory term that can easily be applied to anything you consume. I go by Old World Standards, and choose to eat meat sparingly, or once a week. Never before has it been so cheap, and it bothers me greatly, but same with all consumables. I do make sure to eat anything that is fortifying, and nutritious, often times with animal stock (as is largely custom in soups) and I've found a good balance, I eat enough meat that I don't take on the appearance of wasting away, but I don't eat so much that I'm rippling with muscle (since I don't do anything that actually warrants smothering owls, which I'm convinced is the only thing bodybuilders are good for) nor do I carry so much fat on my body to be noticeable, but certainly carry enough that if I were to starve for any extended period of time, I'd at least have a good thirty days before my body would start consuming muscle, an advantage very few vegetarians or 'tuff guys' have. Link to post Share on other sites
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