Why do we eat meat?

[chilliscot2002]

..and you are 16. I don't care for the opinion of a child.

 

[miamivice4]

I am a child, bit im sure im more clever then you and stronger cos i eat meat unlike you, you just pack meat if you get what im saying

 

[InfiniteAcademic]

Go for it fella, insult all you want.

The only thing that is guaranteed is that the mods will either lock the thread, sin bin you, or maybe both.

 

[Icey]

Oh goody, another rather pathetic troll joins our ranks. The door's that way, don't let it hit you in the arse on the way out.

As to the meat thing, I eat meat because I like the taste, and because I have no moral objections to farming animals. I've heard all of the arguments before, and there's a couple of points to make. Firstly plants have a rudimentary nervous system and have been shown to experience stimuli that correlates with pain in humans, so how's eating plants any better? Secondly I have not yet met a single pig, cow, or any other animal that actually told me it didn't want to be eaten. I will not eat anything that can talk to me (well, with a few exceptions but not really gonna go into those here).

 

[GumDropBoy]

Good thats just what i was thinking, im stopping now before this goes to far (if it hasnt already) i aplogise for being sexist and for whatever the word is for saying you dont like vegetarians But i still say your a meat packer, thats me done for this thread sorry for any ranting or insults i may have said (except to jimmytofu)

 

[CharWiz]

there is no way i could become a vegi.i enjoy the taste of meat.i have got nothing against animals,but our teeth are made for eating meat.if animals were not killed for meat we would be over run with pigs,cows,chickens etc...as long as they are killed in a proper way then far enough.the one thing i hate is cruelty to animals.i will not stand for it!

 

[abiramam_mm]

But we don't eat dogs, cats, insects, most birds, most aquatic life.. are we really over run with them?

 

[BigDaddyasgrul]

true you've got a point!my hands are up.but that still doesn't stop me from eating meat!

 

[Chaitu]

Meat? Why do I eat meat? Well, do we raise animals in bad conditions? Some of us do. Some don't. When I was a boy I practically lived on a farm (I lived near a school that had it's own farm my dad was the school principal). I personally took care of about 6 goats or so, in the mornings I'd wake up, and tie them somewhere they good eat grass, sometimes I didn't tie them at all. I also on occasion helped to feed the pigs that were kept in a pen. The pigs seemed fine to, they had all they could eat and they slept all they wanted. I also fed chickens sometimes. And once I helped to butcher them. We'd cut the heads of the chickens and toss the heads to the pigs. Inhumane? You think so?
What would a lion do? What would a tiger or a panther do to any bird they caught. They would rend it to pieces. Personally I'd rather be beheaded that torn to bits by a lion.
Same with the goats, when we killed the rams, we'd slit their throats and that would be it, a lion wouldn't be so grateful.
Humans are predators, meat is part of our diet. Besides, and no one has mentioned this NOT EVERYONE CAN AFFORD A VEGETARIAN DIET.
NOT EVERYONE CAN AFFORD AN ORGANIC DIET. GO SAVE THE CHICKEN IF YOU WANT, BUT YOU BETTER BE THE ONE TO TELL THE STARVING MOTHER WHY HER CHILDREN CAN'T EAT.

As for those that put animals throught excruciatng conditions .... what can I say. I don't think that should be allowed. But the fact that some people torture animals is not going to stop me eating meat.

One more thing. Do you know of the wild boar? They're not so much around now, we killed them mostly. But if you met one it would almost surely kill you if it was hungry. We also killed them when we were hungry, we shot them with our arrows and they pierced us with their tusks and tore us with their teeth. They kill us we kill them, but our weapons were better, we won, and we could eat them.

Animals suffer anyway (whether someone cuts the chicken's head off so I eat or a predator tears it up so it eats), people also suffer. It's the way of the world.


Besides, meat tastes good.

 

[james_spader_jr]

I once saw a comic on tv say - "Vegetables are living things too...they're just easier to catch!"

I eat meat because I like the taste. I have nothing against vegetarians and vegans as long as they don't try to preach to me about the poor dead cow I'm about to eat. To each his/her own.

 

[jenny_penny_06]

We have to get into our heads the notion that animals are not human. Does that mean we should not give them any care no, but it does mean we need to think differently of them. An nimal does not have the same emotional responses that we do. Their reasons for doing things are completly different then ours. this notion of chickens being sad and so forth is poppycock as long as the animal is fed and in decent lvining conditions they are generally in a good mood. I live in area surrounded by ranches. These ranches are heavily monitored to insure that the animals are healthy.

But the main reasons I eat meat is because I can...

 

[zedc_151]

Isn't this contradictory?

As humans are also animals, some might disagree with this, but thats another thread....

Why do humans eat meat? Because we're biologically predisposed to do so. Some biological evidence:
1) Teeth: the presence of inscisors, canines and pre-molars. All these are primarily for tearing, and slicing meat.
2) Forward facing eyes: we are predators, things that run, generall mean meat.
3) Appendix, a now obsolete part of the digestive tract, originally used for the additional breakdown of plant parts.
4) Evolution: can be argued that the introduction of a wider food source helped develop brain size (limited arguement 'cos I can't remember the details)

If the question was should we eat meat? Then the arguement is a moral one.

 

[ShadowChimp]

If you have ever been married then you would know it requires way more than food and decent shelter for some members of our species to be happy....

 

[Shortcircut]

The teeth arguement is pretty bad, highly inaccurate actually. If you look at the great apes, they (we) all have canines regardless of eating habits. It is a hold over from sexual dimorphism rather then diet. Males have bigger canines then females and figure largely in non-verbal communication. If you are going to give an arguement, you need to make sure it is correct.

The conditions in which most food animals are held are highly deplorable and we should be ashamed of it, as a species. I also put forth that animals that are allowed to free range are also healthier to eat then those which are fed controlled diets to fatten them up for the slaughter. Free range animals and chickens are higher in omega fatty acids, which are what we make adrenal horemones and sex hormones from. Most people do not get enough unsaturated omegas in their diet.

Humans are omnivourus in nature, but with careful management, vegans can be just as healthy as anyone else, and actually, they have fewer major heart problems, a lower diabetes rate, and tend to live longer.

I am not coming down on either side, because as far as health goes, they are both correct with proper management.

 

[MSB]

Nice logic.

Except that not ALL land is fertile enough to grow crops on. You lose.

PL

 

[LalitR]

Hey, lots of vegies think they are better than people who eat meat. I was just generalizing. Sorry.

Let me get this straight. Farmers "try" to minimize casualties, whereas ranches (or whatever you call them) do it on purpose. Ok, I understand. But when THEY kill the cow, I EAT IT. When a farmer brutally slaughters the vole or whatever, it just lays there. Oops, you just needlessly killed a life. At least I eat what gets killed.

PL

 

[AlexisInfectious®]

How do you know if the animal you are eating was raised in humane or poor conditions?Is it organic and free range that are generally ok?If so they are mad expensive.I know you can get pre packaged organic steaks,can you get organic steaks from the butchers?
There should be quality checks on how animals get treated and a reduction in price in organic and free range foods and more awareness to the public.
A combination of the above would boost organic sales so they could then lower their prices and compete with the non organic companies.

 

[AlexisInfectious®]

With that kind of logic and explanation, meat eaters would feel sympathy for plants raised in inhumane conditions. Imagine a plant that has feelings being raised with pesticides 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Now also imagine a human being sprayed with pesticides 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. That is morally unacceptable!

 

[Kashi]

To start off, I do not agree with methods used in growing and harvesting crops particulary them used by multi-national organisations who sell field grown produce.

I defend them up to a point, because they do not go out of thier way to kill animals, yes creatures are killed during the harvest process, but it is not the intention of the harvest,I realise after your killed, platitudes such as 'sorry I killed you, but I didnt mean to!' are hardly comforting.

And that is why I do not support farming methods that are currently in use on most farms, I will defend them to a point yes, but I will not consume thier produce.

I only eat hand picked organic food produce that does not harm the enviroment, and beleive me when I say I know how lucky I am that I have the choice.

Alot of familes in the world simply cannot afford to buy none harmfull foods, because they cost too much, I dont cast judgements on those people, I dont cast judgements on ANYone who eats meat, or eats vegitation that comes from many animals being killed in the process, because people who cant afford it, eat how they do to survive, and I would do the same to survive myself, as would any animal.

My argument is, if we can afford to live comfortably without killing animals in the process, we should do everything we can to do so, if we can't afford to live without animals being killed in the process, then we should do the best we can to make sure those animals are kept in the best possible conditions.

I am lucky, I have the opertunity to eat produce that doesnt harm the enviroment or involve animals being killed, and I realise that costs money, alot of people simply cant afford to live the way they (may) want to live.

So I dont cast judgements, and I dont view myself better than anyone else, alls I do is give my opinion and thoughts on matters that are important to me, and hope that those who CAN afford to live in different way, to do so, and in doing so, it will bring prices down for those who cant afford to live they way they would like to.

 

[MEETJJ]

I dont eat plants treated by pesticides.