Our duty to Animals

I was a very active Boy Scout and I have always been an animal lover. I believe that I learned this from my Mother. The Boy Scout philosophy regarding animals is:

"A scout is kind, he is a friend to animals. He will not kill or hurt any living creature needlessly but will try to save and protect all harmless life."

Now, there are two ways to look at this issue.

1. God made us stewards over all of the living things of the Earth. We can use the animals of the Earth to provide food and other products that we need to thrive and survive. I think that it's fair to say that most people eat meat and use other animal by-products on a regular basis. I do believe that is alright on a moral basis. However, I truly think that is our duty to animal life to do this with the utmost concern for their suffering. I don't see how anyone can honestly say that animals to not feel pain or fright when threatened - just like people.

2. If you do not believe in a "God" then as the most highly evolved species on our planet it is still our duty to protect and use animals wisely and humanely.

This isn't an 'anti-hunting' or vegan sort of post it's just that I truly value all animal life and I think that it is the sacred duty of all humans to treat our animals with respect.

Any thoughts?

It really bothers my consience when I have to buy catfood, but I -must- feed my feline kids. I myself don't eat meat much anymore. When I do, occassionaly, it's chicken, but then I think of the chicken factory farms. Humans -are- omnivores. I don't know much about Native American culture, but I had heard something about them, --when they were free and unconquered,-- they would pray and give thanks to God, for the sacredness and gift of the buffalos' meat. If I were the Supreme Ruler In Charge, I would abolish the mass factory farms and tell everyone, they had to kill and process their own meat, if they felt they needed to eat it, you know, look 'it' in the face close up. But however, under that kind of society, I haven't a clue what I'd give my neutered front-declawed cats.

for all there suffering they still have a place in heaven beside G*d as they serve him just as we do

It's a -fact- 'animals' go to Heaven. My mom and brother got paid a visit by the ghost of their cat after he died. That very night, the very day he died. Then they never experienced his ghost again. I guess he must have crossed over.

Why limit our responsibility to just animals? Shouldn't all of you who believe in GOD respect ALL of his creations and all life? Treating all life as you would like to be treated?
Reconnecting to nature is a more peaceful, vibrant, and happier way to live I believe.
We also have to do what we have to do to survive, but we have the intelligence enough to do it right... which is opposite of what we do now.

I think we should all just drink cows blood like the Masai tribe in Africa do, anything else you need you can source from plants...

I'll keep eating meat thanks, so the cows and pigs and other yummy things dont eat all your vegetables.

Originally posted by meathed
I'll keep eating meat thanks, so the cows and pigs and other yummy things dont eat all your vegetables.

Nobody is asking you to give up meat. No need to roll your eyes. The OP only asks that if you're going to eat meat, make sure you don't kill the animal inhumanely, and make sure you don't waste it's life needlessly. I don't think that's too much to ask. Unfortunately in our society with all these farms and grocery stores stocked to the brim with meat and dairy products, more animals are going to waste than we can ever consume. It's shameful how much spoiled product gets tossed away.

reply to post by 2manyquestions

And those mass factory farms are --- horrendous --- polluters and water wasters. I heard on some MSM outlet today, that the days of free flowing abundant clean endless water are OVER and out, and this will be realized by everyone up the road. (Restrictions). Well. I'll believe it when I see it's impact on the water wasting mass factory farms.

Originally posted by AidanK
I was a very active Boy Scout and I have always been an animal lover. I believe that I learned this from my Mother. The Boy Scout philosophy regarding animals is:

"A scout is kind, he is a friend to animals. He will not kill or hurt any living creature needlessly but will try to save and protect all harmless life."

Now, there are two ways to look at this issue.

1. God made us stewards over all of the living things of the Earth. We can use the animals of the Earth to provide food and other products that we need to thrive and survive. I think that it's fair to say that most people eat meat and use other animal by-products on a regular basis. I do believe that is alright on a moral basis. However, I truly think that is our duty to animal life to do this with the utmost concern for their suffering. I don't see how anyone can honestly say that animals to not feel pain or fright when threatened - just like people.

2. If you do not believe in a "God" then as the most highly evolved species on our planet it is still our duty to protect and use animals wisely and humanely.

This isn't an 'anti-hunting' or vegan sort of post it's just that I truly value all animal life and I think that it is the sacred duty of all humans to treat our animals with respect.

Any thoughts?

Stars for you OP.
I once took a job ata Chicken Slaughter Processing Plant, enough said.
Every living thing has feelings.
I hate spiders more than say Stalin, but I noticed once when I reached for the spray they know.
They just want to escape the terror the pain, the extinguishing of their life.
So imagine the feelings of a cow or a chicken or a dog when a human treats them like dirt.
Animals may not be able to play the drums or understand Einstein, but then neither can I, can you?
The Poles, the Jews, the Brits, the Germans, the Japanese, the Aussies and Kiwis, every nation almost on Earth has felt the wrath of the demon of indifference and pure hatred, but animals are slaughtered on a daily basis the world over that makes all that seem like a drop in the ocean of horror.
We all could eat fried rice with potatoes for life and we all would feel fitter and no animals would ever be slaughtered.
We need more threads to defend our friends that cannot speak but hear.
We love our pets we should love all Animals.
Those who repeatedly hurt Animals should be stopped.

Originally posted by simone50m
reply to post by 2manyquestions

 

And those mass factory farms are --- horrendous --- polluters and water wasters. I heard on some MSM outlet today, that the days of free flowing abundant clean endless water are OVER and out, and this will be realized by everyone up the road. (Restrictions). Well. I'll believe it when I see it's impact on the water wasting mass factory farms.

I've seen some videos that turned me vegetarian for a couple of years. Unfortunately in the presence of other omnivores I caved one day, and that was the end of my non-meat diet. As another poster suggested, if we had to slaughter our own animals, I think most of us would treat meat as a very special occasion instead of a daily treat. Killing would be on a need basis instead of stockpiling and waste. When I was a kid and my grandparents owned all sorts of animals for food, they would slaughter one pig a year, make all sorts of products from the meat, and they'd have enough for the whole year. A chicken or two along with a couple of rabbits would be sacrificed for the sake of a meal every now and then too, but not until it was needed. Any meat they felt they wouldn't be able to consume before it went bad was shared with neighbors who were more than happy to take it off their hands.

reply to post by simone50m


You're not god, but you are a consumer. You choose what you're putting in your body and you are part of a collective that dictates the demands of the market. Contributing is contributing, if you're conscience is telling you one thing on the scale of "destroying all factory farms", what stops you from not eating that 3 ounce piece of meat and replacing it with an alternative?

reply to post by DeadFlagBlues


I think it's cognitive dissonence and denial, somewhat, from a long lifetime of conditioning, that you go to your grocery store or restraunt and have the fried chicken. But I give in to those excuses less and less and rarer as time goes on. Sometimes when I am over at someone's house and they give me a crispy breaded breast, I figure that if I do or do not accept it, won't impact the powerfull factory farm. But such an occassion is very occassional. What I do, is keep this subject in people's hearts and minds on the chat forums, and decide to not go out of my way to go and purchase 'products' from the factory farms.
I heard on the radio today that Republicans are pressuring Obama to take the EPA regulations off of giant agripolluters, cuz it's bad for profits profits profits and campaign contributions.
And that the Republicans are seeking to abolish HUD (affordable) housing, but where I live, there are all kinds of people in wheel chairs and elderly who rely on this affordable housing program. Maybe the Republicans can process us in factory farms. (And have us later, at their Satan worshiping Illuminatti meetings with some fava beans and a nice chianti.) (I hope I didn't just give them ideas.....)

Originally posted by AidanK
This isn't an 'anti-hunting' or vegan sort of post it's just that I truly value all animal life and I think that it is the sacred duty of all humans to treat our animals with respect.

It's irritating when people step back shyly from the true realization of their values. I believe strongly in x but I won't do y because it's unpopular/too far out of my mental comfort zone. I'm sorry to break it to you but one is an imaginary concept and the other is that concept condensed into reality. Your words mean nothing when you shield yourself from the follow through.

That being said, humans are very hypocritical creatures.

reply to post by simone50m


I hate to sound like that man, but you have to follow your heart. If you know something is unjust, you have to act on that intuition. Even your rationalization of why it's not a big deal goes against what your values are telling you. This is different for everybody, too, but specific in the sense that you speak deeply and in detail about how you're feeling when you're eating whatever it is you're eating. I don't want to polarize this subject either, but personally, it's the same with racism or sexism with me. If not you, who is going to stand up for what they feel is right? The reason collectivism takes hold in regards to anything related to racism/sexism/speciesism is because it's accepted one person at a time, and in the same opposite way that it's unacceptable to an individual in that collective. Tides turn and it will trend the other way if it will. Holding back your moral and ethical values because it's accepted in a group is counter-productive for you and for people who may feel the same about "putting their foot down." Vegetarianism and veganism is also personal preference, and hopefully guided by a long list of reasons, some of which you have touched on.

Do what you will, but always be honest with yourself.

I think we should protect animals. Yeah I'll keep eating meat i just wish they were treated better... Not just crammed into one room being pumped full of hormones.

reply to post by CoSMiC_ChAoS


Until you and others stop, it's not going to get any better for them. The demand drives the market. You create the demand, you create the conditions. There's a price to pay for cheap meat and it's one that obviously doesn't sit right with you.

Very well said, a star and flag for you.. is our duty as material beings of this earth to protect it and all of it's beings; human, plant, animal and the even earth itself.
It doesn't mean you have to "hug trees" or go all our Vegan, but just be aware and help those in need. If possible, no matter what they may be. Even a small gesture, even once and a while can benefit. Skip excessive uses of let's say food(ex. too much leftovers thrown away from dinner each week, so serve smaller portions) once and a while or give food and or shelter to a homeless person or animal). Apathy is the killer of us all.

I have eliminated sugar, fat, meat, yeast, from my daily diet. I have lost 5 lbs in under about 3 wks. But whether it's only water or actual fat, there are lots of tasty flavors to be had (but changing the paradigm is hard at first) in foods and drinks --- without --- sugar , meat, fat, and yeast.