Animal Slaughter (Are we wrong for eating meat?)

Forgive me, there are a few things I don't know about this particular moral gray area.

This thread came from a thought of mine that arose in another thread (I'm sure you know which one).

I LOVE meat. I adore it. Pork chops and chicken, and some sardines... aaah

Personally, I believe that it's natural for us to eat meat. Maybe not as much as we do currently, but all animals kill and eat each other, so what makes us so different? We've gotta eat too.

People have been eating meat as far back as recorded history will tell us.

True, it's not the "eating" that really has vegans irritated, it's more the "condition" of the animals we eat. Our meat industries raise miserable animals, raping their lives with horrible living conditions, with nothing to look forward to but their eventual slaughter.

I have a problem with that as well.

But, as our beloved government has engineered it, we can't exactly stray away from the main stream meat production so easily. We're all very dependent upon it. We eat GMO chicken from walmart, we stop at KFC and grab some, or we don't eat chicken. I mean, where else are we gonna get it? It's not like we're ALLOWED to hunt a chicken ourselves. Who do we think we are? It's almost like we live in a free country or something...

ANYway, this whole argument brings up a spiritual, moral perspective I wanted to share with ATS.

I have never hunted.

I have never killed, gutted, skinned, cleaned, and cooked an animal before.

But, I eat meat all the time.

This is a problem to me.

I don't believe it's wrong to eat meat, though I do believe it's wrong for them to be raised in miserable conditions.

And, I also believe it's wrong of me to eat meat when I've never hunted.

Why?

I have no connection to this dead animal.

Most people have no real comprehension that meat actually DOES come from an animal's corpse.

If you ask a little kid where meat comes from, most of them will tell you it comes from the grocery store.

People are so disconnected from reality now.

Including me. I'm guilty of this.

So, about half a year ago, I started watching youtube videos, teaching me how to field dress a small animal. It's rather morbid, if you've never hunted, or seen anyone hunt. It gave me a bit of culture shock, but I'm not a weak person. I know I could handle it.

To understand what I mean, watch this short video.

How To Field Dress A Rabbit

See what I mean? If you've never hunted, it looks pretty disturbing.

It shouldn't look disturbing to a meat eater. If you're good enough to eat the meat, you're good enough to go and kill it for a meal.

After wrapping my mind around this, I decided to take my bb rifle out and shoot some birds, to better understand what it felt like to shoot a living creature, and to see if I could mentally handle it.

After shooting two birds, I felt nothing but a minor power rush at first. About an hour later, sitting at home, I started to feel guilty, the more I thought about it. It was my first time killing animals.

That mixture of guilt and power was a wake up call to me.

I was entirely disconnected from reality.

As a conclusion, I have a new goal. I want to shoot, kill, field dress, and cook an animal myself.

I want to know what it's like to kill my own meal. I want to wrap my mind around it, and I want to understand that all meat is from one of these animals, these creatures that are killed by the hungry mankind.

No, I don't believe it's wrong to eat meat.

I believe it's wrong to eat meat if you've never hunted, if you're afraid to hunt, if you disagree with hunting, etc.

So, I guess the point of this thread is this;

Hunt.

Then decide if you're a meat eater.

Why make a new thread about the pros and cons of eating meat if their is already another one that you have mentioned? Why not just add this one to it?
I have eaten meat all my life and always will do as my ancestors before me have done as well. Don't see the point in discussing whether it is right or wrong anyway, but that's my opinion.
Plus you have already made a post in that thread anyway...

I think we eat more meat now because it's so freely available.
I used to work on a pig farm and we had our own abbatoire where I also worked. Today is meat free day for me but yeah I se you're point it's kinda hard to hunt when you live in a city though.

Have you never eaten a fish you’ve caught? I don’t know where you’re from but I’m sure there’s edible fish in water ways. Just learn how to fish and how to clean and fillet a fish.

I agree with the living conditions. Unfortunately this will never change as it’s not profitable and people wouldn’t stand for a significant raise in the cost of meat for the animals to go free range. Free range eggs around are $2 more than cage eggs in my area, though they are much better! I don’t think I could give up meat, particularly bacon! And it wouldn’t be for ethical reasons, but health.

I'm a meat eater who has lost the ability to hook a worm on a fishing pole line.
Watching the worm squirm in pain makes me discontent.
I ask friends to hook them for me now.

At the same time, I eat meat 3X per week.
I do buy cage free chicken eggs, non GMO/labeled healthy animal meats.

Don't feel guilty about eating meat you don't hunt... you pay others to do that for you, and there's nothing "wrong" about that. Not everyone can gut and clean an animal for it's meat.

We pay a small fee for such conveniences, and I'm glad for that, I would hate to have to do all that.

When an animal dies in distress, a chemical is released and turns the meat "bad" some say.
I would assume that is a correct assessment, and I try to get farm friendlier meats.

The human body uses some of the nutrients in the meats we eat for essential energy.
I don't feel great about eating the meats, but I don't feel guilty about it... they are already dead, I didn't kill them, but if I don't buy that meat, someone else will, despite my beliefs.... nothing will change in our system.

That's how I feel.

Originally posted by scotsdavy1
Why make a new thread about the pros and cons of eating meat if their is already another one that you have mentioned? Why not just add this one to it?
I have eaten meat all my life and always will do as my ancestors before me have done as well. Don't see the point in discussing whether it is right or wrong anyway, but that's my opinion.
Plus you have already made a post in that thread anyway...

edit on 5-2-2013 by scotsdavy1 because: (no reason given)

I have an entirely different point to make than the OP of that other thread.

Like what? It's just the same story as the other one, or am I missing something here? Please tell?

I don't think its wrong to eat meat. I do think its wrong to kill an animal just for the sake of killing it though.

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX


i do not consume animal meat, becouse i do not deserve it, i have not killed it, then why should i get to eat it?
i do alot of fishing and eat the fish that i catch, its my right.'
ask yourselves this,, you are next to and animal with a knife, is it more important "IN THESE DAYS" to kill and eat it, or would you go like "whoose a good boy? yes you are!"

there is no correct answer, listen to your heart.

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX

Animal Slaughter (Are we wrong for eating meat?)

I see it like this... animal slaughter and whether it's right or wrong to eat meat are two different topics.

Humans are omnivores, our digestive system has evolved to be able to digest animal meat and we have a basic requirement for the need of protein in our diet - sure, protein can be obtained from other non-animal sources, yet animal products are a valuable source of protein.

I guess it comes down to a personal choice then... I totally enjoy eating animal meat, seafood, poultry and game - off the shelf, or caught and culled by me for my needs, I'm fine with that.



How We Field Dress A Rabbit, (from the OP).
Warning - some images may be disturbing for some people.


Beezer!!??

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX


Eating meat is what made humans the way we are today!

moral gray area

To me, there is no moral gray area, of course people have the right to not eat meat but damned if they make those that do feel guilty.

reply to post by JibbyJedi

I do buy cage free chicken eggs, non GMO/labeled healthy animal meats.

I do the same, I'm lucky that where I live there is decent farming nearby which, if you're diligent enough, you can buy your meat and know it's lived a healthy, happy life.

There is of course, a dark side too, thanks to consumerism. I've had the displeasure of working in a chicken slaughterhouse and it was horrific and inhumane, but if the demand is there, things like this will happen.

Oh and don't get me started on those Indonesian monsters that call themselves halal butchers, If I were Muslim, I would be completely distraught by what they do to animals, halal is meant to respect the beast, not torture it!

Anyway, after my experience with the chickens I go out of my way to buy free range where possible, even if it costs more. More money to the farmer doing the right thing,

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX


I believe eating the meat of animals is not in and of itself wrong. I do believe that factory farming and industrial scale hunting and fishing as well as killing an animal simply to acquire a part such as ivory are very wrong though. Dolphins and Whales and Elephants should probably be off-limits because if they aren't sapient then they are close. I am not sure where the line for primates is, but there is one somewhere. In the Amazon the inhabitants hunt spider monkeys with blowguns and I think that is fine. Living in the Amazon is hard and primates are probably quite a significant food source for them.

Originally posted by Chadwickus

Eating meat is what made humans the way we are today!

Quite so! We adapted to be able to chase large mammals until they collapse of exhaustion and die. It is why humans are made to run. We also have the advantage of sweat glands to cool us off while we run. Many animals must pant to cool down and they cannot pant if they are running. If humans can cool off while they run and their prey cannot we can chase them until they overheat.

The high protein diet helps to support that big energy hog of a brain we also evolved.

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX


Well said.
I do not agree with the conditions that exist in many slaughter houses but I am most certainly no peta supporter.
I love my meats and I do hunt.
I believe that people would more respect their food if they had to acquire it themselves though.
Bear was the best meat I have ever had, it was like a greasy barbequed chuck steak, it was what I would say was the perfect steak imho.

every thing that is born dies, why does it matter how we die, and further more why does it matter what are bodys are used for when we are done.

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX

After wrapping my mind around this, I decided to take my bb rifle out and shoot some birds, to better understand what it felt like to shoot a living creature, and to see if I could mentally handle it.

Why would you do this?

Please tell me that you at least ate these animals. If you didn't, it's very disturbing that you decided to kill a living creature just to experience what it feels like. Wasting life for a science experiment or your own entertainment is sick.

What do you expect to learn by killing an animal for no other reason than, just to say you did it. If you want to experience the food chain by making it more personal and doing the hunting yourself, that's very different from, "hey I killed something". Again, please tell me that you made the death of these animals useful to your survival or the survival of another animal.

As for where I stand on the eating meat debate,

To tell the truth, I really don't know where I stand. I feel guilty for eating meat but I feel sick and weak when I don't eat it. I believe it's completely natural, yet I've always felt there's something wrong with it. It's in our nature, like any other carnivore, but I've always had this fantasy of humans finding a way to exist without having to slaughter our food. I can only daydream for now.

I don't live in an area where hunting is easily accessible and local humane farms are nowhere to be found. So the best option I have is to buy from a butcher that claims the meat is from an honest respectable source. I wish I could buy from a farm that I know for certain is treating animals humanely, but even then, you have to question exactly what humane actually is. Is it humane to breed animals for our survival? Is there another way for us to survive that doesn't include slaughterhouses or maybe animals in general?

*continues daydreaming*

It's not right or wrong to eat meat. It's like religion. To each his own. If you're having second thoughts about it, I suggest you explore them further, till you come to a conclusion that's comfortable for you.

I also highly recommend you do go hunting and dress a deer (or whatever) there in the woods, knowing that it's going to provide food for you and your family. It's a learning experience.

Also, if you want good chicken, visit a natural foods market. Buy grass-fed buffalo and organic chicken, etc. It's more expensive, but you couldn't pay me to eat a chicken from WalMart or Kentucky Fried.

And if you decide to stop eating meat, do the research to make sure you get the proper nutrition from other foods. It's not as hard as many think.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

I do too think you're right...but lately...I've been wondering.

I believe in the text about the supposed GARDEN of EDEN...neither animals nor human...killed and ate meat there....I could be wrong.

When Paul McCartney was asked about his family's vegetarianism....he simply said..."We dont eat anything that has EYES".

That stuck with me.....