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carnivore and vegetarian, no difference?
I know there is a topic just below me, I didnt want to intrude on there current discussion. (though if it is apropriate feel free to merge it)
I was curious though. I understand the point of vegetarianism and why people prefer it, I am wondering why people chose to be vegetarian and if it is for the right reason.
Killing is wrong, and if we could avoid it great, everyone would be a lot happier, but it is a part of life on this word and we are still quite far away from manufacturing food that doesnt kill life.
My worry is, how do people see animals different from plants and why is plant life treated differently from animal life?
Both are alive, both need food, water. Both concive, though in different ways. Both eventually die. Both on the most basic of levels are exactly the same, both animals and plans are made up of living cells.
So why do we see animals in such higher light than plants?
I find it hard to seperate the two, understandably people find it easier to relate to animals, the are a similar kind of life to ourselfs, I do to, but even if animals are more conseous, have a brain, can made dicisions on some levels I cant help but go back to the though that all life no mater its intelegance if it is plant life or animal life should be treated the same.
Obviously there are other things to think about, the treatment of animals is a big reason not to eat meat, especially if you cant find out about there treatment before you consider eating any meat. Plants and vegetables are a lot easier on this regard, organic products are more than likely to come from a good source.
Any thoughts on this?
I was curious though. I understand the point of vegetarianism and why people prefer it, I am wondering why people chose to be vegetarian and if it is for the right reason.
Killing is wrong, and if we could avoid it great, everyone would be a lot happier, but it is a part of life on this word and we are still quite far away from manufacturing food that doesnt kill life.
My worry is, how do people see animals different from plants and why is plant life treated differently from animal life?
Both are alive, both need food, water. Both concive, though in different ways. Both eventually die. Both on the most basic of levels are exactly the same, both animals and plans are made up of living cells.
So why do we see animals in such higher light than plants?
I find it hard to seperate the two, understandably people find it easier to relate to animals, the are a similar kind of life to ourselfs, I do to, but even if animals are more conseous, have a brain, can made dicisions on some levels I cant help but go back to the though that all life no mater its intelegance if it is plant life or animal life should be treated the same.
Obviously there are other things to think about, the treatment of animals is a big reason not to eat meat, especially if you cant find out about there treatment before you consider eating any meat. Plants and vegetables are a lot easier on this regard, organic products are more than likely to come from a good source.
Any thoughts on this?
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Comments
What's the difference between you and a plant? And what does intelligence have to do with the ability to conceive pain?
If we can differentiate objects at all, and i think we can, then there is an appreciable difference between the potential suffering of animals and plants.
It gets even more complex when you look at the relationship animals have with their environments. For instance, factory chickens are so angry that they have to have their beaks cut almost completely off so they don't peck each other to death. That anger (according to Thich Nhat Hahn) is connected to the consumer... we are what we eat.
I'm not a veggie or animal advocate for the record, simply giving a seed of what differentiates the two.
Happy hunting,
Matt
Animals have a desire to live a comfortable life. When this desire is not met, they suffer. Plants do not desire anything.
And as a side note, many plants are spread through the droppings of animals. In this case, being eaten actually makes the plant thrive.
But I could actually agree with you. Why should we stop at plants, take Earth. Not nessiserally a living organism by the usual definition. It doesnt suffer in the usual pain equals suffering sort of way so we take advantage of our planet by tearing down forests miing and drilling into its core to take out metals and oil. But The Earth its self is very delicate. The entire solar system provides a delicate structure for life to live. If we dont think about what we take from the Earth eventually it wont support us and everything will die.
So you could be right, we should treat everything with equality, even a rock. Afterall if the Earth and everything around us supports our existance does it not deserve our respect in every way?
Eden, would you suggest that we all starve ourselves to death? I know that there are some who consider death-by-starvation the ultimate selflessness, but I am not so sure. If we respect the earth because it sustains our life and because of this respect we commit a slow painful suicide, the earth then no longer supports our life...and then does it no longer deserve our respect? Do you see what I'm getting at?