pro-life and vegetarism?

Question

In a profile I just read he states that he is a vegetarian and pro-life because he respects all life forms. I never thought of animal life and human life being equal. Do u?

I have 2 friends that are true vegetarians but both women are prochoice stating that it's the woman's body and she can do with it as she wants. (I say to them that they aren't killing their bodies, they are killing the baby's bodies) Anyways, that's a whole other issue. Back to animals. I adore animals. I personally think God put certain animals here for us to eat. There are animals whose meat is toxic and we would die if we ate them (some fish and amphibians). Plus God did not create animals in His image like He did man. If we aren't to eat animals then what is God's purpose for them? My friends don't eat eggs because they feel those eggs are to become chickens. Evolution-apes are vegetarians yet we know that cavemen ate animals. How did vege eating apes evolve into meat eating humans?

Answer 1

I am a pro-life vegetarian. To me, it seems a bit odd to be a vegetarian and NOT be pro-life. But I realize that there are plenty of pro-choice vegetarians. It's just something I find hard to personally understand. Being both a vegetarian and pro-life does not mean that I give the same value to human and animal life. I value human life more than animal life, because I think that humans have the best chance for realizing God. But this does not mean that I do not respect all other lifeforms. The fact that I respect animal life - and even insects - means that OF COURSE I also respect human life. To me, to refuse to kill an insect, while not protecting human life is paradoxical.

I do occasionally kill insects, but most of the time, when possible, I try to catch and release them. I believe that they can feel suffering and pain, and they all have a mother, and many are themselves mothers. So it is out of respect for the sanctity of familial relations, and for the desire to not cause pain where pain is unnecessary that I try to spare them as long as they are not presenting a danger.

In the case of eating animals, I believe that there are certain times and places where eating them is ok. For example, if someone lives in a time and place where they had to hunt to survive, or needed meat for the salt content (before we had table salt so readily available, people had to get their salt from meat), then it is ok to eat it. But look at the native peoples who are in such a position that they have to hunt and fish to survive. They do not usually kill the animal gladly. They seek its "permission." That is the way of many native cultures. They thereby acknowledge the respect which is owed to all life.

In Islam, to this day, an animal may not be eaten unless the Lord's name has been recited while slaughtering the animal. And it must be done in a way that causes the least amount of suffering for the animal.
This is also true of Judaism. To kill an animal the kosher way, also happens to cause the least amount of suffering to the animal. It dies almost instantly, whereas in mainstream markets, the animal may kick and scream a lot before dying.

So basically, I believe that if we CAN survive without the taking of animal life, then we SHOULD do so. Meat is not healthy for us. Some fish is sometimes regarded as healthy. But all the studies I have seen indicate that eating less meat will lead to a longer healthier life. The main killers like heart disease and cancer in our society would be GREATLY reduced if we would just eat less meat.

I think our bodies are temples in a way, and it is important to treat our body with great respect, so that we can serve God the best in our lives.

Answer 2

Forget the evolutionary ideas. They don't work. Animal life and human life are not equal. Actually you can tell your frinds that their body isn't theirs. Their bodies were made in God's image therefore they belong to God. God said you will not mutliate your body. Yes animals are adorable. God made everything good, but He said not to worship animals. They are here to complete the circle of life. Everyone before the flood were pretty much vegetarians except when God provided for them. The flood happened and it changed the earth. God gave permission to eat the animals. We didn't come from apes. Everyone still believes in evolution and the brainwashing we all got in public school. Well evolution isn't true. Being vegetarian is saying that you are ignoring the circle of life and what God gave to humanity.

Answer 3

Most certainly the Bible makes a distinction between human life and all other created life. Humans are the only life that God breathed into, and are created in God's image. In God's original creation before the fall, nobody was supposed to be eating each other. The only things meant for eating was every green thing and fruit, except the forbidden tree. In short, everybody was vegetarian, so to speak. Only after the flood was mankind allowed to eat meat.

Answer 4

We should all become vegetarians because we have knowledge of nutrition now and we know meat is not necessary. One cannot always look to the past to determine what one should do in the present. There was a time when people drank bathed and defecated in the same water source. But when they learned that was unhealthy they stopped. So now we know, meat is not the best thing for us to eat. You can eat tree bark and it wont kill you, that does not mean you should eat tree bark.

Answer 5

Your genuine, but confusing many issues. Human life is never equal to any other life form. Animals were never created to be eaten , but man has salivated for the taste of meat through a cursed creation. God has through Jesus permitted it in his mercy. Your confusing evolution with biblical creation. A cave man simply was a man (or woman) who lived in caves. The level of inteligence was no less for a person of his era. Man has always been the same. Fear , jealousy, rage, lust, have never changed, only technology. Peace.

Answer 6

i am pro-life and not a vegetarian. i consider them babies when they are in there. Killing them is just like killing one's own child- or child abuse. i do think God put animals here to give us food. It says so in the bible. That is what i follow. The bible actually lays out which animals we should and should not eat. The only controversy from that is if we should eat them in modern days because we can clean them better. BUT the bible does tell us we can eat animals, so that is what i do!

Answer 7

There are some theologies that say there is not only no difference between animal and human life but that there's no real difference between animal and plant life. Some even go to say that 'life' is an arbitrary concept and that there's no difference between animals, plants, humans, and rocks. It may seem silly at first, but when one thinks about complex, sentient beings being just the result of formations of atoms (which are governed by rules of quantum physics) then one realizes that life is just an ongonig arrangement and rearrangement of energy.

Answer 8

Respecting any animal doesn't matter, everything on the earth is an animal (plants too) so it makes sense that us, as animals, will eat other animals because it is a great ammount of our diet which is needed to live healthily. We need protein, so we need meat.

Eating animals has been done for centurys, and it is not bad or going to end soon.

Animals were not a creation of this "god" creature you speak of, they were created by countless years of evolution and natural selection.

http://www.atheistnation.net/

Answer 9

Having respect for all life doesn't mean considering them equal.

On the other hand, there's plenty of proof out there that a vegetarian diet is healthier.

Answer 10

They aren't equal, but animals are creations of God and should be respected. Our life may be worth more, but that doesn't give us the right to kill them unless it is for our survival only.