Is it ethical to kill spiders and mosquitoes that land on me or should I have respect for all life forms?

Question

to kill or not to kill that is the question - now feeling guilty about the mosquito and spider on my newspaper

ps the spider was the huge man eating harry potter sized spider that took five good whacks with the rolled up newspaper and a very traumatized geoffrey2312 that only hours later has had time to reflect on the previous wrong doings - if I feel remorse now does that make it ok?

Answer 1

It's ok to whack them.
They reincarnate, in multiples depending on their species and personal karma. Just pray that they do so further away from you next time.
PS newspapers are too flexible for big beasties. Use the phone book next time.

Answer 2

There are a few insects which god put on this earth to be whacked - if you live in the Highlands of Scotland, as I do, this must include the midgie, the tick and the cleg. These three are on a par with the mossie, but generally, leave the spiders alone.

Answer 3

Kill the mosquitos,as they can carry disease,but try and spare the spiders;they eat mosquitos and rarely bite peole,unless they're being assaulted by a newspaper wielding spider-phobic!

Answer 4

Did this question wake you up one night? With all the world's problems, this was the one you found unanswerable?

Try this. There is no such thing as ethics outside human consciousness, so far as we know. And there is no effect of ethics except as other thoughtful beings (i.e., humans) construe a mutual benefit. Inasmuch as insects are not thoughtful beings and cannot be counted upon to exchange ethical precepts, they need not be accorded ethical treatment. This doesn't mean it's ethical to kill them, it means that ethics is irrelevant to the issue. You have as much reason to avoid breathing, since the inhalation of bacteria generally results in their death.

Answer 5

Well i literally wouldn't hurt a fly .I'm terrified of spiders but still wouldn't kill one , I'd just get one of my brothers to catch it and let it go outside. I know lots of ppl kill them without thought but the poor spiders never did anything to you. I just think all animals great and small and even insects should just be treated with more respect

Answer 6

Eek, I can empathise with the traumatic spider murder - tried to flick one out the window the other day that had obviously just been on a massive fly-eating binge with big swollen belly - it dropped onto my windowsill and splatted everywhere *shudder*. The nightmares stop after a few weeks..

Ps. psxfff - "it's you or them" - huh??? Do you have football-sized mozzies with venomous fangs where you live? I'm not visiting your neck of the world...

Answer 7

i went to a show the other day and this man was explaining about spiders. he told me that every spider has the capability to bite!!!!! i say scream and kill the bastards!! Mosquitoes make you itch for days and even worse if you get bit in the wrong place! Same thing as before, Kill the bastards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 8

If you want to live and thrive, then let a spider run alive.
Bad luck to kill spiders, its lucky to see a spider in your house so next time show a bit of respect and stop killing them you naughty person..

Answer 9

A buddhist would not kill them. I, not being a buddhist, swat mosquitoes in self-defence but I would never harm a spider because they are harmless and have a right to live too.

Answer 10

you know, I try to toss spiders and such outside without killing them - but once out in the world they probably just get mauled by some other insect, so it really doesn't matter.

Try to not kill them if you can, but one way or another death is guaranteed for all of us, right? The tiniest gnat to the king of Siam, we're all gonna go out sooner or later.