Obviously, a couple of you don't agree with my beliefs that living creatures deserve respect and shouldn't be mutilated for our own selfish gain. So...tell me what your beliefs say about how to treat other living beings.
I am giving you full permission to quote holy texts here. Just be sure to add your own take on the quote. I seriously want to know what people think about this.
*Please don't go off about being/not being vegetarian. That's not what I'm asking. It's not about whether or not the animals are killed, it is how they are treated and how they are killed.
2007-03-28 14:55:15 · 16 answers · asked by KS 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
As a Wiccan, I choose to live by the Wiccan Rede: "If you harm none, do what you will." This is not simply a recommendation to do no harm whatsoever, because that is impossible, but rather a call to mindfully evaluate all our actions in terms of minimizing harm.
This means that when possible, I buy meat and eggs that are humanely obtained, from animals that have had a good quality of life and as good a quality of death as I can determine.
2007-03-28 15:01:14 · answer #1 · answered by prairiecrow 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I am an atheist. Of course, atheists have no holy texts, and we all believe different things. But my atheism led to vegetarianism because I could not see how I had any more right to live and be happy than an animal did. No longer strangled by the belief that the animals were created for me to eat, I was free to live a respectable, moral life.
I never could figure out why any God would be so cruel as to create food that has nerve endings anyway.
2007-03-28 15:00:51 · answer #2 · answered by Dan X 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In Islam Muslims are to treat both animals and humans with respect and love. When we slaughter an animal for food or on Eid we say Bismillah(In the Name of ALLAH) and slit it's throat so that all the blood will drain out because it is cleaner that way. We kill it facing east toward Mecca where the Qib'la is. Also we are required to slit the animal's throat the quickest and painless way possible so as not to startle the animal or put it through suffering. If a Muslim or any person is not kind to the animal like they don't feed it or lock it up we get bad credit and it's a sin.
2007-03-28 17:16:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I worked in a slaughterhouse for about 2 years of my life. The answer to your question, I think, is you have to understand that it is a "dis-assembly plant" and is all about speed and production. So, the animals are killed as quickly as possible to speed up production. There is no way to kill something you intend to eat "nicely". As far as how they are treated I live in a farming community of about 500 people and all the ranchers that I know treat their livestock very well because happy, healthy animals will bring a better price at the stockyards. These animals were raised to be food. I'm sorry if it upsets you but that is reality. Hope this helps.
As far as my beliefs, there is no place in this world for cruelty of any sort be it toward animal or man.
2007-03-28 15:19:34 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am non-denominational, but I believe in a supreme being/power. I am generally against the inhumane treatment of any living creature. However, it is a necessary evil in some cases. For example, medical research. Would you rather have a new, experimental drug tested on a chimpanzee, or your little brother? I hate the thought of animals suffering in cages as much as the next guy, but I'd rather have a suffering animal than a suffering human.
When it comes to my eating habits, I am not a vegetarian. I like to eat meat. But I will not eat fast-food chicken, simply because of the terrible things I have heard about KFC.
2007-03-28 15:03:11 · answer #5 · answered by Gordon Freeman 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm an atheist, so I have no set "rules" telling me what to do in regards to animals. Personally, I believe that humans are basically animals, just more intelligent. Animals always deserve respect, the same amount of respect as other humans. However, there are certain animals I view as food. If you think about it, lions or whatever aren't considered bad, but they shred other animals to pieces. Similar to lions, it's in a human's nature to eat meat (if not, all our teeth would be flat)--so why not? Oh, and I like meat. Sue me.
However, I don't agree with animals being abused or 'brutally' slaughtered--in fact, I strongly oppose it--but I'm not going to boycott meat because of it.
2007-03-28 15:05:22 · answer #6 · answered by Stardust 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God put us in charge of caring for the animals. He also said that certain ones are for eating. All the things of the earth have been given to us. I agree with you, all living beings deserve respect and shouldn't be mutilated.
2007-03-28 15:06:21 · answer #7 · answered by Erin 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I respect all living things. When I get sick I refuse antibiotics because it's not nice to kill innocent bacteria. I never shower or go to the bathroom because it be a shame to flush billions of microbes. I don't brush my teeth or launder my cloths - doing so is like the holocaust for one celled organisms.
Hey, we shouldn't allow size discrimination. Germs may be small but they're have the right to life just like you do.
Also I don't swat mosquitoes, gas termites or trap rodents. Can't we all just get along?
2007-03-28 15:10:49 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You mean like not muzzling the oxen when they are thrashing the grain? An obvious reference to allowing the creature to enjoy the benefits of its labor as reward for its burden.
2007-03-28 15:00:46 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Respect for all life. Killing for food is one thing... treating an animal cruelly is another.
2007-03-28 15:04:37 · answer #10 · answered by Kithy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋