Would avg. person assume monks would MEET, or EXCEED, secular/commercial standards of what humane farming is?

Question

-- Monks in question:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mepkin_Abbey
-- What the Pope says about factory farming:
http://www.goveg.com/f-popebenedictxvi.asp
-- Monks' response:
http://www.mepkinabbey.org/home.htm

Secular, small-scale "organic", "sustainable", "free range" (etc) farmers routinely transcend commercial / industrial standards and ethics. Would it be reasonable to assume clergy would be on par with these secular operators?

Are the monks evading the criticism by attempting to focus public attention on PETA tactics? Are the monks just making excuses by blaming third-party standards?

Is it ironic that the monks are vegetarians?

Disclaimer: I'm not necessarily a fan of PETA practices; this question is NOT about PETA.

(Unsure of best category for this question, so it has been asked in more than one.)

Answer 1

Yes, I think the average person would think that monks meet or exceed the accepted standards of the industry in which they engage. But they argue that they have done so. You say you are not a fan of PETA, but "this question is not about PETA." I believe it is.

"Factory farming" is a term used when people disapprove of the methods used. But even in California, which is known for its Political Correctness, a visit to a county fair will show that the only way we can have food sufficient to meet our needs (our nation, let alone feeding much of the rest of the world) is to use techniques that would seem cruel if you took care of a family pet that way. The animals are not individuals, do not get individual names, and are not anthropomorphized. They are treated humanely to the extent that they are not in pain, though in part that is for practical reasons. Chickens will not lay eggs if they are not reasonably content, cows will not give milk, etc.

Answer 2

It would seem from the monks' claims that they meet the industrial ethical standards. I don't know too much without going there and investigating myself. Other things I know about PETA seems to indicate that they like to blow things out of proportion a little bit, but heck, I don't know what really happened.

Answer 3

What kind of monk. I'm sure the buddist is quite different from a catholic. The catholics are the best at hiding stuff though. Look what they did with the bible for 1600 years.
God Bless!

Answer 4

I being an average person would expect minks to follow these standards. But like all of us , they (monks) are Human. Flawed and at times sinful. Let us not judge them, but only their actions and Even then offer to them forgiveness