Poll: Why do you (not) eat meat?

[Apollo45]

snip

You would like to keep those animals alive then I'm guessing? Have you ever thought that, by not eating meat, you're supporting the eventual extinction of those same animals?

Think about it. What if no one ate meat? There would be no reason to keep farms filled with cows, pigs, chickens... No reason to raise them, to breed them, or anything. Which means the animals that are currently on the farms would grow old and die without being bred. And then they would be extinct. Sure, maybe cows could be used for their milk, but by your philosophy we might as well just use soy milk, so we don't need them for that.

If the entire world suddenly became vegetarians, or vegans, the animal populations of farms would likely die out with 50 years. Sure, you may have the rare bovine in a zoo or something, but really, how boring would that be? They wouldn't last long at zoos, which means the only places that might have one or two would be rebellious meat-eating families in the country or other uncivilized portions of the world.

That is why I eat meat. Because I support the survival of the species of animals I'm eating. And it tastes damned good. It's also why I'm morally opposed to vegetarians and vegans.

 

[dobahci]

I've always enjoyed the taste of meat, which is why I ate it as a child, and why I eat it now.

But, having said that... I do think that eating meat is one of those things that will become less and less fashionable over time, until eventually civilized countries will stop it altogether. It's probably for the best.

 

[Soods]

snip

You would like to keep those animals alive then I'm guessing? Have you ever thought that, by not eating meat, you're supporting the eventual extinction of those same animals?

Think about it. What if no one ate meat? There would be no reason to keep farms filled with cows, pigs, chickens... No reason to raise them, to breed them, or anything. Which means the animals that are currently on the farms would grow old and die without being bred. And then they would be extinct. Sure, maybe cows could be used for their milk, but by your philosophy we might as well just use soy milk, so we don't need them for that.

If the entire world suddenly became vegetarians, or vegans, the animal populations of farms would likely die out with 50 years. Sure, you may have the rare bovine in a zoo or something, but really, how boring would that be? They wouldn't last long at zoos, which means the only places that might have one or two would be rebellious meat-eating families in the country or other uncivilized portions of the world.

That is why I eat meat. Because I support the survival of the species of animals I'm eating. And it tastes damned good. It's also why I'm morally opposed to vegetarians and vegans.

You know, there are animals in the woods, like bears. We don't need to farm bears for eating to keep them alive. They survive on their own. If one species, like pigs, can't survive in the wilds, I don't think it deserves to survive.

 

[andrat]

Not sure what the word for five is but damn I fucked up

The word that you are looking for is Quint

Not sure what the word for five is but damn I fucked up

quintuple!

lol five posts by accident? That's pretty funny.

Thank you guys, and yeah oops for sure.

 

[dobahci]

They survive on their own. If one species, like pigs, can't survive in the wilds, I don't think it deserves to survive.

That seems like a bit of a leap to me. There are plenty of creatures that would have (and do have) difficulty surviving in the wild, but that doesn't necessarily mean they don't deserve to live and propagate. There are plenty of people that couldn't survive in the wild, either.

There are a number of species which are hanging on by a thread and are largely kept alive by conservation efforts. The giant panda is a good example. Do you think we should simply allow it to die out?

 

[Tilted_Logic]

Animal cruelty. You put me and a buddy alone in the wild and my buddy catches a fish for dinner? I'll eat it. I'll be thankful for the meal, and I'll respect the fact that effort went into catching the fish.

I know people that will eat fish and not meat. For me, fish and sea food have it worse. Fish suffocate on a boat, unless you think its best to drown cows and pigs for food? Some sea food is boiled alive. How is that humane?

I'm going to assume the part bolded is a general response, and not entirely directed towards me. I agree though; I have family that loves going to a fancy seafood joint for birthdays and such. It devastates me to think the lobsters I see in a tank in the lobby will probably be boiled alive that night if someone so chooses. If you're going to kill an animal, do it quickly. Nothing deserves that kind of torture, especially something that can't defend itself against us.

Me? I eat it all. Regardless, i realise some animals suffer but i dont care. At all. Some random animal. Also science show plants feel pain so what does that say about veg?

This is a ridiculous argument. It's like scolding someone for walking on grass. I love the idea that plants have a certain level of intelligence and can react to stimuli, but our very survival depends on a diet of plants. I don't have enough information on the topic to take this into an intelligent discussion, but there are two starkly different levels of awareness between most plants and animals.

 

[RatRace123]

I try, I was told that it would benefit me healthwise from two of my doctors.

But my dinner each night usually consists of at least one of god's tasty creatures on my plate.

I at least need to cut down on the red meat, which again is hard, especially since I had a roast beef sandwich not two hours ago.

 

[Agow95]

We evolved over millions of years to be able to efficiently digest both animal and plant products, I would no more try to stop eating meat than my cats (they can't survive on a completely veggie diet)

 

[The Funslinger]

I was raised in the Yorkshire countryside. The place where vegetarian children do not see the next summer.

 

[Flames66]

I eat meat because I like it. I see no reason not to as Humans evolved as carnivorous beings, so eating other animals come naturally. I believe we should respect the animals we eat, making sure we put as much of them to good use as possible.

 

[Callate]

Meat is the easiest way to get easily absorbed B vitamins and iron; it's a good source of protein; it gives me a wider array of choices in most restaurants, the homes of hosts, and in my own cooking; and it tastes good. I was also raised as an omnivore in an area where fresh fruits and vegetables were relatively rare and expensive, so it's what I'm used to.

I do, however, recognize that it's not very environmentally friendly, not an efficient use of energy, and that over-consumption of meat is a significant contributor to a number of health problems. So these days I try to limit my consumption of meat, though not eliminate it entirely.

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

I eat meat because as a human being I happen to be an omnivore.

If it's wrong for a human being to eat meat, then why is it okay for animals to eat other animals? Especially with regard to other omnivores?

Suddenly I'm reminded of that Popplers episode of Futurama where the hippies taught a lion to eat tofu, and the lion looks sickly and on the verge of death.

 

[thylasos]

I don't, due to my personal ethics, deriving from Buddhism.

There're environmental and political reasons, too, though the original justification which won me over was religious.

 

[CarlMin]

I eat meat because as a human being I happen to be an omnivore.

If it's wrong for a human being to eat meat, then why is it okay for animals to eat other animals? Especially with regard to other omnivores?

Suddenly I'm reminded of that Popplers episode of Futurama where the hippies taught a lion to eat tofu, and the lion looks sickly and on the verge of death.

Why are so many people repeating the old "animals eat animals so I should be able to eat animals"-argument. It's completely irrelevant. Personally, I don't have any problem with humans hunting and eating animals. That is natural.

However, what we are talking about here is not hunting animals. We are literally farming animals, packing thousands and thousands of them together in cages only to slaughter them systematically in factories, after which we process the meat in huge quantities of water and adding God knows what chemicals.

There is nothing natural about it. In fact it's unethical and bad for humans and the involved livestock alike, not to mention the environment.

So just through away the "eating meat is natural" argument. Nobody is arguing that eating meat is natural, but that doesn't automatically justify the modern meat industry.

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

Why are so many people repeating the old "animals eat animals so I should be able to eat animals"-argument. It's completely irrelevant. Personally, I don't have any problem with humans hunting and eating animals. That is natural.

However, what we are talking about here is not hunting animals. We are literally farming animals, packing thousands and thousands of them together in cages only to slaughter them systematically in factories, after which we process the meat in huge quantities of water and adding God knows what chemicals.

There is nothing natural about it. In fact it's unethical and bad for humans and the involved livestock alike, not to mention the environment.

So just through away the "eating meat is natural" argument. Nobody is arguing that eating meat is natural, but that doesn't automatically justify the modern meat industry.

/sigh. First of all, we weren't talking about anything. I was referring to myself, my life, and my beliefs based upon my life experiences. Stuff that I know for a fact you're not an expert on. The original poster asked why I eat meat, I stated why I eat meat. You pounced and tried to shove your own beliefs down my throat.

Anyway.

I repeat it because I do hunt. I haven't paid for a cut of meat in a grocery store for years, and eat fast food maybe five times per year since moving out of my parents' home.

And even if I didn't hunt, I'd probably still repeat it, because the fact remains that we are omnivores, and if it's not okay for us to behave as such, it's not okay for any other omnivore to do so either. If those other omnivores had the intelligence and/or capability to harvest their favorite things to eat, they almost certainly would as well. Unless you're trying to make the claim that using our intelligence and tool-making skills, y'know... pretty much our claim to fame as human beings... to get what we want is unnatural. In which case... what?

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

My flat is vegetarian (except for when we eat out, or we get pizza) but I try to supplement my daily intake with meat anyway.

Partly because I like meat and was raised on it, partly because I'm borderline underweight.

 

[00slash00]

im a vegetarian because i oppose factory farming. do i like meat? sure, i have fond memories of steak and ribs. do i think me not eating meat is going to end factory farming? of course not, but that doesnt mean i have to support something i am morally against.

 

[Whispering Cynic]

I won't let ethics or some misguided notion of morality (or even decency) get in the way of a great tasting meal. Meat's awesome and whenever I can get my mitts on some, I don't hesitate.

 

[CarlMin]

Why are so many people repeating the old "animals eat animals so I should be able to eat animals"-argument. It's completely irrelevant. Personally, I don't have any problem with humans hunting and eating animals. That is natural.

However, what we are talking about here is not hunting animals. We are literally farming animals, packing thousands and thousands of them together in cages only to slaughter them systematically in factories, after which we process the meat in huge quantities of water and adding God knows what chemicals.

There is nothing natural about it. In fact it's unethical and bad for humans and the involved livestock alike, not to mention the environment.

So just through away the "eating meat is natural" argument. Nobody is arguing that eating meat is natural, but that doesn't automatically justify the modern meat industry.

/sigh. First of all, we weren't talking about anything. I was referring to myself, my life, and my beliefs based upon my life experiences. Stuff that I know for a fact you're not an expert on. The original poster asked why I eat meat, I stated why I eat meat. You pounced and tried to shove your own beliefs down my throat.

Anyway.

I repeat it because I do hunt. I haven't paid for a cut of meat in a grocery store for years, and eat fast food maybe five times per year since moving out of my parents' home.

And even if I didn't hunt, I'd probably still repeat it, because the fact remains that we are omnivores, and if it's not okay for us to behave as such, it's not okay for any other omnivore to do so either. If those other omnivores had the intelligence and/or capability to harvest their favorite things to eat, they almost certainly would as well. Unless you're trying to make the claim that using our intelligence and tool-making skills, y'know... pretty much our claim to fame as human beings... to get what we want is unnatural. In which case... what?

Alright, here we go.

Firstly, if I see an argument that is preposterous to me, I'm sure to reply to it. In this case, I've seen this one pseudo-argument being repeated like a dozen times in this thread alone and you just happened to be the last one brining it up. You mentioned that it's your personal believes and while I don't question that you are entitled to them, I assumed that you by stating them wouldn't mind defending them as well. But if that's the case, leave this post unanswered and I shall bother you no more.

Still, your reasoning here just doesn't make sense to me. You are saying that human beings are omnivores and therefore, If we don't have the right to eat meat then no non-human animal omnivores should either? Why, because they are likely to do the same? Well that doesn't matter. Right now we are the ones with the meat industry and no other animal is doing the same. This is no a question of any deontological principles that all animals have. Human beings can be judged by how we treat those who cannot defend themselves. In this case, we are treating animals that cannot defend themselves horribly, which is unethical no matter how you look at it.

 

[Fiad]

I eat meat because it is the way of the world. We are omnivores, we eat meat and plants. Will I not like you if you don't? Not at all, I have a few vegetarian friends. Will I not like you if you slap a hamburger out of my hand? Yes, yes I will.

Plus the fact that it tastes good doesn't hurt.