More generally and controversially, there is disagreement about whether meat should be eaten at all, especially in Buddhist cultures. According to the First Precept of Buddhism, followers of Buddha agree "to abstain from taking life" ("Five Precepts", 2012). Some Buddhists, including groups in Thailand, interpret this as meaning that they must not or should not normally eat meat, since that must cause animals to be killed; however, other Buddhist groups, including most in Thailand, interpret this precept to allow most sorts of meat to be eaten by Buddhists ("Buddhist Vegetarianism", 2012). In the case of Jews and Christians the dietary rules in the Bible are perfectly clear: most animals can be killed and eaten, but some, including pork, prawns and other shellfish, and few other animals may not be eaten (Lev. 11). The Qu'ranic injunction against pork for Moslems is well known (Surah 2:173).
Please share your responses in a comment below.
- Is it OK to eat every kind of animal? If some but not others, why not?
- Is it OK to eat any kind of animal? Why? What makes it OK?
- Is it wrong to eat every kind of animal? Why is it wrong?
- Should the government make laws about what animals may and may not be killed for human food?
- Or should people be allowed to eat any animal they want to? (And which is their own property).
- ? These are just some suggested questions you might like to respond to, but this is a response writing activity, so feel free to write down whatever ideas come into your head in response to this post, to the sources I've cited, or to your classmates' earlier comments.
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References
Buddhist vegetarianism. (2012, August 3). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:28, August 20, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Buddhist_vegetarianism&oldid=505576088
Burnham, T. (2012, April 18). Plan To Slaughter Horses For Human Consumption Is Met With Distaste. The Salt. Retrieved August 20, 2012 from http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/04/17/150833468/plan-to-slaughter-horses-for-human-consumption-is-met-with-distaste
Dog Meat Still on the Menu in Northern Thailand. (2012, January 22). Chiangrai Times. Retrieved August 20, 2012 from http://www.chiangraitimes.com/news/5387.html
Five Precepts. (2012, July 19). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:22, August 20, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Five_Precepts&oldid=503126179
Peter F AUA. (2012, August 2). Something Tasty to Chew on. Class Blog - AEP at AUA. Retrieved August 20, 2012 from http://peteraep.blogspot.com/2012/08/something-tasty-to-chew-on.html
I think it is ok to eat every kind of animal if there is no any prohibition. It depends on a taste of each person, some animal maybe disgusting to eat, but for someone it maybe looks appetizing. However, the government should make laws for some animal such as preserved animals from hunting for human food or commercial purposes.This can prevent them from an extinction. We can let them proliferate for a while so that we can try eating them later :D
ReplyDeleteI think not all kind of animals should be eaten by human and eating what kind of animal should be depended on the areas, situations and the number of the species. In some areas some kind of animals are the main source of supplying food and some people have to eat meat to be able to stand in tough conditions so we can not ask those people to stop eating animals unless we give them an appropriate alternative. In some situations like wars and famines people have to eat some kind of animals those people would not eat in normal situations. Also when there are too many of one kind of animal that make us have to kill them to control them, it could be a good idea to send those animals to some people in the world who can use them as food. Some kind of animals have a very higher level of senses than other animals like monkeys, dolphins, whales and etc. I believe these animals must not be killed. So there should be a complete control from the governments on the use of animals meat to protect animals to make sure that the balance of animals population will be kept.
ReplyDeleteI think we can consume any kind of animal, because it's not wrong but we have to concern in some points. One point is eating animal's which is come from improper methods such as killing by torture, make extremely pain, or with no mercy. For example, some people in South Korea or Chinese tend to torture animals before killing them. The first country, some tight dogs with a vehicles and drag them until they are shock and have very painful. They believe that torturing dogs before killing them make more tasty. One village of Western countries has a festival to kill a number of dolphins each year for comsuming, but the number of them which are killed are too many than they can eat in their village. Also, they push a whole groups of dolphins to the beach and then use knifes chop on the poor fishes heads. I don't agree that some festival are proper in modern day, and it should be banned.
ReplyDeleteAnother point is that people killed animals too many than proper amount. People in the past used to kill animals just for living and surviving. Nowadays, the number of animals we can consume are deteriorated. I think the government or international organizations such as Green peace should launch a project for killing or consuming animals in proper ways, especially bringing and killing with a wrong way. In Thailand, slaughtering dogs should be banned because dogs which are selling are stolen from many parts of Thailand. No one farm them.
I like Tom's comment - it reminds me of the cruel way in which chickens, pigs and other animals are commonly produced for food on large factory farms.
DeleteDoes this mean it's wrong to eat CP brand pork and chicken?
Thank you Peter. I think CP brand farm animals a bit awfully. If I were a business person, I might not be concerned about this point, because I may try to reduce fix cost as much as I can. I heard from a friend CP separates male and female chicks and then bring male ones to crush in a big tank to produce fish's food.
DeleteActually, chicken or pork from CP have a good quality and quite clean comparing to local farm because the company have a pretty strick quality control. So, the products have reasonable price. However, I still don't like this approach of CP farming.
Do you think that CP or other groups should start farming dogs for human consumption? This would solve the current problem of dogs that are pets being stolen by smugglers. And farmed dogs might also be cleaner and sold at more reasonable prices, like CP chicken and pork.
DeleteAnd other animals? Perhaps there is an opening for Thai businesses to fill the international demand for horse meat in France and other countries, and more exotic meats elsewhere?
Before answer your question "Does this mean it's wrong to eat CP brand pork and chicken?", Two facts that you should know about livestock's company are the husbandary method and food safety policy.
DeleteFirstly, husbandary method in that company is legal following international standard. Chickens raise roughly 17 chickens per m2; it's very crowded too much. They have time to sleep only 1 hours per day when they grown up;therefore they have to eat 23 hours for quickly increasing weight. There is no treatment but only preventive medicine. Animals who sick have to cull out. They have animal right or welfare,dont they?
Like you know,Thailand is paradise of parasites. Secondly, the company have good policy about food safety and hygiene under regulate international law. They raise chicken with nutritionally balance feeding. They have best quality of meat without or less of major dangerous germ; for this reason,it's good for cusumer surely.
The answer of this question is up to your concern,your health or animal welfare. I wrote it from my experienc during studying Vet. Some friends have stoped eating chicken after visiting CP farm, because they felt terrible about husbandary with less animal welfare. For me, I still choose to consume CP product, because I think banded isn't solve this problem. If you want to improve animal welfare, you have to change the laws with more respect to animal right and less profit to the owner.
Peter, you know that now CP already have horse stable and dog farm for other purpose, tesing animal feed formula,not for consuming. I hope it won't turn to be farm for sold meat in the future.
DeleteMo's comments are excellent. She gives us some important facts concerning the conditions and practices that exist at places like CP in addition to outlining international legal norms for the treatment of factory produced animals.
DeleteI also like the clear way that Mo frames an important moral question: should we do what is morally right or is it OK just to indulge ourselves even if it makes others suffer?
I think it is not morally right to eat meat for living. I change "indulge" to "eat". I don't use this verb ,because it's not indulge , only eat for living. I confessed that I'm not meat lover. I prefer to eat vegetable and fruits more. I eat meat at appropriate amount for body requirement. Every October, I turn to be vegetarian in J tradition for decreasing others suffer.
DeleteI am respect in Buddhists and agree in five precepts. I disagree to eat every kind of animal because of all kind of animals would not born to be any foods for human consumption. I think that not only human who love in their life but also all of animal which love in their life too. The Buddhist teach the people should not kill any animal because it is a wicked thing. The belief in Buddhists of Thai people that happened for a very long time and the people who believe and agree in five precepts is a normal people. The normal people didn't do anything wrong. Buddhist teach the people to believe in easy rule that is "rule of thumb". Whoever make a good thing will get a good thing. On the other hand, Whoever make a bad thing will get a bad thing. I'm not sure my answer which can answer your questions. I just feel free to write down for response your question.
ReplyDelete"Whoever make a good thing will get a good thing. On the other hand, Whoever make a bad thing will get a bad thing."
DeleteThis sounds nice, but it also seems to be obviously false. There are numerous cases where people profit greatly and get much good from doing or after doing great evil. It just don't think it is even close to being true that those who do good get good, whilst those doing bad suffer bad. Rather than relying on any sort of religious teaching, it might work far better to make and enforce just laws to stop corruption, to stop fraud, to discourage theft, murder and other crimes against people. Some well-reasoned moral teaching might also work better than the apparently ineffective teachings of religion, which seem, when I think about it, another form of bribery or corruption: it's like paying people to behave in certain way. Does that set a good example or standard for society?
It was the worst news for me to killing dog for food like this. Dog is friend and member of my family. I don't think this is good idea. If you saw their faces and eyes in cages, mostly you would not dare to eat.
ReplyDeleteIt's not ok to eat every kind of animal. You can eat some of them esspecially livestock. Because they raise for purpose to be our food. One thing that you should concern about animal welfare, the well body and mind animal. Now this is very important point in livestock particulary avian livestock like chicken and duck. It's good to balance your profit and animal welfare like decreasing chicken per house for more space and decrease stress on chicken, they will be healthier and more happy before killed to be our food, even though you decrese the profit.
Following Buddhist vegetarianism, I agree that poit. So it's wrong for anyone to eat every kind of animal. Are you dare to kill your lovely dog to eat? Pets, like dogs, cats and horses, are your best friend which stand by your sided everytime you want.
The government should not allowed to killing dogs,cats or horsed for foods. They are pet purpose only. There are many type of foods today. Why you have to eat them? For what?
My mom was vegeterian for more than 10 years. This is the greatest merit for refrain from molestation anothers animals. In the future, maybe I will decided to be vegeterian.
Referrence
Animal welfare : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_welfare
Although I am not a Buddhist, I think that the correct understanding of the First Precept does mean that Buddhists should not normally eat any meat of any sort, since eating meat must normally cause the killing of more animals. I think that Mo's mom has the right understanding here and is acting on it.
DeleteBut the comment I'm about to write on one of Som's Som's comments below might also be relevant here.
In my opinion, every kinds of animal are not born to be eaten by human since every life love themselves but human bring them to make food such as pig, cow and chicken so that it’s OK for me to eat every kind of animal. I do agree with Benz that government should bill some statute to protect some species of animals. Anyway, I presently try to eat less meat for save other life at least a bit.
ReplyDeleteOMG!! I watch the news that it said tribal (Mong-live in north of Thailand) mom killed her two daughters to cook innards Tom-Saab. This is so horrible!!!
ReplyDeleteI just read a report on his in today's Bangkok Post. Apparently, the tribal woman who killed and ate her two sons is mentally ill and hallucinated that she was killing and eating two pigs ("Hallucinating Mum", 2012).
DeleteI'm sure everyone agrees that the event was awful, but has the woman done anything morally wrong?
Reference
Hallucinating mum killed, ate her sons. (2012, August 21). bangkok Post. Retrieved August 21, 2012 from http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/308684/health-hallucination-caused-mum-to-kill-sons
I think that people should not eat every kind of animals because some types of animals are not born to be food of humans, such as companion and working animals, wild animals etc. I saw the news of dog meat trade arise in Nakorn Phanom and Sakorn Nakorn, which made me dejected. I think that those dogs also have a life.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that people should eat every kind of animals. Some kinds of animals become extinct. This should be avoided hunting. Some of them should preserve for other purposes such as snake for serum. Addition, if people eat every kinds of animal, so the life cycle of human and animal might change, and human are definitely effected.
ReplyDeleteI think it is ok to eat any kind of animal. When someone protested about dog eating. I felt very awful. I wonder why we eat pig, cow or sheep, and no one care about it. No one give mercy to them but specifically give mercy to only some kind of animals.
ReplyDeleteFor me, as a Buddhism. To eat meat is ok. I feel no wrong. I think to eat for sustain our lives is acceptable. If we have to eat only vegetable because we afraid we will harm animals. For me it is non-sense. Don't we forget that even trees or vegetables are also living things as an animals.
I think we choose to eat or don't eat something because of cultures and social values. For some place to eat spider or insect is acceptable but another not. There are many weird menu that people like to eat such as monkey brain, alive fish even a human meat. That shows in fact human can eat anythings but the cultures or social values make it wrong.
So to eat any kind of meats is ok for me (except for eating human meat). We can eat anythings but the human habit always make things more complicated. Human eat things that lower than them. Some day if their are Creatures from outside the world who are more intelligent than us. They look at us as a wise monkey. Then we can be a delicious food for them.
J made two points that also seem to me to be ideas worth considering:
Delete1. that plants are also living things. So, what's so special about animals?
2. and following from 1., what's so special about us? Why would it be wrong to eat pigs and not humans?
In fact, J states another idea that might be worth a response: that people can and have eaten anything and everything, however weird it might seem to us and others. I'm not sure I agree with him that "the cultures or social values make it wrong" or right, although I am sure that is a common idea in some circles - social scientists sometimes seem to think this way, although moral philosophers tend to disagree with such views of moral right and wrong.
Reading J's thoughtful responses again, I notice that no one has suggested any reason why humans are so special that we should be treated differently to other animals.
DeleteIs there any good reason for this common way of thinking, or might it be wrong, as common beliefs often are?
It's very hard to answer for Buddhist like me. I talked this question with my brother who was ordained for two months in several years ago. He said that human was not special, only omnivore, so we have to eat both plant and meat for living. For this reason, he thought that we can eat every kind of thing with respect their life and in proper amount for living only. I totally agree with him. If you eat properly, it will not mean that you molested any life too much.
DeleteYour thoughtful and varied comments in the discussion here are excellent preparation for the more extended reading we began in class this morning.
ReplyDeleteI hope you also enjoy Stephen Law's argument.
As you continue to read "Carving the Roast Beast", are his arguments persuasive? If not, why not?
As you already know, I disagree with Law, but I like his essay: it is very well written, with strong ideas that are logically organized and clearly stated.
DeleteI enjoyed the essay because it does present a strong case for an idea with which most people do disagree. I especially enjoyed working out where I think he is wrong. But you have to do that for yourself, or perhaps you will agree with Law that eating meat is morally wrong, and that I'm wrong.