Vegetarianism And Compassion For Animals

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

The problem with modern vegerarianism, as I see it, is about anthropology. Many vegetarians don't even have a reasonable and good anthropology. They can't see the difference between an animal and a human. That being said, eating vegetarian food is ok (I do it myself) but delving into vegetarianism is just anti-Catholic. But question still is (and I ask you Catholics who know your Theology): why is it ok to kill an animal but not a human?

 

 

I doubt it is anti Catholic Christian to be a vegetarian, but to be a Catholic Christian vegetarian that says something like everyone should be vegetarian and that meat eaters are evil and will burn in hell is perhaps anti Catholic Christian.

 

P.s. by the way i just realised and have to ask why does the spell check only capitalise Christian and not CATHOLIC ? Is this a solely U.S thing? I wonder if the U.K English spell check does catholic with a capital C?

[KnightofChrist]

Still waiting for a satisfactory answer.

I hope you find my last response more of an satisfactory answer than the last.

[NotreDame]

I hope you find my last response more of an satisfactory answer than the last.

 

I am slowly being persuaded... I now entertain it as a possibility, but only as a possibility.  I had no idea what that dude from the 900's was talking about (though it sounded cool.)  If I did understand him maybe I'd be convinced.
 

[southern california guy]

if mere existence was the highest good, then we'd drop everything and set up a system of constant sex.

Where can I sign up!!?

[Selah]

Samosas.

 

*exits thread*

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

Why should I have respect for animals? They're machines. God made them for us to use and abuse and do with what I wish. 

 

They don't matter.

 

If you cannot tell I am being sarcastic, then I have done my job. Also, NSA, I am officially out of pocky. Get on that, mmmkay? Pocky is amesome. Especially the strawberry flavors. Gosh I would give my right arm if I could live in a home built in pocky. Anyhow, may hedonism prevail and all that. 

 

False, man was made AFTER the animals and plants. We were made as a part of creation to be good stewards and to tend the garden, participating in the creative work of God by tending it. We were not allowed to eat animals until well after the fall (part of the covenant with Noah). Animals are not machines, nor are plants to relegate them to such a role means we forget that they are part of God's work and part of the means to God's communication with us. The CCC teaches us that we can come to know God through nature, we must not wantonly abuse that which is a part of how God communicates with us. With that said, plants and animals are both non-rational species and do not possess immortal souls. It is not bad to eat either one. And seeing as plants are living and even respond positively to people talking with them peacefully, and experiments have shown negative talk to have negative effects on plants it might be believed that something more is going on there than first meets the eye. yet no one is saying eating them is bad.

[NotreDame]

False,

you got pwnd.

[Selah]

False, man was made AFTER the animals and plants. We were made as a part of creation to be good stewards and to tend the garden, participating in the creative work of God by tending it. We were not allowed to eat animals until well after the fall (part of the covenant with Noah). Animals are not machines, nor are plants to relegate them to such a role means we forget that they are part of God's work and part of the means to God's communication with us. The CCC teaches us that we can come to know God through nature, we must not wantonly abuse that which is a part of how God communicates with us. With that said, plants and animals are both non-rational species and do not possess immortal souls. It is not bad to eat either one. And seeing as plants are living and even respond positively to people talking with them peacefully, and experiments have shown negative talk to have negative effects on plants it might be believed that something more is going on there than first meets the eye. yet no one is saying eating them is bad.

 

*hand flies over head*

 

My sarcasm, it is wasted.

 

No matter. Come Noel. Back to the mountains with us.

[Not The Philosopher]

Everything is Descartes' fault.

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

*hand flies over head*

 

My sarcasm, it is wasted.

 

No matter. Come Noel. Back to the mountains with us.

 

apparently You are sarcastic, hence even your sarcasm disclaimer is quoted...however, I have heard similar arguments IRL. your sarcastic post gave me a chance to respond to real world (NOT the TV show) scenarios.

[Selah]

apparently You are sarcastic, hence even your sarcasm disclaimer is quoted...however, I have heard similar arguments IRL. your sarcastic post gave me a chance to respond to real world (NOT the TV show) scenarios.

 

Is all good.

 

Truth be told, I am actually a huge animal freak. I used to be a vegan until I saw the Greek fasting calendar and said forget it because my diet will end up being vegan most of the time anyhow. That said, I still don't eat much meat (chicken is my downfall). I don't like the abuse going on, I despise factory farming, and the way cows are treated make me angry. Male chicks are seen as useless in the egg industry and are put on conveyerbelts to be ground up. Products we use are tested on animals. Volunteering at the animal shelter all these years has shown me the kind of abuse animals go through, and it upsets me greatly. It's hard not to see animal abusers as lower than dirt.

 

As an Orthodox Christian, I believe they, like everything in our universe, were created to be loved by God. Animals are capable of receiving God's love, though in a different way. And, if you please, because I am a Palamite at heart, everything is imbued with God's energies (love, grace, etc) and should be treated with the utmost respect. We are here, put here by God, to care for the earth, yet we abuse it. 

 

No, I don't mean hunting or fishing or farming. I mean the factory farming bs that goes on. I mean the way animals are abused in circuses, in fighting rings, in pounds, and by dumbass owners who chain their dogs up in the heat and cold, then wonder why they die, get loose and hit by a car, or suddenly become violent.

 

I believe you can respect the earth and the animals and be an omnivore. Many Native American tribes did. The early Celts did. Granted, they were pagans, but my point here is, you can still love the earth and animals and show them respect, while at the same time, recognizing that there is a food chain. 
 

Meaning; don't torture the damn animal if you are going to eat it. Just kill it and be done with it. If it tries to hurt you, defend yourself. If it's a pest, and there is only one option; fine. But don't torture for the sake of it because you see them as below you. I remember a bunch of stupid kids at a church I once attended were throwing rocks at a mother rabbit and her babies.  I yelled at them and told them to stop. I can't believe that even at such a young age, we don't teach our children to respect animals. How do you expect them to respect human life when they can't even respect the weaker beings among us? 

 

/endrant

[PhuturePriest]

Is all good.

 

Truth be told, I am actually a huge animal freak. I used to be a vegan until I saw the Greek fasting calendar and said forget it because my diet will end up being vegan most of the time anyhow. That said, I still don't eat much meat (chicken is my downfall). I don't like the abuse going on, I despise factory farming, and the way cows are treated make me angry. Male chicks are seen as useless in the egg industry and are put on conveyerbelts to be ground up. Products we use are tested on animals. Volunteering at the animal shelter all these years has shown me the kind of abuse animals go through, and it upsets me greatly. It's hard not to see animal abusers as lower than dirt.

 

As an Orthodox Christian, I believe they, like everything in our universe, were created to be loved by God. Animals are capable of receiving God's love, though in a different way. And, if you please, because I am a Palamite at heart, everything is imbued with God's energies (love, grace, etc) and should be treated with the utmost respect. We are here, put here by God, to care for the earth, yet we abuse it. 

 

No, I don't mean hunting or fishing or farming. I mean the factory farming bs that goes on. I mean the way animals are abused in circuses, in fighting rings, in pounds, and by dumbass owners who chain their dogs up in the heat and cold, then wonder why they die, get loose and hit by a car, or suddenly become violent.

 

I believe you can respect the earth and the animals and be an omnivore. Many Native American tribes did. The early Celts did. Granted, they were pagans, but my point here is, you can still love the earth and animals and show them respect, while at the same time, recognizing that there is a food chain. 
 

Meaning; don't torture the beaver dam animal if you are going to eat it. Just kill it and be done with it. If it tries to hurt you, defend yourself. If it's a pest, and there is only one option; fine. But don't torture for the sake of it because you see them as below you. I remember a bunch of stupid kids at a church I once attended were throwing rocks at a mother rabbit and her babies.  I yelled at them and told them to stop. I can't believe that even at such a young age, we don't teach our children to respect animals. How do you expect them to respect human life when they can't even respect the weaker beings among us? 

 

/endrant

 

What gets me is how inconsistent people are with living things. You absolutely cannot under any circumstance abuse a cat or a dog, but being mean to insects is perfectly acceptable and encouraged. I was taught at a very young age that a great way to celebrate the birth of the nation is by spending hours upon hours blowing up ants. I remember once at the church when I was really little me and the other kids (Think kids around the age of 14) found this really big spider, and so we made a game and started throwing rocks at it. Nobody thought for even a second that perhaps that was wrong. How do people expect kids to respect animals and human life when they're taught from a young age that they can do whatever abuse they please upon insects? Insects are alive just as much as any animal or human being.

[Selah]

What gets me is how inconsistent people are with living things. You absolutely cannot under any circumstance abuse a cat or a dog, but being mean to insects is perfectly acceptable and encouraged. I was taught at a very young age that a great way to celebrate the birth of the nation is by spending hours upon hours blowing up ants. I remember once at the church when I was really little me and the other kids (Think kids around the age of 14) found this really big spider, and so we made a game and started throwing rocks at it. Nobody thought for even a second that perhaps that was wrong. How do people expect kids to respect animals and human life when they're taught from a young age that they can do whatever abuse they please upon insects? Insects are alive just as much as any animal or human being.

 

Sure they are. At Camp Horseshoe, where I worked a few years ago, we were taught that the critters outside should be respected and left alone, but if they end up in the cabins, kitchens, etc, most likely they were killed. Now, okay, that wasn't always true. Squirrels, raccoons, foxes, bats, chipmunks, hell, even fireflies, got a free pass. Sometimes I would even rescue the field mice so the trap didn't get them :P

 

But say we had a termite infestation. Or, say we had bees in the cabin or near the activities lodge. A lot of the campers had epi pens and were allergic to bees. So, they died. Nothing personal. Nothing spiteful. But...you kind of can't live anymore, sorry. 

 

Another time, we noticed a nest had fallen from a tree, and baby robins were out of the nest with their mouths open. It was a hot day, and the best we could do was scoop them up and put them back in the nest. I found a shady place and laid them there. Hope to this day they were okay and the mom found them.

 

Oh, one more story; when we were cleaning out the pool, there were frogs and tadpools we tried saving. Some tadpoles ended up not making it, but we put the frogs back in the trees. 

 

Basically, do what you can to help animals, but sometimes you really have no choice except to go let them meet their maker. xD

 

(and we freaking beat that into the campers head; if we caught them bugging animals, they heard about it lol.)

Edited March 16, 2014 by Selah

[Selah]

I should also mention: I do not advocate killing bees. We need them to pollinate and stuff. BUT if someone is allergic, you either get the bee out or the person out. So. Yeah.

[Fidei Defensor]

I should also mention: I do not advocate killing bees. We need them to pollinate and stuff. BUT if someone is allergic, you either get the bee out or the person out. So. Yeah.

I love bees…just no on me.