animal rights
By Murderman143
@Murderman143 (17)
United States
March 16, 2008 6:45pm CST
This is an old debate that often gets tossed about.
My personal belief, being a Christian and all, is that man was given dominion over the animals by God. Don't get me wrong, I love animals and I believe they have every right to life and liberty as we do, but the fact of the matter is all organisms are part of a food chain.
For this reason, the reasons some people become vegetarians confuse me. They have no problem consuming plant products (not just eating, but wearing cotton, using tobacco products, buying/picking flowers, even walking on the grass), but they will not purchase or consume animal products because they have feelings. I would agree with this, but aren't plants living things too? Simply not choosing to eat meat is one thing, but if it is because of animal rights, you are just showing favoritism, since plants have the same rights.
What are the best arguments for or against animal rights?
3 responses
@lilo1987 (1)
• Canada
17 Mar 08
Well, when you kill an animal it can feel pain something that doesn't happen with plants.The same pain that you could feel.That's the worst part of killing animals.And it doesn't matter to me if you eat it or not.The crime is the killing part.Yes the food chain should be considered.I am not a vegetarian.And I am not trying to save all animals in this world.But we all know that the way animals are being killed is the worst possible.So I would have no problem if animals were killed in a not painful way. But on the other hand how are we to decide how the food chain should be maintained? Maybe because we are on the top of it? What if there was an animal that would be strong and smart enough to eat people? Would we still be so considerable about food chain? Maybe vegetarians are overreacting. Or maybe they are stronger than all of us to put their believes in front of their physical needs.
@Murderman143 (17)
• United States
17 Mar 08
hmm, well i hunt and or kill animals not alot but i do i really feel no remorse when i do it idk why it just the way i was raised
@houndsgood (774)
• United States
18 Mar 08
Firstly, yes the Bible says that man has dominian, but you are leaving out the part of the Bible that says that we have a responsibility to take care of them properly. That may or may not be relevant, but many folks who believe the Bible says we have the right to do anything they want with them leave out the responsibility part.
Anyway, I think it is okay if someone doesn't want to eat meat. But I think it is a slippery slope when we talk about plant's feelings. You cannot speak of "animal rights" and argue its validity with using "plant rights" as the other alternative or as apples and apples.
I am not saying that plants don't react because they do, but there are parts of the plant, such as we have finger nails and hair that if cut of properly does not hurt us. And in fact, by cutting it off, it keeps us healthier. When a plant produces fruit, the fruit is going to fall either as waste or as food. The fruit protects the seeds as they fall to the ground. The seed is the important thing, and the rest of the fruit around it when you think about it, is waste to the tree. It makes no difference to the tree whether the fruit rots and falls or someone or an animal comes along and picks it and eats it.
So saying that eating plants hurts plants is a slippery slope.
Some plants come up, and then die every year. If carrot is not picked out of the ground, it will rot and die.
