In regards to eating meat

[Diana]

I'm wondering why some people feel guilt about eating meat, and others don't?

I guess the people who don't either don't care, rationalise, forgive the feeling or maybe see all as perfect as it is.

I find it odd to have an order of importance/care... with humans being most important, then animals, then fish bugs plants and so on. I guess it seems hierarchical to me.


Perhaps I’m just an earthling – but I kind of find the way stuff works down here pretty amazing and awesome, the food chain connects us all.
In a world with no hunting there would be no cat’s or dogs, no owls, or eagles.

Good points all. Yes, it all fits together naturally. However:

1. Factory farms (cattle, poultry, lambs, pigs, and I will add zoos) and the cruelty they cause are not natural.

2. I keep saying this--and so do others--plants are made for eating in part or completely. Fruit needs to be eaten to propagate the plant. All seeds need to be spread--toucans in the rain forest help trees to grow that way. You can take leaves or parts from a plant and it doesn't die; not so with an animal if you take a leg or ear (think of what Japanese do to sharks--cut off their fins and throw them back in the water, they have to swim to stay alive). So the consequences of taking the lives of animals for sustenance is different than for plants. This is to say nothing of cruel commercial farming practices.

3. There is the concept of evolution. As a human, I feel compelled to continually try to grow, evolve, become more harmonious, etc. So, using my discernment and conscious choosing, I choose to move toward more harmonious and gentler ways of being here, and leave a smaller footprint, causing less harm. Also, I do not judge and preach this causing harm that way; I am here in a discussion with intelligent, spiritually minded individuals who--I assume--are here to discuss the subject openly.

For my part, I don't think any life is better or more important than any other life, be it human, plant, animal, insect etc. The difference is that humans have advanced thinking capabilities which enable discernment and conscious choices that seem to be more varied than the animal kingdom.

And all this is to say nothing of health.

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IMO, the best way to proceed is to raise animals your way, and be happy that it is enough. Cuz if you ain't happy, you ain't helping the world's happiness meter.

I wonder how much all those millions of animals being tortured on a daily basis, is affecting the world's happiness

I seriously doubt any at all. If I may, this is what I've been repeating
many times and in many ways throughout this thread, and I have been consistent.

Monkey, she means the unhappiness of the animals.