[eclairparty98]

Hi, I am plagued by guilt.

As a meat eater, I am consciously aware of what I'm eating - a dead animal. There is this reasoning that animals are murdered "humanely", for instance, getting stunned before decapitation. Though they may not feel anything - apparently - their lives are still terminated for no reason but for our consumption and I find that so heinous. Veal, for example, is a baby cow. What if we ate human babies or puppies or kittens??

... for some reason I still eat meat.. vegetables taste great and all but if I try going vegetarian, I find myself eating animal. I'm not dedicated as much as other people but perhaps in the future I might be. Why exactly does anyone eat meat when there are substitutes for protein? Is it taste? Is your reasoning worth the destruction of a sentient being?

I've come to the realisation that it's hypocritical to react angrily to animal abuse/animal cruelty, being meat eaters knowing an animal was killed to feed us. I will still get upset hearing about a puppy being abused but as a meat eater I am a hypocrite.

I'm a meat eater. I purchase as much of my meat as possible directly from farmers. I've actually toured the farm where we get chicken. It makes me feel better knowing the animals were raised humanely and not in a factory type setting.

There is no right or wrong approach to this. It is whatever makes you feel good. If you feel better being a vegetarian, that is awesome!

[winter loneliness]

I am a vegetarian.

[eclairparty98]

Originally Posted by TheSadGirl

I'm a meat eater. I purchase as much of my meat as possible directly from farmers. I've actually toured the farm where we get chicken. It makes me feel better knowing the animals were raised humanely and not in a factory type setting.

There is no right or wrong approach to this. It is whatever makes you feel good. If you feel better being a vegetarian, that is awesome!

Hi sadgirl, I'm the same; I cannot buy animal products unknowing of what the animals life was like before its demise. Free range eggs, for example. I'd prefer my eggs come from a comfortable, cared for, loved hen as opposed to one which has been abused.

BUT though an animal is raised humanely, as beautiful as that is, we can't bring the animal back because that's it, they're dead. Their comfortable lives do not anount to a peaceful comfortable death but their throats cut, dismembered and mutilated for us to eat and I think there's something wrong in this... even though i eat meat, hence my guilt, you see.

[eclairparty98]

Originally Posted by winter loneliness

I am a vegetarian.

Do you miss meat?? Or have you been enlightened to a more exciting way of eating???

Originally Posted by eclairparty98

Hi sadgirl, I'm the same; I cannot buy animal products unknowing of what the animals life was like before its demise. Free range eggs, for example. I'd prefer my eggs come from a comfortable, cared for, loved hen as opposed to one which has been abused.

BUT though an animal is raised humanely, as beautiful as that is, we can't bring the animal back because that's it, they're dead. Their comfortable lives do not anount to a peaceful comfortable death but their throats cut, dismembered and mutilated for us to eat and I think there's something wrong in this... even though i eat meat, hence my guilt, you see.

I'm okay with this. I have friends who are hunters and kill their own meat. I'm okay with that too. Many animals eat other animals. Its nature. Yes, I am an animal lover, but I'm comfortable consuming them too.

I completely respect your beliefs. I just have my own.

We have been eating meat since the days of caves and Hunter Gathering.

There are choices you can still make though - like choosing grass fed cows for dairy products and range raised beef with no antibiotics or hormones, and free range poultry, etc.

If the slaughtering process unnerves you might I suggest seeking out 'Halal' meat products.

[Gus1234U]

i grew up on a little farm, and killed and ate animals i knew and had cared for, as well as the wild ones, from a very young age (6 yrs old). everyone i knew did the same, it was a way of life. i think that some of us are genetic carnivores, unable to live on vegetable proteins alone. i know i have tried several times to go without eating meat, and the longest i lasted was 3 days. my body craved it, like i was starving. (actually i fasted for 10 days once, and didn't feel that craving, but i was young and very healthy then.)

i daydream a lot, and for a long time now i have been imagining that i am a vegetarian. i try to balance a diet without meat, and in my mind it is very wholesome and delicious. perhaps i will find my way there in the material world before .......

[LittleEarthquakes]

I'm vegan. If you're interested check out the documentary Cowspiracy. Seriously! Life changing.

[Artchic528]

We evolved to eat animal protein as a means to fuel our enlarged brains. It was a trade off from having low energy fuel that took a length of time to gather and consume, while having small brains, to taking raw meat and cooking it to get a bunch of energy all at once to fuel the primate brain within our skulls.

It's because of this fact that I will not let myself be intimidated into not consuming meat.

[Loose Screw x 2]

I understand where you're coming from because I'm a soft hearted guy who loves animals myself but, as pointed out by others here, animals kill each other to eat and sometimes even to keep things in balance like when lions kill the cubs of cheatas. There are even animals who kill in cruel ways, ways so cruel that I will spare you the details, also there are some animals who will kill humans at the drop of a hat and proceed to feast on them. As Artchic528 pointed out, according to evolutionary science apes began to eat meat because it was something they needed to survive. Biblically in the book of Genesis it is made very clear that animals and humans were originally supposed to eat plant life but, this changed later and now most humans are omnivorous. I think that what is really going on here is that you're tormenting yourself with these thoughts. "Yes" the corporate food industry uses cruel methods in processing meat products because it's faster for them to get things done that way but, farmers who sell directly to the public are usually merciful in their killing methods of livestock.
It has also been pointed out in the past that if humans stopped eating animals then, the earth would become over populated with animals.
Again, I understand how you feel about this but, sometimes things just have to be the way that they are. It helps to choose to not think about it so much. Let it go.

[eclairparty98]

Originally Posted by justafriend306

We have been eating meat since the days of caves and Hunter Gathering.

There are choices you can still make though - like choosing grass fed cows for dairy products and range raised beef with no antibiotics or hormones, and free range poultry, etc.

If the slaughtering process unnerves you might I suggest seeking out 'Halal' meat products.

Hi there,

It's not only the inhuman destruction of animals but the deliberate termination of their lives which bothers me, you see. Regardless of method, it'll always be murder. Free range is preferable to other options but still amounts to murder.

Halal is less horrific than what we see in factories. Perhaps I will look into this. Either way, nothing changes the fact that I'll be seeing out a carcass to eat.

[eclairparty98]

Originally Posted by Gus1234U

i grew up on a little farm, and killed and ate animals i knew and had cared for, as well as the wild ones, from a very young age (6 yrs old). everyone i knew did the same, it was a way of life. i think that some of us are genetic carnivores, unable to live on vegetable proteins alone. i know i have tried several times to go without eating meat, and the longest i lasted was 3 days. my body craved it, like i was starving. (actually i fasted for 10 days once, and didn't feel that craving, but i was young and very healthy then.)

i daydream a lot, and for a long time now i have been imagining that i am a vegetarian. i try to balance a diet without meat, and in my mind it is very wholesome and delicious. perhaps i will find my way there in the material world before .......

Goodness, I know exactly what you mean!! Having consumed meat products (eggs, milk, meat, cake, chocolate) forever, it feels like i can't not eat these things.. but they say the sometimes-agonizing process of reducing meat consumption is like withdrawals; when you stop eating meat, its like no longer drinking alcohol after being addicted to it. You have to fight the cravings

[eclairparty98]

Originally Posted by LittleEarthquakes

I'm vegan. If you're interested check out the documentary Cowspiracy. Seriously! Life changing.

I've not seen it but I've seen Earthlings!! Heart breaking!! I may seek out cowspiracy as beef is my favourite meat so maybe that'll influence what I eat, who knows.

[eclairparty98]

Originally Posted by MavriforceK9r

I understand where you're coming from because I'm a soft hearted guy who loves animals myself but, as pointed out by others here, animals kill each other to eat and sometimes even to keep things in balance like when lions kill the cubs of cheatas. There are even animals who kill in cruel ways, ways so cruel that I will spare you the details, also there are some animals who will kill humans at the drop of a hat and proceed to feast on them. As Artchic528 pointed out, according to evolutionary science apes began to eat meat because it was something they needed to survive. Biblically in the book of Genesis it is made very clear that animals and humans were originally supposed to eat plant life but, this changed later and now most humans are omnivorous. I think that what is really going on here is that you're tormenting yourself with these thoughts. "Yes" the corporate food industry uses cruel methods in processing meat products because it's faster for them to get things done that way but, farmers who sell directly to the public are usually merciful in their killing methods of livestock.
It has also been pointed out in the past that if humans stopped eating animals then, the earth would become over populated with animals.
Again, I understand how you feel about this but, sometimes things just have to be the way that they are. It helps to choose to not think about it so much. Let it go.

Thank you for your thoughtful words, I appreciate it as difficult as 'letting it go' can often be. Though I perfectly understand and recognise the difference in farm slaughter compared to factory slaughter, I can't help but feel uncomfortable regardless. Why kill a perfectly healthy animal when there are substitutes??

As for animals eating animals, these are typically wild animals like lions, tigers, owls etc and cannot be domesticated. These animals are also vulnerable to the diseases and parasites in the animals they eat raw. Cows, pigs and chickens can be domesticated and few of the animals we consume do not eat other animals.

About evolution, I read on Psycology Today that a vegetarian diet is just as beneficial as a meat eating diet except a vegetarian diet is less likely to cause heart failure. So why eat meat when vegetarianism is just as healthy if not more??

[Artchic528]

Eclaireparty, while most of what you said is true, dogs and cats are obligate carnivores and we have domesticated them. They require lots of meat or animal protein in their diet.

[Marylin]

I am the same,I stopped buying meat from the supermarket and only buy it from an organic farm and other welfare conscious outlets.I am against factory farming.I have lowered the amount of meat that I eat and have attempted to cut it out completely.I have gone six months without eating red or white meat but still ate fish last year.This year so far I have eaten meat but I want to become vegan eventually.I feel for the animals that are killed and I feel eating meat is wrong so I am going to keep on working towards being a vegan until I succeed.I feel if society were more accommodating in shops and restaurants to the vegan diet it would be easier to not eat meat but those who want to make money out of meat manipulate us into having to consume it,meat material is put into nearly every product on sale.Milk is a cruelty based product cows have to be permanently pregnant to produce it and also it is full of hormones that cause cancer in humans so they are causing pain to cows and killing us too!Plant based diets are also healthier and prevent cancer,so I am going to be healthier and safer as well as saving animal lives by going vegan.I totally empathise with the original poster not wanting to eat animals or cause their death so that I can eat,I agree and I feel the same.Become vegan that is what I am going to do.Unfortunately I still have to buy tuna and turkey to feed my cats but I won't be eating meat myself.

[JFKennedy]

The human body was designed to consume meat to function properly. It is natural. However, killing animals inhumanely or just to kill is wrong in my opinion. I believe that animals have spirits as we do. Animals give their life for us to live. We could at least thank them and bless them for their gift. Just a thought...

Originally Posted by eclairparty98

Hi, I am plagued by guilt.

As a meat eater, I am consciously aware of what I'm eating - a dead animal. There is this reasoning that animals are murdered "humanely", for instance, getting stunned before decapitation. Though they may not feel anything - apparently - their lives are still terminated for no reason but for our consumption and I find that so heinous. Veal, for example, is a baby cow. What if we ate human babies or puppies or kittens??

... for some reason I still eat meat.. vegetables taste great and all but if I try going vegetarian, I find myself eating animal. I'm not dedicated as much as other people but perhaps in the future I might be. Why exactly does anyone eat meat when there are substitutes for protein? Is it taste? Is your reasoning worth the destruction of a sentient being?

I've come to the realisation that it's hypocritical to react angrily to animal abuse/animal cruelty, being meat eaters knowing an animal was killed to feed us. I will still get upset hearing about a puppy being abused but as a meat eater I am a hypocrite.

[LacunaCoiler]

I feel the same way. Every since I became a Buddhist it's become harder and harder for me to eat meat. I still do though and I feel horrible about it. I eventually want to be a vegetarian but it's going to be a slow process since I love chicken and a good steak every now and again. However, I do say a silent thank you for the animal giving up it's life to support me and that makes me feel a little better. But I feel where you're coming from.

[yogurtssss]

if you feel bad about it then don't do it

[winter loneliness]

Originally Posted by eclairparty98

Do you miss meat?? Or have you been enlightened to a more exciting way of eating???

Haven't eaten meet for 25 yrs. Don't miss it at all. A few years back, I tried to eat some chicken and scallops. My whole family are meat eaters. I really didn't like it. Any you know I can tell when I eat something with meat in it at restaurant? I immediately have to go to the bathroom.

The difficult situation is at Thai or Vietnamese or other asian restaurants. They use fish sauce or eel sauce. I always have to ask for without and they say "It won't taste good!" lol

[eclairparty98]

Originally Posted by JFKennedy

The human body was designed to consume meat to function properly. It is natural. However, killing animals inhumanely or just to kill is wrong in my opinion. I believe that animals have spirits as we do. Animals give their life for us to live. We could at least thank them and bless them for their gift. Just a thought...

Whilst I love your caring, sympathetic approach towards animal slaughter, I don't think animals willingly give their lives at all. The murderers take them without permission. They don't volunteer to line up in factories/held down/strung upside down on farms knowing they'll be killed to become food.

The human body was designed to consume a lot of things, not only meat. Interestingly, we cannot eat most meats raw, we have to cook the meat as opposed to naturally serving it raw like we can with fruit. Other foods we cook, like French fries and bread for instance are still edible raw unlike a freshly shot animal carcass.

Animals do not give their lives for us to live, we can live without eating them. Red meat is known to contribute to disease.

[eclairparty98]

Originally Posted by Artchic528

Eclaireparty, while most of what you said is true, dogs and cats are obligate carnivores and we have domesticated them. They require lots of meat or animal protein in their diet.

You're not wrong, artchic, but we humans are not actually carnivores unlike dogs. Cats are omnivores. We can go without eating meat, unlike them, you see. Cows are naturally herbivores and are perfectly fine being so; with how popular veganism and vegetarianism is becoming, a lot of us humans may be alright being herbivores too

[eclairparty98]

Originally Posted by LacunaCoiler

I feel the same way. Every since I became a Buddhist it's become harder and harder for me to eat meat. I still do though and I feel horrible about it. I eventually want to be a vegetarian but it's going to be a slow process since I love chicken and a good steak every now and again. However, I do say a silent thank you for the animal giving up it's life to support me and that makes me feel a little better. But I feel where you're coming from.

I know how you feel, LacunaCoiler!! It's very hard for me too, I totally understand and would also like to eventually embrace a meat-free diet. I also love a good steak. I think of it like withdrawals, you have to fight through the cravings. At least you have respect for the animals you eat

[eclairparty98]

Originally Posted by Marylin

I am the same,I stopped buying meat from the supermarket and only buy it from an organic farm and other welfare conscious outlets.I am against factory farming.I have lowered the amount of meat that I eat and have attempted to cut it out completely.I have gone six months without eating red or white meat but still ate fish last year.This year so far I have eaten meat but I want to become vegan eventually.I feel for the animals that are killed and I feel eating meat is wrong so I am going to keep on working towards being a vegan until I succeed.I feel if society were more accommodating in shops and restaurants to the vegan diet it would be easier to not eat meat but those who want to make money out of meat manipulate us into having to consume it,meat material is put into nearly every product on sale.Milk is a cruelty based product cows have to be permanently pregnant to produce it and also it is full of hormones that cause cancer in humans so they are causing pain to cows and killing us too!Plant based diets are also healthier and prevent cancer,so I am going to be healthier and safer as well as saving animal lives by going vegan.I totally empathise with the original poster not wanting to eat animals or cause their death so that I can eat,I agree and I feel the same.Become vegan that is what I am going to do.Unfortunately I still have to buy tuna and turkey to feed my cats but I won't be eating meat myself.

Thank you, Marylin, this is a great response! I agree 100%, a meat-free diet doesn't always feel attainable because it seems animal is in everything we eat. It's unfair to both us and to the animal. I'm still learning about the dairy industry, I'm so shocked and appalled from what I've heard so far. Milk is in almost everything so that'll be even more difficult but I suppose there are the substitutes; coconut milk and I think soy milk...

Stay strong on your journey!! Keep fighting the cravings, veganism/vegetarianism are beautiful possibilities for us all