I'm not veg and I can certainly answer any question posted.....I do believe in God and believe that he left us resources to make our lives better. I think that the issue at hand is not whether God gave us animals to eat or not but how we treat them while they are alive. I raise chickens for eggs and meat and they are treated as well as my pets until their time of death. Of course God and morality are not exclusive so....
Edit: The reason why I chose to answer the question was because you included torture with killing animals. Just because someone eats meat does not mean they think abuse is o.k. Granted there are alot of people who aren't aware of some factory farms being less than humane but alot of homesteaders out there do know what it means to be a compassionate omnivore. Regardless of someone's belief in God, the most important thing to remember is doing what you feel is right and just, vegetarian or not.
I don't believe in God and I don't think that vegetarian/veganism and God are related whatsoever, in my opinion.
I certainly do not believe that animals are for eating..I believe that they have as much right to live as us humans do!
Also, i do not believe that anyone would wish that animals would get such cruel treatment just for humans to eat them..think of battery chicken farms, the way veal is made etcetc..surely this 'almighty god' wouldn't allow or even intend such cruelty to his animal creations?
Why would 'God' put so many wonderful fruits, seeds, nuts and vegetables etc on the planet unless he wanted his 'creations' to eat them. There is such a wealth of variety that vegetarians and vegans can eat..it simply does not make sense to even contemplate eating meat (again, this is my opinion).
I hope you have given you a helpful answer from the perspective of a vegetarian/vegan (i have been both but am currently vegetarian!).
xox
Since "god" put humans on Earth. I guess that means we can eat each other too, according to their argument.
"God" put beans and grains on this earth for us to eat. I would rather eat from his/her garden than from a slaughterhouse/feedlot.
If your into the bible, one of the verses - Romans 14:21 to be specific says "it is not good to eat flesh"...
I don't know how much more you need to hear if your not already convinced, that animals aren't put here for us to eat.
They wouldn't feel pain and all the other emotions people do if that were true - they would just be like walking robots, waiting to be killed.
People will believe what they want to believe - as long its convenient to them, unfortuantely.
i'm interested to see how people answer this, since i just asked almost the same question....we'll see how people respond when God is removed from the equation (which i find difficult to do, myself). just because animals are edible does not mean they are here to be eaten....i think they are here so that the earth can keep it's natural balance. without all beings the earth would not be able to sustain the life balance that it has.
EDIT: For what it's worth, I believe that God used EVOLUTION as a mechanism of creation, not that he just snapped his fingers and put animals here. I think the way that a person views creation has a lot to do with their level of respect for the things around them. when you realize that animals have had to work harder to survive than we have ever had to, it gives you a respect for their willpower and strength.
The question of what animals are "for" to me doesn't presuppose God. As I understand it, life is a vast interdependent web of predator and prey. I saw a robin pull a worm out of the ground today. You could call it abuse and slaughter, it looked awful for the worm, and the Robin won the pulling fight. Are worms here for robins to abuse and slaughter? I don't think so. They are here to eat soil and contributing to its fertility, and to be eaten by robins (and moles, and ducks, etc.), as well as to have baby worms. Humans are here to eat whatever they can, and to be eaten by tigers, sharks, pigs, bacteria, fungus, etc. as well as to make baby humans.
We do have a choice, living in the world that currently exists, to eat many different foods, and eating animal foods which were produced in inhumane filthy conditions is not necessary or healthy. For me, eating factory farmed meat would make me feel like I was doing something hurtful and wrong, as I would if I kicked a child or stole something, so I don't. I don't need to read it in a book, Bible or other, I just feel that it is wrong.
The robin suffers no such pangs, nor does the hawk which may someday eat the robin.
Personally I believe in a higher power and am vegan. In fact I believe we are closer to God when we cause no suffering to any other being. This is impossible to do as a meat eater, though there are things they can do to curb the amount of suffering.
It's interesting to note that before the fall there was no death, hence there was no killing of animals for food. In fact at that time the Torah mentions only plant matter of the garden was for food. There is no mention of animals being killed for food before Adam and Eve "sinned".
This is absolutely true. I can verify this as I was a Christian fundamentalist for several years and only read the bible unless there was a class assignment. I've read the whole collection of books (called the cannon) several times over.
Regardless this does not matter as I do not believe the bible to be inerrant, though it does contain some useful information and insights. On the other hand there are gruesome parts to it as well including whole sale genocide. So unless one is going to accept those portions as being Godly then I'd be careful what you cite in the bible as justification of ones moral belief system.
Personally I believe there are more nuanced versions of spirituality which until relatively recently in history were squelched out via many methods including, genocide. Just ask the Cathars' (a group of Christians that lived in general area of the south of France in the 1200's), if you can find a single one left.
As far as animals are for eating it really depends on several things. I believe one of the most sacred laws of nature is to never take more than you need. Some Indians hunted the Buffalo but only took their basic needs. White man came along and hunted them to the brink of extinction till their #'s where in the 100's. These animals were once so abundant they seemly covered the plains.
And what were these beautiful animals killed for? They were primarily killed for sport and their hides. Many Indians literally cried when they saw this type of behavior.
This same spirit of the white man still exists where we take much more than our needs dictate. Meat consumption in the past in most places and times was much less than it was today. Why is it different now? This is because of cheap government subsidized meat from humongous animal factory farms.
Most people really don't know where their food comes, and many more don't really care. They primarily are living for their desires and are not tapped into the greater spirit, that which interconnects everything.
In the end I believe this will eventually destroy us (if we don't "repent" which means simply to turn from whatever it was you were doing). But in the mean time there is tremendous suffering taking place. Literally about 50 billion animals are slaughtered world wide for human consumption. Can anyone really even conceive of that number?
I do my part by not eating meat or their by products all together. It is more than possible in today's modern world so I chose this lifestyle because I too believe in taking no more than I need.
I want to be optimistic and believe a mass cultural transformation will take place. I am open to such a possibility hence I continue to try and make a difference via my lifestyle as well as encouraging and educating others to be able to do the same.
Many Blessings
well i think its anybodys choice if they want to eat meat or not but i hate it when people say the animals are just for eating
Exactly! That is exactly what I said! How could someone have thoughts so much like mine!? I mean, you nailed it! This should answer your question.
http://www.peta.org/AutomatedCards/CardF...http://www.peta.org/AutomatedCards/CardF...
As a pantheist, I believe that God IS the universe. I believe we are parts the whole made manifest so that the universe can understand itself. I'm not willing to say that my experience as a human being is more important to the universe than a cow's experience. I don't know how I could possibly know for sure. If the universe didn't need or want the cow's experience, it probably wouldn't exist in the first place. I reject the idea that any species is *for* another. We're all for the universe as far as I'm concerned, however vague that may be.
Even assuming that God exists, and the possibility that He or She put animals on Earth to be eaten, I doubt a supreme being would approve of factory farming, veal crates, gestation crates, battery cages....
From the Christian Vegetarian Association: "ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE, God granted humanity “dominion” over God’s Creation. More and more, faithful Christians are coming to see “dominion” as a sacred responsibility, rather than as a license to do whatever we want with the earth or God’s animals. Our dominion over God’s Creation should be patterned on God’s loving, compassionate dominion over us. If we fail to show love for God’s Creation or mercy for God’s creatures, should we expect God to protect us from the consequences of our own heartlessness and self-indulgence?"
You know what I never see pictures of? Adam and Eve digging into a nice big piece of steak. Or Cutting into an animal- with their- hands, knife(haha)? Hmm. You always picture them- in gorgeous fields or forests "eating the fruit of the land" berries, apples (haha)- etc.
I'm Buddhist. So I believe that harming animals for that quarter pounder that just made its way on the dollar menu- is wrong.
But was raised christian.. I think there are interpretations to anything. I think G-d knew what he was doing- he knew what humans would do. He may say no- but look at the apple. People are programmed to not follow the rules. He made our intestines veggie friendly. Look how many undiscovered veggies there are! Just be thankful we don't pop any veins on toilet. But its a whole different story if you put this into perspective from the first primitive humans, rather than religious views.
I don't believe in God.
Edit: What else do you want to know? I don't believe in God. So the question of whether or not He put animals here for me to eat is moot.
Animals are for eating. Being vegetarian is a matter of choice, not because animals are inedible. The argument that humans are animals, why don't we eat is other is riduculous - we are a lot different to a chicken running around in the farm. The fact that nothing is eating us is because we are currently at the top of the food chain. If God does exist, I think he has more to worry about than vegetarians.
peace.
Okay Scottie my old fiend, you cannot limit your question to certain classes. That would be discrimination. Anyways, to answer your question, there is no answer. Everybody on this planet has a different perception of what God is, no two people's are going to be the same. My God might have said it is okay to use animals for food or whatever in a way that is humane. Another person's God might say something different. Anyways, the point being there is no theological way of knowing exactly God intended for us to do with animals. Personally, what do I think of the whole animals are for eating thing, I agree with it. Animals are for meat purposes. However, we do live in an age where we can substitute other choices for meat if we so choose to do that.