Lifestyle & Interests > Food & Drink

Only logged in members can reply and interact with the post.
Join SimilarWorlds for FREE »

Do you sometimes feel guilty eating meat, if so, why?

I could never be a vegetarian or a vegan. I wish I could shiver in disgust the way they do at a steak or burger but I don't.
Bacon and egg.
Sirloin steak.
Roast chicken.
I don't even care if it is plain and without sauce or gravy.

P.S. I think it was a draw between swirlie and CULTure? I ended up blowing the pea out of my whistle.

Top | Newest First | Oldest First

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

No. Would a lion feel guilty for eating a Gazelle? I mean humans are omnivores as a human race but it begs the question, if [b][i]nothing[/i][/b] was ever meant to eat meat and if eating meat were cruel in nature, why did animals evolve to be obligate carnivores?

I mean that's kind of cruel towards lions and other obligates now isn't it. For it to be cruel to eat meat but at the same time need it or otherwise they die. Makes no sense to me.

The only thing that makes me feel a bit guilty is not knowing where my food comes from, if the animal dies quick, I don't feel so guilty but I know in factory farming it isn't like that. So that kind of makes the case for that but other than that, no I don't feel guilt, not anymore than a lion does.

View 9 more replies »

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

@Pikachu [quote]Does a lion feel guilty for eating gazelle? No because it has no ability to understand the implications of its actions nor the faculties to act any differently.[/quote]

The lion doesn't feel guilty because they are biological carnivores. If they could feel guilty, they'd just die of disease from not eating the way they're supposed to. So again, why are there obligate carnivores if eating meat was wrong.

Pikachu

@SatanBurger

I think you've entirely missed both points i made.
Let me reiterate them:

1) [quote]why are there obligate carnivores if eating meat was wrong.[/quote]
This is a logical fallacy known as the naturalistic fallacy. Eating meat is not right or wrong simply on the basis that it is natural.
An example which may help to illustrate this point: Lions kill the babies of other males. Why do lions kill babies if killing babies is wrong?
Do you see how this sort of argument is insufficient to justify human morality?

2) You and i are not lions. We are not obligate carnivores so there is no excuses that our biology demands it and this fact is not changed by the minority of the population who require it. I would no more demand that they have to give up meat than any other obligate carnivore.
Additionally, while the lion has no ability to understand or act upon the ethical implications of taking life, you and i do.
So again, while you may make the choice that you value the taste of an animal's flesh over that animal's life, you have no excuse not to recognize the ethical and moral issues with that choice.

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

@Pikachu [quote]This is a logical fallacy known as the naturalistic fallacy.[/quote]

Our omnivorous biology is natural. So where does the naturalistic fallacy end and begin?

Using it would be the naturalistic fallacy if I was using nature as an excuse but as you can see from my link above, there's tons of reasons why some simply can't be vegan.

Japanese people are super skinny because they have multiple copies of the starch enzyme in their salvia. They tested it and found that was the reason why Japanese people can handle a lot of starch while others can't.

Over [b]half the population can't convert beta carotene[/b] even with supplements.

These are the things to consider, at some point, using what is natural for your body is probably the logical answer.

[quote]So again, while you may make the choice that you value the taste of an animal's flesh over that animal's life[/quote]

Some people don't have a choice as to what their biology can handle while others do.

What if you were talking to someone who was allergic to nuts, seeds, grains and beans? In all honesty, plants are common allergens. It is just as common as lactose intolerance.

Trying to emotionally blackmail people with an emotional moral argument doesn't work.

BananaBrown · 41-45, F

YES
I’ve decided I am going to seriously try and change that, but I’m having to slowly phase things out. It’s too hard to quit everything in a day.

CastorTroy · 31-35, M

@BananaBrown It's probably best to do things gradually and get used to cooking differently, although there are meat substitutes. I have tried them but don't like them personally. Especially the bacon!

BananaBrown · 41-45, F

@CastorTroy I’ve always eaten meat. Growing up, a meal wasn’t a meal unless there was meat included. I love the taste, and I would never talk down to someone for choosing to eat it. For me personally, I am bothered by the idea of killing and eating something that has feeling, community, memory, etc. We didn’t used to know that was true, but now we do.
There are a lot of really tasty dishes that don’t include meat, but it takes awhile to adjust old habits. I’ll get there. 🙂

BlueVeins · 22-25

If you send me your gmail account, I can send you some recipes. I think what's most important is to think of veganism/reducitarianism as an opportunity to try some crazy new foods instead of having to sacrifice older foods that you adore. 🌺 I'm a picky either in general, don't much like making meat substitutes... except for bacon, I have an omni-approved bacon recipe.

ianon

I dont remember the last time I had it and it does gross me out in thought mostly. Not sure I'd feel guilty if I ate it. Sometimes when I can smell it because others around me are eating it I do get cravings. But thinking about the fact that I'm eating literal muscles and cells and fat of another living thing grosses me out too much to

View 7 more replies »

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

@SinlessOnslaught I don't. Plants and animals need each other to survive, it's this way on purpose. If you are bad then the millions of worms, bacteria, plants, animals are also equally terrible.

[b]https://www.english-online.at/biology/food-chain/food-chain.htm[/b]

SinlessOnslaught · 26-30, M

@SatanBurger True

CastorTroy · 31-35, M

@SinlessOnslaught Thought this was interesting.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-whispering-trees-180968084/

BalmyNites · F

The meat industry has a vast negative impact upon the environment & aside from anything else, red meats are bad for your heart. For these reasons, I’m slowly replacing meals with veggie options - I want to look after this planet for future generations & I’d like to live longer myself 💜

Elessar · 26-30, M

I'll choose stuff from small producers who, not only are likely to treat their animal much better than large industries, but also generally sell a higher quality product. Or even better, I used to fish my own dinner when we had a boat.

But aside from that, no. I'll support any stricter regulations towards guaranteeing livable conditions for animals in farms, and I'll gladly switch to synthetic meat when it'll be available, but I'm not planning to embrace veganism/vegetarianism anytime soon.

CastorTroy · 31-35, M

@Elessar I agree with you. The treatment of animals in the industry needs to change, why I like free-range or organic.

SW-User

@CastorTroy [c=004A59]Free range and organic are the only things I will buy.[/c]

Ryannnnnn · 31-35, M

I'm not anti-meat but I've stopped buying it from supermarkets as they contribute massively to factory farming and animal abuse. Fish is fine with me but recently I've concluded I can't hate abuse and play party to it at the same time.

BalmyNites · F

@Ryannnnnn Totally agree ❤️

SweetMae · 70-79, F

No.. I do not feel guilty. I try to buy from local sources.

View 3 more replies »

SweetMae · 70-79, F

@Pikachu So far I have avoided that.

Pikachu

@SweetMae

And indeed you should. So let's not pretend that because something is natural that it is morally correct.

SweetMae · 70-79, F

@Pikachu Don't assume we all agree with you or that we are wrong because we don't.

SammyJo · 51-55, F

I never feel guilty as I don't eat them! Simple!

Vegetarian since I was around 16....Vegan every Jan/Feb of every year for the last 6 or so....

SJD x

morrgin · F

I don't feel guilty. I can get grossed out. I like to pretend my meat comes from the store and it wasn't anywhere else before that. I have chickens, cows, and pigs. The idea was to have a working farm that feeds us. Now I'm stuck with a bunch of livestock and poultry as pets. So gross to eat them, but I will buy and eat chicken, beef, and pork from store.

CastorTroy · 31-35, M

@morrgin Yes, this is the reality of killing and eating your own livestock. I wouldn't be able to do it either.

ammelee · F

Yes, I don't like that something needs to die for me to stuff my face

Wordlover · F

Sometimes. I try to always eat organic, free range, high welfare meat. I never eat cheap meat as the animal would have had a terrible life treated with no respect and pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. Even so, guilt comes sometimes. Am considering a more thoughtful way forward, maybe be a veggie.

TheSirfurryanimalWales · 61-69, M

No.....

View 1 more replies »

TheSirfurryanimalWales · 61-69, M

@Yulianna lamb steaks are delicious..😀🐑

Yulianna · 22-25, F

@TheSirfurryanimalWales i hope Dolly appreciates you getting your teeth into her...

CastorTroy · 31-35, M

@TheSirfurryanimalWales Ahhh ..

Ladyred · 46-50, F

When did we decide we were too good for everything provided to us? Protein..its a basic nutrient that human beings need to evolve. What did we do grind that shit into powder and add, powdered steroids, because we know better than our bodies..ahhhhhhhhh! giggles(;

IndigoSavage · 22-25, F

Meat is murder

andreafg · 22-25, F

@IndigoSavage many things are murder

CastorTroy · 31-35, M

@IndigoSavage You are right of course, but animals will never be thought of as sentient beings even though they do have emotions like us. Until this is reasoned on then nothing will change. The meat industry has been around far too long to come to an end now even with vegans protesting against it all.

andreafg · 22-25, F

Why would you want to be disgusted by meat? it's delicious

But I guess if you really wanted, there may be some psychological trauma you could put yourlsef through to develop disgust for a particular food? That's usually how it happens for other people

CastorTroy · 31-35, M

@andreafg I think it's mainly the treatment of animals for some folk. Some do it for health reasons. I try to buy organic when I can even though it's more expensive.

Pikachu

Of course i feel guilty.
I'm taking an animal's life unnecessarily.

If you never feel guilty it's because you've never stopped to think about what your actually doing and connecting the meat on your plate with the living creature it came from.

maturedragon · 26-30, M

I don't feel guilty at all, always buy free-range and organic. although would like to try to hunt for the meat myself as that is the best way of doing it

CastorTroy · 31-35, M

@maturedragon Yeah, but it's the gutting that needs to be done. Eww.

maturedragon · 26-30, M

@CastorTroy extra food, probably a bit more desensitised as been watching a show called mountain men where these guys live in the wilderness and do everything on their own

CastorTroy · 31-35, M

@maturedragon 🤢

melissa001 · 51-55, F

I do at Thanksgiving. Too many turkey give their lives just because it a Holliday.

View 1 more replies »

melissa001 · 51-55, F

@CastorTroy they're adorable.

CastorTroy · 31-35, M

@melissa001 Yes, even female turkeys don't like drunken guys trying to chase them.

melissa001 · 51-55, F

@CastorTroy 😂

Rolexeo · 26-30, M

I didn't kill it and no matter how much I could rally and protest it'll never stop, so no

View 1 more replies »

Rolexeo · 26-30, M

@ianon Yeah, but I have no way to stop it

ianon

@Rolexeo you can stop contributing to it but yeah it would take a lot more people to stop it although millions are already vegan or vegetarian

Rolexeo · 26-30, M

@ianon It still wont help. Too many people will still buy

SW-User

[c=004A59]Sometimes, because I care about animals and how they are treated. I tried being vegetarian, but found I didn't feel as well and healthy.[/c]

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

I like surf and turfs... a nice medium rare steak with some creamy shrimp sauce on top and a bit of ghee ☺️

SW-User

Never crosses my mind when I’m enjoying a double cheeseburger

ianon

@SW-User that's ok because that's not even real meat

SW-User

@ianon 🙄

littlepuppywantanewlife · 31-35, M

I am a vegetarian. But also if you killed an animal in front of me I would think of it as a crime.

Lukeman · M

No. I don't eat animals or their byproducts. Never.

BridgeOvertroubledWaters · 61-69, M

I don't feel guilty at all 🍽️🥩

ViciDraco · 36-40, M

I never feel guilty about consuming meat. I was raised consuming meat. I helped raise some of the meat I have consumed.

Do I believe consuming meat is a moral or ethical matter? I do not. Do I believe the method in which we obtain our meat and raise our livestock is a moral or ethical matter? Yes, I do. We could be doing a lot more to provide happier and healthier lives for livestock, even if they are fated to be on a dinner plate.

Do I believe there are practical and environmental concerns with the consumption of meat? Yes, I do. Though meat has been a critical part of our evolutionary path and remains important to our diets, we are guilty of overconsumption of meat (as we are many things). Over consumption requires over production to meet demand, which puts stress on environmental limits.

However, let's face it. If we stopped eating meat, a number of domesticated species would quickly be endangered. We have wiped out far more animals through habitat destruction than simply eating them all. Is it really more ethical to have no cows rather than livestock cows?

riseofthemachine · 41-45, M

I do cause I love animals

TheOneyouwerewarnedabout · 41-45, MVIP

nope

MURD3RM0NK3Y · 26-30, M

Justmeraeagain · 56-60, F

Spoiledbrat · F

MarineBob · 56-60, M

samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

Yes, whenever i think about what the food is, and that the animal had been happy and oblivious to what was going to happen to it.

SW-User

I [i]sometimes[/i] feel guilty eating too much pie, ice cream, cake, etc but that feeling always passes quickly.

Massageman · 70-79, M

Guilty, schmilty. Wake me up when steak is ready!

eli1601 · 70-79, M

bijouxbroussard · F

No, I honestly don’t. I can appreciate the fact that more meat-processing plants are looking towards less cruelty in their methods, but I consider myself an omnivore.