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Originally Posted by SmokeyTheBear
ok so we will compare squirrels and crows because they are found in fields and killed to grow veggies , compared to cows that are killed for my steak..
squirrels and crows are far smarter than a cow so you kill smart things to achieve a goal i kill dumber animals to achieve a goal .
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This argument is a bit of a strawman. While of course there will be some accidental casualties (mostly among the old or injured), generally crows or squirrels are quite capable of avoiding farm equipment with a wide safety margin. The noise alone would drive them out of harms way long before they're threatened. I've seen our cat try to catch both, through speed or stealth, but I've only seen her be successful against lesser creatures (lizards or snakes or small mice). They've evolved to be aware of their surroundings and fast enough to escape any potential danger. If not, at least that's a fair example of Darwinism. Farm animals don't get a chance to survive on their merits, so you're not even offering them the option of evolution.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SmokeyTheBear
i am not advocating killing our own species i am advocating kiling another so its a rather strange comparison. I will tweak it a bit as a better comparison. If a smarter life form such as aliens were growing humans for spare body parts , would it be ethical ? for them or us ? heh, i could understand it.
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It's not a strange comparison when you consider that you are distant cousins, descended from the same prehistoric beasties on the same planet, very similar genetically; so similar that we test our medicine on them first, and are now on the verge of cross-species organ transplants. The animals you eat are very nearly "human" with only relatively minor variations. They have similar emotions, because emotions are nothing more than inherited behaviors, genetic memory, acquired to advance the odds of your species survival. Your feelings are hardwired instructions triggering hormones, for utilitarian reasons only, not because you're some special creation. Some peoples egos won't allow them to acknowledge that, but much of the population felt the same way about other human races until recently. Our similarities outweigh our differences, which are mostly just in adapted form/function.
Because I wouldn't want your superior alien to harvest me, I try to follow the "do unto others" rule. I'm aware that my own continued existence isn't without cost and harm, but I'm not trying to find loopholes to justify ignoring the issue and not caring what happens to my fellow earthlings. I see the circle of life as a triage theatre; prioritize, help as many as you can, you can't save everyone.