On Vegetarianism

Vegetarians are interesting people. My father is one and while I love him deeply, I have always been slightly perplexed by his refusal to eat meat.

The reason he and other vegetarians give is that they find the consumption of animal flesh to be repulsive and cruel. They cannot accept inflicting pain upon another of God's creatures so we may sustain ourselves.

The moralistic perspective they have taken on the subject is an alluring aspect of vegetarianism. Who afterall, wishes to inflict unnecessary suffering on any living thing? A psychopath perhaps, but no person who is mentally well-adjusted would desire to visit upon an animal undue pain unless they felt they had to do so.

But why do they look at something that is perfectly natural--the consumption of meat--as immoral? Animals eat animals. Humans are animals. If a human was in the wild they would be seen as prey by whatever creature that stood at the top of the animal hierarchy.

I see little sense in applying morality to something that is done to guarantee the continuation of life.Meat eaters consume the flesh of other animals because of reasons of taste and nourishment, not because of reasons of malice.

Vegetarians will say that one cannot compare humans to animals for animals are guided by instincts that are amoral while humans have a developed conception of morality. While that maybe true that does not alter the fact that human beings are animals.Dining on other living creatures is as natural as mating.There is little room for moralizing when it comes to what one should or should not eat.

All this being said, I personally do not care what someone believes in so long as it does not impact my life, but that does not mean one should not analyze others beliefs(as well as their own) if for no other reason than to engage in intellectual calisthenics.

Vegetarianism is mystifying to me as pacificism. Both are on the surface based on noble intentions, but both are impractical in environments where there is no strong guiding structure.