Why are some people against eating meat but not against eating plants?

Both plants and animals are living and we have to eat something living in order to get energy right? Being that we can't do photosynthesis? Yet some species of animals eat other animals so why is it so wrong for us to eat animals and so ok for us to eat plants? I just feel that it is fine for me to eat meat and plants as long as I don't overeat it. Vegetarians always talk about animal abuse but if it's not ok to kill animals then what makes them feel that it is alright to kill plants? If it's wrong to kill animals so we can eat them then isn't it wrong to kill plants as well? What if your grandpa reincarnated into a flower?

If plants did not want to die or as you say, "do not have feelings" then why is it that some plants have defenses against predators?

I would like to answer your question two fold.. First by your own reasoning you should not eat animals .. The animals you consume eat far " more "vegetation then the average person ..thus you are not only eating the animal but you are eating everything that animal consumed over it's lifetime to keep it alive .. As most farm animals are breed specifically to be eaten you are causing more harm and double death so to speak .. Additional you should read about the methane released by farm animals destroying the planet , plant life, and water life .. Second I find it interesting that meat eaters attempt to use this frivolous argument to attack vegetarians .. Animals as you surely realize are sentient creatures the same as human ( animals ..remember we are part of the animal kingdom) ; they feel both pain and emotions as love, fear, terror ,sadness , etc .. they give care and love to their young .. and they suffer when they die ... Plants only have responses to their environment called tropisms .. they do not have a nervous system or brain to feel emotion or pain ... It would be really sad if you do not understand the basic anatomy difference between an animal and a plant .. I believe more so you are using this as an excuse to justify the killing of animals to merely satisfy your taste buds since it has been proven scientifically that you do not need to take their lives for your survival .. it would be more honest of you to say you eat animals because you like how they taste regardless of how it came to your table ..you need to do a lot of reading if you actually believe what you asked ........................................... Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?'
Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?'
Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?'
But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?'

And there comes a point when one must take a position that is
neither safe,
nor polite,
nor popular,
but one must take it because one's conscience tells one that
it is right.

Martin Luther King, Jr



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good point but you have to eat and i think vegitarians would rather eat somrthing that dosnt have feelings and cant feel being killed

Plants are alive and do respond to light and water, but they don鈥檛 feel pain. The ability to feel pain requires a brain, a central nervous system, and pain receptors. All animals have these things. Plants do not. We all understand that there is a fundamental difference between cutting your lawn and cutting off a cat鈥檚 tail and between breaking up a head of lettuce and bashing in a dog鈥檚 head. Animals are made of flesh, bones, blood, and fat, just as we are. They feel pain, just as we do.

I think it's because people can readily see the cruelty of the of the modern meat industry. It's all about reducing cost and increasing efficiency. The meat industry has lost all sense of respect for animals.

Plants don't seem to show their feelings when they are being harvested.

Go pick some lettuce or apples or pears, then go grab a chicken and kill it and tell me which one disturbed you more.

"Yet some species of animals eat other animals" Yes, because they either require the nutrients in meat or out of necessity. Humans do not require meat to survive. We choose to kill animals so that we can experience the pleasure of consuming their flesh for 15 minutes.

"why is it so wrong for us to eat animals" Why is your dinner more important than the life of the animal that you want to eat? It's a waste, seeing as how humans do not need meat to live.

"so ok for us to eat plants" and "then what makes them feel that it is alright to kill plants" and "then isn't it wrong to kill plants as well?" Do you really believe that plants and animals are the same thing? Really? Because if you do, then you'll never understand basic biology and the basic concepts behind vegetarianism. It's not worth the time to expalin because you can't grasp basic facts.

"that it is fine for me to eat meat and plants as long as I don't overeat it" The thing is, by even eating meat, you are overeating it. Why would consumption amount effect your conscience?

"What if your grandpa reincarnated into a flower?" In a sense, he is. His organic matter has been converted into food for the flower. You know, the circle of life. And I'd eat that flower in a second (granted it's not toxic or anything).

Photosynthesis is exactly the reason plants are eaten. They are designed to bring in energy from the sun onto the Earth. Without that, there would be no more energy on the Earth it would eventually be consumed.

If you look at (many) plants and fruits you can see they are designed to be eaten to spread their seeds.

Plants are the most basic thing that can be eaten by humans and the most environmentally efficient. Every process has waste and adding a step of feeding plants to animals and then animals to people wastes energy.

Most people tend to oppose the meat industry since it is now a machine that processes animals in the cheapest way possible, which is generally not the most humane way.

It may be possible for someone to reincarnate into a flower, but I was taught that reincarnation is generally among animal forms.

not me I eat both

Plants do not feel pain. Plants might have a stress-avoidance response, but it is quite a stretch to refer to this as 鈥減ain.鈥?It is even more erroneous to equate this response with the pain suffered by animals and human beings. Plants lack nerve endings, brains, hormones, and other structures that would allow them to experience pain. They also lack the ability to move away from sources of stress, an evolutionary trait linked with the ability to feel pain.

Even those who argue that plants feel pain and suffer should support a vegetarian diet because the number of plants that must be fed to an animal to produce enough meat for one human is greater than the number of plants required to feed that same human if he or she ate the plants directly. Meat-eaters are responsible for 鈥渒illing鈥?10 times more plants than vegetarians, and they also kill and cause suffering to animals.

The argument that plants feel pain and suffer and that killing them is as bad as killing animals is weak and illogical. Those who use this argument to justify their continued consumption of meat should attempt to approach the debate in a more logical, scientific manner.

Just another false argument made by people who eat meat in order to justify what they do. This always amazes me, they say that they do not feel bad about eating animals yet they are always trying to justify why they eat the way they do.

good question, i guess it is beacuse they have no heart and don't have feelings, While animals do :)

Because plants dont have feelings !duh

small children are usually against eating plants, and people don't think about it because they don't scream and mostly because they don't have faces to contort into cute little expressions that you can then think of them saying something like "thanks for not eating me, i love you and my mommy"

I think it is because plants don't have eyes that can look at you as you stab them in the back of the skull. Also, their arms and legs don't twitch as the blood slowly drains out of their bodies.

People tend to not feel so guilty about eating a plant. Plus, we have to eat something.

You know how when you go to write your question there's a whole list of other questions that come up and you can see if your question has already been answered? This is one of those questions that has been asked a lot of times.

Most fruits and vegetables are designed to be eaten. They attract insects and animals to them to be pollinated and eaten. A lot of plants rely on animals to eat them an then poop out the seeds to spred the seeds - the poop acts as a fetilizer to make the seed grow. This is the natural order. There are very few plants the we eat that have defenses to keep animals from eating them. The whole purpose of plants is to provide the animals of the planet with sustenance and oxygen. It is the natural order of things.

Animals have built in protection, too, to be kept from eating. They make people sick. Animal proteins cause heart diseases and some cancers and a bunch of other horrible stuff. Did you know by eating meat when you're young and throughout your child bearing years you increase your chance of breast cancer? Nature doesn't want us to eat things that make us sick. That's why eating animals hurts our bodies. Maybe not right away, but certainly over time.

beacause plants ane well just that a plant. but an Animal has feelings like You and Me.
and if youre asking that why dont you ask why people are against eating humans? .
We are the same as animals(well MOST humans have higher IQ the Animals).

They all have their personal views, but in reality, either is alright.

ALLAH SWT in the Quran says this food is for us to eat, but of course, plants can be eaten, but meat animals must be killed in the name of ALLAH SWT , therefore considered halal.

Salam and Peace !

Because plants have no brain, thus can't feel any pain, happiness, loss, fear or have young or a flock like animals do. Plus we need plants in order to survive, meat we do not need.

As for other animals, those who eat meat DO need it to survive, unlike us. The animals who don't need meat to survive do NOT eat meat, also unlike us.

No, I'm not preaching as I'm not a vegetarian, but I used to be and the facts still remain regardless.

many vegitarians dont eat meat not necessarily because they are animal lovers but because they want to eat "low on the food chain". only 10 % of the energy at one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level. for example it takes 10 calories of chicken feed to produce 1 calorie of chicken meat. therefore its more resourceful (cheaper) and environmentally friendly to eat plant based food.

but it is the way that the animals are killed, and when people act as if they dont have feeling or dont deserve to live just because they dont have as high order thinking brain as we do. plants on the other hand do not have brains, or heart but they are living. but if people think we should eat plants and we dont think we should eat meat what else is there?

You know I tried this Argument when I still consumed meat.. I realize now Its just an Excuse. You have no comprehension of a Vegetarian or Vegan diet and to make yourself feel better for killing all those innocent cows.. You Say " Nuh uh Well your not better than me you kill innocent Plants.." Fact of matter No plant ever writhed in agony the moment it was killed... So yeah I and every other Vegetarian is better than you..We no longer contribute to Stomach turning torture.... You can't beat the V And V community with the " Plants feel Pain argument" Plants react to their environment but it has been proved they don't suffer.... Wanna see why I made the leap into Vegetarianism? Follow the link if you are brave and have a strong stomach ....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2stEwDswI...

Oh and Vanity your an Idiot.. Who asked the question? Who is Harassing who? Were you brave enough to watch Slaughterhouse torture? This person came into the V and V feeling like well this'll get em.. Ha ha ha... It is a fact they react however they do not feel pain.. It has been studied fool... People wanted to know...

Yes... plants are living things
Animals are living AND sentient...
Although some vegetarians are such simply because of health reasons, others are, primarily, for ethical/spiritual reasons (Ahimsa).
It's not JUST about whether they are living - it's about avoid suffering which a living thing can only PERCEIVE if it is SENTIENT (i.e. has Senses).
Have you ever watched animals being slaughter???
-Not quite the same experience as cutting up carrots...

I'm glad you brought this up. I am primarily vegetarian [I eat fish occasionally]. I don't really distinguish much of a difference between eating plants and eating animals. They're both living. I feel they're both sentient. You are taking a life either way. Many veg. will tell you they will eat nothing with a face. O.K., that's their choice.

The reason I stopped eating meat is because I don't like the way we treat our food. Commercial meat production is an unfortunate business... especially for the animals. And I'm not just referring to the end of their lives.

If the saying, you are what you eat, is true [and I believe it to be] then when we eat most of the commercial meat products
on the market, we are taking sad, mistreated energy into ourselves.

There are producers who work hard to treat their animals w/more care. Do some research.

because plants dont have nerves and cant feel, and animals aren't just killed, they're dipped in boiling water and skinned, all while they're still alive
http://www.peta2.com

Because if any vegetarian gave up eating plants, they would starve to death.

Animals and plants can't really be compared that way. Animals have families, they exhibit many humanlike traits, and they will cry out in pain if they're injured. Plants don't.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says,
that He does not accept offerings of meat, fish and eggs. We only eat what is first offered to Krishna, therefore we only eat the foods that Sri Krishna accepts.

In the Bible I see there is also a verse that says

And God said, "Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

According to sastra it is also sinful to kill ANY living thing, including vegetables. But food which is offered to Krishna is pure and free of bad karma. In fact, the vegetables and grains, get a higher birth when offered to the Supreme Lord.

In this beautiful prayer, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur explains,

>>This material body is a lump of ignorance, and the senses are a network of paths leading to death.

Of all the senses the tongue is the most varacious, and uncontrolable, but You dear Krishna are so kind, that You have given us this nice prasadam, (offered food), just to control the tongue.
So now let us take this prasadam, to our full satisfaction and with love call for the help of prabhu Nityananda and Gauranga.!!!

Personally, I wouldnt want to eat something that ran away from me, or that had a face. Bones, blood, intestines, etc are meant for tigers.

p.s. In Satya yuga, powerful and intelligent Yogis, would live on a most nonviolent diet, of fruits and milk. (from fruits that drop to the ground and from cows that wanted to give milk)

(our cow didnt have a calf, but one day she decided to give milk and, three years later, she is still giving!!)

They're both tasty. Meat is just more tasty... I don't know if that answers your question or not.

Because they are hypocrites. There was a study that said that plants release rapidly chemicals when they were cut. That means that they feel PAIN.

Scientists Prove Plants Feel Pain, Vegans Face Starvation

DALLAS--Research scientists at Baylor Medical Center have proven that plants, including vegetables, feel pain when subjected to trauma such as being yanked out of the ground, peeled, cooked, and eaten. "Veggies and plants initiate a massive hormone and chemical barrage internally when they suffer any kind of injury," says professor Barry Lindzer. "This response is akin to the nerve response and endorphin release when an animal is injured. We cannot ignore the similarities.

there are people who say animals arent intellegent or have feelings because they cant be compared to humans...that's the same that vegetarians and vegans say about plants to abuse and eat them turn them in vegetable oil.
they are hypocrites some dumb and all of them both...lol. plants do have families...tree groves...yards...fruit like apples and oranges that have seeds or their children. Tree would be the grandparent the fruit or nut the parent and the seed the child...as for cutting or stabing you dont know if it feels pain and how do you know it doesnt make noise do you speak vege?
your salad and chopping is just as much torchure or more to a living plant as a burger is to a cow
it's a food chain & i wish vegetarians and vegans would shut up eat their grain & leave meat eaters alone they arent better actually look at this...if all people are vegan or vegetarian...pigs cows are vegetarian we have to build homes and have areas for them to live and graze well that kills the vegetation on this planet & then no photosyntesis and no oxygen=death to us all.