Guest guest Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for whites or women for men - Alice Walker --- On Sun, 1/25/09, SV <shavig wrote: SV <shavig why are they here? Sunday, January 25, 2009, 7:55 AM I work with teenagers in a technical high school. I am grateful for my job, but it is a learning high school and I am the assistant to the chef in the Culinary Arts Department. Every chance I get I throw in a little info about the health benefits of NOT eating animals. Of course it goes over like the proverbial lead balloon. Friday I had a kid ask me " what would be the animals' purpose if we stopped eating them? " " What was their original purpose? " He got me. I told him I'd get back to him with an answer (and congratulated him for thinking!). Any input would be appreciated. All I can come up with is fertilizer. Thanks, Shari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Ya know, I saw the funniest bumper sticker a while ago. It said: " If we're not supposed to eat people, then how come they're made of meat? " On Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 7:55 AM, SV <shavig wrote: > I work with teenagers in a technical high school. I am grateful for my > job, but it is a learning high school and I am the assistant to the chef in > the Culinary Arts Department. Every chance I get I throw in a little info > about the health benefits of NOT eating animals. Of course it goes over like > the proverbial lead balloon. > > Friday I had a kid ask me " what would be the animals' purpose if we stopped > eating them? " " What was their original purpose? " > > He got me. I told him I'd get back to him with an answer (and congratulated > him for thinking!). > > Any input would be appreciated. All I can come up with is fertilizer. > > Thanks, Shari > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 27, 2009 Report Share Posted January 27, 2009 > SV > Friday I had a kid ask me " what would be the animals' purpose if we stopped eating them? " " What was their original purpose? " Shari, you might also find insight from Alice Walker's quote: " The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men. " It implies that while we may not always know the reasons, the reasons are still there. And we don't even have to know the reasons in order to appreciate the value of them. We have interfered greatly in the purpose of domesticated-for-food animals, so we don't know their " original purpose, " and in that sense their purpose is probably moot, but that doesn't mean we have to eat them. If we stopped breeding them for meat and allow them to return to normal populations, we may (re-)discover their original purpose, which would be exciting! (We also might find that we've altered them so much that they would go extinct, which might be ok. Maybe the dodo bird's purpose was filled, and so it went extinct.) That was a great question from a teen, and I think it'll start an intersting conversation in class! Doh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 27, 2009 Report Share Posted January 27, 2009 I want to thank everyone for their input about animals and their lives. It has all been very helpful and of course when I went armed with all this great insight, the kid doesn't even remember asking the question! Grrrrrrrrr.................. Thanks anyway because now I know and will keep this information for future discussions. Shari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 It occurs to me that they could have been created for two reasons. The first is to be pleasing to the eye. Something that is not like us, is fun to watch and brings us pleasure. Second, it could have something to do with the eco system. They eat grass and leaves, some eat smaller animals and the like then they discard the waste which could is used to fertilize the ground. Just my thoughts on this subject. Alice MacKenzie , " Sidecar Manager " <manager wrote: > > > > SV > > > Friday I had a kid ask me " what would be the animals' purpose if we > stopped eating them? " " What was their original purpose? " > > > Shari, you might also find insight from Alice Walker's quote: > " The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not > made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women > created for men. " > > It implies that while we may not always know the reasons, the reasons > are still there. And we don't even have to know the reasons in order to > appreciate the value of them. We have interfered greatly in the purpose > of domesticated-for-food animals, so we don't know their " original > purpose, " and in that sense their purpose is probably moot, but that > doesn't mean we have to eat them. If we stopped breeding them for meat > and allow them to return to normal populations, we may (re-)discover > their original purpose, which would be exciting! (We also might find > that we've altered them so much that they would go extinct, which might > be ok. Maybe the dodo bird's purpose was filled, and so it went > extinct.) > > That was a great question from a teen, and I think it'll start an > intersting conversation in class! > Doh > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 > > Alice MacKenzie > It occurs to me that they could have been created for two reasons. The first is to be pleasing to the eye. Something that is not like us, is fun to watch and brings us pleasure. I'm guessing this is not why animals were created - I doubt they are here for the fun and pleasure of humans. It certainly wouldn't help our argument: if for our pleasure, then they *were* created for humans, and so why not for food as well? > Second, it could have something to do with the eco system. They eat grass and leaves, some eat smaller animals and the like then they discard the waste which could is used to fertilize the ground. Oh, most certainly! The point I was trying to make is that the animals we have domesticated are so UNlike the animals we bred them *from*. That is, they are no longer " natural " and so their place in the natural world is questionable. We can't really know what their purpose is, any more. But that doesn't negate the fact that they are not here for human use. Doh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 Maybe all the animals and insects, etc., were created to test us and see if we could successfully share this planet with them and live in peace! If so, I suspect we've failed fairly miserably! Before our ancestors discovered weapons and fire, we were likely more successful at sharing! Jeff > Second, it could have something > to do with the eco system. They eat grass and leaves, some eat > smaller animals and the like then they discard the waste which could > is used to fertilize the ground. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 I guess I will throw my two cents in on this issue. I watch animal planet alot. I would think they/cows are part of the food chain they are a grazing animal such as the gazell, zebra, goat or whatever. The question is>: Is man supposed to eat them or not? well unfrotunately or brains are so analitical we cant be sure when it is animal instinct or intelect. I will just choose for now not to eat them and try and go by my intuition on what I decide to eat for myself. If I was in the wild and starving and there were no plants would the instinct for survival take over. I suppose if ther were bugs I would eat them first. I watch Survivor Man, just saw him talk at REI. He said when he was starving he would try and fish or trap animals and 95% of the time he failed. He does not have guns or weapons. Eats a lot of bugs, plants and roots when he can find them, but mostly he is hungary. Since I have never seen a cow in the wild I would ask if they are a highbreed??? Thinking out loud Catherine - Jeff Rogers Wednesday, January 28, 2009 7:32 PM Re: Re: why are they here? Maybe all the animals and insects, etc., were created to test us and see if we could successfully share this planet with them and live in peace! If so, I suspect we've failed fairly miserably! Before our ancestors discovered weapons and fire, we were likely more successful at sharing! Jeff > Second, it could have something > to do with the eco system. They eat grass and leaves, some eat > smaller animals and the like then they discard the waste which could > is used to fertilize the ground. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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