[Buddha-l] Re: Buddhist pacifism

[curt]

Richard P. Hayes wrote:

>(Even though I completely agree
>with them, preachy vegetarians usually have the effect of making me want
>to take up cannibalism.) 
>  
>
Now you know how I feel about preachy pacifists. But back to that other 
controversy over "killing". Has anyone brought up anti-biotics yet this 
time around? If not, I will. If you take anti-biotics you are killing 
living organisms by the billions. What did you think "anti-biotic" 
means, anyway? Even medicines that simply "strengthen the immune" are 
designed with only one purpose: to kill kill kill. That's what your 
immune system is for: killing. We are each and every one of us killing 
machines. Right now you are hunting down and killing possibly millions 
of living beings at this very second!! Except for anyone who is 
unfortunate to have an immune system that no longer works.

Obviously you have to decide where to draw the line, and no one has a 
monopoly on where the right place is to draw the line. Especially 
preachy vegetarians. Hmmm, are pacifists against the "violence" of 
anti-biotics? How about the "violence" of that mass murderer: the immune 
system? What is the "justification" for defending oneself against diseases?

- Curt