[Buddha-l] on eating meat

[Stephen Hodge]

Dear Alberto,

> At night we often see deer crossing roads and sometimes people run over 
> them, accidentally, of course. Why should there be anything wrong about 
> eating that meat?
I agree with you -- if one really wants to eat meat, then fresh road-kill 
would be acceptable.  Myself, I just don't want to eat meat anyway -- the 
aesthetics don't appeal too much besides all the other factors.

>Apart from the obvious fact of not wanting to have animals killed for me, I 
>also don't want to give my financial support to one of the worst industries 
>on earth.

Our unrepentent carnivorous USAn colleagues might find the pdf (Our 
Worldwide Meat Crisis) at this web address sobering food for thought:

http://remnantprophecy.sdaglobal.org/Librarypdf/Health/Meat-Dangers.pdf

If the idea of the suffering and exploitation inflicted upon animals 
(speciesism) does not sway, then the health risks to themselves might be 
worrying -- and I do not mean the danger of increased cholesterol, but 
things like the presence of fecal matter (shit) in 78% of USAn ground meat 
(for beefburgers), the way in which the spread of vCJD there is being 
concealed as Alzheimer's, etc.  Athough the situation is a bit better in 
Western Europe, I imagine that much of the information still applies.  Note 
also George Monbiot's article in todays' Guardian (18/10/05) about the 
problems with Brazilian beef -- apart from the obvious issue, it also 
involves slavery, destruction of the rain-forest, murder etc etc.

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge