this has certainly turned into an interesting discussion
on the topic of judeo-christian belief systems, AKA dominion/human supremecy etc, should not our supposed superiority over 'non-sentient' beings justify responsible stewardship of those creatures? if we are to harvest (in any use of the term) another creatures body and or by-products for our benefit do we not have the responsibility to maintain some sort of 'right to life' system? (such as quick and painless death, quality of life before slaughter etc)... IMO it makes no difference what the animal looks like on the outside, it simply comes down to the individual to chose to support (or not) the particular industry that provides them with any such meat they prefer.
For personal reasons i do not eat red meat, but by no means does this mean i judge others for the choices they make, that is the beauty of living in a country that allows freedom of speech and thought. however i feel that it is imperative for us to realise that just because someone does not share the sames values and beliefs as yourself does not make your way of thinking 'higher' or more correct, only different.
Each to their own, and be it on their own conscience. (that is not to say that i am not fundamentally against the slaughter of dolphins and whales in Japan etc) to put things into perspective, i've never felt so disgusted at being a member of the human race when one day i walked passed a Halal butcher and saw i tiny goat kid trotting around, the butcher was sitting on a stool sharpening some blades... you can guess what happened next.
oh and can i just say, that comment on 'respect our values when you're in aus, like we do when we're overseas...' mhm, uuuuuh, makes me wonder about all those aussie gals wondering around temples in thailand in shorts, singlet and thongs... taking photos... doesnt look like WE observe native culture and value systems when WE go overseas now does it? and 'ahem' respect our LAWS and legislation, not necessarily our values, we can hardly expect to call ourselves mutlicultural if we expect conformation to the 'norm' by everyone that we consider different.
oooh that was a bit of a rant now wasnt it?:lol: