I was thinking today, instead of paying attention in lecture, that morality surrounding animals is quite funny. Being mammals, it seems we tend to have an affinity for other mammals, particularly baby mammals (there are studies on this -head size/body ratio). Is it immoral to kill any animal if it will be used? For example would it be immoral if I was hungry and had to kill a dog to eat it or what makes a cow better than a dog? (Taste maybe?)

I guess I'm getting at how do we value another species life? Cow vs Chicken vs Dog vs Cat vs Spider vs Wasps. I just don't really see much consistency in what's acceptable and what isn't. From a functionality standpoint a spider is probably way more important than a cow (since they've been domesticated and I think buffalo naturally belong in the US not cows).

This is basically the ethics of killing animals GO! 

I'm a vegan because I don't need animal products. Its not moral if you don't need it. I live in a country where there are simple alternatives to everything, thus I don't need it. It would be different if I lived in a third world country.

Well if you're talking on an individual level, that just depends on every person. We all grow up with our own values which are influenced by our society and people around us. We mainly rely on dogs as companions and to protect us and our property, so we have a bond with them. It's natural that we'd be more reluctant to want to harm them.

Other animals have a similar system set up. They cooperate with certain other species and don't bother each other, sometimes they even rely on each other, but they'll go after other animals for food or territorial reasons.

hi Ill have a Big Mac.

well... if u actually need to eat or something, well i guess it's fine to kill an animal. but if u are just doing it for fun... well, i don't like that. I go fishing, and hunting, but i eat everything.... so yeah.

@Moongoddess -Do you eat grains reaped with combines? I'm just wondering like how one gets around that industrial life kills animals and creatuers everyday. Yet most of us using the internet tubes or what have you are part of industrial society - buying from stores, packaged vitamins (most calcium in supps is from coral or shells). Where is the cut off? Is it not nobler to eat a creature for subsistence rather than indirectly killing one by buying products produced industrially, from wood, farmed on a large scale (read how many small animals are killed by combines) etc.?

I've considered becoming a vegetarian, not necessarily vegan but I just have trouble rationalizing it. I'm not trying to single you out. If any other vegans read this and can help me out I would appreciate it.

Like I said. Its a need thing. I'm not less happy eating this way, so why the hell not? We already know the cons of the meat and dairy industries.

And that whole killing the wildlife on the farm thing- We all know this. I mentioned that in an essay I wrote a year ago. Its a bad argument. Far more farm land is required to grow the feed to produce meat than is required to feed people.

We don't live in hunter-gatherer societies, and we can't really get away with going back to it either considering the whole land ownership thing and needing to make money. Thus your point is sort of moot.

Kill it only if it poses a threat to you and/or your family or if its going to kill other humans, or if you're going to use it in some way (food, clothing, etc.).

Killing something for no reason or simply for sport, I believe, is immoral in my book.

 Edit : This comment was rude. My point was that I think if we collectively wanted to help animals it would take much more sacrifice. I think consumerism, growing population and 'animal rights' are definitely mutually exclusive. That's all

I have no problem with it, but then again I grew up on a farm where we slaughtered our own cows (beefalo!).