The Student Room Group

Why is eating animals okay, but not humans?

Scroll to see replies

Original post by swirly
Why do we draw the distinction between the meat from a dead, decaying animal, and a dead, decaying human?


But we don't tend to eat animals which have died of old age etc. So unless you like the idea of killing young healthy plump humans for food then its not a good idea.
We don't eat decaying meat. We eat meat that's been kept fresh through refrigeration/freezing or cured.



First a sword and now this. I'm getting worried. :lol:
Original post by RachaelBee
That is not the same as humans eating animals though. Lions are obligate carnivores, humans can manage without meat.


Humans can't really manage though. They either eat meat subsititute or take vitamin/mineral tablets to compensate. Showing we need meat in our diets.
Original post by anosmianAcrimony
The evolutionary reason we have a cannibalism taboo is probably because eating one's own species allows prion diseases to spread quite easily.


Original post by Stiff Little Fingers
Because cannibalism will spread prion diseases like Kuru - it's very poorly advised. Why do veggies and vegans still think this is a remotely persuasive argument?


This.
Original post by JamesN88
We don't eat decaying meat. We eat meat that's been kept fresh through refrigeration/freezing or cured.



First a sword and now this. I'm getting worried. :lol:


Don't worry, James, the only time I'd ever consider eating human meat is if I was in a desperate situation and the person had died already. From a scientific perspective eating the brains of other humans might be bad for us though
Reply 65
Original post by VMD100
Showing we need meat in our diets.


Interesting you should say that when all signs would point to humans not being designed to digest and ingest meat.

Meat-eaters: have claws
Herbivores: no claws
Humans: no claws

Meat-eaters: have no skin pores and perspire through the tongue
Herbivores: perspire through skin pores
Humans: perspire through skin pores

Meat-eaters: have sharp front teeth for tearing, with no flat molar teeth for grinding
Herbivores: no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for grinding
Humans: no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for grinding

Meat-eaters: have intestinal tract that is only 3 times their body length so that rapidly decaying meat can pass through quickly
Herbivores: have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length.
Humans: have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length.

Meat-eaters: have strong hydrochloric acid in stomach to digest meat
Herbivores: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a meat-eater
Humans: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a meat-eater

Meat-eaters: salivary glands in mouth not needed to pre-digest grains and fruits.
Herbivores: well-developed salivary glands which are necessary to pre-digest grains and fruits
Humans: well-developed salivary glands, which are necessary to pre-digest, grains and fruits

Meat-eaters: have acid saliva with no enzyme ptyalin to pre-digest grains
Herbivores: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains
Humans: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains

Clearly if humans were meant to eat meat we wouldn't have so many crucial ingestive/digestive similarities with animals that are herbivores.

Now if you're going to say humans are omnivores, then why don't we eat raw meat? All omnivorous and carnivorous animals eat their meat raw. When a lion kills an herbivore for food, it tears right into the stomach area to eat the organs that are filled with blood (nutrients). While eating the stomach, liver, intestine, etc., the lion laps the blood in the process of eating the dead animal's flesh. Even bears that are omnivores eat salmon raw. If a deer is burned in a forest fire a carnivorous animal will NOT eat its flesh. Even circus lions have to be feed raw meat so that they will not starve to death. If humans were truly meant to eat meat then we would eat all of our meat raw and bloody. The thought of eating such meat makes one’s stomach turn. If we are true carnivores or omnivores we would eat animal flesh raw and bloody. Cooking our meat and seasoning it with salt, ketchup, mayo, mustard or tabasco sauce disguise the awful taste of flesh. This is the only way we as humans would eat meat because we refuse to eat it raw and bloody like real carnivores.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by swirly
Interesting you should say that when all signs would point to humans not being designed to digest and ingest meat.

Meat-eaters: have claws
Herbivores: no claws
Humans: no claws

Meat-eaters: have no skin pores and perspire through the tongue
Herbivores: perspire through skin pores
Humans: perspire through skin pores

Meat-eaters: have sharp front teeth for tearing, with no flat molar teeth for grinding
Herbivores: no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for grinding
Humans: no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for grinding

Meat-eaters: have intestinal tract that is only 3 times their body length so that rapidly decaying meat can pass through quickly
Herbivores: have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length.
Humans: have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length.

Meat-eaters: have strong hydrochloric acid in stomach to digest meat
Herbivores: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a meat-eater
Humans: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a meat-eater

Meat-eaters: salivary glands in mouth not needed to pre-digest grains and fruits.
Herbivores: well-developed salivary glands which are necessary to pre-digest grains and fruits
Humans: well-developed salivary glands, which are necessary to pre-digest, grains and fruits

Meat-eaters: have acid saliva with no enzyme ptyalin to pre-digest grains
Herbivores: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains
Humans: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains

Clearly if humans were meant to eat meat we wouldn't have so many crucial ingestive/digestive similarities with animals that are herbivores.

Now if you're going to say humans are omnivores, then why don't we eat raw meat? All omnivorous and carnivorous animals eat their meat raw. When a lion kills an herbivore for food, it tears right into the stomach area to eat the organs that are filled with blood (nutrients). While eating the stomach, liver, intestine, etc., the lion laps the blood in the process of eating the dead animal's flesh. Even bears that are omnivores eat salmon raw. If a deer is burned in a forest fire a carnivorous animal will NOT eat its flesh. Even circus lions have to be feed raw meat so that they will not starve to death. If humans were truly meant to eat meat then we would eat all of our meat raw and bloody. The thought of eating such meat makes one’s stomach turn. If we are true carnivores or omnivores we would eat animal flesh raw and bloody. Cooking our meat and seasoning it with salt, ketchup, mayo, mustard or tabasco sauce disguise the awful taste of flesh. This is the only way we as humans would eat meat because we refuse to eat it raw and bloody like real carnivores.


There are plenty of humans out there that do eat meat raw, particularly hunters suprisingly in North America. Look at Africa where to stay hydrated and gain nutrition they drink the blood of goats through a straw. We don't eat raw meat because we don't need to. But we could. I like my steak as rare as it comes :smile:
Reply 67
Original post by VMD100
There are plenty of humans out there that do eat meat raw, particularly hunters suprisingly in North America. Look at Africa where to stay hydrated and gain nutrition they drink the blood of goats through a straw. We don't eat raw meat because we don't need to. But we could. I like my steak as rare as it comes :smile:


Hope you get salmonella :smile:
Original post by swirly
Hope you get salmonella :smile:

Damn, almost dropped my bacon sandwich then :wink:
Reply 69
Tbh I was kind of hoping this was a pro-cannibalism thread, but alas, it's a vegan/vegetarian thing again :colonhash:

Spoiler

Reply 70
I mean I've defended many things that people find distasteful, but I draw the line at cannibalism..
Reply 71
Original post by MPH125
Tbh I was kind of hoping this was a pro-cannibalism thread, but alas, it's a vegan/vegetarian thing again :colonhash:

Spoiler



Bait out the biggest vegan you know
Original post by VMD100
Humans can't really manage though. They either eat meat subsititute or take vitamin/mineral tablets to compensate. Showing we need meat in our diets.


But we are able to source a meat substitute (certainly in many parts of the world, albeit far from all) and that's kind of the crucial thing; it's a substitute and not actual meat. In my eyes everyone is free to eat what they like, it's not really my business, so I'm not going to try to convert anyone I just don't think lions vs humans is the best argument to put forward!
Original post by swirly
Interesting you should say that when all signs would point to humans not being designed to digest and ingest meat.

Meat-eaters: have claws
Herbivores: no claws
Humans: no claws

Meat-eaters: have no skin pores and perspire through the tongue
Herbivores: perspire through skin pores
Humans: perspire through skin pores

Meat-eaters: have sharp front teeth for tearing, with no flat molar teeth for grinding
Herbivores: no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for grinding
Humans: no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for grinding

Meat-eaters: have intestinal tract that is only 3 times their body length so that rapidly decaying meat can pass through quickly
Herbivores: have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length.
Humans: have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length.

Meat-eaters: have strong hydrochloric acid in stomach to digest meat
Herbivores: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a meat-eater
Humans: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a meat-eater

Meat-eaters: salivary glands in mouth not needed to pre-digest grains and fruits.
Herbivores: well-developed salivary glands which are necessary to pre-digest grains and fruits
Humans: well-developed salivary glands, which are necessary to pre-digest, grains and fruits

Meat-eaters: have acid saliva with no enzyme ptyalin to pre-digest grains
Herbivores: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains
Humans: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains

Clearly if humans were meant to eat meat we wouldn't have so many crucial ingestive/digestive similarities with animals that are herbivores.

Now if you're going to say humans are omnivores, then why don't we eat raw meat? All omnivorous and carnivorous animals eat their meat raw. When a lion kills an herbivore for food, it tears right into the stomach area to eat the organs that are filled with blood (nutrients). While eating the stomach, liver, intestine, etc., the lion laps the blood in the process of eating the dead animal's flesh. Even bears that are omnivores eat salmon raw. If a deer is burned in a forest fire a carnivorous animal will NOT eat its flesh. Even circus lions have to be feed raw meat so that they will not starve to death. If humans were truly meant to eat meat then we would eat all of our meat raw and bloody. The thought of eating such meat makes one’s stomach turn. If we are true carnivores or omnivores we would eat animal flesh raw and bloody. Cooking our meat and seasoning it with salt, ketchup, mayo, mustard or tabasco sauce disguise the awful taste of flesh. This is the only way we as humans would eat meat because we refuse to eat it raw and bloody like real carnivores.


Pretty much all of this is utter *******s, for one you're comparing carnivores and herbivores, not omnivores (which humans are), the stomach ph one is an outright lie (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4519257/) - our stomach ph actually sits about midway between carnivores and herbivores. The stuff about sweat is irrelevant, the claws bit is wrong and an over simplification (ever seen a koala bear) and then having the adaptations to each grains and fruit just demonstrates we can eat grains and fruit, says nothing about whether we can eat meat.




Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 74
The signs were all there.
Original post by swirly
Why do we draw the distinction between the meat from a dead, decaying animal, and a dead, decaying human?


what a stupid question

Quick Reply

Latest