Killing is something to think about seriously. There are always alternatives.
If given the chance, pigs are pleasant, intelligent and friendly animals. Pigs also love their family.
Killing animals is unnecessary. We should always question the necessity of ugly traditions and look for alternatives. Don’t we want a brighter future for our children? Red meat carries serious health risks, especially cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Is there a better way?
Stop eating animal flesh and join the club of love and life. People are healthier on a plant-based diet. I haven’t eaten meat, fish or egg for seven years. I haven’t eaten any milk or cheese for three years. It just feels good.
Eating the flesh of pigs causes incredible suffering to humans. The largest study of nutrition and disease ever, ‘The China Study’ has shown that the flesh and milk we eat causes cancer, heart diesease and diabetes. Hospitals are full of patients because of the animals we eat.
Many religions tell us not to kill or eat animals. Take a look at this video, it will blow your mind. It includes relevant passages from many of the world’s scriptures.
You can read the excerpts here, or watch the following video:
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsAGHSl9yLM&feature=channel_page 350 292]
Here are some other resources you’ll find interesting:
- Stop, Look and Listen: Recognizing the Sentience of Farm Animals (.pdf)
- What is Animal Sentience (Compassion in World Farming)(html)
- The Hidden Lives of Pigs (html)
And finally, the past has created the present, but the present is creating the future. Be creative and bold in your visions of tomorrow! Anything is possible. God bless.
UPDATE: Here’s a poem to touch your heart, written by a young lady many years ago, before she became an eminent spiritual teacher:
The day I met you first
Was the day of my birth
Pink and round, me oh so plump
With Mom I gaily frolicked.
Lovingly you looked at me
Praising, “Oh, so round, what a cutie!”
Every day you came by to visit
Bringing cool water and delicious veggie treats.
Mommy and I were so touched
Your kindness worth more than gold
I lived a peaceful life
Under your care and protection
Growing more plump with each passing day
Just eat, rest and play…
So lovely was this early morn
As clouds were drifting across the sky
Cuddling together, Mommy and I
Unaware of the befalling tragedy!
Two brawny young men
Strong like tigers and elephants
Squashed my tiny body
Flat into a cage of horror!
There was no way to escape!
O God, what purgatory was this?
I wailed in fear and terror
Mom, oh Mom, please save me!
Oh caretaker,
please come protect me quickly!
Rescue my life, I’m still at a tender age!
Mom was crying out in sorrow
Tears of desperation filling her eyes
The immense Heavens cannot contain
This horrendous emotional pain!
My caretaker turned away
Hands busy counting a stack of money
Haplessly I rolled around in the car trunk
Breaking heart more painful
than bodily misery!
The two young men bantered:
“This piglet will be so tasty!
Tomorrow we’ll slaughter him
To celebrate the birth
of the wife’s newborn baby!”
Oh, how ironic this life
My soul is shattered
Tears flow in my heart
Like blood running in rivulets.
I thought you loved me
Nurturing me to maturity
But all this was a sham
For you, it’s just profit and gain!
Tomorrow my body will be cut to pieces
My flesh and bones
turned to sheer torture
Just so people can laugh in merriment
At their happy feast and gathering.
To your children and others’ too
I wish them all long lives
So the family can stay together
Not endure the same fate as mine…
I pray the whole family lives nobly
To be human in many lifetimes
And never be reborn as pigs
Paying forever karmic debts!
Alas, good-bye life…
I ache for my gentle suffering mother
In tears I am overcome…
Oh, Mommy! Mom…Mom…
27 Comments
Good article, well done.
I killed two pigs last week. I had hand raised them on my property, and they were about 6 months old.I am giving away half the meat to people who can use it, mainly those with the same income issues as I have. Its a lot of protein in a small package.
I had, believe it or not, read your article a few weeks ago.What occured to me during the act of killing, or murdering if you prefer,was that we were in fact treating the poor guys like fellow beings. Fellow beings about to be killed for sure, but there was nothing light hearted about it. That doesn’t help them of course, they have the very unenviable position of being the killed, and not the killers.
There is a certain element of respectfulness at our table, and I think, to be perfectly honest, that half of my children will most likely end up vegetarian like their mother.THe other two will probably not,as it seems that meat satisfies something physical/chemical within them at this time.
At least all my children will be able to take an informed position. They won’t think pork comes from ‘the supermarket’.
I applaud your article, and I agree with your sentiments, but the pork that is eaten around the world by the people who have raised it and killed it, cut it and cooked it, is surely not the pork you should be worried about. It is that muck they call meat that is sold reprocessed and repackaged to look like generic foodstuff…surely those are the pigs we should be trying to protect, the holocaust pigs.
My poor fat pig put his head in a bucket of beer, and then it was over.
Thanks again, anyway. I’ll show your article to my kids.
Very true, i’m through with meat. You just dont need it.
Never kill a animal unless it is harming you anyway.Animals are poor creatures and the most unfortunate thing is that they cannot speak.To kill such innocent creatures will give you what kind of joy?What harm does a pig do to you?Can you imagine the fright if someone holds a knife on your neck?You can atleast scream for help.The pig cannot run also because of legs tied.Slaughtering is really bad.I advise all to it Vegetarian food and be healthy.
K, I think it’s commendable that you think about your food, and take personal responsibility for raising and yes, killing. Although I don’t agree in principle, I do recognize the importance of awareness as being a precursor to change. Knowing the facts allows us to make decisions that reflect our innate humanity.
I can only respect you for being aware, but at the same time encourage you to reconsider the importance of animal protein. Surely, the like of beans, chick peas, peas, lentils, as well as wheat, potato and nuts, all provide much cheaper and healthier protein packages. The amount of protein in a serving of chick peas is similar to, that found in most flesh, including from a pig. But it contains more nutrients, calcium, iron, in forms that protect against disease, rather than create it. Take a look at http://pcrm.org/health/prevmed/ – an open person like yourself.
Thanks again.
Thumbs up.
I was curious as to how one can slaughter a pig humanely after seeing a gruesome botched job in the Pacific so I googled How to Slaughter a Pig and got your site? While I applaud your stance and ethics but is tricking people to your website ethical? I will not comment; ask yourself the answer. If you are promoting ethical behaviour your own should be above reproach. Good luck in your efforts.
I love animals! They’re delicious. I have raised Pigs, Cows, Sheep and Buffalo and cared for them extremely well. When it’s time for them to go to market they are killed in the most humane way possible.
Is your dog delicious? Check this out: http://www.animal-tv.org/html/english/movie_wmp_03_03_5reasons.html
That’s a good point there and I am sure if I grew up in a culture that viewed the eating of dog and cat as normal practice then they would be mighty tasty. Like I said I have hand raised the animal that I butcher and they are no way in cramped quarters like in your video and they are dispatched humanely.
What you are trying to focus on here is the mass production and slaughter of animal that are treated poorly. It also looks like most of the footage is from places in a third world country were they don’t have the regulations we have in the USA. People that raise livestock to survive treat their animals far better than what you are trying to show.
I guess you’re lucky you didn’t grow up somewhere where people are thrown in a pit at age 65. Not that such a place exists, but if it did, you just get used to it. Of course it would be done quickly and humanely.
It’s great that you treat animals with love and are not a part of the system you’ve mentioned. But I don’t think it’s ideal as we don’t need to eat them at all – especially for optimal health. Why not show them the next level of love and let them grow old with you? I would. Check it: http://www.thepigpreserve.org/
Getting tossed in a pit wouldn’t be quick nor humane. I would say having them shot in the back of the head without them knowing you were going to do it would be quick and humane. so have at it.
It’s a way of life for some people. Slaughtering and eating there livestock is the way they survive and make their living. If you feel brave you can take a look at this site and see how some people survive and thrive in this world.
http://www.leafpile.com/TravelLog/Romania/Farming/Slaughter/Pig/Pig.htm
I really doubt that they have no alternatives for living and nutrition. I think such cases exist, but not in Romania. Winters are cold there but the rest of the year would provide plenty of time to grow and harvest all sorts of nutritious legumes and pulses which can be stored indefinately once dried.
Northern Chinese live in a similar climate with much less space per-person and eat very little meat. And according the the largest nutritional study every made (“The China Study”) even with the little meat they do eat come the ‘diseases of affluence’: heart disease, cancer, diabetes.
I think we’re looking at tradition, not necessity. Well, I’m not an expert, just saying I don’t believe it.
i agree with you ali…there can be no HUMANE way to kill an animal,as slaughtering a poor,helpless,and harmless animal whose life we did not create or own in itself inhuman!i feel that if we consider human life as important,them why must we consider an animal’s life as something that can be destroyed?why??becoz they can’t stand on two legs?becoz they can’t talk??of is it becoze they can’t save their own lives when they are left all tied up on the slaughter table?????all life,no matter which animal’s,is beautiful and precious and no one has the right to destroy it,and u r right,i too,dont believe that there cant be a part of the world where a good or atleast reasonable alternative to meat can’t be found!!and hoss,aparently,seems to love his animals sooooooooo much,that their untimely and needless deaths don’t bother him at all!!what if someone sneaks up to his house one day and slit’s his pets throat???considering that the animal got enough love from him when alive would he hug,kiss and fogive the person,if he says he was just hungry and needed to eat his pet???so lame…did’nt he read the poem on your site or did he just feel like cold veel and eat his own icy heart instead??i loved your site,and killing an animal and destroying it’s precious life to enjoy a day’s meal is ridiculous.why celebrate somethiong with someone’s death???
There’s a lot of social conditioning that needs to be reversed… I hope that everyone will soon realise there are much easier, humane and environmentally sound ways of getting their daily nutrition.
We all create a lot of excuses for ourselves to avoid change. But this aspect of our lives causes so much damage on so many fronts that there’s no time to be polite about it, so I understand your frustration.
Thanks for the comment.
I personally disagree with everything that is said here. In the Bible, God says that he gives us the land with all it’s plants and animals TO NOURISH us. We are supposed to live off the land, AND it’s animals. You people think by refraining from eating animals, you’re not sinning…? Animals were created to feed humans, point stop.
Everyone still goes on and on and on about this whole thing. Think about this: ANIMALS DON’T HAVE SOULS!!! Are you telling me that once you slaughter that pig, he is going to piggy heaven? Or the slaughtered cow to the big green pasture in the sky?? Ummm no I don’t think so… Like I said in my previous post, animals were put on this earth to serve humans. Be it on a plate feeding and nourishing us, or be it as our beloved pets.
Thanks Kingtlau. You’ve reminded me of a very important question – do animals have souls?
I disagree with your answer to this and provide my own answer in this post: http://www.whirledpeas.com.au/do-animals-have-souls/
Basically I’d advise you to watch this video which relates a lot of the world’s scripture in regards to animals and what to eat. But I’m sure you’ll have more questions after reading the post too.
Thanks again.
Hi Kingtlau.
It’s okay to disagree! I would also disagree with your interpretation of the Holy Bible.
I wish I never sinned. But I’m pretty sure I’m one of the best.
This link discusses the Christian perspective and I hope will raise your curiosity about the original intention of God and the teaching of Jesus Christ. http://www.all-creatures.org/ca/ark-186soul.html
I also wrote a post in general reply to the question: do animals have souls? http://www.whirledpeas.com.au/do-animals-have-souls/
I disagree that everyone doesn’t need to eat meat. There are a number of cultures where vegetables are almost completely or completely unavailable. People of those ethinicities are not suited to a meat free diet. Like myself, being Inuit. Most vegetables & all grains give me horrid gas, a toxic feeling and make me gain weight & shoot my BP through the roof. While a veggie semi-free diet, with lots of humanely raised & naturally fed meats, fish & fats makes me as healthy as can be. Last BP reading was 121/74
I can’t eat most bird eggs, either.
I believe the majority of health problems in Americans & other Westernized cultures comes from the over consumption of sugar, not from meats.
Hi Tab
That’s a tough one. Almost wants to make my give up trying.
You’re in a difficult position, I guess. If it was me in your shoes I’d be very cautious about non-organic and factory farmed meat. But when you need to eat so much of it (amazing to me but if it is, it is) I guess it gets difficult. I’d also spend a large period of every day in private thanks.
Good luck with eating less meat and experimenting with new ways of preparing legumes etc. I’ll have a look into it for you and see if there has been anyone like you who has successfully moved away from a mostly carnivorous diet.
Hi,
Nice article, points are well raised, I was with you until I read:
“I am deliberately tricking people to my site, for their own good.”
I would love to know about the road to the ethical high ground you stand firmly upon. There are many people and many paths, but I am not sure that trickery and compasion go hand in hand.
That comment of mine got deleted. I think it’s far too apologetic! I didn’t feel like I was tricking anyone when I wrote it, but maybe that’s just me.
I don’t stand on high ethical ground – I’m human like the rest of you. I’m just a guy with a blog who writes about the stuff he cares about.
If God didn’t want us to eat animals, then why are they made of meat?
@joe- And what are people made of?