Why the taboo against eating certain animals?

[IronBrig4]

Before we begin discussing this, just know that I'm not talking about religious taboos. Hindus not eating meat, and Jews and Muslims not eating pork are separate issues. I'm talking about cultures that tend to avoid eating particular animals on non-religious grounds. Since I live in America, I just know of most American taboos.

You can hardly find rabbit anymore. I've got a great French cookbook, but can't use a lot of the recipes because rabbit seems to have disappeared from meat departments across America.

By state ordinance, selling horse meat is illegal in California. Ostensibly, it's because horse meat is tougher to inspect. Supporters of the law, however, tend to be horse owners, and say that they don't want anybody to eat horses. My Dutch friends tell me that horse meat is good. I'd like to try it.

It seems like America is the only country where you can't eat "cute" animals. Why is that? I love dogs, but I'm not going to pass a law that prohibits the sale of dog meat (provided the meat passes FDA requirements). So why does America have so many people that try to remove cute but delicious animals from the menu?

[the_mango55]

I don't think that the lack or rabbit has anything to do with them being cute. I think it's just because it's more of a novelty food perhaps, maybe most stores don't selling rabbit is profitable.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

I think the reason we don't eat many of the animals that we do is that we come from a culture that has many of these animals as pets. And when an animal becomes part of your family, it has a name, identity, and it is hard to look at it as a savory piece of flesh.

I live at a farm that has goats, cows, chickens, geese, ducks, horses, dogs, and cats and I would never eat any of these animals. Our family doesn't even eat any of the animals we own. We don't kill our animals for food, so our "farm" is more like a petting zoo.


Eating a dog would definitely make me sick.

[IronBrig4]

Yeah, but it probably doesn't stop you from enjoying fried chicken or a nice, juicy steak.

The problem isn't that people refuse to eat certain types of meat. The problem is that they pass legislation prohibiting everybody else from eating that meat.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

Well, I can't imagine people eating dog. To me, that's like eating a family member. I'm kinda in the middle on whether it should be legislated or not.

[Kiljan Arslan]

Pigs is because pigs are realativley unproductive animals who use up large amount of recources.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Before we begin discussing this, just know that I'm not talking about religious taboos. Hindus not eating meat, and Jews and Muslims not eating pork are separate issues. I'm talking about cultures that tend to avoid eating particular animals on non-religious grounds. Since I live in America, I just know of most American taboos.

You can hardly find rabbit anymore. I've got a great French cookbook, but can't use a lot of the recipes because rabbit seems to have disappeared from meat departments across America.

By state ordinance, selling horse meat is illegal in California. Ostensibly, it's because horse meat is tougher to inspect. Supporters of the law, however, tend to be horse owners, and say that they don't want anybody to eat horses. My Dutch friends tell me that horse meat is good. I'd like to try it.

It seems like America is the only country where you can't eat "cute" animals. Why is that? I love dogs, but I'm not going to pass a law that prohibits the sale of dog meat (provided the meat passes FDA requirements). So why does America have so many people that try to remove cute but delicious animals from the menu?

Go to a real butchers. Mine provides deer, ostrich, kangaroo and others.

[Sebdeas]

Go to a real butchers. Mine provides deer, ostrich, kangaroo and others.

This is somewhat new but in the supermarket here, The Netherlands, you can get ostrich, antilop and probably some others I didn't see.

I'd eat almost any animal, maybe not a dog or cat, but the rest is ok I guess.
But passing a law which prohibits eating certain animals shouldn't be done

[IronBrig4]

When I was in South Africa, we had ostrich, kudu, and springbok. Springbok can be classified as "cute" but the South Africans didn't have a problem eating them. America seems to be an exception in this case.

[Medicus]

Go to a real butchers. Mine provides deer, ostrich, kangaroo and others.

WHAT?! NO ZEBRA?!

It's just a religious law. Why? Because "God says so." It doesn't have to make sense.

[Silver Guard]

Quite simply because of their roles in society. Dogs, cats and horses are the most commonly prohibited pets ethically. This is because dogs are as much a member of many people's families as their own children, parents or siblings, leading right back to the first domesticated wolves. Cats are similar, dating back to Egypt, where they were kept to keep mice from the stores. Theres a reason both became the identities of major Gods, and so sacred animals. Horses, yet again, due to their importance to men and their families, dating right back.

Once you have family, eating any of them is cannibalism in your eyes. Cannibalism is inherently wrong, it's something bred into our psyche, only prevented in certain very exclusive societies which are now (I think) extinct. When animals become part of our society, as family members, not food, then they become protected by families in this way. Enough families and it becomes society, and so on to law.

[Sosobra]

Dog taste alright with enough seasoning . Definitely wouldn't eat it all the time or kill my dog for a snack. The only animal I would be troubled by eating would be Chimps, Apes and monkeys, I think feelings on that stem from Eclipse SG 's above points.

[Thanatos]

I'll eat anything but human, obviously.

[Medicus]

I'll eat anything but human, obviously.

Even cockroach?:hmmm:

[kaleus Khron]

Even cockroach?:hmmm:

I guess if he likes crunchy foods.

When i think of "dog food" i think of my pets.

[Thanatos]

Even cockroach?:hmmm:

And insects, little brother.

[Richard]

Eating anything that is safe to eat, and is not raised cruelly but has a good life and humane death, is fine by me. I don't eat pork products for example as I do not wish to support that generally cruel industry. Same with eggs. All animals deserve a nice happy good life roaming free, not being kept in horrific conditions only to die at the end.

[Dayman]

Eating anything that is safe to eat, and is not raised cruelly but has a good life and humane death, is fine by me. I don't eat pork products for example as I do not wish to support that generally cruel industry. Same with eggs. All animals deserve a nice happy good life roaming free, not being kept in horrific conditions only to die at the end.

I agree with what you said at the end. I really don't have a choice where my meat comes from (I guess the farms nearby campus?), but when I'm at home I go for the free range foods as opposed to the regular if I can.

[Scar Face]

Eating anything that is safe to eat, and is not raised cruelly but has a good life and humane death, is fine by me. I don't eat pork products for example as I do not wish to support that generally cruel industry. Same with eggs. All animals deserve a nice happy good life roaming free, not being kept in horrific conditions only to die at the end.

Why? Why do entirely non sentient insignificant and largely pointless [besides that they serve as food, that is] animals deserve any degree of humanity? That is not to say we should encourage being brutal to animals, but by no means should we discourage it. Really, it doesn't matter. They are animals. They serve as food and to be cute. In the end, the argument to be 'nice' to animals is entirely illogical (costly unwise to give them proper space etc) and really only serves to point out the persons misplaced emotions.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

Why? Why do entirely non sentient insignificant and largely pointless [besides that they serve as food, that is] animals deserve any degree of humanity? That is not to say we should encourage being brutal to animals, but by no means should we discourage it. Really, it doesn't matter. They are animals. They serve as food and to be cute. In the end, the argument to be 'nice' to animals is entirely illogical (costly unwise to give them proper space etc) and really only serves to point out the persons misplaced emotions.

Can I eat members of your family? They are animals, and can be served as food and being cute. There really is no argument as to why I shouldn't be able to eat humans, as the entire 'nice' argument is entirely illogical and really only serves to point out the person's (i.e. you) misplaced emotions