is it right to boil animals alive to eat? (elect, problems, world)

[jimboburnsy]

I've actually never heard of the website "ChinaSMACK" before... Some very interesting content, including a piece about encouraging women to pee while standing in an effort to save water.

With regard to boiling cats: Morals are not universally identical and what is "morally right" is often heavily influenced by the surrounding culture. While it may not seem right to you, there may not be any moral hang-up whatsoever in traditional Chinese culture. I don't think you can attack the practice of boiling cats alive for food based on morality.

[Mercury Cougar]

Originally Posted by jimboburnsy

I've actually never heard of the website "ChinaSMACK" before... Some very interesting content, including a piece about encouraging women to pee while standing in an effort to save water.

With regard to boiling cats: Morals are not universally identical and what is "morally right" is often heavily influenced by the surrounding culture. While it may not seem right to you, there may not be any moral hang-up whatsoever in traditional Chinese culture. I don't think you can attack the practice of boiling cats alive for food based on morality.

Have to agree with jimbo on this one. Morality is subjective and highly influenced by culture. When I was in Korea I was served octopus tentacles that were snipped off the baby octopus while it was alive. The tentacles in the dish were still squirming when they were placed in front of me. Yes, I ate them, and they were delicious. The barbecued dog was also delectable. Different cultures, different mores.

That said, I wouldn't boil a cat alive, and I would have trouble snipping off a live octopus' tentacles.

[jimboburnsy]

Originally Posted by Mercury Cougar

Have to agree with jimbo on this one. Morality is subjective and highly influenced by culture. When I was in Korea I was served octopus tentacles that were snipped off the baby octopus while it was alive. The tentacles in the dish were still squirming when they were placed in front of me. Yes, I ate them, and they were delicious. The barbecued dog was also delectable. Different cultures, different mores.

Here's a deep question: Is it morally wrong to snip off an octopus' tentacles if they grow back?

[Mercury Cougar]

Originally Posted by jimboburnsy

Here's a deep question: Is it morally wrong to snip off an octopus' tentacles if they grow back?

Well...gee. Damn you for posing a question I'd never thought about yet! I shall now retreat in abjectly utter defeat from this conversation, and contemplate my navel in despair.

[Gerania]

It seems that the boiling isn't the worst part.

"The more suffering, the better the taste...."

No cat chow for me.

[jimboburnsy]

Originally Posted by Gerania

It seems that the boiling isn't the worst part.

"The more suffering, the better the taste...."

No cat chow for me.

To be quite frank, I seriously doubt that the application of the most humane slaughter method ever devised would have the slightest impact on my perception of a cat's level of edibility (or lack thereof).

[elnina]

And what about lobster??? - because that's how they cook them in restaurants. American restaurants too...
Any moral problems here?

Oh, don't forget about eating oysters alive...

[Mercury Cougar]

Originally Posted by elnina

And what about lobster??? - because that's how they cook them in restaurants. American restaurants too...
Any moral problems here?

Actually a lot of places humanely kill them just before dunking them. But yeah, you have a point.

[LuckyGem]

I love lobster. I have no problem dropping them into a hot boiling cauldron of water.

My kitchen is where lobsters come to die. I'm the lobster executioner.

I have a double standard that doesn't extend to housecats.

#1. The Chinese believe that anything with its back to the sky is edible.

#2. Our culture says we don't eat cats here in the USA but I have no control over what they eat in China.

[jimboburnsy]

Originally Posted by elnina

And what about lobster??? - because that's how they cook them in restaurants. American restaurants too...
Any moral problems here?

Oh, don't forget about eating oysters alive...

Here's an article about a study on the capacity of hermit crabs to feel pain.

Crabs 'feel and remember pain' suggests new study - CNN.com

It still requires some induction to reach a conclusion and does not at all directly address whether or not boiling is more or less humane than another slaughter method for crustaceans, but I think that the method of testing is actually pretty clever.

I personally think that trying to kill a lobster with a knife before boiling is unlikely to be any less painful for the bug. If you want to put them in the freezer before hand to numb them, fine, but being submerged in boiling water snuffs a crab/crawfish/shrimp/lobster quickly.

I wonder what's at the end of that path...