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Re: 2 interesting questions

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • March 7, 1995 


Re: Eating eggs

Eating unfertilized eggs (as eggs sold in supermarkets are, by the way),
is not akin to eating meat, per se. However, there are a couple of 
reasons to abstain from eggs nonetheless. First, a traditional reason --
it comes from an aesthetically displeasing part of the chicken. Certainly
not a really big reason, I know, but I have heard it mentioned.

Secondly, the way eggs are harvested in America in factory farms is
absolutely horrifying.  Chickens are bred in 2 x 2 pens from birth,
solely for the purpose of laying eggs, and therefore do not even know
how to walk, having been denied the chance to learn how to do so. 
Also, since the chickens are kept in such close proximity to one
another, they are likely to peck each other to death, so they are 
mercilessly debeaked without anesthesia. Also, if any chicks are born
from the eggs that these chickens lay, most are killed as they are
considered unnecessary by-products of the egg harvest.

In my opinion, there is nothing wrong in eating an unfertilized egg
laid by a free-range chicken, but supermarket eggs are the result of
extreme cruelty, and I therefore try to stay away from them -- though
I must admit I do not always succeed. There are often some cookies, etc.,
that I eat ignoring my conscience.

Re: Alpo

Another tough question to which I do not have an easy answer. 
Vegetarians on rec.food.veg regularly discuss this issue. I think
the way you resolved it is probably a good one, given that 
dogs are by nature carnivorous. It seems wrong to impose our value
systems on creatures that have inherently different requirements
from ourselves.

Mani