Holy Kale! Why Some Might Go to the Leafy Side.
TLDR:
(too long, didn’t read)Reevaluating the Morality of Eating Meat – Questioning common justifications for meat consumption and why some arguments don’t hold up under scrutiny.
The Nature Argument Falls Apart – If we justify eating meat because some animals do, should we also justify other animal behaviors like cannibalism or infanticide?
Singer’s Controversial Challenge – If we base moral worth on intelligence or self-awareness, why don’t we treat infants, coma patients, or individuals with cognitive disabilities the same way we treat factory-farmed animals?
Health Myths About Vegetarianism – Millions of people live long, healthy lives without meat, while processed and barbecued meats come with significant health risks.
Cognitive Dissonance & Small Changes Matter – We avoid thinking about where our food comes from, but even small steps—reducing meat consumption—can make a difference.
Give Me the Deets!
Give me the juicy detailsWhy I Became a Vegetarian (And Why It Might Make You Think Twice Too)
I’ve been feeling compelled to write this, so here we are. If you’ve ever been curious about why someone would willingly give up bacon, I hope this post offers something to chew on (pun intended).
I love learning new things that crack my perspective wide open. The kind of knowledge that pulls you in, dragging and screaming, to a conclusion you’d rather not face but have to acknowledge anyway. And when it comes to the ethics of eating meat, well—let’s just say, some arguments are hard to beat.
I took an Environmental Ethics course in Fall 2007, and that’s when I first encountered Peter Singer’s arguments. They were so dangerously compelling, the guy received death threats. That’s how passionate people are about their right to eat meat.
Singer didn’t just say, “Hey, factory farming is cruel.” He took it a step further. He dared to compare humans to chickens. And for that, people lost their minds.
But let’s back up. Below are the core assumptions people use—implicitly or explicitly—to argue that eating meat is morally or ethically okay:
Animals eat other animals, so we can too.
Humans are superior to animals because of intelligence, personhood, or souls.
If we don’t eat meat, we’ll waste away and die.
So, let’s get into it.
"Animals Eat Animals" – The Nature Argument
Yes, some animals eat other animals. But some animals are also vegetarian—so, does that mean vegetarianism is also natural? If we use nature as our moral compass, we’re in murky waters real fast.
There are animals that kill their siblings, eat their young, mate with their parents, and go on serial killing sprees for fun. If we’re using animal behavior as justification for human morality, we’ve got some... interesting ethical territory to navigate.
Are we saying we should go full “survival of the fittest,” or do we get to pick and choose? Because if we’re only looking at nature for guidance, we’re signing up for a system that justifies a lot more than steak for dinner.
The Mind-Bender: Chickens vs. Humans
This is where Peter Singer really pissed people off.
One of the most common reasons people say it’s okay to eat animals is because they lack intelligence, creativity, language, or self-awareness.
Singer’s response? “Well, some humans lack those things too.”
Think about embryos, infants, people in comas, or individuals with severe cognitive disabilities. Some of them never will develop higher reasoning, self-awareness, or the ability to engage in complex thought.
And yet, we don’t say it’s okay to eat them.
We protect them. We acknowledge their inherent worth.
And here’s the kicker: if we argue that only humans have innate moral standing, despite lacking these capacities, aren’t we just… stacking the deck in our own favor?
I know—this argument is extremely uncomfortable. That’s the point. It’s not that Singer is saying, “Eat humans!” He’s pointing out that our logic collapses under scrutiny.
The Soul Argument
Maybe the real reason we’re different is that humans have souls.
But... can we prove that?
The Bible doesn’t explicitly say animals don’t have souls. In fact, certain passages even suggest they might. If that’s true, mistreating them is even worse because we’d be robbing them of their one shot at existence.
If we kill a person, at least there’s the idea that their soul continues on. But if an animal doesn’t have a soul, that means we’re taking everything from them.
Also, let’s not pretend Jesus was out here running a BBQ pit. If he saw modern-day factory farming, I doubt he’d be thrilled about how we treat sentient beings. Compassion was kinda his thing.
"But You’ll Die Without Meat!" – The Nutrition Myth
Listen, I know at least one vegetarian whose entire diet consists of ramen, potato chips, and iced coffee.
But I also know a lot of meat-eaters who seem to think bacon is a food group.
The truth? You can be unhealthy on any diet.
Millions of vegetarians—like in India—don’t eat meat their entire lives and are just fine. Meanwhile, BBQ (a carnivore’s dream) is packed with carcinogens and known to increase cancer risk.
I get it. BBQ is delicious. I know you hate reading this. But if health is our excuse, meat doesn’t exactly have a squeaky-clean record either.
Singer’s Core Argument: Pain and Suffering
In the end, Singer’s argument isn’t about intelligence, logic, or even souls.
It’s about sentience—the ability to feel pain.
Most of us agree we don’t want to suffer. Most of us also don’t support animal cruelty. Yet factory farming is an industry built on suffering.
If the only reason we justify eating animals is that they lack intelligence, language, or complex thought, then… why not also eat humans with diminished capacities?
And yes, I know that sounds absurd. But when we apply the same logic consistently, we start to see the cracks in our reasoning.
We would never torture puppies before eating them.
We would never cage and mutilate dementia patients.
We would never mass-produce suffering for beings that look more like us.
So why is it okay when it comes to farm animals?
Cognitive Dissonance – The Final Boss
Look, living with contradictions is part of being human.
It’s easier to not think about where our food comes from. It’s easier to value convenience over consistency. It’s easier to keep doing what we’ve always done.
And who can blame us? The world is exhausting. Every day feels like a new episode of Apocalypse Now, and avoiding moral reckoning with our food choices seems like the least of our worries.
But sometimes, small changes matter.
Even if you don’t go full vegetarian, reducing meat consumption makes an impact. The system only exists because we fund it. And while one person’s choice might seem small, collective change is powerful.
At the very least, I hope this post made you think. That’s all I ever want from writing—to challenge myself and others to question the things we take for granted.
Even if your next meal includes meat, maybe it’ll make you pause. Maybe it’ll make you rethink where your food comes from. And maybe—just maybe—you’ll find yourself on a journey you never expected.
Small steps matter too.
Ttyl,
Astrid
