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Pro-Life/Choice and Veganism
Started
by Esperanza D
on November 13, 2010
I'm not even sure how to state this as I'm not sure what my question is. But I'm thinking about how we don't eat eggs, which are unborn chicken. So is it parallel to abortion and being against it?
Hmm now that I think about it... which is probably off topic, but you know how some cultures eat the placenta after giving birth (humans, I mean)? Would that be non-vegan? Breastfeeding is vegan, but then its taking from an animal (human, of course). And without getting graphic, sexually... fluids can be consumed.... Where does all this.... fit into veganism?
interested in anything you have to saw on the topic, I know its kinda random
An animal cannot consent to consumption of its 'fluids,' and animal milk is generally taken in a cruel and exploitative manner. Placenta, sexual fluids - these things, if you choose to consume them, are consented to. I guess that's how I would look at it.
Thanks for your input, Hazel
I agree. I don't feel that any logical comparison can be drawn between the two. If a woman breastfeeds her child, there is no exploitation in that. No one is forcing a woman to get pregnant, stealing her baby and forcing her to produce milk for someone else's enjoyment. Same with all human-produced secretions (how infinitely disgusting did that sound???). That's my two cents...sorry if that sounded gross!
I know a lot of people who save/prepare/encapsulate their placenta after birth (maybe its a nyc thing!) and I don't think it connotes a non-vegan act......If you get picky, you could say if you cut your finger and suck the blood to get it to stop bleeding you are not being vegan! If you want to go the whole prolife vs. choice route, its hard to separate that from the death penalty - if you believe another human being should be killed for a crime, is that vegan?
I think its safer to just stick to food! discussions on these topics can tend to end up not very....kind! although they are interesting questions -
ann
While this topic could most definitely become unkind, when handled in a compasssionate manner, I think can be quite thought provoking. I recently had a debate (civilized) with aan acquaintance who has a Ph.D. in Philosophy (speaking of thought provoking), and he posed the statement in a more artful way than this, but it was more or less:
How does one be an advocate for being vegan, and not eating/killing animals, but is also pro-choice, stopping life of unborn fetuses.
This topic/discussion lasted the entire night. I appreciated the thoughtful and challenging discussion
Another point on the is human milk not vegan question, veganism is not a lifestyle that states "milk is inherently bad because it exists" - the point is giving milk to who it belongs to (babies) and not cruelly using animals for our own consumption. The same goes for consumption of other bodily fluids. It isn't the fact that they exist that is unkind... if someone eats their own placenta (???) no harm was caused in obtaining it.
I agree - abortion is not something I would really discuss personally, beacause I think vegans, just like nonvegans, disagree on their viewpoints on the subject. - I will stick to discussing food, too!
I think we're all avoiding that subject. I think they are reconcilable, though. Some of it comes down to why you are vegan - health, animals, the environment - any one reason or all of them. I'm sure vegans are just like everyone else and would strongly and heatedly disagree on that subject! In the right company, though, I would love to have that converstation.
True, its not that I want your personal opinion on the abortion issue. Just wanted to know if there was an overall vegan sort of thinking surrounding it, much the way how there tends to be around other issues.
Either way I do appreciate the discussions. Also, I think its OK to discuss in this random section, rather than the food sections. I mean, I see ppl talking about slaughtering animals all over the forum, which is un"kind".
14 Comments