[Avodah] anti-meat rhetoric "according to Judaism"

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Jul 14, 2010 at 12:49:17AM -0400, Jacob Farkas wrote:
: I respectfully disagree. People have been eating pasture fed beef and
: chicken up until the last few decades. This form of meat has not
: become less affordable in its own right...

Are you sure? Demand has gone up, the number of farmers and the space
on which they can raise poultry are cattle has declined.

But still, as you yourself write:
:                This of course, allows for increased consumption within
: the same budget...

So yes, it is cheaper today. The criteria for avoiding tzaar baalei
chayim are so low, that alone is enough to brand it something other than
pointless cruelty to animals.

TBC isn't a blanket call to compassion on animals. There is easily
arguable lifnim mishuras hadin calls for such compassion. Or even within
the dinim of hilkhos dei'os. But not TBC, which is about avoiding cruelty
for its own sake only.

-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Zion will be redeemed through justice,
micha at aishdas.org        and her returnees, through righteousness.
http://www.aishdas.org
Fax: (270) 514-1507