Isn't it cruel to eat plants too?
But plants have life too. Don’t they scream and feel pain in their own unique ways? Isn't it cruel to eat them too?
If that is the argument to carry on eating both plants and animals, it is certainly a hypocritical one. Indeed plants do have life. However, their nervous systems are very much simpler compared to that of animals and humans. Their capacity to feel pain and fear is so much lesser, which is not surprising since they are unable to react to them in the way humans and animals do. For us, fear and pain are basic survival instincts which enable us to fight or flight. For plants, fear and pain serve no purpose.Plants are the most precious life forms on Earth since only they can convert Sun energy into food for all other life forms. They are responsible for regulating the oxygen in our atmosphere as well. But which is worse: massive deforestation to clear land for meat production, extensive consumption of plants to fatten livestock to satisfy the affluent minority, or taking a plant's life directly for human consumption?
Some vegetarians choose a fruitarian diet, which comprises only of fruits, nuts and seeds, all of which can be obtained without taking the plant's life. In fact, it is the part of the plant that it wants to give. It is their way of reproduction, by engaging the help from animals to spread their seeds. That is why fruits are so visually attractive, fragrant and delicious.
We have to understand that there is no way we can completely eliminate the damage caused by our very existence. Somehow we step on grass or even ants. What we can do is to reduce the degree of our damage to the best of our ability. We have to eat to survive, but we have a choice. Choosing vegetarian is certainly a huge step towards a better world.
