Myth #76: “But there are no moral absolutes.”
If you sincerely believe that the mere words “there are no moral absolutes” or “don’t criticize my personal morality” provide a safe haven for those who wish to continue supporting the confinement, the exploitation and the murder of billions of farmed animals all over the world, then you must also grant the same non-judgmental acceptance to the world’s child abusers, serial rapists and mass murderers … And even if you then amend your beliefs to claim that moral relativism only applies to our treatment of non-human animals, then you will still be forced to accept — if not applaud — the violent cruelties perpetrated in the world’s filthiest puppy mills, its most fetid dog fighting rings, its most vile fur farms, its most diabolical animal experimentation asylums, its most depressing roadside zoos, its most barbaric dolphin massacres and its most repulsive whale hunts.
Without a doubt, even the most callous of meat-eaters must admit that this doesn’t “feel right” — that it just doesn’t make any moral sense to abuse any innocent animals in any way merely for our own entertainment, our own pleasure or our own convenience. Even as a purely practical matter, we must pause and wonder — If the morality of animal cruelty is indeed truly relative, where are all the meat & milk industry-sponsored films & documentaries convincing the world’s vegans to go back to supporting animal abuse?
Moral discernment, my Friends, is the fundamental basis of every legal system that has ever existed over the course of human history, and yet the indignant words “Don’t judge me” have become a resort for many who don’t want their unethical behaviors questioned by the compassionate or the concerned. And yet the vast majority of people (I certainly hope) would never accept “Don’t judge me” as a defense for human slavery — or child abuse — or rape — or the torture of prisoners — or murder … And as such, neither can such hollow words provide shelter for those of you who commit the same atrocities to innocent non-humans.
Indeed, I have just as much a right to assign a moral rejection of your discrimination against non-humans as you have to assign the same repugnance to any hate-crimes spawned by racism or sexism or homophobia. And I also have just as much a right to morally denounce the incredible cruelties you directly or indirectly inflict on my non-human cousins as you have to decry the imprisonment of the innocent, the rape of the subjugated or the murder of all those weaker.
While it is true that there are more than a few complicated ethical conundrums in life, refusing to exploit the vulnerable is not one of them. Indeed, Right Action really isn’t that complicated … Consider the following very simple Truths as proof thereof:
*Farmed animals are self aware & emotionally adept;
*Farmed animals suffer when they are confined, abused &/or murdered;
*Humans do not need to eat animal products to live long & healthy lives;
*Thus, it is completely unnecessary to inflict suffering on farmed animals;
*As such, it is patently unethical to do so.
In conclusion, my Friends, every single non-sociopathic human being has a conscience; a quiet-yet-persistent voice of reason & compassion & justice within. Those of you who listen to your consciences know, as surely as I do, that enslaving and exploiting and killing anyone — whether the victim be human or non-human — is completely unnecessary & abjectly cruel … and you also know that such cruelty is therefore immoral and wrong.
You all have a conscience within you, my Friends …
Please listen to it closely;
… and please heed its Call.
Current status of this Myth: Exonerated
Justification it provides for eating animals: NONE
“We can talk about how we know that racism, homophobia, rape and child molestation are morally wrong and most people will avidly agree, and yet the moment someone says that animal enslavement and abuse is morally wrong quite a few people are quick to play the moral relativism card … I don’t buy it.” ~ John Tallent
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