Vegan reply to 'Morality is a matter of opinion'

“Morality is a matter of opinion”

You are claiming that morals are subjective, just like some may prefer tomatoes over cucumber.

Basically you are saying that:
“It isn’t morally wrong to murder. Rape isn’t morally wrong. Animal abuse isn’t morally wrong. Racism isn’t morally wrong. Nazism isn’t morally wrong. Sexism isn’t morally wrong. Heterosexism isn’t morally wrong. Other kinds of abuse, violence and discrimination aren’t morally wrong.”

You are saying that some prefer to murder other people and some prefer not to murder other people, but this preference is as relevant as is whether someone prefers tomatoes over cucumber.
You are saying that some prefer to be violent and discriminate based on irrelevant criteria, and some people prefer to show love, empathy, nonviolence and compassion; but you are saying that this fundamental difference is just a matter of opinion, e.g. some people prefer bananas over apples, or football over hockey.

I think this notion is completely mistaken and inherently immoral.
Basically, since you say that all of these issues are just a matter of opinion, you are also encouraging that it is okay to stand silent when people are being oppressed by people who adhere to sexism, racism, nazism, heterosexism, etcetera. Standing silent is being complicit with moral transgressions, discrimination and violence.

Our moral intuition says that it is morally wrong to cause other individuals unnecessary suffering and death – both humans and nonhumans. I strongly believe we should follow our moral intuition which leads to more love, compassion, empathy and nonviolence, instead of the theoretical construct and opinion that “moral is a matter of opinion” which only leads to more suffering, harm, violence and apathy in this world.

I recommend this article about moral realism: http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/new-atheism-and-animal-ethics-some-reflections/
If we follow our moral intuition, and reason clearly about our moral obligations based on this, it leads us to fight against all violence and discrimination, including speciecism: http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/human-and-nonhuman-rights-as-inextricably-intertwined-in-a-nutshell/#.UdrhcG1RfO4
And thus if we embrace our moral intuition that it is morally wrong to inflict animals unnecessary suffering and death, we will embrace veganism and go vegan. You will find further reading about this here: http://www.facebook.com/abolitionistapproach

Does vegans love or hate people consuming meat, diary and other animal products?

Some person claimed that we shouldn't feel sad if a person exploiting animals on a regularly basis die. All non-vegans are exploiting animals on a regularly basis for palatable pleasure/convenience.

Despite that I for a long time have tried to live a moral life, it took me almost 28 years to realize that it is wrong to kill animals for food, and that veganism is a necessity for an ethical lifestyle. If I would have encountered arguments like this, I think I would have become a vegan much quicker: http://articles.philly.com/2009-08-14/news/24986151_1_atlanta-falcons-quarterback-vick-illegal-dog-dog-fights

I think that the death of a sentient being always is sad, including the death of humans. I think that we can love someone despite the violence that that person is causing to others, and causing to himself or herself. I would e.g. mourn if someone died of my non-vegan family or friends. I don’t think it attracts our non-vegan friends to claim we shouldn't feel sad if they would die. I really hope it isn’t true that we wouldn’t be sad.

For me veganism has led me to feel more love and empathy to animals, including humans, on this planet. Of course I am deeply saddened by the exploitation my non-vegan friends are inflicting upon the animals, and their inability to demonstrate love and empathy toward the animals that they choose to exploit for animal products, but I can still love them.

Brain scans show vegans display more empathy than omnivores

Brain Scans Show Vegetarians and Vegans Are More Empathic than Omnivores

They appear to have more of an empathetic response to suffering

Published on July 12, 2012 by Marc Bekoff, Ph.D. in Animal Emotions

Every now and again we discover that some of our beliefs are supported by scientific research. Recent research using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) shows that "vegetarians and vegans appear to have more of an empathetic response to both human and animal suffering ... FMRI brain scans showed that the areas of the brain associated with empathy (such as the anterior cingulate cortex and the left inferior frontal gyrus in this study) were more activated in vegetarians and vegans compared to omnivores when all three groups were shown pictures of human or animal suffering. Written questionnaires on empathy, in both this and other studies, seem to confirm higher empathy levels in vegetarians and vegans (Preyo and Arkiwawa, 2008; Filippi et al 2010)." (I could not find the reference to Preyo and Arkiwawa, 2008 but the entire essay by Filippi et al., 2010 is here.)

            

I've been thinking about this general topic and relationship for a long time and I agree with the conclusion of the essay in which these results are reported, namely that "Most animal advocates also care deeply about a broad spectrum of social justice and humanitarian causes." I've always believed that "compassion begets compassion" and easily crosses species lines. I welcome more research in this area from both social scientists and neuroscientists

Animal products steal the lives and purpose of animals. Go vegan

All animal products are bad for our body:
http://www.adelicatebalance.com.au/

It is hard to ourselves and to others and injust to oppress animals by our choices. If we want to be free, we can't cause other to lives in slavery. If we want to find our purpose, we can't steal animals purpose. If we want a peaceful life, we can't cause animals distress.

Animal products steal the lives of animals. They steal the purpose of animals. They destroy families.
Surely we want to extend our love and empathy to the most vulnerable member of our society - the non-human animals. We can create world peace between humans and humans and between humans and non-humans. It is possible if we act on our empathy, stop consuming and using animal products, and go vegan.
Wonderful lecture by Will Tuttle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLgGnP0pWzM

Science shows that animals are intelligent beings, decision-makers and capable of using empathy

First I would like to mention:
"
A sentient being is a being who is subjectively aware; a being who has interests; that is, a being who prefers, desires, or wants. Those interests do not have to be anything like human interests. If a being has some kind of mind that can experience frustration or satisfaction of whatever interests that being has, then the being is sentient.

We engage in speciesist thinking when we claim that a being must have a humanlike mind to count morally. That is, it is speciesist to claim that a being must have a reflective sense of self awareness, or conceptual thought, or the general ability to experience life in the way that humans do in order to have the moral right not to be used as a resource. As long as there is someone there who is subjectively aware and who, in that being’s own way, cares about what happens to him or to her, that is all that is necessary to have the moral right not to be used as a resource.
"
Quote: http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/sentience/
 This notion that animals only act upon instincts is wrong. They are real persons just like us. Anyone with a good relation to e.g. a companion animal understands they are persons with their own desires, wants and feelings, and that they also are making decisions.

Furthermore:
Interesting article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323869604578370574285382756.html

One quote: "The one historical constant in my field is that each time a claim of human uniqueness bites the dust, other claims quickly take its place. Meanwhile, science keeps chipping away at the wall that separates us from the other animals. We have moved from viewing animals as instinct-driven stimulus-response machines to seeing them as sophisticated decision makers. "

Another quote:
"Dale Peterson, one of the world’s leading chimpanzee researchers, once mentioned to me that he believes chimps given the opportunity to satisfy their hunger with plant sources may very well ponder the morality of eating other animals. Could they be evolving ethically, just as we humans are?"

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Emma V Schmebri:
I'm not 'humanising' cows. It is a fact that cows, like other mammals experience a range of emotions. (we have been through this before). Simply because you don't understand them and are unable to perceive the different ways in which they express these emotions doesn't make them less valid. We also use instinct when caring for our Young.


Fish:
"Rather than simply being instinct-driven, the group says fish are cunning, manipulative and even cultured. "

Recent research had shown that fish recognised individual "shoal mates", social prestige and even tracked relationships.

Scientists had also observed them using tools, building complex nests and exhibiting long-term memories.
The scientists added: "Although it may seem extraordinary to those comfortably used to pre-judging animal intelligence on the basis of brain volume, in some cognitive domains, fishes can even be favourably compared to non-human primates."

They said fish were the most ancient of the major vertebrate groups, giving them "ample time" to evolve complex, adaptable and diverse behaviour patterns that rivalled those of other vertebrates.
"These developments warrant a re-appraisal of the behavioural flexibility of fishes, and highlight the need for a deeper understanding of the learning processes that underpin the newly recognised behavioural and social sophistication of this taxon," said the scientists.
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_yorkshire/3189941.stm

----Swedish:Vi vet att t.ex. fiskar är självbestämmande och medvetna individer, med förmågan att känna lidande och har vissa kognitiva förmågor som är på samma nivå som ickemänskliga primater:
http://bloganders.blogspot.no/2013/03/science-shows-that-animals-are.html