Originally Posted by DAD22
There's also the issue of animals killed during the farming process.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics_of_eating_meat#Debate_over_animals_killed_in_crop_harvesting

If you don't value human life over the lives of field mice, I'm afraid it's going to be very difficult to continue your existence. Vegetarians and vegans still have animal blood on their hands.
That, honestly, comes across as a bit of baiting to me. I don't believe that, if you cannot do something perfectly, that you shouldn't try to do it at all. Thus, you notice my statement above about minimizing my contribution to suffering and death as much as possible.

I wouldn't, for instance, say that if I couldn't stop all suffering and pain in patients (I work in healthcare), that it is not worth doing what I can to make those people who I can effect more comfortable. I, like all, may have "blood on my hands," as you say, but I try my hardest to have the least blood I can on my conscience. Where I can affect it, I do, which is better than nothing IMHO.

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