From: des@helix.nih.gov (David E. Scheim)
Subject: Re: Kosher slaughter (was Re: Medicine & the Mall)
Organization: National Institutes of Health
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 16:21:42 GMT

In article <1h573uINNfg2@FRIDGE.AI.CS.YALE.EDU> engelson-sean@cs.yale.edu (Sean Philip Engelson) writes:


>In article <altar.724958876@sfu.ca>, altar@beaufort.sfu.ca (Ted Wayn Altar) writes:
>|> Tim Miller writes:
>|> 
>|> 
>|> >   Ever have a paper cut, cut yourself by running your fingers
>|> >lengthwise across a razor, or open your fingers with a *very* sharp
>|> >knife?  I have (particularly the last one) and can attest that, given a
>|> >sharp enough blade, you *don't feel a thing* for quite awhile or until
>|> >you disturb the wound.
>|> 
>|> Maybe so, but what about the profound distress of the poor
>|> creature as it is shipped and herded into the abattoir?  The
>|> smells of distress and death are something non-hman animals
>|> are more sensitive to and reactive of, than humans.  The
>|> intelligence and sentience of these beings has all too often
>|> been self-servingly dismissed.  Russel, who kepts a "pet" herd
>|> of cows can give ample witness concerning their remarkable capacities
>|> and intelligence.  Russel, are you still there?  Help us out.

>I am most sensitive to your concerns (indeed, I too am a vegetarian),
>but your comments address all slaughter; please keep in mind that the
>subject at hand is Kosher vs.  non-Kosher slaughter.  The point made
>above is that the act of slaughter itself is painless, being done by a
>single swift cut with a razor-sharp knife.  Far better than a bullet
>or three to the head.  There is no doubt, of course, that the cows
>would be far better off were they not to be killed---that is not
>disputed by anyone.

>-- 
>Sean Philip (Shlomo) Engelson  	
>Yale Department of Computer Science	
>Box 2158 Yale Station          	
>New Haven, CT 06520            	

From the vantage point of the killed animal, one could argue that one method 
is better or worse than the other, but it may be most reasonable to consider 
that both cause the animal some degree of suffering before death.  However, 
the laws of Kasruth are designed to make humans conscious of the 
ramifications of killing a creature to eat and make one go to special 
lengths to keep that in mind.  The original biblical injunction before the 
flood in the Bible was that humans were only to eat vegetation.

Many people who keep the laws of kasruth eventually go on to restrict meat 
consumption (because of higher cost or ethical sensitivities) or to give up 
meat entirely.  Thus, on the whole, I believe that the laws of kasruth 
are a step toward higher consciousness on the issue of animal slaughter.

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