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OTHER ALLIED QUESTIONS
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namely applicable to only one species of creatures, the man,and treat other creatures in a different way. It can be partial only if these qualities are not deep rooted, in which case they cease to be virtues and becomes a hypocracy. This means that it is not permissible to treat animals unkindly, if one wishes to treat human beings with respect and kindness. All living beings wish to live and fear death. It will, therefore, be immoral to take away their life for our selfish ends. Even animals show care not to injure other animals in play or fights. Man is endowed with better mind and conscience and fully understands others' emotions and mental states. How can he, therefore, be so merciless as to kill animals who make frantic efforts to escape and cry piteously. Such persons gradually lose softer instints of love and mercy and become cruel, unsociable, unsympathetic and get provoked even on slight pretext. Even those who do not kill but eat flesh are fully responsible for such acts and suffer similar deterioration of character. Food certainly affects our character and behaviour to others. Animal food makes us cruel and warlike, more passionate and takes us away from spiritualism.
It is said that man has no right to destroy an object which he cannot create.
Killing animals who have been reared is still worse. They start having a feeling of kinship, and faith in our friendship and share our sorrows and joys. It is a rude shock to them when the above relationship is suddenly changed and they are slaughtered. It is a height of breach of trust.
An immoral act cannot be justified for any selfish advantages it gives. One will not be permitted to steal because one has to earn a living. How can he be permitted to kill because he needs food. This may give him a licence to kill human beings one day for selfish motives. In this respect, the following incidents from Mahatma Gandhi's life may be of interest. See The Life and Death of Mahatma Gandhi by Robert Payne.
Page 137 : “Gandhiji's second son, Manilal, was suffering from Pneumonia. A doctor recommended eggs, chicken broth and milk to increase the boy's strength. Gandhi was appalled. As a vegetarian, he could not countenance either eggs or chicken broth....... There were some things which could not be done even to preserve life, and one of those things was the taking of life.”
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