I agree with you both. It is quite erroneous to claim that any deity, which is normally endowed by its followers with qualities of love and compassion, would wish to see its own creations have their throats slit whilst fully conscious and suffer extreme pain. Does "God", or whatever other word one might choose for a supreme power, insist of His followers that animals must suffer for the sake of religion? If that is organised religion, I want none of it.
Interestingly, Sikhs adopt a very compassionate attitude on this issue. They are actually forbidden in their religion to eat any meat which has been ritually slaughtered in that way. Mind you, most of them are vegetarians, anyway. If that is taken as an example of organised religion, then I am more sympathetic.
People have the right to believe whatever they wish in terms of religion (or not to believe), but that that does not override the principles of love and compassion for all creatures, without which there is little hope for the human race. Freedom of religion does not give the freedom to impose widespread suffering on other inhabitants of this planet.
BTW I have had some personal experience of this issue. When we had a flock of sheep and the numbers became too great for the land space, I advertised the rams (mostly) for sale - but always specified "for reproduction only" (i.e. breeding). But even then, a lot of private individuals would telephone and say that wanted a ram to kill for meat. I always refused to sell in such circumstances, pointing out that the advertisement specified that they were being sold explicitly for reproduction. If people lied on the phone and they came to look at the sheep, I would question them again face to face about where the sheep would be housed after purchase. If they had no land, I knew what fate awaited the sheep concerned, so occasionally I even had to refuse at the last moment. I did not enjoy doing this, but I felt a moral responsibility for those sheep who had been born on our land. I had looked into their eyes when they had been born, watched them grow and play, seen the soul within them.
Interestingly, Sikhs adopt a very compassionate attitude on this issue. They are actually forbidden in their religion to eat any meat which has been ritually slaughtered in that way. Mind you, most of them are vegetarians, anyway. If that is taken as an example of organised religion, then I am more sympathetic.
People have the right to believe whatever they wish in terms of religion (or not to believe), but that that does not override the principles of love and compassion for all creatures, without which there is little hope for the human race. Freedom of religion does not give the freedom to impose widespread suffering on other inhabitants of this planet.
BTW I have had some personal experience of this issue. When we had a flock of sheep and the numbers became too great for the land space, I advertised the rams (mostly) for sale - but always specified "for reproduction only" (i.e. breeding). But even then, a lot of private individuals would telephone and say that wanted a ram to kill for meat. I always refused to sell in such circumstances, pointing out that the advertisement specified that they were being sold explicitly for reproduction. If people lied on the phone and they came to look at the sheep, I would question them again face to face about where the sheep would be housed after purchase. If they had no land, I knew what fate awaited the sheep concerned, so occasionally I even had to refuse at the last moment. I did not enjoy doing this, but I felt a moral responsibility for those sheep who had been born on our land. I had looked into their eyes when they had been born, watched them grow and play, seen the soul within them.
