Is it less immoral to kill something that does not experience pain?

Question: Is it less immoral to kill something that does not experience pain!?

as opposed to kill something that could!?

I've never really understood this!. This is something that many vegetarians use to justify their abstinence form eating meat but not plants!. I've even hear it used to justify abortion!.

By this logic, wouldn't painless killing be ethical!? Like a gunshot to the head!? The victim didn't feel pain so do people consider that wrong!?

I thought that killing was wrong because it takes away because it causes death, not because it causes pain!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

You surely have a point!. Life should be respected but it seems to be worthier when it comes to creatures that actually feel pain!. But I guess it depends on what's more important to you: pain or life itself!. Of course if you value life in all its possibilities,then,yes,it is immoral to kill whichever being we're talking about!. If to you pain is what defines life,then it's not!. It will always depend on your perspective!. But I agree with you,you picked up an argument I had never thought of!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

All killing causes pain even if the victim does not feel pain!. Think of the people, family, friends that person has left behind because of the killing!. This pain is something that does not go away easily!. Painless killing is any less ethical because there is no such thing!.

As far as killing other things, that is a different thing!.

People kill plants and animals for survival but they also cultivate them for food, harvest them!. In nature, animals kill other animals for food!. I don't think they think about it whether it is right or wrong to kill another animal!.

Humans can eat both meat and vegetables!. If we were not meant to eat animals then our bodies would not have the chemicals to digest it!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

Just throwing this out there: the idea that killing is wrong is wrong!. If we truly believed this, we wouldn't be as successful a species as we are now!. Food and war are two things that allowed many great nations to prosper in times of economic uncertainty!. also, killing a plant to eat it is still killing, even if it doesn't feel pain!. However, most hunters can kill animals instantaneously with a straight, powerful shot to the heart; If this didn't kill it, it should put it in SHOCK!.!.!. which means it wouldn't feel pain anyways!.

So, killing is morally-repulsive necessity!. Without our blood thirst, many of these people wouldn't even have the ability to make stupid decisions like "killing is wrong"!. On people of a spoiled nation get to suggest stupid things like this!. Go talk to a poor nation's people, and see what they think of killing!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

I don't agree with any kind of killing if the cause isn't justified!. If it has anything to do with hate or extremism, it certainly isn't justified in my eyes!. I don't agree with the thought of death as a punishment either, no matter what name people give it to sound better!. If it has to do, though, with feeding hungry families or such justified causes, then I think it's okay!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Now Malcertein, Contrary to what excuse those vegetarians may say they are lying to themselves for even plants feel pain!.!. But No it not morally correct to kill and animal for fun!.!. But it becomes ok if you are killing for food then that becomes ok!.!.!. Not when you are slaughtering animals yes it is morally correct to kill them in a most humane manner possible!.!.!. And in God's eye Abortion are murder!.!.!.!.!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Man got intelligent and thinks of such things but consider if he was just as stupid as lion and is hungry, will he go for a kill or ponder about morality!. Another situation, you are at sea without food for many days and a vegetarian, would you not eat the fish to keep you alive!? If you do not than you are most dumb that ever lived!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

well you would first have to define the word kill because i am sort of confused but i would say that on my account go for it and see if the cops come to your house then you will know

PRO TIP: why does it matter did you already do it and are admitting to it if in that cace i will report you on yahoo ansers but not to the cops i mean really what could they do about it!?!?!!?!!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Very interesting point of view!.

However, killing is not black or white!.

Killing is wrong if you did so against the law and without a good reason!. And unfortunately, this definition of "good" varies depending on an individual!.

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Truly that is a baffling question!.!. even I have not understood it as yet!. Everyone has his /her own explanation and reasoning for this!.
sorry but I don't think I would want to say anything more on this!.!.I don't think I have knowledge enough to answer it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I think you are right!. That vegetarian thing!.!.!.that is dumb!. You have to do what you have to do to live!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Your question is packed full of false assumptions!.

Killing is wrong legally, when it is, because the law declares it to be wrong, when it is!.

Morally there is no general doctrine on killing -- some sort of generic one answer fits all, except perhaps for certain schools of Buddhism that hold all killing to be immoral -- the monks won't even step on a bug!.

In the West killing is sometimes moral, sometimes not!.

Humane values are a whole separate subject!. In general, in the West we hold that if something needs to be killed it is immoral to cause unnecessary pain while doing so!. That's why smallpox weapons are banned by treaty!. That's why criminals are put to death quickly, supposedly!. This is extended to animals!. If a slaughterhouse killed animals in a cruel and painful way it would violate the law in most states!.

So we have:

wrong versus not wrong

Moral vs immoral

and

Humane vs Inhumane

All of these are precise and separate ideas!. Philosophy is not about mishmashing everything together into great confused masses!. Before you can hope to be logical you must be precise!.

Pain is not connected to wrong or to immoral, but it is connected to inhumane!. We deplore man's inhumanity to man which often involves the casual or negligent or intentional causing of unnecessary pain, whether or not that act is wrong in the legal sense or immoral in the ethical sense!. When animals are painfully sacrificed in medical experiments that save millions of human lives, the acts done by the lab assistants are right, moral, but so inhumane that many of them need psychological counselling afterwards!.

When US troops attack and destroy a farmhouse full of terrorists in Syria to save thousands from being killed in cities in Iraq, the act is right, and moral, but may be so inhumane that it causes PTSD for our soldiers after they return from war!.

Pain is not directly always connected to morality or to righteousness, although it is generally illegal to torture people, and in most cultures it is immoral!.

The short answer is that there is no short answer except to be more precise in your thinking!.
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I would say no even if they don't feel pain why should we kill em!.I used to walk over worms who were drowning from the high rains and kill spiders as i didn't want webs in my hair' but now i know every living being deserves the right to live and be happy and healthy!.!.I know move worms when i see them in stress' and possums and feral cats and anyone or animal i am blessed to get to help!.Www@QuestionHome@Com