Questions from a meat-eater

[OpiumAddict]

As the title states, I've got a few questions so bare with me, you might actually change my opinions.

1)If lab grown meat becomes popular, would you eat it?

2)After lurking on the forum for awhile, I've noticed that most vegans won't eat meat because animals have sentience. But what about animals such as clams and oysters? Or animals like snails and muscles?

*Also I seem to have accidentally left my diet status "vegan", how do I edit it?

[miniboes]

Welcome to the forums, it's great that you're willing to me open minded. Consider making an introduction post!

1) No, as it probably will still not be healthy. Assuming animals are not used in the production process I would see no ethical issue with it, though.

2) Eating oysters and clams, I think, is still problematic due to the insustainability of their production, I also think they're gross.

[bobo0100]

1) I don't think I would eat lab meat except in some rare cases in meals I am currently unable to make a good substitute for, like "shepherds pie" and schnitzel, but on top of moral objections I have ascetic objections to the consumption of non-processed meat. It is entirely possible that this will change due to how much I value my own health, especially in the light of my fathers minor hart attack.

2) Oysters are gross, and I don't know about the sentience much less taste of snails.

If environmental issues where to be ignored (I get the impression that environmental issues are lesser in oysters then they are in say fish or cows), than I may go as far as to say the latter is morally on par with veganism. And provided no environmental issues are to arise in the former case, I would argue that "lab meat" is morally equal to veganism.

[garrethdsouza]

1) I might consider eating it rarely if its ethically sourced. Animal products do have their health downsides but I don't know if it would make a dramatic difference if consumed only rarely, also plant based meats are catching up and would be a healthier option.

2) I'm allergic anyways but if I wasn't again I'd probably consider it rarely if it was sustainably sourced and keeping environmental and health issues in check.

Snails and slugs do have sentience though, in fact Nobel prize winning learning and memory studies have been conducted on them.

[Hummingbird]

1) Well, you already can find plant-based foods that apparently taste just like meat. So I guess I would have to see which one is the healthiest, or the cheapest... I don't know (actually I can't find any where I live, so I guess I'll just wait and see)

2) I'm quite certain of snails' sentience, but as for the clams, oysters and muscles, I think I saw a video of Unnatural Vegan saying that we actually were not sure if they are sentient or not. Anyways, I never actually ate very much of those, so I'm better off without them

[brimstoneSalad]

1)If lab grown meat becomes popular, would you eat it?

I would not object to it on moral grounds. But like others said, meat isn't healthy, so I don't think I'd make it a big part of my diet.
I'd probably look at it like coconut (which is a vegan saturated fat, also not so good for you).

I would be happy that others were enjoying it instead of meat derived from animal suffering though.

2)After lurking on the forum for awhile, I've noticed that most vegans won't eat meat because animals have sentience.

Correct.

But what about animals such as clams and oysters? Or animals like snails and muscles?

Most sentience is a matter of degree. It is less wrong to kill less sentient organisms. The line is somewhere around worms, where the organism becomes non-sentient.

Oysters are probably not sentient. Snails are sentient, but only a little.

It's much better, morally, for people to eat oysters, and at least the "lesser of two evils" to eat snails.

But, see above about health. Animal protein isn't good to eat regularly, even ethically sourced. But if you want to eat it, I can respect that. Health is important, but it's more your choice as long as you aren't harming others.

*Also I seem to have accidentally left my diet status "vegan", how do I edit it?

Easy, just go vegan, then you don't need to edit it.

Or bivalvegan (vegans who eat oysters). I think it's fair to consider that pretty much morally equivalent.

[OpiumAddict]

Easy, just go vegan, then you don't need to edit it.

Ahaaaah, tempting , but I think I'll start with actually trying to tolerate veggies more. I gag while eating certain veggies sometimes.

[miniboes]

Easy, just go vegan, then you don't need to edit it.

Ahaaaah, tempting , but I think I'll start with actually trying to tolerate veggies more. I gag while eating certain veggies sometimes.

You'll get used to them soon enough if it's all you eat!

[Mr. Purple]

1)If lab grown meat becomes popular, would you eat it?

Yes I probably would from time to time. It's probably less healthy overall, but most people aren't health nuts and are fine with indulging sometimes. Also, i figure if we were operating on that high a technological level, they probably would grow it with a healthier nutritional profile.

But what about animals such as clams and oysters? Or animals like snails and muscles?

I think there is quite a good case for bivalves. If there was a god, i would almost say he designed them for vegans ;P. They actually have a lot of complementary nutrients for people who are otherwise vegan. They are lean, high protein, high omega 3, and are basically bite sized B-12 nukes. They cover the most controversial aspects of vegan diets better than fish, with much less of the toxins and sustainability problems fish have. In fact they are really healthy for the eco system you farm them in. And most importantly for ethical vegans, not only are they the least likely animal to have relevant sentience, but eating something like rope grown mussels may actually reduce suffering more than a totally vegan diet because regular vegetable agriculture inevitably kills many small animals and insects when planting and harvesting. The only downside might be cholesterol depending on how big an issue that is for you. I would at least recommend these to people who don't want to support factory farming, but don't trust supplements or don't trust they will get the nutrition they need for whatever reason. I can easily see this becoming the norm for ethical vegans in the future.

Ahaaaah, tempting , but I think I'll start with actually trying to tolerate veggies more. I gag while eating certain veggies sometimes

Yeah, that is the absolute worst. I always make an effort to adjust to things i don't like. I used to not like avocados or mushrooms, and now they are 2 of my favorite foods. I think the trick is to eat the food in a context where that specific flavor is hard to isolate, but is still there. Raw Tomatoes make me gag, but i think they are delicious in salsa, sandwiches, or cooked. Seaweed makes me gag, but its fine in sushi. Just slowly up the amount of the trouble flavor in yummy meals like this until your subconscious takes them off the danger list. If you lock on to the flavor and the meal becomes a bad experience because you used too much, don't go through with it. You don't want your brain to associate that flavor negatively. Worst case scenario, even if you don't start to like it, you at least learn all the meals you can use your trouble veggie in safely.

[Fuzzy]

As the title states, I've got a few questions so bare with me, you might actually change my opinions.

1)If lab grown meat becomes popular, would you eat it?

2)After lurking on the forum for awhile, I've noticed that most vegans won't eat meat because animals have sentience. But what about animals such as clams and oysters? Or animals like snails and muscles?

*Also I seem to have accidentally left my diet status "vegan", how do I edit it?

1) im not sure what u mean by lab grown meat.
2) Oysters are sentient they have nerve ganglia( search it up if u dont know what it means) just like we humans do.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Peb_Ad7gtgA