Ellie,

When one speaks of killing another being not out of self-defense, but for
one's own gratification or needs, real or imagined, it would seem to me
hypocritical to speak of doing so "mercifully."  Look up the word mercy and
you will find definitions like kindness, compassion, etc.  People who talk
about killing an animal with kindness or compassion are only trying to
rationalize their actions to themselves or others.  The animal, given a
choice, would rather live, just as you or I would.

If you are speaking about killing without inflicting suffering beyond that
needed to kill, I wouldn't call that merciful. I would say that would be
the bare minimum of decency which should be expected of a human being.  And
one ought to legimately question whether that standard is being met in our
slaughterhouses and factory farms.  Even people who go out and kill animals
on their own are probably, for the most part, inflicting as much if not
more suffering than the slaughterhouses.

So I suggest that any talk of "mercy" be dispensed with in favor of facing
what is being done, if it must be done, honestly and without
self-deception.

Mark

> to based it on spiritual concepts. There is plenty in the spiritual
> literature that supports killing animals, which of course should be done
> mercifully as the wild animals do it, for food.

> My best, Ellie