Peter: >>Is killing an animal violence because force is used, because the animal >>has a nervous system and therefore in you opinion suffers or because >>another life is being ended? To me violence means somebody's rights or >>integrity are being violated, and I do not see this being the case when >>killing an animal for food or even when picking a peach from a tree. Is >>the chimp violating the termites by eating them? - I think not. They >>are there to serve the chimp and visa versa. Stefan: >I pick your definition and claim, that a kill violates the bodily inte- >grity of a living being. You see termination of life as a violation. Except for murder I do not. >Also you are terminating possible social rela-tionships, the being might live in. And very likely opening up the door to new. Change is probably the only certainty we have in this world. >This may cause harm to the other members of the society. You are violating them >indirectly then. I am objecting to the word "violating" when describing the workings of the food chain. If a crocodile eats me, is it violating me? No, it is just having a meal by the only means it knows how. Even though I might feel very violated in those few seconds before it has killed me off, the crocodile is very innocent in its need to fulfill its dietary needs. >Does that suffice? We are getting close. :-) Best, Peter [log in to unmask]