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[studyguy]

Run into similar issues with my girlfriend when she refuses to eat food if it isn't Kosher. She doesn't really even practice Judaism to be honest, but has a number of bits of it stubbornly knocked into her.

Moreover the fact that she's super picky about food doesn't help either so it seems more like she uses that as an excuse to not eat something... but whatever. Worrying about how your meat is slaughtered seems like the silliest thing. I mean subjecting an animal to slaughter in general is terrible, but if it bothers someone so much just go vegetarian. Changing the way a leg of lamb or shank arrives at your dinner table doesn't change the fact that it's dead. I love meat, but have no illusions about the process that goes into it.

 

[iamblades]

Pick a meat that's not mentioned in the Quran, thus it can be killed any way you like.
That's probably how people get around insulin shots like your Grandfather (although it may be pure ignorance, I didn't know insulin comes from pigs).

Islam is just as rubber as any other religion.

Pig insulin was the traditional choice because pig metabolism is close to human, though insulin from a wide variety of animals was used before the technology to artificially produce human insulin was developed. These days it comes from genetically modified e.coli bacterium (which I'm sure irritates a whole other branch of people with irrational beliefs).

As for the OP, if you are a believer your mom is technically correct, you can't really pick and choose which rules to follow based on convenience. That said, 90% of Jews and Muslims I know work the hell out of the grey areas, if not just ignore the rules altogether, just like the majority of Christians drink and have sex before marriage. As religion is not something most people choose, but is forced upon them as a child, when you become an adult your brain will rationalize away all the nonsensical parts of the faith and you make your own religion, which goes to your point about the 'rubberyness' of religions. It's basically the only reason we still have religions today, as no one really wants to live by a set of rules thought up by superstitious herders in the desert thousands of years ago. It would be impossible to function in the modern world if people actually followed the rules of the Abrahamic faiths to the letter.

I personally am never going to forgo ham and bacon because some dudes back in the day got sick from eating rare pork.

 

[boiled goose]

Pig insulin was the traditional choice because pig metabolism is close to human, though insulin from a wide variety of animals was used before the technology to artificially produce human insulin was developed. These days it comes from genetically modified e.coli bacterium (which I'm sure irritates a whole other branch of people with irrational beliefs).

As for the OP, if you are a believer your mom is technically correct, you can't really pick and choose which rules to follow based on convenience. That said, 90% of Jews and Muslims I know work the hell out of the grey areas, if not just ignore the rules altogether, just like the majority of Christians drink and have sex before marriage. As religion is not something most people choose, but is forced upon them as a child, when you become an adult your brain will rationalize away all the nonsensical parts of the faith and you make your own religion, which goes to your point about the 'rubberyness' of religions. It's basically the only reason we still have religions today, as no one really wants to live by a set of rules thought up by superstitious herders in the desert thousands of years ago. It would be impossible to function in the modern world if people actually followed the rules of the Abrahamic faiths to the letter.

I personally am never going to forgo ham and bacon because some dudes back in the day got sick from eating rare pork.

but religious people already pick and choose....

 

[cdkee]

I think the time leading up to the animal's slaughter is also pretty important when factoring in how "ethical" the meat is. Factory farming is hardly suffering free, even if the method used to finally kill the animal is completely painless. That said, I have no idea how halal animals are raised.

In theory halal animals are supposed to be treated well. In practice who knows how it actually is.

As far as actual slaughter is concerned, my understanding is that the sudden loss in blood pressure from the jugular cut causes the animal to pass out. Any movement you see are convulsions.

 

[iamblades]

but religious people already pick and choose....

I said that, I was just stating that the OP's mom was correct in this argument the way it was framed. You can't win that argument without challenging the fundamental faith that these rules were sent directly from god rather than written by men with no understanding of germ theory and what causes food poisoning, which it doesn't seem like the OP is ready to do.

 

[iamblades]

In theory halal animals are supposed to be treated well. In practice who knows how it actually is.

As far as actual slaughter is concerned, my understanding is that the sudden loss in blood pressure from the jugular cut causes the animal to pass out. Any movement you see are convulsions.

IIRC Halal chicken slaughtering is exactly the same as normal except for the words.

For beef and lamb it is the same except the animal is not knocked out with the stun gun before having it's throat cut. While it is true that the loss of blood will end things pretty quickly, it is inarguable that the animal experiences more stress and pain than if it were stunned first.

 

[Messofanego]

The idea of cutting the jugular is so enough time can't be made where the blood and oxygen goes to the brain and lets the pain receptors fire. I'm pretty sure there was a study on pain comparisons between both kinds of slaughter.

 

[iamblades]

The idea of cutting the jugular is so enough time can't be made where the blood and oxygen goes to the brain and lets the pain receptors fire. I'm pretty sure there was a study comparing pain comparisons between both kinds of slaughter.

The brain can survive and stay conscious several seconds with no oxygen at all, so even if you immediately cease all blood flow to the brain, there will still be pain sensation.

 

[TheExodu5]

If you can't see hypocrisy in eating animals living their whole lives in complete suffering as long they don't get their throats slit in the end then you're beyond help. It's one of the better options within the wide array of possible deaths they'll face before ending up on your plate.

smh

Alright so apparently it has to be all or nothing. I can either a) become a vegan, or b) eat any meat related product regardless of the method of killing.

Listen, I find halal slaughter to be less humane than industrial slaughter. If that offends you, then make your own peace with it and leave me out of it.

 

[FonkyByNature]

I come from a Muslim family, even though i'm not Muslim anymore, and we just abandoned buying halal food in a country that don't give a fuck about halal food and actually buying it is kinda expensive.

You know money doesn't grow on trees and actually eating meat is important, i don't believe you can live a healthy life being a vegan, so some traditions and rules from religion can take a back seat. Not everyone follow the rules of religion 100%.

 

[jstripes]

It's funny. The halal chicken at my local supermarket tends to be less expensive than the non-halal chicken. Not sure why.

So we just buy the halal stuff, and we're not even muslim.

 

[GungHo]

The brain can survive and stay conscious several seconds with no oxygen at all, so even if you immediately cease all blood flow to the brain, there will still be pain sensation.

Even with a complete and instantaneous decapitation (e.g. guillotine), this is the case.

 

[Arrowgigantic]

Carve a nice wand out of a stick and tell her that she can wave it over regular meat to turn it into halal.


And don't leave out that she has to say "expecto halalum" when she waves it.

 

[iamblades]

Even with a complete and instantaneous decapitation (e.g. guillotine), this is the case.

Yep, hence the stun gun in modern industrial slaughtering.

 

[Juliet's 8½ Spirits]

Alright so apparently it has to be all or nothing. I can either a) become a vegan, or b) eat any meat related product regardless of the method of killing.

Listen, I find halal slaughter to be less humane than industrial slaughter. If that offends you, then make your own peace with it and leave me out of it.

So you're saying that its morally reprehensible to kill an animal one way, but its aok to do it another way? In your eyes the killing of animals for the sole reason of human pleasure isnt a problem, but the way we get there? Don't you see the tiniest bit of hypocrisy in that?

 

[RustyNails]

I clicked the videos, but I am not sure how credible they are. Like I get there are artificial compounds in our meat, but sometimes those compounds have no effect on human health. Are your videos credible, or another "FLUORIDE IN THE WATER" bullshit tirade?

Crescent is the biggest supplier of Halal packaged meat. Here is there disclosure:

The Feed – Crescent chickens are fed an all natural, USDA certified 100% vegetarian diet of pure grains and soy, free of any animal by products and processed animal protein.

The Process – Crescent chickens are hand slaughtered individually according to Halal guidelines by Muslims with strict adherence to all required aspects including direction to Qiblah, accuracy and a longer bleed time. For further inquiry about the Halal certificate please contact Shar’i Zabihah Committee at 773.764.8274.

Why Choose Crescent?

Humane handling
Vegetarian Feed (free of any animal by products and processed animal protein)
Cage-free roaming birds
Individual Hand slaughtering
Qiblah Direction
Longer Bleed Time
No Antibiotics
No Hormones
No Coloring Agents
No Preservatives
All Natural!

Knowing this, you can be confident in our Halal practices. We believe in the highest standards of quality including humane handling, longer bleed time to ensure wholesomeness “Tayyib”, vegetarian feed so that the bird is Halal even before slaughtering.

 

[Skeyser]

I buy halal and I'm not religious, it's cheaper than regular meat where I live. Apparently no one is buying it.

 

[Oblivion]

Wait, I'm confused. Halal meat causes MORE suffering for the animal than the non-Halal kind?

 

[SouSouRocket]

They keep sayin' whale, but my name Wael

That's my dad's name, and I always made that joke to myself because he spells it "Wayel" and people pronounce it "Wayle" (like whale) all the time.

you can eat Kosher meat:



(some even interpret this to mean that any meat coming from Christians or Jews is accepted)

That verse is the reason my family doesn't bother with Halal, as we live in the US and we basically just assume the normal meat is that of "Christians and Jews". I never knew anyone thinks shrimp is not okay, my uncle who only eats halal absolutely loves shrimp.

You should be telling your mom about that verse from the Qur'an. The insulin example is a poor one because that's a matter of life or death essentially. If you were given the choice between starving to death or eating a ham sandwich, you can have the ham sandwich. That promotes the Islamic value of the preservation of human life.

 

[Des0lar]

Just want to chime in and say that I find it weird that there are people out there who like meat (/seafood) but never tried so many of that stuff because religion forbids it.