The True Nature of Man

Much has been said about man's relationship with animals.  Here are the facts.

Historically, man is an omnivore, and as such, also kill and eat animals as part of his diet.

Such is recorded in several historical writings, not least of which is the Bible:

Genesis 9:3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.

Leviticus 11:1-47 These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat.

The majority of humankind follow these directives in one way or the other.  Despite this, recent times have spawned two minority opinions - on opposite ends of the spectrum. FactFinder shall call them "left minority"and "right minority" for future reference.  The majority that eats red meat, we shall call "middle majority".

The Growing Left Minority

A growing number of people adopt a Vegan lifestyle. It is possible - given enough effort - to replace most of the nutrients that meat contains with plant-based foods:

1. Protein Beans, legumes, nuts, and soy provide protein

2. Vitamin B-12 "Fortified" (read artificial supplements) vegan cheese, yogurt, cereals, veggie burgers, faux meats and nutritional yeast typically contains some B-12.

3. Calcium, Iron, and Zinc Chickpeas, broccoli, dried figs, enriched whole-wheat bread, calcium-set tofu, and calcium-fortified soy cheese do provide some calcium and should be consumed in large quantities if you wish to replace meat. For iron, leafy greens provide non-heme iron, so should be consumed in large quantities to replace the trace amounts of heme iron absorbed when eating poultry and fish.

4. Omega-3, Omega-6, Vitamin D Flaxseed oil, walnuts, soybeans, soybean oil, olive oil, and hemp oil will provide Omega-3, and again needs to be taken in large quantities to replace meat. No plants contain any Vitamin D or Omega - 6, so artificial supplementation is required.

Ovo-lacto vegetarianism (adds eggs and dairy) and pesce-pollotarianism (adds fish and poultry) are more prevalent than pure veganism, and is popular because it negates the need for artificial supplementation.

The Millenia-old Middle Majority

The vast majority of people eat red meat, citing that it contains large amounts of iron, creatine, minerals such as zinc and phosphorus, and B-vitamins, while also being the richest source of lipoic acid, a powerful antioxidant. Historical and compelling current dietary reasons for Man to eat red meat as part of a balanced diet can not be ignored. This brings up the question of how such food should be obtained.

An animal must of course be killed to eat it. In scripture and many other directives, the most humane kind of killing have been discussed amply.

One biblical directive is that the carotid artery should be severed, causing immediate death, and that the animal must be bled out fully, and the blood buried:

Leviticus 17:13 “Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth."

Another directive is that an animal is shot with a missile that kills it where it lives, which means it dies without having to be caught, or detained in an undignified way:

Genesis 27:1-46 When Isaac was old ... he called Esau ... “My son”; ... take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me, and prepare for me delicious food, such as I love."

It may be assumed that Esau was a good hunter, that did not miss, wound or hurt an animal unduly.  Some argue that an antelope is better off to be killed in this fashion than to be mauled by a lion or endlessly tortured by playful cheetahs, before being eaten alive, as is often the way it happens in nature.

It can be argued that when man hunts for the pot, and to feed dependants, the practice is ethical, traditional, and right.

Conversely, it can also be argued that man should instead look to mass manufactured artificial supplements for his needs. FactFinder would rather not take sides in an argument, but can report that the vast majority of humankind still prefers natural foods over artificial supplements.

Having understood the reasons why cloven hooved animals are hunted for the pot, FactFinder is satisfied that the practice has been around for as long as man has been, and that it therefore has a place in the True Nature of Man.

The Right Declining Minority - Not in Man's Nature

The inexpicable lust of a minority of men to kill an animal for no reason other than bragging rights has reared its head in Victorian times, and is in sharp decline at the time of this writing.  This small minority hunts not for own consumption, but rather to have the animal stuffed, it's eyes gouged out, replaced with false plastic orbs, and displayed on a wall in his home or office.  Romantic embellishments on "my great African hunts" are common, while in truth the men in question do not hunt for real.  In truth, they need to have the animal "canned" in order to shoot it.  Big cats are particularly vulnarable to this, as they do not understand that there is a threat until they feel the impact of the arrow or bullet.

FactFinder asserts that the practice of Trophy Hunting has no place in the history of man.  No scriptures mention the practice.  It is a anomaly invented in Victorian times, and launched several new "professions", such as taxidermy, tannery, wildlife management and animal part trading.

The lack of historical references, and the vast majority that reject the practice, indicated that it is not in the True Nature of Man to engage in trophy hunting.  The practice, along with the totality of the industry and laws that support it (such as private wildlife ownership, management, conservation, auctions and translocation), is therefore inhuman.

FactFinder, May 2013