But if the animal was raised in a natural environment and killed in a humane way, are we free to feast without guilt? My personal opinion: if you can raise and kill the animal yourself, thus fully aware and involved in the ethical questions and ends of your actions, then yes, you can eat that animal with a clean conscience.
Sounds straight-forward, but I myself have not had the chance to kill an animal to eat. During our travels through the countryside of Mongolia, I learned that even watching someone else do the dirty work isn't so simple.
The Mongolian nomadic people rely on their herds of animals for surviving in their harsh, unforgiving landscape. We were staying at a ger camp with a family that owned goats and camels. Our group of 6 tourists decided that we would purchase a goat for $60, and have it killed, dressed, cleaned and cooked to feed us over the next few days while we were camping in the countryside.
A smallish goat was presented to us for inspection. Our approval meant a death sentence for this young animal. After we gave the go-ahead, the goat was immediately flipped on its back, and held down by two men to prevent struggle or escape. I watched the goat squeeze its eyes shut as one of the men used a sharp knife to make a 12-inch cut along its belly. The man then reached his arm inside the goat, stopping its heart for a clean and quick kill. The dead goat was carried inside a ger, the skin removed, innards and flesh cleaned and prepared for cooking. Keeping with the Mongolian tradition, all parts of the goat are used in some way.
It seemed clear that this was a very ethical and humane way to eat meat. The animals are free to roam and forage the grasslands for most of their lives. The actual kill is quick. And for these nomadic people, the animals serve as one of their few sources of nutrition. Yet for a traveller like me, who spends most of my time in places where non-animal sources of food are readily available, this goat's death seems like a big sacrifice in comparison to the small luxury of short-lived, tasty enjoyment. The feeling of guilt was stronger than I imagined. Could I have abstained from a few meat-containing meals to preserve this goat's life?
