Off Kilter-(10-2009)-043

Interesting, the idea that animals slohud not be abused, although it is highly civilized to kill and eat them. Where is the boundary and what is the basis for such a boundary? From where would we derive the rules for treatment of non-human animals, and why would society make criminal the abuse of animals? And which animals slohud be protected? Is ritual slaughter of cattle different from boiling of live lobsters? Are we doing the animals a favor by giving them life and nutrition only to kill and eat them and deliberately modifying them for our purposes?