Does a beings perceived intelligence reflect its worth?

A pack of wolves wouldn't kill thousands of animals just in case another wolf wanted to buy one off them like we do. Animals only kill what they need to satisfy their hunger. They don't kill for sport or for wealth.

I'm not sure what this has to do with their intelligence anyway.

A list of feeble excuses to justify the systematic mass slavery and slaughter (and therefore suffering) of many animals.
Animals don't have souls. (Then neither do we)
Animals don't think. (Don't you think?)
Animals don't have feelings. (Don't you have feeling(s)?)
It's in the Bible. (A distorted book of myths is no justification for anything)
Animals eat other animals. (Trans-species cannibalism)
It's nature. (Is nature beyond question?)
It's tradition. (A complete cop out)
We need meat to be healthy. ( there are millions of healthy vegitarians in the world who would disagree.)

Basically people pick and choose to believe what suits them.

The real reason:
The taste is just too good. It out-weighs all other consideration in many peoples minds.
Many people generally don't want to know (and therefore don't care) about the suffering of animals. Some will truthfully admit this while others will bleat some of the above supposed justifications.
If one was unknowingly given human flesh to eat, would he/she automatically know it was not from an animal and therefore be crossing some moral line in the sand?
I believe there's a much finer line between cannibalism and the eating of animals than many would want to acknowledge.


[edit on 2-5-2006 by point]

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[edit on 5-5-2006 by point]

What, No replies to the above provocative post!
Am I to assume that many agree with me?
Maybe this thread has been shipped to the wrong forum after all.