Is it evil to eat intelligent monsters?

[Tonguez]

The thread on cannibalism raised the point about sentient creatures being taboo in the opinion of some, but I still can't see why it should matter.

So my question - is the eating of creatures with intelligence higher than 3 (ie in the human range) morally wrong, is it murder if a Ranger hunts, kills and eats a Behir (int 7), would your Paladin need to atone after eating Griffon (int 5) drumsticks? What about Dragon? or Lammusa or Ki-Rin?

and if it is wrong then in LG society should all intelligent creatures have 'rights'?

Consider that Otyugh have int 5, Giant Owl int 10, Behir int 7, Chull int 10, Griffon int 5, Worg int 6 and even Tarrasque with int 3 are 'intelligent'...

 

[diaglo]

no. meat is meat.

now if you are a vegan... well yes.. eating any meat is evil

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

Eating Otyugh is ALWAYS evil - damn, man, they live in giant piles of refuse and filth.

Just the idea is disgusting. I mean, it almost puts me off my bacon breakfast...

 

[diaglo]

Eating Otyugh is ALWAYS evil - damn, man, they live in giant piles of refuse and filth.

Just the idea is disgusting. I mean, it almost puts me off my bacon breakfast...

what do you think Crabs eat?

 

[Janx]

Not that I get my morality from "Stargate" but both series (SG-1 and Atlantis) operate on the premise that intelligent folk have rights.

In SG-1's case, the premise is that the BBEG think they are superior to humans, and therefore the humans have no rights and are slaves. (thus it's no big deal to posess them)

In Atlantis, the BBEG feed on humans, so humans are just cattle.

In both cases, from the human perspective, these are EVIL acts, and would support the argument that eating intelligent critters is wrong.

I guess there are several things to consider:
A) nobody likes being eaten. Even cows run away from wolves
B) what's the "too intelligent to eat" bar set at?

I'd wager that the more a critter seems like "me", as in has intelligence, culture, communicates with others, the more "wrong" it would be to eat it.

Janx

 

[Aeolius]

what do you think Crabs eat?

shrimp are bottom feeders... high cholesterol
lobster are filter feeders... low cholesterol

Go figure. Now, if only I could get my doctor to write a prescription for lobster. Granted, the fourteen pounds of melted butter probably negate any health benefits.

In BPAA, I have a PrC which hunts and consumes dire animals. I also have a PrC which only eats creatures poisonous to others.

 

[Squire James]

Eating formerly-intelligent corpses isn't in itself evil. There is a difference between disgusting and evil, though both tend to be poor ways to win friends and influence people. Of course, things done to get to this point may be evil. "Because it tastes good" is NOT a non-evil reason to kill an intelligent being!

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

what do you think Crabs eat?

The concept of civilization from microscopic, aquatic planets. Uh-huh. They just suck the knowledge and cultural vitality right out of them and then spit out the remains as a sub-barbaric husk.

Our own dark ages? A giant ether crab caused it.

Save the world! Eat the unlimited crab legs feast at Red Lobster!

Patrick Y.

 

[BelXiror]

I think how the critter died is somewhat important.

killing an intelligent being just so you can eat it is much the same as murder.

However, if you've just saved the day by slaying the evil red dragon, stopping it from destroying whatever, and your tired, hurt and hungry, then cutting a bit of meat off to munch on isn't really an evil thing.

 

[devilish]

Definition of Intelligence?

If it's guided by intelligent, then it would allow eating humans
who have less than 3 intelligences.

As far as it being right or wrong, I would guess the further away
from a species, the more "correct" it would be for a group of people.
I can't see complaining about eating aboleths (mm....seafood) even
though they are mega-intelligent.

We had a big debate about this a while ago in our group --- a
new character, from a barbaric society, joined our group during a
funeral of another character who we couldn't raise. After the ceremony,
he ate his heart to honor him. Once the cleric found out, it was
pandemonium.....hours and hours of debate.

-D