Why can I not eat a fish which will inevitably die or be eaten by another creature anyway?

[Śrī Anil asked: Padanamaskaram Swami! Could You kindly grace us with Your response to this question raised in an internet discussion forum? This person opposes the idea that natural calamities like tsunamis and earthquakes are a punishment for human beings killing animals for food. At Your Lotus Divine Feet-anil.

Opponent: What are you saying? Natural calamities have existed before humans evolved to comprehend the law of karma. Dinosaurs died due to natural calamities. Non-vegetarian food has always been a part of human diet and is essential for proper nutrition. Bengalis who eat non-vegetarian food are healthier than Gujaratis, who are mostly vegetarian. Eating is a natural process. If I do not eat a fish, any other creature will eat it or it will die naturally.]

Swami replied: Whatever you said about eating other animals being natural can be also said by demons, who kill and eat human beings. You are a human being and there is a possibility of you being killed and eaten by a demon. Will you accept your own speech delivered through the mouth of a demon, justifying his killing and eating of human beings, just as humans eat animals and birds? One can understand the truth when one places himself in the place of the victim. Vegetables and grains contain all the dietary components that non-vegetarian food contains. After all, plants and grains are the food even for animals and birds. Doctors say that vegetables and grains contain primary proteins, which are good for health, whereas, the meat of animals and birds contains re-synthesised secondary proteins, which are derived from original vegetarian sources. Medical science says that these re-synthesised proteins are not good for health. So, all your arguments are just artificial.

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