[Jamie89]

Originally Posted by Jessica.

You might think it's natural to eat meat because you were raised on that idea, but not everything that's natural is the right way. Also, we are able to rationalise doing less harm and being less cruel. None can be 100% cruelty free in this day and age, but at least we can make a little bit of effort to do what we're able to. Right now, it's not convenient for me to stop eating animals, but I'm able to and that makes a difference to me and my conscience, as well as all of the animals I'm not going to eat. Am I wrong for this?

It's an interesting point, something being the normal way of doing things doesn't mean it's natural, if you think about wearing clothes for example I think most people would agree it's not because it's natural... I mean we call people who don't 'naturists' yet how long have humans worn clothes for?
I think social norms probably play a big part in all of this actually, because where comparisons between us and other animals and the food chain etc (when it comes to whether or not meat eating is natural/instinctive) are concerned, it's ignoring that we're very different to most other animals in the extent to which we're effected by social conditioning, and I can only speak for myself but I'm pretty sure I don't feel instinctive urges to eat animals. If you think about the meat we eat and our urges towards it and how much we enjoy it etc we think of how it looks and tastes after cooking... not many of us would be happy eating raw animal flesh and it can also be dangerous for us to do so... we literally have to turn it into something unrecognisable for it to be appealing to us and for it to be safe, and that doesn't seem 'natural' to me? I think it's very possible that similar to the clothes example we may have started eating meat through necessity, and it developed into a social norm from there.
The more I think about it the more I think there's definitely an argument for vegetarianism as being more natural.