If they're a nuisance or hazard, then yes. I will kill them. But if they're just buzzing around, I'll just shoo em away with my hands.
Killing bugs - is it wrong?
- Thread starter MiracleOfSound
- Start date
I'm not doing anything to stop the many humans being murdered across the planet by stupid tribal wars, or famine or disease. If I care about the plight of the starving, dying and oppressed humans and do nothing, how much less should I do for bugs I feel nearly nothing for?MiracleOfSound said:
I do make an effort to nicely remove bugs from my presence which cannot harm me. But if one gets in my way, it dies.
I'm against killing anything without a good reason, namely food (I'm no vegetarian) or self-defense (and of course unavoidable accident.)
Mosquitoes and ticks abound where I live, and I have no qualms about killing them, since that's self-defense (both against bites and disease). I've also killed scorpions and black widows in the past, but nowadays I prefer putting them outside when I can (other spiders I either ignore or release.) Roaches I understand killing, though I prefer removing them when practical (we do have poison bait to deal with them.)
If I must kill something, I try to do it quickly and thoroughly. If someone else has stepped on a bug, and it's still moving, I'll try to crush its head and make sure it's gone. There's just no sense in causing unnecessary suffering, even if it's dim, non-sentient suffering.
My friends and I have a running joke that one day all the descendants of all the bugs I've saved over the years will rescue me. I'll be pulled from a fire or hauled up a cliff by a swarm of creepy-crawlies, and not be sure if it's cool or gross.
Oh, and someone did actually call me a "Buddhist hippie" once. I shrugged and said "Peace, love and Buddha, baby!"
Mosquitoes and ticks abound where I live, and I have no qualms about killing them, since that's self-defense (both against bites and disease). I've also killed scorpions and black widows in the past, but nowadays I prefer putting them outside when I can (other spiders I either ignore or release.) Roaches I understand killing, though I prefer removing them when practical (we do have poison bait to deal with them.)
If I must kill something, I try to do it quickly and thoroughly. If someone else has stepped on a bug, and it's still moving, I'll try to crush its head and make sure it's gone. There's just no sense in causing unnecessary suffering, even if it's dim, non-sentient suffering.
My friends and I have a running joke that one day all the descendants of all the bugs I've saved over the years will rescue me. I'll be pulled from a fire or hauled up a cliff by a swarm of creepy-crawlies, and not be sure if it's cool or gross.
Oh, and someone did actually call me a "Buddhist hippie" once. I shrugged and said "Peace, love and Buddha, baby!"
I've got a personal vendetta against ants. Back when I was 4 I picked up one to talk to it and become friends with it. [HEADING=3]It attacked me! It was unprovoked.[/HEADING] From that day forward I pledged to stomp all Ants I see. I still honor that pledge.
And don't even get me started on Wasps.
And don't even get me started on Wasps.
I think it's bad to kill anything for the sheer glee of 'killing something'. Though, in many cases, this is excusable when you are young and immature (zapping bugs with the magnifying glass).
If this continues into young adulthood, ehhh...well, it isn't wrong 'per se' to kill bugs, but I worry about how this morbid-fascination could bleed over into other areas.
Short answer: not really.
Long answer: Kind of, given the wrong intentions
If this continues into young adulthood, ehhh...well, it isn't wrong 'per se' to kill bugs, but I worry about how this morbid-fascination could bleed over into other areas.
Short answer: not really.
Long answer: Kind of, given the wrong intentions
They were here first, they aren't doing anything wrong, etc.
That being said, if a centipede has the indiscretion to walk across my ceiling, it drowns in Raid, no questions asked. I don't really tend to bother with anything else, just those disgusting little buggers.
That being said, if a centipede has the indiscretion to walk across my ceiling, it drowns in Raid, no questions asked. I don't really tend to bother with anything else, just those disgusting little buggers.
Usually killing bugs doesn't matter to me.
Though once I sprayed one with bug spray and it wigged out, and I felt surprisingly bad.
Though once I sprayed one with bug spray and it wigged out, and I felt surprisingly bad.
No, also their lack of a central nervous system makes me care less.MiracleOfSound said:
Always.
Why would you feel guilt, unless you enjoy West Nile, or parasites, most insects are disgusting creatures. The only ones i give a damn about are Ants, and Bees for i do enjoy honey.
Mindless killing of them is wrong, not morally but intelligently. Insects do a great deal in our ecosystem. There food for birds and bats and other small animals, bees pollinate flowers. Ants are supposed to be good for soil somehow unless they over populate and you have more ants then soil. They all serve some purpose. Wiping out insects is just flat out an idiotic idea. Kill the couple that are annoying or biting you is fine.
Fucking eh yes that is hilarious.Rastelin said:Let me put it this way.
I generally don't kill them unless there's a reason to. I'll kill flies and mosquitoes but most other bugs are all right by me. I'll even leave spiders or just move them outside, because they thin the horde of flies and mosquitoes we get where I live.
There is a lot more of them in the world than us, I don't think the universe will miss an ant or two.
When someone told me there is no point in killing one roach cause it can have ten thousand offspring in a life time...
When I kill one roach, I wallow knowing I killed ten thousand of them.
Like a mini game of genocide....
It's fun.
(and yeah, it a joke. Seriously it's a few bugs... don't sweat it. Squish all you want, they'll make more)
When I kill one roach, I wallow knowing I killed ten thousand of them.
Like a mini game of genocide....
It's fun.
(and yeah, it a joke. Seriously it's a few bugs... don't sweat it. Squish all you want, they'll make more)
To kill... or not to kill? That's your question.
It's a truly fascinating subject because on one hand "they're just bugs", but on the other- you're killing a lifeform- what gives you the right to take the life of another?
Well, it depends, but I will tell you this: The fact that you are even questioning the morality (right vs wrong) of a mere bugs fate, says a lot about your character. It shows a compassionate and considerate person, whereas most people don't think that way. That said, you still have a right to protect yourself, your family and your home.
SCENARIO I
Now, In New Orleans, we have lots of bugs. Some of them (such as moths) don't want anything to do with you or your house, but they found your way into your house because they are attracted to the light. In the case of s single bug that poses no immediate threat to you, I personally think the right thing to do is to trap and release them outside. I do this with those big nasty flying tree roaches because I know they only want to eat leaves. Now the German cockroach is a another ballgame...
SCENARIO II
When there's lots of bugs in or around your home, it's a completely different story. These insects set up base around your fort and declared war on your home and you have a right to defend yourself. In the case of the German Cockroach that wants to build a village in your kitchen, or a hornet nest in your tree, your don't have a choice but to exterminate them.
MORALITY:
The answer to the question is the question itself. We, as human beings have a PURPOSE. You can feel it in your gut as your mind tries to differentiate from right and wrong. Because you are AWARE of the consequences of your actions, you know that you are ACCOUNTABLE for them. When you raise the newspaper and strike that spider, the fact that you question your morality is evidence of your humanity. Cheers to you, you're almost there.
Those of you who think it's fun to torture living creatures because they have simply inconvenienced you have a very long, long journey ahead of you. Bugs may or may not have the emotional capacity that we humans do, but they do feel pain. In fact, that's probably all they feel. Now, I'm not religious and have not yet settled on any single truth, but if I were a God, I would not let any of you into my heaven who think this kind of torment is acceptable conduct. In fact, because you the human are aware of your actions, you are INFINITELY more worthy of judgment than any other animal on this planet and this... This, is the source of my despair. How sad it is to be aware... I cannot get away from you. Everyday I go to work with people like you. I try to have patience with the idiot in hopes that one day you will learn, and that someday, before you die you will realize and come to turn...
It's a truly fascinating subject because on one hand "they're just bugs", but on the other- you're killing a lifeform- what gives you the right to take the life of another?
Well, it depends, but I will tell you this: The fact that you are even questioning the morality (right vs wrong) of a mere bugs fate, says a lot about your character. It shows a compassionate and considerate person, whereas most people don't think that way. That said, you still have a right to protect yourself, your family and your home.
SCENARIO I
Now, In New Orleans, we have lots of bugs. Some of them (such as moths) don't want anything to do with you or your house, but they found your way into your house because they are attracted to the light. In the case of s single bug that poses no immediate threat to you, I personally think the right thing to do is to trap and release them outside. I do this with those big nasty flying tree roaches because I know they only want to eat leaves. Now the German cockroach is a another ballgame...
SCENARIO II
When there's lots of bugs in or around your home, it's a completely different story. These insects set up base around your fort and declared war on your home and you have a right to defend yourself. In the case of the German Cockroach that wants to build a village in your kitchen, or a hornet nest in your tree, your don't have a choice but to exterminate them.
MORALITY:
The answer to the question is the question itself. We, as human beings have a PURPOSE. You can feel it in your gut as your mind tries to differentiate from right and wrong. Because you are AWARE of the consequences of your actions, you know that you are ACCOUNTABLE for them. When you raise the newspaper and strike that spider, the fact that you question your morality is evidence of your humanity. Cheers to you, you're almost there.
Those of you who think it's fun to torture living creatures because they have simply inconvenienced you have a very long, long journey ahead of you. Bugs may or may not have the emotional capacity that we humans do, but they do feel pain. In fact, that's probably all they feel. Now, I'm not religious and have not yet settled on any single truth, but if I were a God, I would not let any of you into my heaven who think this kind of torment is acceptable conduct. In fact, because you the human are aware of your actions, you are INFINITELY more worthy of judgment than any other animal on this planet and this... This, is the source of my despair. How sad it is to be aware... I cannot get away from you. Everyday I go to work with people like you. I try to have patience with the idiot in hopes that one day you will learn, and that someday, before you die you will realize and come to turn...
... AND THEN YOU'LL BURN IN HELL!!!
Hear no evil, don't you see no evil,
Don't you lay no evil down on me
YOU'RE GONNA BURN IN HELL!
Speak no evil, don't you think no evil,
Don't you play with evil, 'cause i'm free
YOU'RE GONNA BURN IN HELL!
Hear no evil, don't you see no evil,
Don't you lay no evil down on me
YOU'RE GONNA BURN IN HELL!
Speak no evil, don't you think no evil,
Don't you play with evil, 'cause i'm free
YOU'RE GONNA BURN IN HELL!
