Do you agree with Richard Dawkins?

[Scabby Joe]

OK. Please define what you mean by sentient.

Sentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. This has nothing to do with the ability to feel pain as I said beforehand. Actually, I thought I had already defined it quite simply. To have an "ego" and be aware of other's "egos".

There is a lot of evidence that many animals are sentient:

http://www.ciwf.org.uk/includes/document...tience.pdf

It has been recognised in European law for many years:

http://www.eurocbc.org/page673.html

I'm not sure where you are going with your argument. Have you not already described factory farming as terrible?

For the sake of argument, let's say that cows, pigs etc are not sentient. You have accepted that they feel pain and can suffer. How is it moral to inflict unnecessary pain and suffering. If you are saying because they are not sentient, then should there be any limit to the pain and suffering inflicted. Why bother with any kind of animal welfare provisions? Either their pain and suffering matters or it does not.

Also, whatever you make of the science for sentience, consider where the onus of proof lies. Given the implications for the pain and suffering caused, should not the onus be on you to prove that livestock animals are not sentient? Surely this is the moral approach?