guy@rlgvax.UUCP (Guy Harris) (01/03/84)
What would someone who didn't use any animal products do if they became an insulin-dependent diabetic? Currently, the only insulins available are made from pig or cattle pancreases. Guy Harris {seismo,ihnp4,allegra}!rlgvax!guy
jgb@linus.UUCP (Jonathan G. Bressel) (01/03/84)
Firstly, I'm not sure if it's true that all insulin comes from pork and beef as you say. In fact, I'm almost positive there are synthetic insulins being produced as a product of genetic engineering. But the question is a good one. I avoid using animal products, because I don't believe in harming animals if I don't have to. This includes leather, cosmetics, etc. I don't believe, however that an animal's life is as important as a human's life. I just believe in avoiding needless killing. If my health were at stake, and there were ABSOLUTELY no other way to survive, other than killing an animal, I would kill it (as humanely as possible). The important point is that there are almost no situations, with the help of modern technology, where it is necessary to make use of animals in these ways. -- Jonathan G. Bressel linus!jgb (UUCP) linus!jgb@MITRE-BEDFORD.ARPA (ARPA)
jack@hp-dcde.UUCP (01/06/84)
#R:rlgvax:-151700:hp-dcde:40400002:000:607 hp-dcde!jack Jan 4 13:06:00 1984 What would a vegetarian diabetic do? Well, it of course depends on the kind of vegetarian. Vegetarians for health reasons would, I imagine, take the insulin. An "ethical" vegetarian such as myself (I believe killing animals is bad) would be compelled *not* to take the insulin. Of course, when faced with a life & death situation, morals often fall by the wayside. I would hope that I wouldn't weaken. -Jack Applin Vegetarian since age 12 (hplabs!hp-dcd!jack) P.S.: The above beliefs are strictly my own and not necessarily those of the Hewlett-Packard company. :-)