Angora garments

I agree Alexa.

Angora rabbits moult like a lot of long-haired animals do and it's this fur that's collected. In China where they're not as particular with their animals they probably pull it but I imagine that those who breed angora's wait for them to moult before using the fur, so it's not exactly right that plucking happens across the board of breeders.

Our next door neighbour years ago kept angora's and when they moulted you could have stuffed a cushion with their fur, but the neighbour had them as pets along with other rabbits.
I used to push them round the garden in a doll's pram.

It is not financially worth while to wait until the rabbits moult and then collect that small amount of moulted fur which is probably quite dirty too and not so desirable..

Ellan Vannin please don't dilute my message with an unlikely scenario.

Not all angora is harvested as you state @Alexa.

Shoppers can choose to refuse to buy cheap Chinese angora if they wish so it would be much better to focus on the choice consumers have and make them aware of the difference.

What has this got to do with Religion and /or Spirituality?

What do you think, Maw? Is cruelty a moral issue?

I've seen videos of the terribly cruel practice of pulling out fur from live rabbits. It's barbaric - and it's in China (there are some horrific animal cruelty practices there). Bears "milked" for their bile, pangolins killed for their scales and meat. And we all know about the "wet" markets..........

I returned a jumper containing angora a few years ago and have never bought it since. Unbelievably cruel

Please don't tell me what to do Alexa.

What do you think, Maw? Is cruelty a moral issue?
I have to agree with Maw. I too wondered why this was posted in the religion & spirituality forum.
You don’t have to be spiritual or follow a religion to be disgusted by cruelty either to animals or human beings for that matter.
If the topic was modern slavery, would that come under ‘religion & spirituality ‘ too?

Completely agree. It’s a disgusting practise.

If religion and spirituality are not concerned with morality what are they for?

I'm not religious Alexa, so don't ask me.
All I am saying is that religious people don't have a monopoly on ethical values.
A moral code can be derived independently of religious belief.

It’s a disgusting practice. Well done Alexa for highlighting it. I believe it’s virtually impossible to produce angora on a commercial scale without extreme cruelty. There are a few small producers in the U.K. who shear the rabbits by hand, but you have to pay high prices for the resulting yarn.

It’s certainly a moral and ethical question, wherever you choose to post it.

AlexaTue 19-May-20 19:54:09
What do you think, Maw? Is cruelty a moral issue

A moral or ethical issue- yes.
Not “Spiritual”,or “ Religious” though.

Yes, it is a moral or ethical issues and a person doesn't have to be religious to abhor such practices.

I have also seen those videos and they are very cruel, but i don't think a lot of people know or realise ,
Poor rabbits scream
Also seen geese being plucked alive for goose down jackets and quilts,also ducks same

I agree, Janeainsworth .

Good is not always religion, although religion may be good

Gransnet has no special ethics forum .

Blondenana it'e true a lot of people don't realise. How can we raise peoples consciousness about cruelty in commercial farming?

I think that this is a spiritual issue. How you approach your existence is surely the most religious aspect of your life, what you do distinct from what you say. I can't bear silk since I found out that the silk worms were boiled alive to obtain it. Once you know something you can't unknow it. A friend questioned me about the dairy industry, but ultimately felt that ignorance is bliss.

Daisymae, I agree.

Socrates said "The unexamined life is not worth living".

Conscience is important.

So Daisymae and Alexa are you both saying that atheists and humanists are amoral and lack a conscience?

Janeainsworth, the basic ethic is to examine one's life and try to be good.

Humanists , religious, and self-described atheists all include people who have consciences.