By moral being I do not mean they act morally but that they deserve moral consideration. If this were not true why are we repulsed by the beating of an animal?

By moral being I do not mean they act morally but that they deserve moral consideration. If this were not true why are we repulsed by the beating of an animal? Why do we invent such paradoxical concepts as the "humane" slaughterhouse? Our moral intuition leads us to the answer but cultural norms and casuistry let us avoid it.