treating

There are two tendencies concerning treating animals in contemporary society. Some people think of animals as conscious living beings while others regard them as walking sources of food and fur. These two attitudes may be considered from many points of view, among others cultural, moral or religious.
In many cultures, animals are treated with great respect. In some Indian tribes, for example, when an animal is killed, rituals are offered to the animal's spirit. Some religions, like Buddhism, have also maintained a belief in reincarnation according to which the souls of human bodies are reincarnated to inhabit animal bodies. When viewed from this perspective, eating meat may be regarded as a form of cannibalism. However, human relationships with animals vary from society to society.