How are you defining "feelings," and how do these relate to moral obligation? "Sentient" strikes me as more related to self awareness than feelings.
There is no compulsion to eat meat, if one does not eat meat, it is OK, but to link it with ethics and morals is to misunderstand ethics and morals
I already explained. Animals are sentient beings [meaning they have feelings]. Fruits, grains not.
Correct. Don't cut the tree, just eat the fruits [animal is sentient being]
We talk here about "killing for eating". Snake is no part of vegan diet
That is probably the reason that Gen 1:29 instructs us to eat seed bearing fruits. The fruits are dropped on the ground ready to be eaten. No feelings.
Fruits are not seeds. Usually their function is to attract feeders and be eaten, so the seeds can be distributed in the faeces of the feeders.
Plants do react to stimuli; they do communicate, but I question their self awareness and capacity to suffer, which, to my thinking, are essential considerations in our moral obligations toward them
IMHO: Spiritual Life is a simple formula "Hurt Never, Help Ever". Killing is ultimate violence. Also animal killing.
I do not judge meat eaters, but I speak the truth. I was eating meat the first 25 years. That part of my life I was more violent, I do not deny. No need to feel guilty either. Then starting vegetarian life. Took a few years to cut out all the meat. I was honest in it; telling "I am still a killer now and then". I never make myself look better than I am. Even now being vegan, I kill now and then. Took albendazole some time back to kill "worms in the intestines" and stepped on some ants etcetera. It's all about honesty. You can fool yourself, you can't fool others. Animals feel pain, so killing them [or have others kill them for you] means you are violent. However beautiful you put it in words.
I do have respect for American Indians and Eskimo's who have the greatest respect towards the animals they use to eat. When I was in transition to vegan and not enough will power yet to stick to it, I tried to pray double when making mistakes [and even there I was lacking sometimes]. It's all about honesty and respect for me.
To explain this to a meat eater is almost impossible, because the subtle effect of meat eating is "violence". All of us know "touch a man's food and you touch him [meaning he gets upset]". Animals generally don't like it either; talking about feeling. Just watch youtube with lions/tigres and how unwilling they are to share. Trees are vegan, and share their food with us. Watch monkeys in India, they are known to steal your fruit bags. I discovered a way to stay in charge of them, but if you don't know they get your food, unless you fight them off and be strong.
Like in the Bible, parables are the easiest to convey such a message as "meat eating related to morals".
Hypothetically suppose you are a nice looking young man meeting a wonderful young girl. Love on first sight. You are the loyal trustworthy doggy type of guy. She on the other hand is a feisty cat person. She also has an adorable pussycat. A persian cat. She loves her cat. After a while even you start loving her cat. She also brings in a plant, her most favorite one [she could only bring 1 cat + 1 plant]. But these 2 were her most beloved ones. The 4 of you are like a family.
Then one sad day something bad happens and your cat-loving-woman has to choose. You, cat, plant. One has to get out [reason unimportant]. Hint [you have been very nice to her and she still loves you a lot; the persian cat has also been good, and the plant also]. No escape possible. All are good. Still she MUST decide.
What do you think she will choose to keep, and why? [I think there is our answer to this]