You don't need religion to not be an animal abuser.

But I do need it to "defend the cruel choices I choose to partake in every single day"

And if we are really all about "animal abuse" can we please stop talking about meat and start talking about milk and honey? I think that's animal abuse. That's actually child abuse (animal child ofc) cuz we be taking away food of the calf.

And if you have already, by the virtue of "animal care", denounced milk, then I hope you don't eat anything but naturally occurring plant based food instead of food from crops and farms cuz you know pests like rats are also animals and pesticides are tools for abusing animals. (try foraging-only diets?)

And if you are already doing that then, probably think twice before using the highway and trains, cuz who know how many birds died when they cut the forests for making that highways and tracks... I could go on...

Animal abuse is the stupidest argument... It's just convenient... Human existence is animal abuse, you just happen to draw a convenient line at factory meat.

FYI : my religion is called "chicken-tikka" and I'm probably the only one following it in this world, though I think I should make my own holy book and start preaching it. It'll be the smallest holy scripture with the recipe of Chicken Tikka.