If the potential to develop into a cognitively and emotionally complex human is really what matters here, then are you equally against masturbation?

Nope. Otherwise we'd have to arrest every man who has a wet dream or any woman who ovulates. After a fetus has gestated past a certain point though...? And even then, late-term abortions still make sense when taking into consideration the health of the already-developed mother, not to mention it can avert undue suffering in an always potentially complex human.

So if we found a human that didn't have to potential to develop into a cognitively and emotionally complex human adult, then would you be okay with slaughtering it and eating its flesh?

We'll cross that bridge when genetic manipulation gets to it. Because at that point are they so removed genetically, cognitively and emotionally from the original genome that they can be considered "humans"?

Let me put it this way; A certain percentage of our DNA proves interbreeding with Neanderthals. Neanderthals were possibly as complex as humans. And even if they weren't they possessed a complexity beyond that of most, if not all animals, to the extent where spoken and written language was something both species could share.

Therefore, Neanderthals were too complex to eat. If this hypothetical human met those criteria, then they would be too complex to eat. That's before taking into consideration the incurable brain diseases associated with cannibalism.

Just because they may not have the same level of sentience does not mean they have zero sentience.

Would this apply to plants if they were discovered to possess some form of sentience? If you're presenting a hypothetical human, I should be able to present this situation, right?

At what point do you consider something "not sentient enough" to eat? What about if I were to run over a dog? Should I be punished for running over something with the sentience of a five year old? Why is it different from running over an actual five year old human child? I have trouble getting that one answered. If you could it'd be great.

Plants have no emotions or cognition. Not just like animals.

Two centuries ago people were arguing that the brains of black slaves were specifically geared towards servitude. 50 years ago we thought plants couldn't communicate or warn each other of danger. I think what you meant to say is "According to current scientific study, plants have no emotions or cognition that we are currently able to detect or are familiar with."

That's good to hear. I was worried for a second.

Guessing you were supposed to finish that sentence with an "/s."

Why do you hack the limbs off of and torture animals?

I don't torture animals. I make sure they're dead before I cut them up. A bullet costs less than a grocery bill. Not only that, it helps save on the outlandishly high cost of dog food.

Or is it simply a matter of convenience or tradition?

Living on the poverty line, mainly. And the idea of being self sufficient if money is tight, there's a massive power outage, food shortages...

You know... Common sense preparation. It's one of the reasons I have 4 dozen jars of apple sauce too. I wouldn't call myself a "survivalist", just willing to educate myself on things people think is too "icky" to learn.