Shouldn't love and compassion be extended to all sentient beings...

[inavalan]

Originally Posted by Lorelyen

Agreed.

Humans have been so arrogant - rarely acknowledging that animals a) have intelligence, b) communicate with each other as well as with the environment, c) are capable of emotions (shows well with dogs but probably applies to all animate life) and d) are capable of planning and strategy and in some respects have superior abilities than humans.

It's also possible that some of the species recognised to have social organisation also have politics, so much worse for them!

I often look to the ants - have mentioned that before here: for singlemindedness, strategy, project planning over credibly long periods, and working together they exceed humans by miles given the size of their brains.
If only humans could do the same the world would be a hugely different place.
.

Ants kill for food too ... No life can exist without feeding on other animal or plant lives.

Cruelty is not related to eating, or working on the food chain. Somebody needs to work jobs some of us wouldn't do. We should respect those people too. They don't work those jobs from cruelty, but our angry, hateful, unfair thoughts directed to them hurt us, who have those thoughts.

I don't point to anybody specifically when I say: there are people who don't think things through, get unrealistic ideas, get angry even hateful, succeeding only in hurting themselves.

Thoughts are before acts, and before matter.

[pixiedust]

Originally Posted by Lorelyen

Agreed.

Humans have been so arrogant - rarely acknowledging that animals a) have intelligence, b) communicate with each other as well as with the environment, c) are capable of emotions (shows well with dogs but probably applies to all animate life) and d) are capable of planning and strategy and in some respects have superior abilities than humans.

It's also possible that some of the species recognised to have social organisation also have politics, so much worse for them!

I often look to the ants - have mentioned that before here: for singlemindedness, strategy, project planning over credibly long periods, and working together they exceed humans by miles given the size of their brains.
If only humans could do the same the world would be a hugely different place.
.

Yes, humans' arrogance ensures a terrible fate for themselves

Your point about ants is well taken - I admire your perceptive intelligence

[pixiedust]

Originally Posted by inavalan

Ants kill for food too ... No life can exist without feeding on other animal or plant lives.

Cruelty is not related to eating, or working on the food chain. Somebody needs to work jobs some of us wouldn't do. We should respect those people too. They don't work those jobs from cruelty, but our angry, hateful, unfair thoughts directed to them hurt us, who have those thoughts.

I don't point to anybody specifically when I say: there are people who don't think things through, get unrealistic ideas, get angry even hateful, succeeding only in hurting themselves.

Thoughts are before acts, and before matter.

Humans don't need to eat meat nor at the scale and way that they do. We are no longer hunters and gatherers in ancient caves because our technology has evolved but instead of leveraging the technology for better lives for everyone (humans, animals, the planet) we moved into abuse and taking advantage of mother nature. How much of the Amazon is left?

I do not blame anyone who works in the industries (except those who are wilfully mean are regrettable) - all of humankind is responsible for the world. That's group consciousness for you.

You seem to believe that eating animals is justified because hey you gotta eat! What a shallow thought process in an age of abundance. Again I eat meat at times and am no saint, but I'm surprised at how some believe it's natural and necessary - talk about old school thought processes unwilling to evolve!

Also those who say that animals aren't sentient are really missing out on the beautiful souls of animal friends. Some humans eat others too - and I guess if you lived there you would justify it too? Again, I'm no Saint, but if the world was to ban modern meat industries, and return to small scale farming and humane treatment and practices, I wouldn't complain - and would be thankful for it.

[Native spirit]

I am closing this post down.there are valid points on both sides of the divide

but i have also had people complain about the way this topic is going.


Namaste