Author Topic: "Animal Rights"? (Read 2329 times)

Traditional Guy 20 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 02, 2012, 06:28:43 AM »

Quote from: PaulLuke

I am by no means an animal activist, and there is too much human suffering and infanticide to even think about spending time on animals,

Why not spend time thinking on both?

We have an obligation not to be cruel to animals, and the government can be used to do that. Yes that includes leash laws, speaking out against the cruelty of factoring farming and slaughterhouses, and against the cruelty against cattle and dogs the 'Catholic' Mexican immigrants do when trying to cross the border into America.

JohnGrey · « **Reply #6 on:** November 02, 2012, 11:46:47 AM »

Quote from: PaulLuke

I am by no means an animal activist, and there is too much human suffering and infanticide to even think about spending time on animals, but I have often struggled when thinking about this.

There is, I feel, a link between the two. Let me say first that sin of infanticide is obviously worse than that of animal cruelty, and that a child is of immeasurably greater worth than an animal. That said, both animal and child are given to the dominion of man, the former universally, the latter in the person of its parents. The road to rationalizing infanticide, or any unlawful killing, is so often first taken in animal cruelty. When one can justify, or worse still take pleasure in, the mistreatment or cruel death of something that is without malice and given into one's protection, the very notion of the sanctity of life and the demand of corporal mercy are degraded and ultimately disregarded.

Traditional Guy 20 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 02, 2012, 02:55:32 PM »

Quote from: JohnGrey

When one can justify, or worse still take pleasure in, the mistreatment or cruel death of something that is without malice and given into one's protection, the very notion of the sanctity of life and the demand of corporal mercy are degraded and ultimately disregarded.

As an animal lover I can definitely agree with this.

JohnGrey · « **Reply #8 on:** November 02, 2012, 04:36:47 PM »

Quote from: Traditional Guy 20

Quote from: JohnGrey
When one can justify, or worse still take pleasure in, the mistreatment or cruel death of something that is without malice and given into one's protection, the very notion of the sanctity of life and the demand of corporal mercy are degraded and ultimately disregarded.

As an animal lover I can definitely agree with this.

Oh, don't misunderstand me. I still take a thoroughly utilitarian view toward animals. They exist for our material good but we must not be short-sighted in considering the material good of the moment and ignore the material bad that may occur in the future (e.g., the ecological impact of hunting a species to extinction). We may be at ease in killing a member of a lesser order, but it is rightfully done so in a way that minimizes the pain inflicted and in thanksgiving to God for what He has given us.