Why is it illegal for me to torture and behead a dog

but not go on a rampage and kill a hundred million ants? Not that I care much about ants, and I would never hurt a dog, but why is one state of life more precious than an other? Of course we are going to fall in the companion vs pest form of life but my question to you is : do all form of life equals another? Is my life as a reasoning self conscious human being more important than the life of an ant? I believe so, but that is from my perspective, If I was an ant I sure would not give a damn about any human being.

reply to post by bismarck


Well, from a biological position, ants are insects and don't have the physiology that allows them to feel pain. Dogs do. But in my opinion, killing life is killing life period, and not something we should take lightly.

I always ask the question.. how do we know animals are dumb as some people say, how can we actually conclude what they think or feel unless we can communicate with them?

Two humans stood side by side don't know how each other think or feel, sure we can guess but we can never actually know and that is two humans, it's gulfs away from a different species.

I believe all living animals deserve to be respected. No one life, human or otherwise is more deserving than another.

Originally posted by bismarck
but not go on a rampage and kill a hundred million ants? Not that I care much about ants, and I would never hurt a dog, but why is one state of life more precious than an other? Of course we are going to fall in the companion vs pest form of life but my question to you is : do all form of life equals another? Is my life as a reasoning self conscious human being more important than the life of an ant? I believe so, but that is from my perspective, If I was an ant I sure would not give a damn about any human being.

We determine right and wrong within each society. It wasn't too long ago that it was okay for a Mother in India to hurl her newborn baby GIRL into the trash.

This from a google search:

Ask a Korean!: Dog – It's What's for Dinner askakorean.blogspot.com/2009/.../dog-its-whats-for-dinner.ht... Aug 30, 2009 – Roughly 1 million dogs are slaughtered for food each year. By weight, it is the fifth-most consumed meat in Korea, following chicken, pork, beef

reply to post by FollowTheWhiteRabbit


What about bacteria? Should we feel guilty of killing millions of them by simply doing our daily routine? Where is the limit of acceptable life that can be killed? the ability to feel pain like you say? That seems pretty reasonable I guess.

reply to post by bismarck


Do you feel bad for protons and electrons?

reply to post by Komonazmuk


We are talking about life here, not subatomic particles.

what a stoopid question


if your a complete brain dead alien
then i will say...

i think its down to levels of conciousness...and responsibility

reply to post by Komonazmuk


I happen to think atomic particles are delicious.

No way im going to stop killing and eating them, not for you or for anyone.

reply to post by bismarck


Yet they exist and make up everything and make up things you call alive.

reply to post by thePharaoh


There is no stupid question, there is plenty of stupid people though

I am with the OP if we could modify it and remove insects, microscopic life, plants, and any other creature that does NOT feel pain.

So, why do people have no problem when a little sparrow dies, but a dog? (I love all animals, btw. This is all for argument's sake).

For instance, one of my pet birds died in a strange, but tragic way. When I would tell people, they would laugh, even though that little guy meant the world to me.

But if that happened to a dog, people would freak out.

What happened was, I was young (12), and I had a pet Cockatiel and I rolled over on him by mistake and killed him.

It devastated me and even to this day - 21 years later, it hurts. But I even told the story to a bunch of friends AND family recently, but since it was a little bird, it wasn't a big deal to them and some even laughed.

I looked at the ones who were laughing like they had 10 heads. But I didn't even try to explain...

So yeah, OP raises an interesting point, if you exclude creatures that don't feel pain. Insects are indeed one of them.

I still put bugs outside if I find one in the house. I don't kill them - ever. I respect life.

Originally posted by FollowTheWhiteRabbit
reply to post by bismarck

 

Well, from a biological position, ants are insects and don't have the physiology that allows them to feel pain. Dogs do. But in my opinion, killing life is killing life period, and not something we should take lightly.

What???? Insects can't feel pain??? Tell that to the insects, jeez, of course they can feel pain. One of Robert Anton Wilson's books, right at the start, talks about how only one of a thousand people realize that insects are people. That to call them "bugs" is insulting them. Not feeling pain, that's what fishermen used to use to justify stabbing a fish's mouth with a huge, in comparison, knife and yanking on it.

reply to post by Komonazmuk


Subatomic particles are not a form of life. they are building blocs for life but they are not alive.

reply to post by Aleister



Well I don'T know, some seem to suggest that they don't. So do insect feel pain or not? I guess a nervous system is required to feel pain but I know nothing of insect anatomy.

Killing an eating an animal, really, theres no logical reason one animal is more or less subject to being culled for our food.

We are top of the food chain and thats a right to eat what we want. Sure if one is running low you look else were and switch out.

People were up in arms about the horse meat in burgers, i personally didnt care, only annoyed it was not simply labeled accurately for what it was. What is a horse if not just a pretty cow?

Starve people enough and they will eat anything. But you dont need to be starving to select the most tasty first

A dog is a society thing and a cultural thing. I own two myself and I love them to death. Someone hurting my dogs would get twice that in return. At the same time. I loooove steak. Good stuff. I wouldn't have qualms about killing the cow myself except for the work and mess involved. Others can deal with it.

Physiology? What's the difference between a dog and a cow? Not a thing in literal terms I see. Intelligence perhaps..but that's subjective. Go to India and talk about a big beef burger though and the cultural thing will appear again. They think MORE of cows than we do dogs. Nothing wrong with that.. Just different.

So I don't think the difference between killing ants or killing a dog has anything to do with the physical animals (Seen how people kill rats and mice??). I think it's 100% about perceptions. Dogs are fuzzy warm friends and ants or rats are icky and doomed to die when humans notice them.

Originally posted by bismarck
reply to post by Komonazmuk

 

Subatomic particles are not a form of life. they are building blocs for life but they are not alive.

obviously.

reply to post by bismarck


Even plants, in their own way, suffer and die for our sustenance.

Also, bacteria, if we actively kill them, are the ones that would do us harm (make us sick). That's what bacteria do, and we're merely keeping ourselves and our families from harm. Just as you would kill a wasp in your home, but not a bee (you can open a window to let a bee out, wasps won't leave though).

As the Buddha said, life is suffering. It is inevitable. But if we are going to live the natural, virtuous life, we must step softly and quietly.

reply to post by Komonazmuk


then why bring them in the conversation???