this question covers the whole spectrum of how Man interacts with Animals.
ie
* pets and zoos
* farm animals (chickens, cows, pigs)
* deforestation (removing their homes)
* polluting the oceans (dumping s-hit in their homes)
* hunting
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animals do not have a voice, and we have the technology of life and death over them.
I'm not talking PETA here, I'm referring to one's individual attitudes.
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what to ya all think?
(many thanks to Diana for prompting these thoughts
)
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Good post, plenum.
Our relationship with animals is indicative of our spiritual development. It's a crime against nature the way we treat animals in this country. I can understand why many take up their cause, e.g., PETA, ALF, etc. And of course the controllers have now labeled animal rights activists and environmental activists as domestic terrorists.
But we need to keep at it and hope that soon most people will recognize that love and freedom extends to all creatures great and small.
Kindness is always a good idea, but it's hard to legislate...
I think it really comes down to your perception of the individuality of an animal. Many tend to think of animals as a group, without individual personalities, preferences, or identities. Thus they think of animals as objects--objectified in the same way groups across history have objectified those humans they considered "other"--we don't have to go too far back in American history to see this.
When I look at an animal, I see an individual looking back at me, a creature as individual as I am, though less developed in the sense that its "consciousness" is not as developed. I see how we must have been before we had evolved the level of "consciousness" we have now.
I once read that we are to the animals as the angels once were to us..."food" for thought...
I just think that life gets more interesting when you reach out in your awareness to fully take in the wonder and uniqueness of other beings and other selves.
(02-01-2012, 11:20 PM)abstrktion Wrote: [ -> ]I once read that we are to the animals as the angels once were to us..."food" for thought...
there are those directly under the Guardians who are responsible for the incarnation patterns of those incarnating automatically, that is, without conscious self-awareness of the process of spiritual evolution. You may call these beings angelic if you prefer. They are, shall we say, “local” or of your planetary sphere.
(02-01-2012, 10:53 PM)indolering Wrote: [ -> ]Our relationship with animals is indicative of our spiritual development.
Yes, we sure don't like being treated in the same fashion LoL!
The golden rule applies.