[split] "Some people eat animals, some don't."

[Aion]

The fact that plants are capable of being third-density makes it apparent to me that though they do not possess the same type of physical structures I do believe they have many of the same functions.

Only very rarely, such as ancient trees. Do you really think that a carrot has an opportunity to develop sentience to the point of being harvestable to 3D?

Ra stated that 2D is a very long density. Let's use some common sense here. It seems readily apparent to me that plants are early 2D, and animals are higher 2D.

I think that Law of One students err in using the density as the demarcation; ie., classifying plants and animals together, with humans elevated above them. Simple observation shows that cows have much more in common with humans, than with carrots!

The 2D/3D classification is really rather arbitrary.

Maybe they don't have a nervous system like humans but that doesn't mean they have no sensitivity or that they don't feel pain.

Actually it does. Having pain receptors = the ability to feel pain. That's what pain receptors are.  

They have all the potentials of second density as second density animals.

They really don't. The soul chooses the appropriate body based on its consciousness. Do you really think that a sentient being would incarnate into the body of a lettuce?

Do You really think that a lettuce is writhing in agony every time you tear off a leaf? Is your grass moaning in pain every time you walk on it? Are you torturing your lawn when you mow it?

If that were true, then our planet would be even more cruel than we thought! It would be an absolutely hideous place!

I am so confused by this approach that separates plants and animals. They are both second density,

If Ra hadn't told us that they were both 2D, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. Simple observation shows us that animals are capable of pain, rational thought, strategic thought, friendship, love, and complex emotions, as well as building complex social structures. Were it not for Ra's statement about them being 2D, it would be obvious that they are more like humans than they are like plants.

I contend that there has been a gross misinterpretation of Ra's words. I contend that it's a mistake to assume that animals are more like plants than like humans, just because they are still classified as 2D. I contend that they are nearer to humans than to plants, and nearing the threshold of crossing over to 3D, just as humans are nearer to our 4D elders than we are to cavemen.

The criteria for 4D is love, and 3D humans do demonstrate love. Likewise, animals do demonstrate sentience, with is the criteria for 3D. It's a process. Animals are fine-tuning their sentience until they have enough to be harvested, just as humans are fine-tuning their love until they have enough to be harvested.

they are both capable of progressing to third-density and beyond, so why is the fact that their bodies not like ours conclude they do not experience any of the same faculties? I just can't get behind that.

Let's hope they don't. Because if they do, then that would mean that our Logos is a sadistic, cruel monster.

The only thing I can say in love is that I disagree with many of your interpretations and what you seem to deem as scientifically demonstrated I am still quite skeptical of. I don't think our views can be reconciled except on the point that we both see it that suffering is unnecessary.

I will say that I believe there is much more plant life that is close to third density than you seem to believe and that is my own belief. I don't think it is imbalances between plants and animals. I think the nature of the experience of plant life is just hard to understand from the position of animal life.