Are humans and animals considered equal?!
Are humans and animals considered equal?
I've heard the argument that humans "are no better than animals", and that animals "deserve as much dignity as humans".
PETA's Ingrid Newkirk says that a "dog is a pig is an insect is a boy".
http://peta.org/about/whyanimalrights.as...
While making living conditions better for animals is more humane, is equating a chicken to a human something you really believe?
Answers:
I wouldn't try and "humanise" animals, and I'm naturally not going to be as sad about the death of a fly like I would a person... but in terms of 'equality', I don't really see why humans should think they're any better - I mean we ARE animals, we all arose from the same common ancestor in an evolutionary sense... People seem to get some idea that they're special cause they can kill other animals... but you may as well say that a shark is more important and special than the fish it preys on then... and I really don't see how all our technology makes us so special, when other creatures are quite capable of using tools and seem to be able to do so WITHOUT wrecking their environment (us humans are gonna kill ourselves off some day..) Personally, I don't like to kill or hurt any form of animal - I once put some flyspray on some ants, and the sight of those ants still writhing and suffering a full 10mins later cause the flyspray didn't work fast enough made me feel sick - but I know not everyone feels the same way. Naturally seeing the ants didn't affect me as much as if I'd just slowly tortured a class of children to death, but it did have an effect on me all the same - I think everything has the right to at least die in the least painful way possible, because I can't help but feel compassion for them. I've also been lucky enough to have some wonderful relationships with animals - pet dogs, cats, chickens, blackbirds even... and when you've known a chicken for a good 6yrs or so - seen their "personality" - they're not really that different from a beloved pet dog - we had one chicken who would hop on your shoulder and was the sweetest thing ever, another that was incredibly nervous and shy, another who seemed to think she was a magpie and would eat anything shiny (including earings...), one who would crow like a rooster and had this daring kind of nature... once I was checking the nesting box for eggs and had a bread roll in my hand, and one of the hens snuck up behind me and stole the bread roll so quietly and carefully that I never felt it leave my hand and didn't notice until I turned around! They're not just dumbass things which cluck, but I can understand and accept that some people like to eat 'em.
So in brief (sorry about the huge answer...) - No, I don't think humans are any better than animals (we ARE animals damn it!) - but, as a human, the death of a human naturally has a larger effect on me than that of other animals, just as I'm sure a bird cares more about whether one of it's chicks fell out the nest than whether some human kid just got hit by a car down on the street!
well, yeah: we're primates!
We're all considered mammals, but to say a human is equal to an animal is ridiculous.
nope.we r urbanized except few dolts.otherwise we r the most intelligent ones on this planet
no rats are far Superior
Consider this: you are driving your car on a wet slippery road when you lose almost all control and have only 2 choices. Hitting a dog in the middle of the road or careening into a group of kids walking on the side walk? Which would you choose animal or human?
I dont think that animals and humans are considered equal in a lot of places, but to me they are. I have 2 dogs and to me they are my babies. I do eat meat but it makes me think that this animal was running around a field a while ago and I feel guilty about it. To really take your point a little farther why are only humans allowed in heaven but not the animals you love ? Because it was man that invented the concept of heaven. not a god.
this statements are rediculous...but if we look at different perspective some bad persons are really no better than animals..they will only bring the devastation and deterioration to humans being...they can to be consider no better than animals
As humans, most people would consider your question in human terms. That is, what do animals contribute to the human world as we humans see it? But that ego-centric; strip us down naked and take away our fancy tools and you will see that animals are much better equipped to survive in the world than us.
Basically, animals would be just as unimpressed with us in their world as we are with them in ours. We all have different priorities and value different traits. But if you ask a human, they will say we are better than animals because animals cannot compete as members of our society... but that's an unfair comparison.
We certainly don't contribute much to the world as animals see it and live it... in fact we continue to destroy their world and their habitats.
Also, when it's shown that animals are as valuable as humans and equal to humans... it means that all lives in all forms are equal and valuable.
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First off wile I hardly support PETA, I must inform you that you've taken that quote entirely out of context. The full quote is this: "In regards to their ability to suffer, a dog is a pig is an insect is a boy." As you can see the proper quote is not really all that extraordinary.
"While making living conditions better for animals is more humane, is equating a chicken to a human something you really believe?"
- To answer this question you must understand that their are two diffrent types of animal "rights" groups. The abolistionists and the welfareists. The best, and quickest exsample of the diffance is this, if we were talking about slavery, which we are really in many ways, the Abolistionist would fight to end slavery, the Welfareist would fight for longer chains and less beatings. Welfare groups are the promanat ones, PETA, HSUS etc. Abolistionist groups tend to be a bit more underground, In Defence of Animals, SHAC, ALF, etc. google it, theirs many more.
Personally, I believe the abolitionist theory is correct. So to answer your question then... The question is not whether the human or chicken is equal The question is whether either deserve to be used as the property of another. My answer is no. When we fight for animal rights we truly are fighting for one right for animals, the right not to be treated as property.
No Man is supreme. We are the ultimate hunter & top of the food chain. A dog doesn't equate to anything other than a dog & that's a fact. People who say or try & convince you otherwise are misguided idiots.
Yes I agree with this. This planet belongs to all the creatures. We can not claim that it belongs to us only. That is we say we should have compaction towards all the animals. As per Hinduism God states as, If you want to see me or experience me, I am there every where, I am the Air, I am the main cause for prosperity, I am the cause for defeat and failure, I am there in all the friends, I am there in all the enemies, I am there in all the plants, I am there in all the animals ………etc. When you live in this frame of mind, You can experience only Love and Forgiveness and thus one will have the habit of care and concern towards the surroundings. This includes what and whom you see around. Thus one will not hurt any animals and become Pure Vegetarian. Which is sure will lead to a life filled with Bliss.
By the way Hinduism is not a Religion , it is way the of LIVING.
Thanks
No, and they shouldn't be. For a start, it's human nature; would you feel more sad if you saw any animal, even a group of animals, or a child die? If you'd choose the animals over the child, quite frankly you have a screw lose.
I'm sure cows and dogs consider themselves superior to us, it's in a creatures nature to put its own species before another's. The primary aim of any animal is to survive, and out compete other animals in its niche. While it could be argued that humans hardly have to worry about competition any more, I really do not think giving animals equal rights is going to save any problems, and would certainly create many more.
Humans are superior to animals. It even says so in the Holy Bible. I am flipping through the pages of our family bible now and reading about it. God tells us that we are over the animals and that we can eat them. This is why God made animals. Animals are food for us.
No I don't think we are equal -- UNLESS we permit other animals to be inhumanely raised and slaughtered for our consumption, then we are kind of lowering ourselves aren't we?
When a hamster is able to vote in an election I will consider it an equal. God gave dominion over the animals of earth to MAN. It is our responsibiliy to care for them but HUMANS are superior because of our great brain and our capacity to reason. Animals kill each other every day. The strongest animals eat all the food and leave the weakest and smallest to starve. Animals will not help a wounded herd member -- they leave them to die. Animals also destroy their own enviroment (elephants for example). Maybe we are more alike than I thought.....
Why am I even bothering to answer such a idiotic PETA-playbook question?
Not to many but they are to me! I love animals and thats why im a vegetarian!
No. Nor should we be.
I would hit an animal in the road if there were no other alternative to avoid crashing and possibly killing myself for anyone in my car.
It's the way things are. I don't condemn mountian lions or other wild creatures who maul or kill humans in the wild, it is their nature to defend their territory and how the natural world works.
No, humans and animals aren't equal.
PETA started out with worthy goals and ideals and still do some good work; but, it's become too politicized.
Animals shouldn't be mistreated, but they aren't our equals.
Humans are animals aren't they? And while I wouldn't equate a chicken to a human, just as I wouldn't equate an orange to a cabbage, I believe all other animals have just as much 'right' to a pleasant life as I do.
So in a way I do consider humans and animals equal, since I try where possible to treat all others, human or not, as I would like to be treated myself. Consequently I try not to harm other animals. I don't eat them, nor wear them. If I found an injured animal I would try to help, in the same way I would if I found an injured human.
I don't however consider it my responsibility to 'save' every animal (or human) on the planet. So I avoid being bitten by mosquitoes if I can, in the same way I'd do my best to avoid being a meal for a lion or a shark, even though I know they will go hungry for a while because of this. I may be compassionate but I don't have to be stupid.
Animals are more intelligent!!! They deserve much better!!! Animals are a LOT better than us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...
yes animals and humans are equals.
Yes, we ARE animals. However, I think that humans should be considered more important than animals by other humans, it is just how species react! We can interact with each other, there is bound to be some bias. Plus, we have larger brains (in proportion to body size)
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