Why do so many care more about animals than people? (generation, regular)
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I notice this especially with people who love dogs.
I love cats and dogs but I think it's ridiculous to consider your pet your "son" or "daughter" or even to value their life above a stranger's. It's almost like bestiality!
A dog is not a child, period. They might love you but their internal life isn't nearly as complex nor are their demands for care nearly as pressing as a kid's. I read that 46 percent of woman and nearly as many men would save Fido over a strange human's life if it came down to it.
I support animal welfare and hate cruelty of any sort but isn't there something telling and disturbing about the fact animal abuse makes people demand the death penalty yet the same folk are so calloused to human suffering? Ray Lewis probably killed a person and nobody cares, while Michael Vick is hated more than Hitler.
If my cat died I'd be sadder than if a random stranger died but that's only because people die every day. I'd easily save any person before my cat if I had to choose, no questions asked. Even if they were a murderer or something.
I think it's easy to love animals because they can't criticize you and you can project your own feelings and values onto them and imagine they agree with you on everything. I also think it's become popular to be a misanthrope and if something bad happens to a person the cynic speaks out and said "Ah, they must have had some skeleton in their closet to deserve it anyway". While if a pitbull rips apart a child to shreds, it's always blamed on the owner of the dog or worse yet the parent of the victim for not accommodating the dog's needs by constantly watching their kid.
I think there's also something decadent about loving animals more than people. We have plenty of food in grocery stores but honestly if Moderator cut: Actual or implied inappropriate language really hit the fan I bet most people would eat their pets, as horrible as that sounds. Also rodents and other little creatures are cute until they start eating your food. I still get triggered from the time last year when I found three tiny little mice in my kitchen. I probably wouldn't bother trying to trap and release them if I found them due to disease fears, but luckily my cat is good at getting them.
I don't believe in any religion-based human exceptionalism being an atheist but I think science has shown that the only animals that even approach our level of sentience are the great apes.
Some extreme examples of animals being placed above people is the fact child abuse in Britain used to have to be charged as animal abuse according to the claim that humans are technically animals, since there weren't any laws protecting children. And during the Holocaust the Nazis had protocols demanding the kind treatment of pets confiscated from the Jews even as they led their rightful owners to the slaughter.
I have thought about this one before. To me, it seems that caring for animal brings joy to someone's life. Lots of people have no joy in their life. And, loving and caring and spending on an animal seems to be an honorable and necessary thing to do. To me, if you love and assist a human, you must first ask their opinion on religion, race, government, what TV station they watch, which flag they carry, do they have a green card, are they registered red or blue, do they have the same moral standards you have, and on an on and on...... Animals just love to be loved and are usually great at loving you back, without all that baggage on attitude and opinions.
How sad for the human race. But, of course, thankfully, there's lots of good people still left whom have the capability of loving both humans and animals.
There's a verse I remember reading in my Bible about being judged on how we care for our beasts. And lots of verses on how we care for one another.
Maybe they see something they don't like that's been happening the last few years. Maybe they will be a more grand generation that ours. I have faith in them. This upcoming generation doesn't seem to be so full of themselves. I'm a senior & I mostly like what I see in these young adults.
I notice this especially with people who love dogs.
I love cats and dogs but I think it's ridiculous to consider your pet your "son" or "daughter" or even to value their life above a stranger's. It's almost like bestiality!
A dog is not a child, period. They might love you but their internal life isn't nearly as complex nor are their demands for care nearly as pressing as a kid's. I read that 46 percent of woman and nearly as many men would save Fido over a strange human's life if it came down to it.
I support animal welfare and hate cruelty of any sort but isn't there something telling and disturbing about the fact animal abuse makes people demand the death penalty yet the same folk are so calloused to human suffering? Ray Lewis probably killed a person and nobody cares, while Michael Vick is hated more than Hitler.
If my cat died I'd be sadder than if a random stranger died but that's only because people die every day. I'd easily save any person before my cat if I had to choose, no questions asked. Even if they were a murderer or something.
I think it's easy to love animals because they can't criticize you and you can project your own feelings and values onto them and imagine they agree with you on everything. I also think it's become popular to be a misanthrope and if something bad happens to a person the cynic speaks out and said "Ah, they must have had some skeleton in their closet to deserve it anyway". While if a pitbull rips apart a child to shreds, it's always blamed on the owner of the dog or worse yet the parent of the victim for not accommodating the dog's needs by constantly watching their kid.
I think there's also something decadent about loving animals more than people. We have plenty of food in grocery stores but honestly if sh*t really hit the fan I bet most people would eat their pets, as horrible as that sounds. Also rodents and other little creatures are cute until they start eating your food. I still get triggered from the time last year when I found three tiny little mice in my kitchen. I probably wouldn't bother trying to trap and release them if I found them due to disease fears, but luckily my cat is good at getting them.
I don't believe in any religion-based human exceptionalism being an atheist but I think science has shown that the only animals that even approach our level of sentience are the great apes.
Oh, so you have a cat, do you? Huh. I suppose you spend money on that cat. Food. Litter. Collar & tag. The occasional visit to the vet. How much does that total over the life of a vet?
Let's say it costs you $3/week to feet your cat (it costs more if you feed it food that is actually healthy). And let's say you only spend $1/week on litter (poor Spot!). And let's say you never take your cat to the vet, ever. And no collar or tag, with info in case Spot ever gets lost. That's still $4/week. Or $200/year. Or $2000-$3000 over the life of a typical, well-cared-for cat. And since you're probably not as neglectful as I suggested in my calculations, you probably spend more. Reasonably regular vet visits, decent food, regular litter - you're probably spending at least $400/year. Maybe more.
So let's say Spot lives to the ripe old age of fifteen. That's $6000 you poured into Spot over the course of his/her life.
$6000. That's a fair amount of money. That might've immunized quite a few children in some third-world country - some of which have instead died from diseases for which they did not receive immunizations. It might have feed a starving child for years. It might've provided a decent shelter for a family exposed to the elements.
Seems to me you've made the choice. And, contrary to your claims, you prioritized your cat over 'a random stranger'.
Hey, I get it. You decided that your money was more important to supporting a pet cat for yourself, than for saving some child halfway around the world. I have two cats myself, so I totally get it.
Moderator cut: Rude and against Great Debates guidelines
Last edited by Oldhag1; 06-02-2014 at 10:37 AM..
Reason: Please read the guidelines for this forum.
Lots of people have no joy in their life. And, loving and caring and spending on an animal seems to be an honorable and necessary thing to do. To me, if you love and assist a human, you must first ask their opinion on religion, race, government, what TV station they watch, which flag they carry, do they have a green card, are they registered red or blue, do they have the same moral standards you have, and on an on and on...... Animals just love to be loved and are usually great at loving you back, without all that baggage on attitude and opinions.
Those sound like excuses for wanting to take care of a pet over a person. Because it's "too hard" and takes "too much effort."
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