I agree. People like to think they’ve got the universe figured out because they can open a dusty book of canons and dogmas, but there are a lot of gray areas yet to be explained by the Church. The issue of animals’ souls is one such issue. Aristotle and Aquinas are not infallible, so the issue of animal souls can continue to be explored. The fact is, animals live and thus should only be killed for the preservation of life, i.e. food, pests, etc. The whole circle of life thing isn’t just a children’s story.
But I wanted to reply because you have FMA in your sig. Dang I love that show!!! You made my day!
Thank you! The show is soooo good!! And I just met one of FMA’s voice actors the other day! Anyone who hasn’t seen that anime should watch it as it’s the type of anime that teaches reallessons. There’s a lot that just has action and gore, but I love the anime that has a deeper meaning. And FullMetal Alchemist is chock-full of not only great quotes but deep lessons on life.
I’m wondering if there isn’t some new-age (ish) stuff going on here.
… The hierarchy of God → Man → Animals is clear in the OT.
…Animals do have souls and animals can suffer but they cannot unite their suffering to Christ’s…
There is no New Age here and I agree completely. Human life is of a higher nature than animal, according to Church teaching. However, the fact that animals can’t unite their sufferings to Christ changes nothing. They deserve the right to live until their natural death or an outstanding reason for their premature death. Also, animals are very close to God! They praise God constantly, just by being! Often, human intellect and reason gets in the way of our closeness to God! We needed Christ! Death for the preservation of Life!
Also, I used negative energy for lack of a better word. Studies have shown that animals are quite adept at selecting good meats and fruits. The difference between the choices given them are that one is raised on organic farms in a humane way and the second choice is produced on factory farms with quantity not quality as the main consideration. Even between two organic products, they picked the one that was treated the best. Well-treated animals make better meat than others.
I agree with many of your statements about animal cruelty, but as someone said, you’re also going to the extremes a bit. Flies are pests, sure they have an ecological role, but not in your house… Their systems are different to ours, they respond to pressure and stimulus, but they don’t necessarily feel pain the way we do, they don’t interpret things as “ow”.
No, I agree with pest control to the point that it’s for a clean and healthy home, of course. But pain is not a consideration in ending life. The only consideration is a justifiable need for taking life.
Humans are el numero uno. That’s just how it goes.
Of course! I didn’t mean to be interpreted as that there is no hierarchy of life! Human life should be preferred to animal life! But human life and human convenience/luxury shouldn’t be confused, and people should be mindful at all times of what it means to live and let live in the most literal sense possible.
Why is it ok to kill anything that is living regardless if it feels pain?
Exactly, pain has no bearing on life. Abortion would be no less horrible if you used anesthetic (I am not equating animal and human life here, just an example).
In my opinion, it’s acceptable for animals to be used as food. But everything I read about the meat production industry makes it sound more and more like excessive torture. Would God really approve of this? And should we really be killing animals since we have the facts and most of us have the means to eat a healthy diet without meat?
Much of the current meat industry is absolutely tortuous! I almost became a vegan as a result of this fact, but I felt like that was giving up. I now strive to use my choices and my vote to change the industry into one that respects the animals it chops and packages by at least providing a good life and a good diet, all natural! And though we have the means to live without meat, I think it’s certainly alright to have meat in one’s diet, though I might still become a vegetarian just for the health benefits. We certainly shouldn’t have a diet that is mostly meat. Everything in moderation.
So what animal opened up their mouth and told you this?
I understand that most, if not all animals run off of instinct and do not have the rational mind necessary to consider their own death.
The idea that ‘they just want to live’ assumes they have an understanding of self.
Without higher brain function (and an immortal soul) these concepts are simply beyond the grasp of an animal.
Life desires life. One doesn’t have to be able to reason one’s individuality to desire life. The desire to live goes much deeper than intellect. The fact that animals have instincts to survive is clear evidence that they desire life, even if they can’t write a dissertation on the definition of the ego and desires.
