Animal Rights

[Montie_Claunch]

I was wondering what the Church says about Animal rights? Experiments on animals and such? Would nutering your animal be wrong (I was curious if the churchs postion on human contraceptions applaid to animals or just humans)?

 

[Flopfoot]

LOL about the neutering. No, its not the same as human contraception. Animals can’t even sin.

Here’s what the CCC says about respect for animals

**2415 **The seventh commandment enjoins respect for the integrity of creation. Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity.195 Use of the mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe cannot be divorced from respect for moral imperatives. Man’s dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.196

**2416 ***Animals *are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory.197 Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Philip Neri treated animals.

**2417 **God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image.198 Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Medical and scientific experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice if it remains within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving human lives.

2418 It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. It is likewise unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery. One can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons.

 

[Trelow]

Animals have the right to be served with a potato of your choice and a house salad.

 

[SeekerJen]

Montie Claunch:

I was wondering what the Church says about Animal rights? Experiments on animals and such? Would nutering your animal be wrong (I was curious if the churchs postion on human contraceptions applaid to animals or just humans)?

I work in biomedical research. Many of the experiments that we do would certainly be more informative if we could legally perform them on humans, but this is not possible. So animals are substituted with the intent of transferring the successes to human trials. The animals are treated very humanely- in fact there are institutional standards and various laws (not sure if they are federal or state) to protect the animals that must be upheld. They are always supposed to be housed in special facilities with constant care, high-quality foods, extremely sanitary conditions, and access to good veterinary care. Sick and suffering animals are euthanized humanely, and some of the animals are adopted out later (we obtained four pet mice this way).

I hope this helps if you have concerns. I know this isn’t Church position, but since another person posted the CCC citations, I figured I’d expand a bit.

 

[catsrus]

All the pets I’ve ever had, do have and will have, have been, are and will be spayed and neutered.
There are way too many suffering animals in the world due to overpopulation.
I’m against breeding of any animals by humans to make money from them.
Adopt from the Humane Society, the SPCA, Friends for Life, etc.

 

[mercygate]

SeekerJen:

I work in biomedical research. Many of the experiments that we do would certainly be more informative if we could legally perform them on humans, but this is not possible. So animals are substituted with the intent of transferring the successes to human trials. The animals are treated very humanely- in fact there are institutional standards and various laws (not sure if they are federal or state) to protect the animals that must be upheld. They are always supposed to be housed in special facilities with constant care, high-quality foods, extremely sanitary conditions, and access to good veterinary care. Sick and suffering animals are euthanized humanely, and some of the animals are adopted out later (we obtained four pet mice this way).

I hope this helps if you have concerns. I know this isn’t Church position, but since another person posted the CCC citations, I figured I’d expand a bit.

. . . and it is required by the animal protection agency that primates have televisionin their housing facilities: Oprah for the orangutans!

 

[InSearchOfGod]

This subject can get hard because, for example, on the one hand its so easy to love my dog, who obviously seems to love me, and she brings me lots of joy. On the other hand, it’s harder to love some humans, like terrorists and criminals who have hurt others. How can it be that we are supposed to love these criminals and terrorists more than our loyal pets? And what a hard thing it is to do!

Is it possible to love an animal too much? Why do we love in the first place? Simply to return an animal’s love? Or because they are our possessions? Are animals even capable of the kind of love we are?

 

[Dmitri451]

Flopfoot:

Medical and scientific experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice if it remains within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving human lives.

This seems to disqualify the use of animal testing for cosmetics, as it’s hard, in my view, to say that the suffering it causes the animals is justified by the vanity of the cosmetics users.

I don’t have anything against cosmetics. I just think that women already have enough choice with cosmetics to make further testing on animals unnecessary. Why don’t we just stick with what we’ve already got?

 

[Flopfoot]

What I posted wasn’t my opinion, it was from the CCC. So basically, the Catholic Church says that animal testing for cosmetics is not okay. Doesn’t bother me - I don’t work in or use cosmetics (-: