Quick Thought 3 - Religon and Animals

A reply to the thread on gfxfactor.com, about religion.

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I'm an Atheist, in that I believe that there is no got. But I'm kind of a strange case, because in a way I want to believe in God. I like the thought that you could magicially be re-incarnated or live forever in heaven, but a part of me says no. It's like religion has a big neon sign on it saying FAKE, and I'm holding a pair of super dark sunglasses, and I kinda want to put them on but I also want to see other things. I think though, I'll put down the glasses, because I've been thinking about heaven and I cannot honestly understand how you can live for eternity and not be bored out of your brain. Seriously, what would you do for eternity? Even being a slug would be better than that, but here again I doubt. It just doesn't seem to make sense. The same consiousness in a different being? Imagine you came back as an amoeba. How can you keep the same consciousness of a human, and put it in an amoeba? Even if a soul did exist, I don't think there'd be enough room in a cell for this.

And here is where people will say: Amoeba aren't important. That, I agree with, to an extent. However, they are a form of life. The thing that does get me though, is that many of these people will go on to say: Animals aren't important. And here is where I strongly, strongly disagree. Because most of these people will be the kind of people who will say "Animals are nowhere near as important as humans". It's at that comment, when I start ranting.

Of course animals are as important as humans. Don't let any religious belief, any holy book or scripture tell you differently. Because, dammit, we are animals. A couple of million years ago, we were barely as intelligent as most of the animals that you so often classify as dumb. And a couple of million years, relatively speaking, is a blink of an eye. Here, these people will say "Animals can't think for themselves. They have no soul, no conscioussness. They can't plan.". You know what? Of course animals can think for themselves. I suggest anyone who reads this and finds themself disagreeing with what I'm saying should research the Kea. This is a parrot. A small bird. And it is damn intelligent. It's a rather curious creature, and it's way of finding out what things are like is to take them apart. Now, to take a man-made object apart is difficult. It requires problem solving. Which these birds posess. They can figure out, hey, I'm pulling this bit of rubber that way, and nothing's happening. I wonder what will happen if I pull it the other way. You would expect a dumb, thoughtless animal to continue pulling in the same direction, then give up. But you don't. You see intelligence.

And how dare you say that you are morally above any other animal. Humans, the most barbaric, brutal and disgusting race on earth for the majority, and we are the only species that gets claim for a soul and conciousness? Yeah right, give me a break.

And planning? I'm sure you've heard of a squirrel. Don't tell me that they, one of the most ordinary of animals, doesn't plan ahead.

Humans really only have two advantages over the rest of the animal kingdom. The opposable thumb, and a efficient form of communication. Our entire societies sprouted from these two things. We aren't different from animals. We are animals. Now how about we realise that, eh?

I'm not saying we should all become vegans, at this point. We have to eat to survive. It's how we're made. I think something different: Give the animal a happy life while it's alive. I'd like to think that the steak that I eat last night came from a cow which had a peaceful, safe and calm life before it found its way to my plate. I wouldn't want it treated harshly before hand.


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Next Quick Thought will be on GM food.