What’s wrong with animal rights
By Fr. Francis Ongkingco
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 11:26:00 09/05/2009
Clyde’s face was covered with tears as he watched the neighborhood gardener digging a small hole in their backyard. The boy was gently cradling in his hands his pet hamster , Lilpigmy, which unexpectedly died.
"It's okay, Clyde," his father comforted him. "We'll buy you another one."
"But Lilpigmy was really cute ‘n' smat [SOB, SOB, SNIFFLE]. I don't shink [SNIFF] we'll find anosher one like him," he said having difficulty talking without his newly pulled out front teeth.
All of us, at one time or another, have gone through Clyde's experience of having to part ways with a beloved pet dog, cat or goldfish. I also recall how teary-eyed I was as I slowly dug a “grave” for my two pet dachshunds that unexpectedly succumbed to heartworm. I solemnly marked the grim spot with flowers and a decent piece of cardboard with their names on it.
Today, however, some people are treating animals in a rather special way. They claim that animals have "rights" like people and therefore must be protected and respected even to the extreme that livestock and poultry should not be killed for man's basic consumption.
But do animals have rights at all? If ever, to what extent can we understand such “rights”? Are they the same as the rights we humans have? Read More
There are many people who continue to actively call for animals to be given rights like people enjoy. This author of this article mirrors the things that I have been saying about it. If human rights are given to animals, it essentially lowers what it means to be human. We are unique on this planet in that we have the ability to realize and comprehend what human rights should be. We can also realize that our creator has blessed us with this ability and a soul. It is our duty to treat animals with respect and it’s also our duty to recognize that human rights are a gift that we should equally respect.
1 comment:
YES! YES!!!
I agree with you about 99%. The remaining 1% is you implying that animals don't have souls, if I am correct.
Though I see humankind as superior still because we are made in the image of God and we are told that man is a living soul, that does not necessarily mean that animals do not have a soul. The Hebrew word nephesh is used for both classes of life forms.
Now whether the animal soul is immortal? That's disputable.
I will not dispute the spirit. It is clear in Ecclesiastes that God receives the human spirit while the animal spirit returns to the earth... presumably ceasing to exist.
P.S.: I do not think having a soul is the proper terminology. We ARE living souls.
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