Animal Rights vs. Religious Rights

[phosphide]

Couple problems here:

1. Animals do not have rights, humans do.
2. Religions do not have rights, individuals do.
3. Governments do not have rights, they have powers.

Torturing animals to death isn't violating rights, but it goes against our nature as human beings even as barbaric as we can get. Thus it shouldn't be tolerated and well within the powers of the government to prohibit. The gray area of course is what constitutes torture.

[exploited]

Animals do have rights. Philosophically, the justification for rights is pretty much the same for humans and animals. Legally, animals are usually protected by the law, which is no different than humans. Morally, they feel pain, so the rights should exist anyways.

[eynon81]

[exploited]

Wiccanism is the nothing more than a modern twist on ancient pagan practices. Saying it is 1950s old kind of ignores a huge swath of history. Is Christianity only fifty years old if some Church practices it in a novel way?

So the argument is now that you think animal cruelty should be largely allowed, whether on pragmatic or religious grounds. Also that it relies upon value judgments - so does every other opinion ever but... Freedom? I'm just going to go ahead and disagree.

[eynon81]

[exploited]

It is a good thread, agreed. It really brings a lot of competing loyalties into play. Freedom of religion is important - so much so that slitting an animals throat and letting it bleed to death on purpose is apparently the same as being an irresponsible hunter.

[jimmyz]

[eynon81]

[exploited]

They also supported slavery, women as helpless wards of the superior gender, etc.

I'll give it to them though. They had the best ideas three hundred years ago.

[Bauce]

I guess being the secular curmudgeon that I am, I don't see why religious folks get to have all the fun torturing helpless animals but if Michael Vick does some dogfighting (hey, he grew up with it, just like the religious grew up with their special slaughters) he has to go to jail.