Ever notice how animals take care of one another? I'm not talking about predators and such, but read more?

Question

But, for example, a three legged dog or a dog missing one eye...the other dogs still play and treat these dogs as they would any other dog. Is there a lesson for humanity in this? Can we see past our physical and spiritual differences and help one another?

Let's stick with majorities, too, I'm sure there are a minority of exceptions where this wasn't the case (dogs with rabies or others that were abused or trained to be mean, that's not the norm, though).

Good answer Kkings...children are so accepting of others.

Interesting article, Laptop.

Answer 1

There was a fasinating study in which monkeys were tested with ... whenever a monkey ate, they could see that another monkey in a seperate cage would be given a shock. So the monkeys would go without food, starve themselve, to avoid giving a shock to a stranger monkey. I'll try to find the link.

Blah! This is the best I can find. But it's kind of better than the monkey article. About rats and altruism! http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070529/LIFESTYLE03/705290323/1040

Answer 2

Not really a question, but I'll field it. Dogs, and other animals are just that, animals. If I lived in an area with two normal children and a retard child when I was young, guess what, I would've played with all of them-but then again, I wouldn't have had much of a choice. You're talking about simple creatures that have simple emotions, sure they can do great things-but all in all, their very simple. You avg. dog only lives about 14-20 years, it around these age ranges that we start to mature, and some of us never do.
Can we see past our differences, nope. Never have been able to, never will be able to. It's not possible in humanity, otherwise, it would have happened by now.

Answer 3

Actually, it is human nature to do the same. I have had several children with disabilities in my classroom (including a child in a wheel chair, a blind child, and a child who was ED - emotionally disturbed.) The other children in the class never treated any of those kids as if they were different. They were more than willing to help out with whatever the children needed. The especially heart wrenching one was the ED child...I had one particular boy who would bring things toys from home to share with the child and would help calm him when one of his self-harming episodes started to come on.

Of course...I'm talking about children. Some of those people seem to turn into complete jerks once they reach adulthood.

Answer 4

Dogs act based on instinct. We are lessed inclined to do so because we are taught from a very early age that most instincts are a bad thing. By the same token, some dogs are just spiteful little bastards and hate all other dogs so it really doesn't make sense. The dog world is not a catalyst into the human psyche.

Answer 5

Absolutely. But the lesson was taught in the Word.

I recommend a reading of Romans 12.

Also:

"And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."
Mark 12:31

Answer 6

I agree with you. Animals also have social instincts like we do.

As we've evolved ultimately, we know how to take care of each other and we don't need a god or a 3000 year old book to tell us not to kill or rape.

Answer 7

wow don't rule out the Hippos

they are a social bunch but, like Christians, will turn on each other in the most brutal way and maul to death

Answer 8

I like you. You're not stupid, which is a nice refreshing breath of air in R&S.

Answer 9

I LIKE YOU Greenwood
YOU MAKE SENSE!!!!!!

Answer 10

OK, I'm willing...