Animals are not equal to humans, right?

Question

Some of the answers I see here make me wonder if there are people out there who actually think animals are equal to humans. The family dog is a PET not a human with an immortal soul.

Animals are animals and we should protect them and care for them, and punish abusers BUT

People are superior and therefore have the greater responsibility to be good stewards of creation. Agreed?

P.S. Yes, I know humans are "animals" but humans are the only animals with souls

Answer 1

people come first above and beyond all other except for God.
its ok to love and care for your pets. but dont get carried away.

Answer 2

Animals And Humans Are Equal

Answer 3

Your asking a question that is a matter of the heart. You will find people that agree, disagree, and some that will fall in the middle somewhere.

I myself am female, 22 years old and I also work at a pet store fulltime, not to mention that I'm a fulltime premed college student. That will tell you a little about where my thoughts are coming from.

I love animals dearly, I am currently at this moment nursing to baby squirrels whos eyes have not even opened and I have a 21 week old blue heeler puppy. To say that an animal so how soul, kinda depends on what you think a soul is?

I believe animals feel pain, and not just I kicked my dog and it hurt her. She cries when I leave. I know she misses me. Is it just killing her, probably not. She'll get over it, but so does my boyfriend everytime I go somewhere.

I could go on for days, and so could other people, but to make it short...asking a question like that is like asking a question about politics. It can get kinda messy.

Anything or anyone that has the brain power and the ablitily to do good, should. Example: tracking dogs finding lost childern, and the humans that trained those dogs. With out the humans helping the dogs refine those scenting skills, the child wouldn't have found. And the other way around, without the dog.....it would have been one hell of a longer search. Think about it, we all interact together, helping each other in this huge place we call home. All over the world humans and animals help each other. Providing homes, and love for each other, working together, or providing food for each other. Duck dogs chancing down the shot ducks, or horses that help wrangle cattle, or cattle dogs, like mine, that bring in the flock.

Are we superior? Na, are we more intelligent?....more then likely


Here are a few of my thoughts in short:
Fur coats....I love them
Beating dogs to death, or dog fighting.....not cool
Duck/Dove/Deer hunting.....as long as you eat what you shoot
Having a pet you don't take care of....lets lock you in a small cage and not feed you

There are people that won't agree, there are people that will. You find you own thoughts on.

Answer 4

Being equal is defined in many different ways and most Americans would define this term as one's intellectual capability. What is rarely taken into account however is the fact that animals have many senses and abilities that humans lack. Examples include night vision, amazing sense of smell and ability to run super fast. When one answers this question with a clear, straight "no" they are deciding that humans are actually better than animals simply because they are able to speak and reason. However, if this were applied to all questions of equality, a severely mentally retarded human or a human baby would be less equal to a fully capable adult. That is not fair and does not make sense. As a 17 year old vegan, I feel that it is important for humans to remember the special abilities that animals have and keep in mind that animals feel pain and joy just as humans do. If possessing special abilities and feeling were to define equality then yes, animals and humans would be equal. However, this is not the common definition and obviously a human would be quick to save the dying baby before the dying puppy. All I really mean is that "equality" can be defined in many ways and your definition of this term will find the answer for you.

Answer 5

Well, you have officially touched on a very deep subject, that comes along with a lot of different beliefs, there are some people that believe that everything has souls, straight down to the very grass you step on on a daily basis, others believe nothing has a soul, such as the first person to answer this question.
It is all in what YOU believe in. If you believe that pets are just animals with no mind and no soul, so be it, but don't impose judgement on others that do.
I FIRMLY believe my dogs can think, and hope, and such I will meet them in heaven, but that does not mean I don't treat them as pets. They still have to stay off my bed, and eat out of their bowls on the floor.

So there's really no right or wrong to this question.

Answer 6

You do realize that the bible has been retranslated and mistranslated so many times that it's hard to tell it's original message right? Ah, religious crap you guys spew out. The only way humans are superior is on the food chain. We've developed some form of consciousness, but what makes you think that we have something other animals don't? Our minds evolved over our bodies. Humans are horrible tainted things, really. If animals don't have souls, and humans do, then 'soul' is redefined as 'sin'. I don't consider any of my dogs 'pets' but more 'familiars'. I sugest you get your head out of a bible, and look at the world. They are equal, all things are, only in a different order in the food chain. Yes, humans are animals to, but just because other animals are not destroying the planet by creating machine after machine to make it to where we dont' actually have to really physically work to survive. We should fix what we've messed up (that's a big job). You need to leave your superiority complax behind, that's a bad trait of humans.

Answer 7

Superior? Humans are the ones killing this planet, abusing it for every last resource it has. Not to mention destroying one another. Humans are the ones who commit heinous crimes against each other every second of every day. Every time I watch the news I really have to wonder who is superior. We are superiors at destroying everything we touch, but NOT better beings. I am way more impressed by animals than I will ever be by most humans. I am not impressed, by big buildings, pollution, genetic engineering, cloning or any of that. Animals are better beings than we will ever be. And you are right we have a greater responsiblity but most of the time we fail.

Answer 8

Just my 2cents...

Humans: We are the only beings that are capable of sin. We are the only living, breathing beings that kill needlessly. Humans are the only beings that find pleasure in torture and abuse. We need them more than they need us.

Animals: They would be perfectly happy if we didn't exist at all. They kill only for food or defense. They are responsible with their young (unless a flaw is detected that would hinder it's life within the group).

As far as the soul argument, no one really knows. I don't even think we should speculate. I think the bottom-line is that Humans take the word 'superior' way too far and give us more credit than we deserve.

I have dogs whom I love endlessly, they are a part of the family. And just the other night I was thinking about how my dogs and I interact...and it dawned on me that no matter what, my dogs would love me and be loyal to me until the end of our days together. Even if I was fat, ugly, mentally ill, physically disfigured...doesn't matter. They don't see that. Humans, however, will pass judgement, stare, make jokes, and laugh. You'd never see a pet shun you because of who you are or what ailments you may have to deal with.

Now THAT is superior.

Answer 9

this is what makes this country soooo great.
the variety of answers. the freedom of speech, and the right to believe what you believe.

*in all ancient religions, meaning predating christianity, animals were worshipped, and treated with respect.
before any animal was sacrificed for food or offering, it was treated respectfully, and was asked for forgiveness for taking its life. The animals' whole body was then utilized. Our ancestors made the most of any animal it killed, using its hides as shelters, its bones for tools, its meat for food. It was also treated with respect after its death, and its remains were not just thrown in a dumpster, or a landfill.

in all fairness, it is argumentative that only humans have souls.
*it is however, not argumentative, that animals be treated with respect.
I do not believe humans are superior. but, we were put here to care for the earth, and all that lives on it. so far, in this generation, I think we suck at it. I think that for all of our "technological advances", we have forgotten our purpose at times, and have become arrogant in our way of thinking.

However, like I said, we all have our views and perceptions, and this is mine.. like it or not.

*and to those who think that "no kill" shelter are unrealistic, why don't you try your hand at euthanasia, and see how you feel taking animals' lives all day long? and who are you to play GOD and decide when an animal's time on this earth is up? or anyone's time for that matter?

I believe those who work at the shelters, and those who care for animals in ALL shelters, and do the best they can, you will be forever blessed by those you help... thank you from someone who has adopted and rescued animals.

Answer 10

Another ill created by christianity, there are no souls, you are not superior to any other creature on earth. A pack of dogs support its own kind believing that the dog is the only rightful bein, so humans do the same, its only natural, but truly misguided. Look up Humanism online, or maybe buy a book, try to truly understand what makes you human, and you'll realise that there's nothing there at all.

Answer 11

I hate to play the devil's advocate here, but why are we so Superior when we have proven that we are the most heartless, cold, cruel and irresponsible species on the planet?
How can we keep the distinction of "caregiver" and "protector" when we abuse and neglect helpless animals?
What I have seen with my own eyes has made me doubt that we have any reason at all to fell in any way surperior to anything!
I think in some ways, dogs are much superior to us. At least they are never insincere and deceitful.Those evils are reserved for man.