Twelve Arguments Against Animals
Argument one
There are more
important things to worry about.
The world is full of problems. Why waste time worrying about animals when children (for instance) are being abused?
But one can engage in this form of one-upmanship with almost any cause.
Why worry about child abuse when children are starving?
Or why worry about children starving when we are overpopulating ourselves beyond the capacity of our planet?
Or why worry about overpopulation when a nuclear disaster hangs over all our
heads?
This is fruitless reasoning;
the only waste of time is worrying about which cause is the most important.
This argument also assumes a competition between these causes which does not
exist.
When you are asked to
treat animals ethically, you are not being ask to put aside whatever other world
problem you may be working on. (And this argument does assume that you are
working on some other issue trying to make the world a better place: not just
looking for some excuse to do nothing.)
You are not being asked to send in your money. You are not being asked to spread
the word. In short:, you're not being asked to do anything. You only need to
refrain from actions which cause animal suffering.
This cannot be a waste of
time, because it doesn't take any time.
It can't be a waste of effort, because it doesn't take any effort.
So how does this compete with
other issues such as child abuse? It doesn't.
It's true that those who are
actively involved in spreading the message that non-human animals have natural
rights, do expend some time, effort, and money at it. Why do we choose animal
rights instead of , for example, counteracting arguments against animals,
instead of talking about child abuse?
Nobody thinks it's ok
to abuse children. No one out there thinks that child abuse is morally okay.
But how many of you think
it's okay to eat meat? Many of you. The point is: it would be rather foolish of
someone to come on TV and tell you that child abuse is wrong. You already know
that. Our society is at least that ethical. But there's a large gap in our
morality when it comes to the other animals.
Our society believes that it's okay to use animals for our own ends. And so,
someone must speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. And if we spend
some time and money doing this, it is as a drop in the ocean compared to the
money people make off of animal cruelty.
Finally, the way we treat non-human animals matters because it is an indication
of our own morality at a very fundamental level.
Do we take advantage of those who cannot fight back?
Does might make right?
Are we so self-centered that we believe that our luxury is more important than their suffering?
All of these questions can be answered by the way we treat animals. If we abuse
them -- or support practices which result in their abuse, such as wearing fur...
...or eating meat, then it reveals a morality that is rotten at its foundation.
No wonder Mahatma Gandhi, the great spiritual leader, said that:
"At some point, spiritual growth requires that we stop using animals for
our own ends."
And he said:
"A nation can be judged by the way it treats its animals."
Argument Two