Post by Mike.. . . .Following a post by Tim C.
Post by Tim C.Post by Jane GillettI'm not sure I do respect those rights in the context of animal suffering.
100% agree,.
Post by Jane GillettThe problem with countermanding them is that I reckon it would drive
religious slaughter underground and we'd have less control.
Good point, and I can't think of a (sensible) way around it.
maybe there isn't one, Jane hopes that scientific advances will negate
these beliefs, but in US we see creationists choosing to challenge
science with undisprovable assertions and faked pseudo science to deny
Darwin.
Not quite what I meant but obviously I wasn't clear.
I see no reason to assume that either our senses or our technology are
aware of every aspect of the universe we inhabit so we are, indeed, seeing
the universe as modified by the filter of our limitations ("through a glass
darkly"!) and maybe a very thick filter. Until we see things entirely then
we cannot claim to know any particular belief to be in error - we can only
say that it's not the way things seem to be to us.
And in this context - and in the expectation that it will bring heaps of
dispute down on my head - I think we disagree about the function of
science. To my mind it is NOT a search for truth - it <IS> a study of the
way things behave and not what they <ARE>; we can only define anything in
terms of other things which, in turn, we define in terms of other things
etc etc... Science answers the question:
"In certain specified circumstances, if you do this then you will appear to
get that response" and that is all. It does not tell you what this or that
is and it is dependent on the circumstances. Science gives you a set of
rules by which you can calculate the outcome of a specified action within a
particular environment; nothing more.
In the above context, I don't see the scientific advances in the likely
future persuading religious adherents to change their views. If a body is
beyond any form of awareness or detection, as Gods are, then science will
not be able to address them; and you cannot determine the existence or
otherwise of something whose presence or effects science cannot sense. If
you can narrow down to a specific response to a specific action then
science can study it; toherwise not, i'm afraid. Adherents will continue to
be guided by their religious theory which is determined to a large extent
by the human/sexual/financial/status considerations of their traditional
societies in a positive feedback loop. Bit like FGM but that's another OT
topic.
Post by Mike.. . . .We see Islamic fundamentalists willing to kill to stop
education and to stop criticism.
"Fundamentalists" of any belief tend to be extreme; I don't see everyday
moslems taking this attitude although I'd be glad to see them speaking out
against. Maybe it's understandable self-protection.
Post by Mike.. . . .BUT Islam here seems to have
compromised in allowing pre stunning,
:)
: kosher* has not
:(.
Post by Mike.. . . .but at least
that's a small number of animals. Denmark has banned religious
slaughter amid shrieks of antisemitism even though they have not
allowed no-stun for years (while hypocritically having lots of low
welfare pork production at the same time).
It's why I don't buy Danish bacon or pork. But I feel the same about US pig
meat and I wouldn't buy that either. And I'd only buy UK chicken products
and then only if I have good reason to believe they have been produced by
methods which seem humane to me.
Post by Mike.. . . .But I think they have the
right principal, moral enlightenment should not be trumped by
religious tradition
To throw a spanner ....
What about religious freedom? Are some aspects of religious belief above
legal requirements? Which?
Post by Mike.. . . .and people cannot demand that religion is sacred
and their unprovable baseless beliefs must be respected. But of course
they will.
Yep.
Post by Mike.. . . .For balance, I know an atheist who has no concept of animal
welfare, believing us as being totally different from animals, maybe
he inherited more from religion than he realises.
Another "religious belief" and equally based as you say. IMV.
Jane
--
Jane Gillett : ***@higherstert.co.uk : Totnes, Devon.