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Position:Home>Philosophy> Do We Underestimate a human life, and over compensate for animals?Question: Do We Underestimate a human life, and over compensate for animals!? I've heard some people say that they love their dogs or cats, better than people and I have heard people tell homeless individuals to get a job but they rally for homes for pets!. What gives!? On a Christian point of view, I hardly see this as loving someone as you do yourself!. How do you feel about this!. Does it make you angry!? Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: What a complicated question you asked!. I'll have to answer it in two parts, and will try to bring my separate answers together in the end!. Many people do love their pets as much or more than other humans, for the 'simple' reason that the pet is never 'in power' and the human has all of the power!. Such humans may seem normal, but they have definite issues with things like real freindship and real human relationships!. This usually starts in early childhood, and may be due to inadequate or neglectful parenting!. Many people think that a homeless person only 'needs' a job to get an apartment and become 'normal' again!. Most employers want a 'home address' and won't hire anyone who uses a post office box or other 'fake address' and they also won't accept a person who has few or no references!. Some people do rally for homes for pets, while others rally for good homes for the homeless and destitute!. I am a psychologist, now retired!. Shortly after I retired due to 'burn-out' (I have severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due in part to my 'job') I was homeless for awhile!. I did take care of myself, dressed well and didn't 'look homeless' so no one told me to 'get a job,' and I had good advice, found a place to live, and shortly after I moved in I met a man who had also been homeless and who beame my best friend!. Now we live on an excellent salary (just over $60,000 annually) and are very happily married!. My husband is a fine artist with a master's degree in fine art, but he now works as a web developer, a job that he got while we were temporarily homeless!. He was given a grant to go to a community college for any one year certification course!. He chose to take a Web Master certificate, started teaching before he had that (teaching in the same department he was going to school in), and we are very grateful for this 'chance' our city took on him!. Do I love the homeless as I love myself!? Yes, I do !.!.!. and we give at least $6000 a year to charities that help the homeless in 'real ways' plus we give money and food to foodbanks and places that help AIDS patients live comfortably!. We also give pet food to the food banks, because may who are destitute are 'supporting' pets too !.!.!. and we take good care of our own pets!. Does the way others act in both cases make me angry!? No, not angry, but certainly frustrated!. When a homeless person asks me for money, I give a dollar to five dollars and I also tell that person 'a bit of my story' about having been homeless once, too!. Each time I do that, the person stands a bit taller, and looks a bit better, because I've given something they've never heard before !.!.!. the HOPE that their own life, too, can get better, and someday they, too, can 'give to the homeless!.' I can't fix the world, but I can help one person every time I give a little along with my story !.!.!. just as I can give to the pets that may be the poor person's only 'love' in this world!. ALL people are important, and so are ALL animals, so give until it 'hurts' and remember that to 'get a job' a person may need to do some laundry, eat a good meal, get their hair cut and their shoes polished !.!.!. and give a bit more toward that goal! Www@QuestionHome@Com yes totally agree with you not to the point of banning peoples pets but yes I always wondered where that loving others as yourself manifested itself!. You dont see much of it around!. Maybe we are juts full of fear!. I stopped to give a hitch hiker a lift and he was homeless and told me his story - he was the bravest person I have ever met!. He said that he really struggled ot keep himself clean and neat whereas the others would say that i t was prolonging the agony ( I get this too)!. I really got to understand the system of getting into shelters through him!. Many more homeless people have mental health problems and have not brought their problems on themselves and its climbing a mountain to get out of that downward spiral!. Compassion would be really useful to them as well as the cat!.Www@QuestionHome@Com hmmm!. that's deep love!. ummm wow im not even sure were to begin!.!.!.unfortunately you are COMPLETELY RIGHT!. each and everyday millions of people are dying, hungry, sick, homeless you name it and people are out spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on pet clothes and toys and things that WERE NOT meant for animals!. ANIMALS are meant to be wild not contained not captured not living a luxurious life but WILD and i believe that PEOPLE have forgotten that!.!.!. It does not make me angry because there is nothing that I can do about it you cant MAKE people change who they are or what they do but I can however speech my opinions and live my life how i want to live it!. I hope that you do the same love and I think you for giving me something to really take the time and think about!. Have a great day :)Www@QuestionHome@Com Some underestimate the human soul, which is a reflection of God!. Dogs and cats, well, at least dogs, love and respect their owners/keepers!. However, the unborn child has a soul and a divine plan, and when it suffers loss of life due to abortion, that should be more mourned than a baby seal being clubbed to death; both are not good!. "Expecting Adam," Martha Beck, "The Great Divorce," C!. S!. Lewis, and "Hope Rising," Kim Meeder, are worthwhile!. Reviews at http://www!.amazon!.comWww@QuestionHome@Com It's the dam PETA people and freaking pathetic tree hugging hippies who need to save animals because people think their crazy and the only thing that will ever love them are stupid cats!.!.!. if you don't know by now, it pisses me off!!Www@QuestionHome@Com No, and yes!.!.!. Both are ridiculously overvalued!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Yes, you have to wonder "exactly which planet are they from"!.Www@QuestionHome@Com YES it sure does make me angry!. It seems humans are not a smart species, in general!. I have seen animals in the wild, care for and show concern for other injured species!. Compassion or rescue doesn't have to belong to man alone!. Infact I fear we, as a species, 'crap in our own nest' with far reaching and more devastating consequences than any other creature on earth!.!.excepting perhaps locusts!. (I am not counting bacterial or viral contaminators!.) But we call ourselves, and see our arrogant selves as of superior intellect!. I'm yet to be convinced of that!. What permanent good has mankind done our poor planet!? !.!.!.!.plenty of damage, in the name of progress and technology!. We don't really treat each other any better, with the greed for monetarist values and the obsession for power over one another, on many a scale!. (sigh) In the Bible there is a story of a man with a big and beautiful house, who had a beggar sleeping in his front foya!. The beggar was a permanent feature!. The rich man new him by name, would greet him by name and feed him the family's left overs!. The beggar was very, very grateful! When the rich man died, he thought he'd go to heaven for his good deeds!.!.!.as he was hard working and kind!. He did not!. God said "you know '!?' Why did you not give him a room in your large house and seat him at your table, as family!?!.!.!.!.!.!.it makes me think, there is a long way for me to go, How many of us would accept a homeless person sleeping by our front door, or saving left-overs for them, let alone more!?!.!.(not me) But God wants us ALL to have a home and no man should have more than another!. Those of us who have- have big responsibilities to insure safety and wholeness and empowerment to others who fail to survive their circumstances!. It is complicated, politically, mentally and metaphysically!. As some seem to fall over, continually!? Dilemma!. (again, sigh)Www@QuestionHome@Com Not at all!. Animals are innocent!. They do what they do becuase they're animals!. They don't rape, rob, and plunder like people do!. They love unconditionally, and they'd readily risk themselves for you!. More importantly, animals can't go out and get a job, or they probably would!. Humans are the lazy sobs, who sit on the couch and watch me leave for work every day!. On a Christian point of view, God helps those, who help themselves!. Most of all, these cats and dogs we're talking about are FAMILY!. They live here!. Yes, they absolutely outrank you!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |