Do we place too much value on life?

[ravenstrike]

well, all choices, everything, spawns from life
for me, life is my highest value
without it, we've got nothing.

 

[Don Penguinoini]

Neihter has the cat

 

[ravenstrike]

ah, but what has the cat anyways?
cat's cannot metacognize.
cat's are not capable of extensive inductive and deductive reasoning.

 

[Magic Man]

ah, but what has the cat anyways?
cat's cannot metacognize.
cat's are not capable of extensive inductive and deductive reasoning.

Does that mean they don't have life?

 

[ravenstrike]

no no, anything dying should be prevented
i'm simply emphasizing that cat's lives should not be valued with, or over, human lives

 

[Magic Man]

no no, anything dying should be prevented
i'm simply emphasizing that cat's lives should not be valued with, or over, human lives

Well, yeah, of course! Now, dogs on the other hand...

Actually, I would choose a dog's life over a human's life in a vast number of cases.

 

[ravenstrike]

maybe if the human was a jerk, or an idiot
ya know, help out the gene pool and all that jazz

 

[crystalonyx]

From a resources perspective, every additional human life adds more stress.

 

[Don Penguinoini]

ah, but what has the cat anyways?
cat's cannot metacognize.
cat's are not capable of extensive inductive and deductive reasoning.

Cats are living beings, they have feelings, a mind to think too, sure they dont have the same level of intelligence we do, but they are animals that live and feel pain, they would react as you would if someone took away your baby. Animals are much human as we are, we are animals.

 

[ravenstrike]

But are we only animals?
We are dominant. We've earned it through blood and sweat and tears.
We (to a rather limited extent) hold far more sway over life and death than the cat.

From a resources perspective, every additional human life adds more stress.

As does the cat.
And sometimes it is necessary to kill to save lives.
It might sound like a paradox, but if we (and i'm spitballing here) continue on our current path and our current trends, something cataclysmic is going to occur. Would it not be better to take out half the earthly population than to wait for said event, whereupon only 5-10% of humankind would survive?

 

[crystalonyx]

But are we only animals?
We are dominant. We've earned it through blood and sweat and tears.
We (to a rather limited extent) hold far more sway over life and death than the cat.

As does the cat.
And sometimes it is necessary to kill to save lives.
It might sound like a paradox, but if we (and i'm spitballing here) continue on our current path and our current trends, something cataclysmic is going to occur. Would it not be better to take out half the earthly population than to wait for said event, whereupon only 5-10% of humankind would survive?

Fortunately or unfortunately, these things have a way of correcting themselves.

 

[ravenstrike]

So we should let it be?

 

[logician]

So we should let it be?

Are we talking some sort of genocide here?

 

[ravenstrike]

I'm saying the extermination of 95% of the human race.
I'm saying that which is worse, leaving us to that, or taking, by our own hands, 50% of the human race.

 

[Storm]

I think that, as a culture, we place to much emphasis on mere survival. Death is NOT the worst thing that can happen. Sometimes (the abortion and death penalty issues) killing someone is the lesser evil. Sometimes letting someone die (euthanasia) is a mercy.

 

[Magic Man]

I think that, as a culture, we place to much emphasis on mere survival. Death is NOT the worst thing that can happen. Sometimes (the abortion and death penalty issues) killing someone is the lesser evil. Sometimes letting someone die (euthanasia) is a mercy.

And in saying this, you have given new life to this thread.

Thanks for the response. I agree. I think we protect life at too many costs.

 

[logician]

And in saying this, you have given new life to this thread.

Thanks for the response. I agree. I think we protect life at too many costs.

Agreed, IMHO all life is important, but no life is sacred. Spending millions to keep a terminally ill person alive a few months longer, while not spending a dime for basic healthcare for millions for people w/o basic insurance to me is not setting priorities right.

 

[Ulver]

I think we don't put enough focus on life. By life I mean quality in relation to quantity. Part of my problem with theism/supernaturalism is that it takes the focus of ones existence away from the fact the one is alive and places it upon notions of "after/post-life".

In regards to abortion, the best preventive measure is for kids to get a good sex education so they know what their bodies can do and possibilities of some risky behavior. I think abortion numbers would drop dramatically if as a society (I mean Americans especially here) we gave a good education that doesn't scare people into ignorance and had a government system (so it would be equal to all and not some charity) of putting unwanted children up for adoption. Also a government system, tied into a national healthcare system, where ever citizen would get tested for diseases and be properly treated. Ever mother (along with family) would receive benefits for their child so that they can properly raise and take care of the child and not worry about financial ruin (and with kids not having to worry about absent parents I would predict crime will drop even more dramatically).

As for overpopulation, as someone before mentioned, technology will take care of the food problem. As for the space problem, this is exactly where more focus on space travel technology is required. There a few planets/moons that we could have civilizations on. I honestly don't think its just science fiction.

 

[3.14]

the worth of life cannot be measured but is is genaraly accepted that if you have kids or wife your lifes is worth more because of your strong bond to those people,
1 person=1% 1 person with strong bonds to 2 persons = 3% etc
if your religion has an after death special then subtract 1%
if you are terminal subtract 1%
if your actions cause other peoples deaths subtract 1%
etc

 

[Fish-Hunter]

It seems to me that nowadays we place more value of human life, and other life, than past cultures have. I wonder whether that's a good thing or not. Do you think that we do this, and if so, is it good or bad?

All humans bear the image of God in one degree or another, regardless of their personal beliefs. Therefore, all human life is to be highly valued.