What’s wrong with those people who worship animals?

[Kilgore Trout]

Knowledge. Isn't the closest rank to God is knowledge?

I'm surprised you can see god being so very, very far away.

 

[Quintessence]

How is human not higher in rank then an animal?

1. Humans are animals, as has been stated already in this thread.
2. It is humans who impose "ranks" onto nature. They are not intrinsic to it. In other words, calling some such organism of higher "rank" than another is purely some human's opinion.
3. It is well-known to those who study the relevant sciences (for example, ecology) that the biosphere is highly interconnected and interdependent. The "great chain of being" is not supported by the sciences.

Human worth a lot greater.

In. Your. Opinion.

If you want to put humans on a pedestal, you are certainly free to such a value system. You'll have plenty of company, as anthropocentrism is nauseatingly common. To those who put humans on a pedestal, it is foolish to ignore the pedestal itself. After all, you depend on that pedestal for your self-described lofty position. Without it, you fall. So who is really "higher" here?

 

[Cobol]

Apparently, there is people who worship animals. Yes, animals. who are way lower in rank then a human. They are not allowed to eat those animals nor kill them. And, if one were to eat that animal, the society would put them in jail, or even kill them. The society treats those animals like some kind of a deity. They even install shelters for them to live in. What’s wrong with those people who worship animals?

Humans have much more authority of animals. Why would they devalue themselves, and respect those animals like they are higher in-rank then a human? A human can engineer an animal, an animal on other hand can not engineer a human. In that case, an animal should worship the human not the other way around. Don’t you agree?

Owning an animal like a goat for example, represents wealth. Can there be a link between worshiping wealth and worshiping an animal?

I see the human species as having the lowest rank.

Only Humans are bestowed with a brain that has the level of consciousness to decide right and wrong. Other species don't have this level of consciousness, so collectively species other than humans are not good or bad.

Humans are the most vicious species. We kill for no reason. We discriminate per popular demands. We are destroying/polluting are atmosphere and eco system, threatening the survival of other species. It only makes sense for people to worship other animals.

 

[Deathbydefault]

Apparently, there is people who worship animals. Yes, animals. who are way lower in rank then a human. They are not allowed to eat those animals nor kill them. And, if one were to eat that animal, the society would put them in jail, or even kill them. The society treats those animals like some kind of a deity. They even install shelters for them to live in. What’s wrong with those people who worship animals?

Humans have much more authority of animals. Why would they devalue themselves, and respect those animals like they are higher in-rank then a human? A human can engineer an animal, an animal on other hand can not engineer a human. In that case, an animal should worship the human not the other way around. Don’t you agree?

Owning an animal like a goat for example, represents wealth. Can there be a link between worshiping wealth and worshiping an animal?

At least they worship something I can verify exists.
That's already a step ahead of worshiping a magically omnipotent imaginary friend.

 

[sovietchild]

I see the human species as having the lowest rank.

Only Humans are bestowed with a brain that has the level of consciousness to decide right and wrong. Other species don't have this level of consciousness, so collectively species other than humans are not good or bad.

Humans are the most vicious species. We kill for no reason. We discriminate per popular demands. We are destroying/polluting are atmosphere and eco system, threatening the survival of other species. It only makes sense for people to worship other animals.

Let's not blame it on the humans, shall we? They say Mars used to have oceans. Our earth is going to die no matter what, and animals, well we can store their DNA and recreate them on a different planet if we really wanted to.

 

[sovietchild]

At least they worship something I can verify exists.
That's already a step ahead of worshiping a magically omnipotent imaginary friend.

Why worship something that we own?

 

[Cobol]

Let's not blame it on the humans, shall we? They say Mars used to have oceans. Our earth is going to die no matter what, and animals, well we can store their DNA and recreate them on a different planet if we really wanted to.

What is wrong with those people who are too ignorant to know they're ignorant?

 

[Valjean]

Apparently, there is people who worship animals. Yes, animals. who are way lower in rank then a human. They are not allowed to eat those animals nor kill them. And, if one were to eat that animal, the society would put them in jail, or even kill them. The society treats those animals like some kind of a deity. They even install shelters for them to live in. What’s wrong with those people who worship animals?

You're referring to the Indian cow-protection laws, of course. Do the laws really protect undeserving beings of lower "rank," or do they extend moral consideration to beings possessing the same qualities we cite in extending moral consideration to other humans?

Humans have much more authority of animals. Why would they devalue themselves, and respect those animals like they are higher in-rank then a human? A human can engineer an animal, an animal on other hand can not engineer a human. In that case, an animal should worship the human not the other way around. Don’t you agree?

Humans have much more power and technology than animals, but I don't understand how this gives them a right to abuse and exploit them.
Yours is a might-makes-right argument. It justifies exploitation of the weak by the strong. It justifies a country with a strong army invading a neighbor with a weak army.

Owning an animal like a goat for example, represents wealth. Can there be a link between worshiping wealth and worshiping an animal?

Owning a slave represents wealth, as well.

The point is worshiping something that is lower rank then one is.

What is this "rank" thing? Your usage of "rank" clearly equates to "power."
Is it worship you have an issue with, or moral consideration?
People worship all sorts of things; representations of values and principles they value. people worship clay icons.
People extend legal and moral consideration to other humans regardless of their rank or social power.

How can you not see this? Humans have an authority to destroy anything on this planet, do animals have an authority to destroy anything on this planet? Probably not. So, that means human have much higher rank then any animal on this planet.

Humans do not have authority, humans have power. We do not have a right to do something just because we have the ability to do it.

 

[Quintessence]

Why worship something that we own?

That you believe you own, you mean?

I doubt that the other animals recognize or acknowledge your alleged "ownership" over them. "Ownership" is a human construct. One that I've always found to be rather dubious.

 

[sovietchild]

You're referring to the Indian cow-protection laws, of course.

Well, didn't people worship a goat long time ago in Greece? Once again, this can be represented as wealth worship.

Some people worship corn spirit, will they worship the same spirit if they were to move to Ukraine where they produce sun flower seeds? Once again, this can be represented as wealth worship. A goat in one society and a cow in different society.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

The OP is such an amazing exemplar of Islamic conduct.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Well, didn't people worship a goat long time ago in Greece?

You're the, ahem, 'expert' on what other people think, believe and worship so you tell us.

 

[SabahTheLoner]

Apparently, there is people who worship animals. Yes, animals. Who are way lower in rank then a human. They are not allowed to eat those animals nor kill them. And, if one were to eat that animal, the society would put them in jail, or even kill them. The society treats those animals like some kind of a deity. They even install shelters for them to live in. What’s wrong with those people who worship animals?

What's wrong with humans who acknowledge themselves as animals? Who has authority now?

 

[Valjean]

Human worth much more then an animal. Why worship something that is much less worth then one is?

Serious question: What are your criteria of "worth?"

How is human not higher in rank then an animal? Human worth a lot greater. Humans can either kill animals or create them.

Again, you're equating "worth" with "power."
We have the power to exploit the weak, the uneducated, the elderly, children. We have the power to exploit weaker countries -- but does this make it right?

 

[sovietchild]

Serious question: What are your criteria of "worth?"

Football player for example, one can cost 10 million another one can cost 100 million, why? Because the skill and potential one possess. What kind of potential do animals posses? It will probably take them millions of years to get to where we are.

 

[Valjean]

Let's not blame it on the humans, shall we? They say Mars used to have oceans. Our earth is going to die no matter what, and animals, well we can store their DNA and recreate them on a different planet if we really wanted to.

No we can't. Most of the most important species; the fundamental species all other life depends on -- protists, fungi, bacteria, &c -- are still unknown to us, and their genomes unknown. Nor do we have the ability to reach another habitable star system. This is pure fantasy.

 

[sovietchild]

No we can't. Most of the most important species; the fundamental species all other life depends on -- protists, fungi, bacteria, &c -- are still unknown to us, and their genomes unknown. Nor do we have the ability to reach another habitable star system. This is pure fantasy.

Yes, we don't have the ability, but we can in few hundreds of years. How long will it take for animals to reach the same level as we are?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Yes, we don't have the ability, but we can in few hundreds of years. How long will it take for animals to reach the same level as we are?

I know a guinea pig who passed you several weeks ago.

 

[LuisDantas]

Well, didn't people worship a goat long time ago in Greece? Once again, this can be represented as wealth worship.

Some people worship corn spirit, will they worship the same spirit if they were to move to Ukraine where they produce sun flower seeds? Once again, this can be represented as wealth worship. A goat in one society and a cow in different society.

Sure, you can interpret all kinds of things in various ways, with just as varied degrees of respect and justification.

Whether it is wise to do so is a separate and far more significant matter.

 

[Valjean]

Well, didn't people worship a goat long time ago in Greece? Once again, this can be represented as wealth worship.

Some people worship corn spirit, will they worship the same spirit if they were to move to Ukraine where they produce sun flower seeds? Once again, this can be represented as wealth worship. A goat in one society and a cow in different society.

The cows and goats and plaster icons are representations of social values. Yes, worshiping them seems silly, but people seem to have a psychological need to revere concrete symbols -- flags, icons, &c.

Football player for example, one can cost 10 million another one can cost 100 million, why? Because the skill and potential one possess. What kind of potential do animals posses? It will probably take them millions of years to get to where we are.

Monetary value is not the same as moral or ethical value. We should not worship wealth.
You propose potential as a criterion. Old or crippled people may not have much potential, but do we value them less because of this? Poor people have little potential, but do they deserve fewer legal rights or moral consideration than wealthy people?