http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/monkey-business/ Rabbi Avi Shafran of Agudath Israel of America rings the alarm about the Spanish parliament’s recent vote in support of extending the right to life and freedom to apes: That vote has no force of law at present - and, in any event, it has been several centuries since anyone has entertained the notion that as goes Spain, so goes the world. But we would be shortsighted to dismiss the recent development. It dovetails diabolically with larger societal changes taking place all around us. Unborn human life is terminated for reasons of convenience, patients in extremis are considered unworthy of care, any and all means of behavior are endorsed as nothing more than “personal lifestyles.” We are, the thinking goes, mere physical creatures, not different in any meaningful way from the rest of the animal world. Which conclusion might well liberate us even further. Why should we consider any insect our inferior, any personal behavior objectionable, any act - even murder - wrong? Without affirmation of the singularity of the human soul, society itself is rendered - in the word’s deepest sense - soulless. Please note well: Jewish religious tradition forbids causing animals unnecessary pain. The first man and woman - indeed all of humanity until Noah - were even forbidden to eat meat. But Adam was nevertheless commanded to “rule over” the animal world and, in postdiluvian times, Judaism expressly permits not only the “enslavement” of animals but even their killing for human consumption. That commandment and that permission bespeak a clear and timely truth: Humans are qualitatively different from the rest of the biosphere, elevated by their souls and the responsibilities that attend them. To pretend otherwise is to welcome a world where Leona Helmsley’s will is unremarkable and Peter Singer’s way upright. UPDATE: Andrew Silow-Carroll responds here, turning the “slippery slope” argument on its head – and making it about Agriprocessors. en-us aeden@jta.org Copyright 2008 2008-07-17T;14:49:26-05:00 sandrazz@mchsi.com The misconceptions of the broad public, including the masses who really don’t give a xxxx about the suffering of animals imposed by governments, society and profit driven animal enterprises, is not surprising, but always curious. Animal Rights/Advocates organizations and a vast growing number of consumers simply want animals to have the right to live free from terror, pain and exploitation by human beings. All the talk - responses, complaints and defense over proving just how great are human beings, believing they are so above extending compassion to the creatures of our planet - seem plainly ignorant and cruel, knee-jerk defensive.....AND false. With power comes responsibiity, and their is no justice for the animals who are tortured in the current legalized industrial and institutional animal abusive enterprises - and no glory for the human species. The misconceptions of the broad public, including the masses who really don’t give a xxxx about the suffering of animals imposed by governments, society and profit driven animal enterprises, is not surprising, but always curious. Animal Rights/Advocates organizations and a vast growing number of consumers simply want animals to have the right to live free from terror, pain and exploitation by human beings. All the talk - responses, complaints and defense over proving just how great are human beings, believing they are so above extending compassion to the creatures of our planet - seem plainly ignorant and cruel, knee-jerk defensive.....AND false. With power comes responsibiity, and their is no justice for the animals who are tortured in the current legalized industrial and institutional animal abusive enterprises - and no glory for the human species.

]]> 2009-11-19T;22:58:01-05:00 Josh-Levin@ieee.org I regard the Great Apes as being Semi-Sapient Beings, who are entitled to a few, but certainly not all, human rights. I regard the Great Apes as being Semi-Sapient Beings, who are entitled to a few, but certainly not all, human rights.

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