Animals and the Afterlife (51 page)

This also is sometimes posed as, “Where do you draw the line? Rights for roaches?” So far, as best we can determine biologically and physiologically, plants do not feel pain. They are alive and have some sort of response to light, water, etc., but they don’t feel pain. Pain requires a brain, a central nervous system, pain receptors, and so on. All mammals, birds, and fish have these things. No plants do. We all know this to be true: We all understand that there is a fundamental difference between cutting your lawn and lighting a cat’s tail on fire, and between breaking up a head of lettuce and bashing a dog’s head in. Birds, mammals, and fish are made of flesh, bones, and fat, just as we are. They feel pain, just as we do. I may not know quite where to draw the line. For example, I’m not sure what a roach or an ant experiences. But I do know with 100 percent certainty that intentionally inflicting suffering because of tradition, custom, convenience, or a palate preference is unethical. [
Kim’s note:
I feel it’s important to mention here that the key word is “intentionally.” Most people certainly do not do so intentionally.]

The day may come when the rest of animal creation may acquire those rights which could never have been withheld from them but by the hand of tyranny…. The question is not, can they reason?
Nor can they talk? But can they suffer? Why should the law refuse its protection to any sensitive being? The time will come when humanity will extend its mantle over everything which breathes …

—J
EREMY
B
ENTHAM
(1748–1832)

We, as a society, agree that cruelty to animals is wrong; yet, sadly, we support unimaginable animal cruelty every time we purchase products from industries that exploit animals. The good news is, cruelty-free alternatives exist. The other good news is, cruelty-free products tend to be more natural, and therefore, nontoxic, in the first place. Not only is this choice better for the animals—and better for the environment—it’s also better for
us.
(For more information on this, visit
www.CompassionCircle.org
.)

Every time we shop, we vote with our dollars. Our purchases send the message—for better or for worse, whether intentional or not—that we support the practices of the industries that manufacture the products we buy. What message are we sending? If we confirm that the products we buy do not involve animal suffering in their manufacture, we are casting our vote for a cruelty-free world.

If a product
doesn’t
state on the label that it is “cruelty-free” or “not tested on animals,” then it is up to us to ask the right people the right questions before we buy that product. Any minor inconvenience of checking out the products we intend to buy is
nothing
compared to the injustices imposed upon countless innocent animals behind the scenes.

If the products we buy—whether they be cosmetics, household cleaners, foods, supplements, or other items—
do
involve animal suffering and, therefore, we choose to
no longer purchase
these products, or to switch brands, we are taking a very deliberate step in making our world a more compassionate place. If we demand change of those industries or companies that
do
include the exploitation of animals, we are taking yet another step on the path to peace.

We must be the change we wish to see in the world.

—G
ANDHI

Of course, the animals will be taken care of in the afterlife, and their ultimate destiny is the same as ours. However, it’s the journey that counts. The animals have been born onto this Earth, just as we have—and they have a right to be here, just as we do, without suffering needlessly at our hands. Just as passing from the physical world into the world of spirit is a major event (known to us as “death”), I find that those who come to Earth from spirit are faced with an equally major transition. The birthing of spirit into physical form is no small task and one that must be respected. All life is sacred.

If chimpanzees have consciousness, if they are capable of abstractions, do they not have what until now has been described as “human rights”? How smart does a chimp have to be before killing him constitutes murder?

—C
ARL
S
AGAN

For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.

—P
YTHAGORAS

Until he extends the circle of compassion to all living things, Man will not himself find peace.

—A
LBERT
S
CHWEITZER

Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages.

—T
HOMAS
E
DISON

O
NE OF MY FAVORITE BUMPER STICKERS
says, “Ignorance is the most dangerous thing in society.” One of the dangers of ignorance is the fact that it prevents good people from demanding change where change is needed, simply because they
do not know
that anything is wrong. Another danger of ignorance is the vulnerability that enables us to be swayed by impressive-sounding belief systems, whether they actually hold truth or not.

There is an underlying belief system in our culture that seems to imply that a problem isn’t a problem unless it affects us
personally
. In reality, part of the problem in our world is that we are often looking to solve problems only within our
own
lives—or our own race or our own species.

There is also a danger in belief systems that reflect the idea that everything external that upsets us does so
only
because it brings up something
else
within us—our
own
past hurts and traumas—rather than because we care about someone
else’s
suffering and simply want to do something about it.

There are those who claim that animals “sacrifice themselves” for us and are “okay” with it, and that their purpose here on Earth is to serve us. This is a convenient explanation that enables us to overlook some uncomfortable realities in our world. Unfortunately, this explanation is sometimes touted by those who honestly believe they are in touch with the animals themselves, presenting this idea as a higher spiritual truth. As a result, it is all too easily swallowed by those who want to believe that all is well in the world.

When those of our
own
species are harmed or killed, it’s much more difficult for us to believe that it’s because they’ve
chosen
to sacrifice themselves or that they are
okay
with it. We’re less likely to make such convenient claims and more likely to jump to the aid of our fellow humans and to punish the perpetrators. Herein lies a clue that such claims are based in speciesism and not in higher spirituality.

I feel it’s important that we question belief systems that condone the suffering of animals on the grounds of “spirituality.” Some spiritual philosophies dictate that there is truly no “right or wrong”—that we must learn to accept
everything
without judgment, without differentiation. In my opinion, this is dangerous thinking. This is the type of thinking that has led many people astray throughout history, as it breeds complacency and creates a space for cruelty and oppression to thrive unchallenged.

Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.

—E
LIE
W
IESEL

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing
.

—E
DMUND
B
URKE

Many people have asked me about animals who suffer and die the most horrific deaths at the hands of humans. They ask me
why
such things happen. People sometimes use karma as an excuse, implying that the animals somehow deserve it for some past wrongdoing. In my opinion, this, too, is dangerous thinking and often nothing more than an excuse for complacency.

Throughout most of my life, I’ve studied various spiritual philosophies and teachings in-depth and am well versed in such belief systems. I do believe in karma in that we do reap that which we sow. In other words, if we do good, good will come back to us in the end; and if we do harm, that is something we will also have to answer to eventually, in one way or another. However, in my understanding, just
because
something bad happens to us, it doesn’t
necessarily
mean we’re paying off a debt from a prior transgression.

What I’ve come to understand is that some people and animals come here to Earth
not
to work out bad karma—or even to learn a lesson—but simply to teach others. And if they suffer in the process, it’s
not
because they did something wrong. Sometimes, it’s because they are here to express innocence in a world that hasn’t yet fully embraced compassion. Sometimes, it’s because they are here to initiate change in a world that doesn’t always take kindly to that which upsets the status quo. Few, if any, would contend that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified because of some wrongdoing in his own past. Few, if any, would contend that those who die for
any
good cause do so because they did something wrong. One of my heroes is Martin Luther King, Jr., and few, if any, would contend that he was killed because he had “bad karma.” Quite the contrary, he was a very compassionate and enlightened soul who came here, stood up, spoke out, and demanded change because he saw injustice and sought to make things right. He died for a cause, and God bless him for it.

When people turn their backs on the suffering of animals and explain it away with so-called spiritual talk about how it’s the animals’ destiny or karma and we should just accept it, I simply remind them that people once said that about slavery—and then there were those who took a stand and
did something
about it.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.

—D
ANTE

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

—T
HE
R
EVEREND
D
R
. M
ARTIN
L
UTHER
K
ING
, J
R
.

Those who promote
any
cause in our world are often accused of having an “agenda,” as if that label somehow makes their cause less valid. Someone once told me that
everyone
has an agenda. Perhaps that’s true. In my opinion, you can tell a
lot
about a person based on their agenda. Is it an agenda of selfishness, or an agenda of service? To me, that makes all the difference. All truly good causes seem to elicit controversy when they run counter to the accepted societal norm, but they are good nonetheless. We must never forget this.

Those who fight for the rights of the oppressed are often called self- righteous, “holier than thou,” or preachy. More often then not, they are none of the above; rather, they are humbly but boldly listening to their hearts and choosing a path far more difficult than that of conformity. It’s not about comfort, profit, or reputation—in fact, it’s often about giving up those very things for the sake of a higher cause.

In my opinion, there is no greater cause than that which stems purely from love and compassion for one’s fellow beings. Not from a perspective of, “What’s in it for me?” but rather, “How can I help others? How can I make a difference in the world around me?” My philosophy is simple: Care deeply, feel strongly, and act accordingly.

My religion is kindness.

—T
HE
D
ALAI
L
AMA

I am reminded of St. Francis of Assisi, who was known, among other things, for his ability to communicate with animals. He felt at one with all creation and was known to preach to the birds and the other animals about the love of God. The animals were drawn to him, listened to him, and responded accordingly. This included fish. Whenever a fish was caught and St. Francis was nearby, he returned the fish to the water and warned him or her not to be caught again. Sometimes the fish would linger awhile near the boat, listening to him preach, before swimming off.

Perhaps the most famous story about St. Francis involves a wolf who was known for terrorizing the people in the town of Gubbio. The wolf was killing and eating animals and humans alike; and those who tried to go after the wolf to fight back were killed as well. The people of Gubbio lived in fear, and the story of the infamous wolf was known throughout the land. So, despite warnings from the townspeople, St. Francis went to Gubbio to speak to the wolf.