Why is it OK to kill bugs? But not OK to kill dogs, cats & humans!?
459743
This is a really good and very legitimate question. I recently posted a question of my own on how best to get rid of an invading army of tiny brown ants that are very definitely making my kitchen their personal playground (and worse). But the reality is that I do not want to kill them at all. I want them to go away, ideally outside where they belong. But insects don't tend to think in such terms. They go where the food is, whatever that food source may be. And I imagine they prefer my nice, warm, dry kitchen to the elements they have to contend with outdoors. Vexing.\n\nAnyway, your point is both thoughtful and thought-provoking. How is it that we rationalize the degrees of murder we commit? Killing humans is wrong, except in times of war or self-defense (kill or be killed). But is even that moral? Killing some animals is perfectly okay (so-called livestock is slaughtered without further examination of the morals -- or lack of same -- involved). Hunters are legally permitted to shoot up the woods (in season) for deer, rabbits, what have you. But kill a cat or dog and you're pure evil, right? It's okay to hunt, torment and ultimately kill that terrified fox (pip pip, what!) but if you dare to harm one of the hounds doing the chasing and tearing apart of said fox, you're up on charges for animal cruelty, right?\n\nAnd the so-called vermin (rodents, bugs, etc.), well, they evidently don't deserve to live in the first place, do they? Says who? There are degrees of cruelty even as there are degrees to the pecking order that determines which creatures are worthy of life and which are marked for death. People who go out of their way to step on bugs are sick, even evil. But what of exterminators doing the job they're paid for? And, even more disconcerting, what about me trying to find the best method to rid myself of (a euphemism for KILL) these pesky ants in my kitchen? I can tell you it doesn't make me feel very good about myself when I reflect upon it... but I can also tell you I am determined to have them removed. I'm not proud of that but I am, at least, being honest with myself.\n\nAgain, a nice provocative question and one that has given me pause... Thinking is a decidedly good thing. Thanks.
11012
The Bible does NOT tell us, in the Ten Commandments, "Thou Shalt Not Kill." What it actually says is, "Lo Teer-Tzach," which means, "Thou Shalt Not Murder." There is a difference between Murder (RaTZaCH) and Kill (HaRaG). \n\nIf the Ten Commandments read Thou Shalt Not Kill, then you could not defend yourself in war, or, for that matter, against someone who was trying to murder you. You could not eat meat of any kind, or anything for which an animal had to die to obtain it. But, since it says Thou Shalt Not Murder, meaning to take another's life when it is immoral to do so, then we can claim our dominion over the earth and over all the animals, as we are given in the Biblical Book of Genesis, and take the life of a fly, cockroach, or mosquito. Sometimes we do indeed have to kill an animal, even a mosquito, cockroach, or even a fly. They all spread deadly  diseases and can cause severe allergic reactions, and must be eliminated from our home and other environments in which we live. The problem is knowing when it is right, and moral, to do so, (killing) and when it is wrong, and immoral, to do so (Murdering). Outside the house i do not kill cockroaches, but in my own house, i certainly do. Outside my house, and off of my own property, i do not kill ant-hills, but in my house or on my property, i certainly do.
584878
If you think about it-you see thousands of humans every week-probably, I would guess, something like 10,000 times more humans than any other animal..and yet how often have you seen a human drop from a heart attack, or even the much more common falling from a dizzy spell?  It isn't a common enough occurance to see regularly- Occasionally you will see a bird out of a large flock dropping, usually in a controlled manner- A bird will drop to the ground when it start to feel ill..it won't usually just fly until it drops or passes out.  I have found numerous birds that appeared stunned.  Most were likely from hitting windows, but I can't be sure of that.  From speaking to my veternarian friends, on average humans are more healthy, not less, than the great majority of animals-and if you add in animals in the wild, it's not even close.  Many, if not most, wild animals suffer from parasites of various kinds, and often from infections and poorly healed injuries.  It has nothing at all to do with exercise-pets that live in a house, and get much less exercise than feral dogs and cats live much longer, healthier lives.  The effect of better diet, less stress, modern health care is a much larger factor in health than exercise is-as is obvious from the fact that, even though humans get much less exercise now than 100 years ago, we live much much longer.  That being said, the combination of better diet, less stress, modern medicine *and* plenty of exercise is better still.
828787
i think no animal is more dangerous than humans!
390764
While I am not in favor of either (Pro-life,own a pitbull), I do know that mankind has a tendency to use things such as extreme animal rights activism as a dumpimg ground for the suppressed guilt they feel because of having mistreated humanity in some way or other. \n\nDeep down inside, our society feels that animals are equal to (in some cases,like PETA) or are superior to humans. \n\nThis notion is clearly evident in legislation, where killing a child is okay and a matter of "choice" and where you end up fined/jailed for killing a pet. This a complete reversal of nature. We are to love one another above ourselves and have rulership/dominion over animals. This is the true natural order.
193555
I think testing on animals often times is unethical. The end does not always justify the means to me. In fact, with some religions it all about the means. Stealing and killing are often means to a desired end, but clearly unethical.\n\nAlso I believe using a human embreyo for an ethical end but by unethicals means is wrong.
1076973
killes the bugs good & bad
37724
We humans think because we shower that we are very clean. This is not all true. Cats and dogs spend a good portion of their day cleaning their butts with their mouths,and yet a human bite has a significantly higher risk of becoming infected than that of either cats or dogs. The bacteria that reside on our bodies are not all bad. Anti-bacterial soaps actually do more harm than good by disrupting the natural balance of bacteria on the skin. Anyway Apes aren't that dirty. (although homo-sapiens are considered to be in the great ape family of primates...and we're pretty dirty).
846712
I think its sad.\n\nEvery animal expresses love and understands fear.\n\nHumans are out of control on this earth. \n\nWe are more like a parasite than an intelligent being.\n\nIntelligent beings don't abuse and overwork their resources until there is nothing left.\n\nLike the ant and the grasshopper... we are ravenous like the grasshopper when we should be conserve and ration like the ant... with our air, with our metals, with our food resources, with the animals in the world....\n\nBut your right, no living creature should live in a cage until it's body grows to become a part of that cage, be forced fed, tortured and forced to watch its fellow specie die before it is brutally murdered.\n\nThey know pain and murder. Kill a cow in front of another cow and see if it doesn't understand.
1123506
You could also throw that question right back and ask why animals ever come into contact with us since they know we will kill them?\n\nYou would do well to study a bit more about the preservation of species. It's a line of thought that looks at the self-preservation instincts and tactics of all animals and organisms. Man is no different than any other animal, it will expand as a way of preserving its species and along the way anything that poses a threat to even one of it's members will be dealt with. Often times that consists of killing the animal, other times we simply remove ourselves or the offending animal in question to another location that is safe for both.\n\nYou also need to be a little more careful about using such final statements that are black in white in nature. Your question makes it seem that "dumb" humans just wander around and kill things that get mad at it, and that's all they ever do. \n\nInstead of just yelping out questions that are one-sided and poorly researched, why don't you spend some time reading about it yourself and learning something on your own, then come back and ask a smarter question.
555348
Some times people kill them for the "sport" and even more for the MONEY!  Yes, like the tusks of elephants for the ivory.  It is really sad but it is true.  Minks get killed for their fur....but that has slowed down but it still is happening.  I think more people are aware of the crualty to all animals espically endangered and many have woken up to the wrong doings.  However, there are still some boneheads that don't quite get it.(But that is true in life)  PITA ia a great program trying to protect animals.
1012759
why you want to kill any animal or bird for fun, it`s different if you have to kill for food, but a defenceless creature doing you no harm, i really hope that some day,  someone puts you  under fire and you get to experience the `THRILL` from being hit. you sick B*****d
268665
Because theyre not dangerous as long as no RETARD (and in the words of Carlos Mencia a DE DE DE!!!) goes and bothers them. Humans are the dangerous animals, and most if not ALL animals will not bother anyone as long as they are left to their own devices.
867393
I have been farming organically for five years now, I am committed to doing it the natural way. It means that everything you do you do it without chemicals. For example, mixing ground up Jalapenos with a tad of Bacon grease and a little well water is a far better pesticide than malethon, bugs hate it and they never get immune to it. I don't farm commercially but I betcha that most of what goes for organic is not.
944830
Man.\n\nKills without motive, without provocation, for sport, sometimes just out of boredom and ennui.\n\nCan be exceptionally cruel to it's own kind as well as other species, slaughters entire species into extinction for reasons other than food or survival.\n\nWill selfishly pollute and ruin the environment for personal profit, without even a thought to the consequences to its own offspring.\n\nI can't think of a nastier animal than we humans.  \n\nBest to you.
821737
i can understand why they do it but...\n\ni dont agree because animals are not humans and they do have different d.n.a to us.
629724
Some people do care about animals but its the ones that dont or dont know that  are hurting the enviroment. The people that do know what people are doing to animals dont take action and do something to stop it. Those who dont either dont know whats going on about these problems or just dont care. killing animals that are on the verge of extinction is illegal but people do it anyway. what are people doing to stop this?  People have a job to do to keep these animals alive. Are you doing yours? Or do you care less about the balance of nature? people should be doing there part. Please try to do yours or the balance of nature is affected by what humans do! So are you going to do your role or do you care less about what happens?