Posted by Velinda on February 24, 2000 at 14:37:49:
In Reply to: Animals do violence to man posted by Steve on February 24, 2000 at 12:33:27:
Steve, you wrote “Guess this shows that animals are not the peace loving creatures that some would have us think”.
Please inform your friends and contacts who regard this statement as a truth that all animals are capable of violence (including human animals). Some animals (including human animals) willfully seek out violent confrontation.
One of the few things that separate human animals from non-human animals is the human capacity for REASON. We humans can choose whether to be violent or not.
An alley cat looking for a rat for supper, a colony of primates interacting in social groups, crows looking for their next gosling snack, a tiger who prefers the taste of human flesh, etc., etc., have not proven they have the ability to reason (at least in the literature I've come across).
I put forward the idea that all animals ARE violent.
As the Buddha said, “What matters most is our capacity to be full of loving kindness, may all creatures be at ease”.