Question 1 - Religion and Animals. How we make use of animals. The different ways humans use animals. Task: try to come up with a wide and varied list of ways that humans use animals. (Ask around for ideas The rights and wrongs of that usage. from anyone near you) The status and rights animals (should) have. Write the list, we will come back to look at it. What the religions think about the use of animals. What rights do animals have? None at all. Humans We should treat the Some animals are superior to all animals we need deserve more other species so we with respect, but can respect than can do what we do what we want humans do. want with the others. Some animals All species are All animals should have equal – human, should be given more rights than animal, insect, more rights than others. bird, the lot. humans – they were here first. What do you think, where are you on the line? Any of these statements could appear on the exam paper. On the one hand some people would agree with this statement because . etc. etc. On the other hand some people would disagree with this statement because . etc. etc. I think that . .etc etc . because . etc. etc. (PWR) Yr11 Revision materials 2013 Page 1 of 17 Humans and animals Can you imagine a world without animals? Even those we ignore can do vital jobs - wild bees pollinate plants and trees making sure that they continue to produce foods for us to eat. Animals help us - pulling carts, for example. They give us companionship - have you got pets? They are part of our diet - we eat them. Parts of animals are used in clothing, and other types of manufacturing. They entertain us in zoos and circuses. We learn from them - in how they live and behave, as well as by experimenting on them. Birdsong and whale song can both soothe us when we feel tense. Many films and cartoons have animals as their focus and we take pleasure in that. We also overwork animals - causing their death. We experiment on them, taking them away from their natural environments and killing them during or after those experiments. We buy them as pets, then mistreat them. We hunt them in cruel ways, sometimes just for our own enjoyment, not because we need anything. If an animal is in the way of a human project, it has to move, or die. We eat animals, usually produced on farms that are more like factories and which treat the animals like products not as living beings. Every so often, we hear of animals that have killed humans or hurt them - like a shark attack, or a dog biting someone. Some species are dying out, so plans to build are sometimes affected by where those species live. If you have ever had a kitten, it's not so easy to litter-train at first! Not all of them like us - they bite and sting. And why on earth are there wasps?! What is the relationship between humans and animals - which side gets the best Are we different? deal? So what does make us different? Well, most humans think they are superior to animals. The fact that we eat animals, but kill an animal that eats a person, suggests that we think we are superior. We also make animals do things we'd never ask of a human - for example, the US marines now have dolphins that have been trained to seek and lay underwater mines. This suggests that we think they are less valuable than us. Humans use reason and logic to work things out; animals seem to behave more out of instinct. Our technology is more advanced than any used by animals. Our ways of communicating are more complicated. Some religions also believe that God gave humans dominion (power) over animals, which has been interpreted to mean 'do as you like', at times. Religions call animals 'sentient beings' - creatures that have senses and can feel pain. They are either created by God deliberately (Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism), or are beings in the cycle of rebirth (Buddhism and Hinduism). In all cases, they have value. No religion says we can't use animals, but they all say we should treat them with respect. Now you have thought about differences (PWR) Yr11 Revision materials 2013 Page 2 of 17 Introducing the elements of this topic This topic isn't just about how we use and treat animals. The examiner is going to ask you about specific ways we use and treat animals. He or she might ask you to describe or compare those ways, and to explain the issues caused by each. They will certainly want you to be able to write about a range of ways, and bring ideas from all of those into your exam answers - especially for the evaluative answers. So the next few pages are going to take each way that is listed in the course information, and make you think about it. The bits to learn Have a look at the uses of animals that the course mentions. Do you understand what each is about? Go through them, and write down, or discuss with your partner/group what you know. See if you can already say something for each of those bits to learn about each of the elements listed below. o Saving animals from extinction. o Hunting o Animals as companions. o Bull fighting. o Animals in sport. o The fur and ivory trades. o Transport and work animals. o Genetic modification of animals. o Farming animals o Cloning animals. o Zoos o Treatment of wildlife. What the religions say You already know that they think animals were either specially made by God, or are part of the same cycle of rebirth that humans are in. This gives them a special status. Even if we believe humans are better or superior, animals still have value. From that we can guess that if we abuse animals in how we use them or treat them, there might be a consequence. Well, let's look more closely at what the religions say. You can then apply their attitudes each time you meet an element. This is a really good way to reinforce the knowledge in your head, and so have a clear idea about their attitudes to animals overall. From the next few pages, choose the religion(s) you have studied, and make notes on their religious attitudes to animals. You need to note: 1. a list of points about the religion’s attitude (range of attitudes) to animals. (e.g. Christians think that animals were . ) 2. three teachings to use in the exam. (e.g. In the Bible it says that . ) 3. an explanation of how the teaching applies to the issue of animals today. (e.g. The bible says to eat the eggs / young but to leave the mother bird, so Christians think that it’s right to eat meat but the remaining population must be sustainable . .etc ) (PWR) Yr11 Revision materials 2013 Page 3 of 17 Christianity Christians believe that God gave humans dominion over the world and all in it. This gives them license to use it as they wish, bearing in mind that God wants them to look after the world (stewardship), and will expect it back in good condition on Judgement Day. Christianity teaches: God made the world and gave humans dominion over it (Genesis). 'Scientists must abandon laboratories and factories of death' (Pope John Paul II). Animals are a part of God's creation and as such deserve respect and protection (St Francis of Assisi). Jesus said that God cares about even the sparrows. The earth and everything in it is the Lord's (Bible). Christians believe that because all life was created by God, it should be protected and looked after. The developed world, which is mainly Christian, is the biggest consumer of meat, has many battery farms, sees hunting as a sport, and leads the world in using animals in medical research. At the same time, its zoos commonly protect endangered species, most families have pets, and animals are used as support for humans - police horses, guide dogs for the blind, and so on. Many Christians today choose to eat organic and free range meat, if they are not vegetarian. Many actively campaign against hunting as sport. Many agree only with the use of animals in medical experiments, and encourage research in methods that do not use animals. There is a dilemma. For many Christians, use of animals is acceptable if they have been looked after well - humane treatment is the key. On the Day of Judgement, they believe they will be called to account for their actions including how they treated animals, and if they fought or supported the systems that cause animals to suffer. Task: 1. produce a summary of Christian beliefs about animals. 2. add three to five teachings (some must be from the Bible) 3. explain how the teaching applies to animals (PWR) Yr11 Revision materials 2013 Page 4 of 17 Hinduism Respect for all life is central to Hinduism. All forms of life have the spark of the divine within them - the Ultimate Reality, Brahman. Most Hindus are vegetarians, and certain animals are considered very sacred in India, for example, cows and monkeys. The law of karma guides people's behaviour, so hurting animals would go against that. Hinduism teaches: Avoid harming other sentient beings or forms oflife (ahimsa). Hindu worship includes respect for all of nature, and many deities are linked to specific animals, for example, Shiva and the cobra.