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At 8:23 10/20/95, Ken Aidekman wrote: <some snipped> >In terms of quality of life, Native Americans were probably far more advanced >than us despite shorter lifespans and limited health intervention. I envy >the purity of their culture. Certainly, respect is due for all manner of >life with which we share this world. Nonetheless, does saying a prayer for an >animal before you slaughter it lessen its suffering? Obviously the prayer >does a lot more to assuage the hunter's conscience than that of the prey. In my opinion, Native Americans said a prayer before or after killing an animal because they recognized that they were simply a part of nature--not an overlord--and were showing respect for all parts of existence. I don't believe they had a guilty conscience and were trying to salve it with prayers; if that were so, then their cultural rituals would not have embraced the deep level of respect and awareness for nature which they did. <more snipped> >The introduction of millions of new chemicals into the environment during the >twentieth century has opened a pandora's box of uncontrolled variables to >confuse our glorious experiment. It would be entirely appropriate to apply >the brakes at this point and examine what we have wrought. Tough to do. In >the meantime we might as well use technology to improve quality of life where >we can. You said a mouthfull, Ken, and i agree totally! >If you think animal research is a difficult ethical issue, just hold on to >your hat for the questions arising out of genetic engineering. Recently, >scientists achieved a breakthrough in breeding a mouse that develops >Alzheimer's. It is one thing to induce a disease in an animal and then >sacrifice it mercifully once experiments are completed. Are we taking a >giant step forward by engineering species that are born to suffer? Other >brewing controversies: patented lifeforms, DNA supercomputers. The list goes >on. <Big sigh here> I think i'll tackle these issues over the course of several lifespans. :-) >Still, I think it is part of our nature is to tinker with life and we must >learn to live within our nature. We need to respect life and minimize >suffering as we clumsily work to improve our world. Yes! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Peace from the Clouds" \--*MH*--/ Jeffrey Romanyshyn Email: [log in to unmask] "Myth Hawk" 28/Diagnosed 3yrs/Sinemet CR 2x/Sinemet 10/100 as morning booster and as needed/Eldepyrl 5mg 1x/NADH 2x/Rolfing (Deep Body Massage/Lift Weights-Cycle--4-5 times per week "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist after he grows up." - Picasso. "A society that has long lived with oppositional thinking and a deeply embedded belief in dualism denies the dynamic interdependence of the opposites--which pulsates at the core of myth--what a mythic way of knowing is all about!" - (C.A. Burke, L. Hogan, & J.R. Romanyshyn) If you wish, please check out some of my poetry (written under the psuedonym ROM CARPATHIAN) and other fine literary creations at the M. David Lewis Enterprises HomePage at: http://www.mdle.com/