It is hard to imagine people truly believe this and do not see the moral and ethical disconnect it allows. It is folly and utter madness to justify the crushing cruelty and torture of sentient and pain-aware NHAs with a metaphorical fable most of the world doesn't believe in. To see human nature as flawed and unfixable is an extremely convenient crutch, an auspicious free pass to not even attempt to improve oneself. This is not far from the ubiquitous "the devil made me do it" argument running rampant through countless people who are very sorry they got caught. In order to shift blame, refuse responsibility, and to continue in their anthropocentric ways, we religious individuals all too often chalk it all up to this flawed nature and run by McDonald's on their way to work. How convenient and easy this stance from us who supposedly follow the example of a human who willingly submitted to torture and lost his life for his belief and love for strangers. Concisely, to remain unchanged and unchallenged due to a belief in some fundamental flaw of humanity caused by a metaphorical parent at the dawn of mankind is egocentric, misguided, and very, very lazy. Christian beliefs vis-à-vis the actions of supposed Christians often inspire doubt and criticism; therefore, if one believes in the kindness of Christianity one should embrace compassion and self-control while rejecting the status quo inaction of the majority when it comes to NHAs and their interests. Furthermore, I believe it is offensive and abusive to the Christian faith, this convenient stagnating laziness. Ultimately, there is no human nature: only human behavior. And if that is incorrect, we should behave as if it were proven fact.
Individual Choice
But there it is, one of the largest and most paramount problems in contemporary American society: laziness. NHAs suffer a drastic lack of advocates due to the crushing culture of meat and human superiority they are enslaved within. Until the socially accepted belief in the status of NHAs evolves to include profound respect and moral consideration for them, the world will continue to roll over them, crush them, and tear them apart by the billions. Human children will still be rewarded by trips to hamburger joints whilst their parents ignorantly purchase for them products of an industry so terrible that if the child were to see the true details, he would scream and yell with horror and sadness; he would not sleep for weeks. This is the tragedy humans partake in. Ninety-seven percent of Americans (give or take depending on the study) continue to purchase factory farmed meat while claiming to be against animal abuse. Often when confronted with undercover videotapes of what truly occurs in an everyday abattoir, they violently protest saying "I don't want to know." And then they happily munch away on chicken fingers, veal, ham, bacon, and everything else. It is confounding that people happily and actively continue supporting an industry that they can't bear to witness its inner workings. It is unfathomable that people feed their children pieces of tortured NHAs who were given no consideration whatsoever as a living, breathing, feeling creature. Matthew Scully tells the reader in his book Dominion, pigs are more intelligent than a three year old human child, yet adults feed their remains to their children while they teach them to be kind to cats and dogs. If their children knew what was involved in creating the McNuggets, Whoppers, and fish sticks that are steadily obesifying them, they would be revolted that their parents could buy such products.
Truthfully, humans are not evil beings who are fundamentally flawed. Human nature doesn't exist; there is only human behavior. Additionally, I maintain that humans who eat meat, attend circuses, wear fur and the like are not evil people devoid of any moral compass or compassionate empathy; they most likely simply have not paused to fully consider the full ramifications and ethics of continuing unchanged in their human behavior. Many turn away and refuse to confront this subject, but many will change their ways if they are apprised of the truth. And it is also unfortunately true that some people know the truth and opt not change in order to help the NHAs involved, and this refusal to at the very least consider these issues is crushing in its illogical bewilderment. I implore the reader; do not dismiss your laziness and fear and inability to change by attributing it to some fundamental pre-existing flaw in human nature. You are an individual who is accountable for your choices. Ancient metaphor and myth does not absolve the contemporary human from doing what is compassionate, regardless of personal inconvenience. There is no human nature; there is only human behavior, and you can change yours at any given time or place of your choosing. Live in joy and peace and please save the Animals…all of us.
By Guest Author Mike Jaynes
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