Posted on 05/16/2009 4:22:51 PM PDT by JoeProBono
For centuries, humans have imagined they are the only animals with morals. But humans are not alone in the moral arena, a new breed of behavior experts says. Natural historian Jake Page said some scientists are acknowledging what pet owners have told their canines all along: "Good dog."
Dogs are full of natural goodness and have rich emotional lives, said animal behaviorist Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
A dog's code of ethics is on display daily in parks, backyards and family rooms. "We're not trying to elevate animals," Bekoff said. "We're not trying to reduce humans. We're not saying we're better or worse or the same. We're saying we're not alone in having a nuanced moral system." Page, author of "Do Dogs Smile?," said biology no longer dismisses dogs and other animals as "furry automatons" driven by instinct and food. "People like Bekoff have figured out how to measure these things," Page said. "It's a whole new ballgame for studying dog personalities and emotions." Bekoff, co-author of "Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals," spent thousands of hours observing coyotes, wolves and dogs. He analyzed videotapes frame by frame. The work convinced him these animals possess empathy and compassion, the emotions upon which moral sense is built. While much the same can be said of monkeys, wolves, elephants, dolphins, whales and other social animals, dogs are special cases; they share in human lives, he said. "Dogs know they are dependent. They learn to read us," Bekoff said.
"Dogs develop this great sense of trust. We're tightly linked, and there is something spiritual about that unity."
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
Have you ever noticed that a dog's sense of time is limited to "forever"?
When you leave for work, they mope.
"Aw crap. He's NEVER coming back. I'm gonna die.
When you arrive home from work, they are ecstatic.
"Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy, Where've you been!? Where've you been!? Where've you been!? Where've you been!? I thought you'd NEVER come back!!! Pet me, pet me, pet me!!!!"
You haven't been touched with the full power of the love between animal and human, and you are not alone.
We are carnivores, they are food for us. We need their abilities when hunting, needing security and leading us, ie the blind.
We are gifted with these creatures for a reason. And we are commanded to take care of them for a reason.
I expect God loves all of His handiwork pretty thoroughly and I expect only HE knows who is going to be taken to heaven.
“If dogs do not have souls, neither do humans. Period.”
Well gee I guess that makes you God. Can you tell us the rest of the secrets of the Universe?
> Well gee I guess that makes you God. Can you tell us the rest of the secrets of the Universe?
What secrets of the Universe would you like to know?
What makes a person think they know better than God the Father?
(most)Dogs truly are Mans best friend. Cats are in it just for the free food.
It’s a bit of a leap from establishing that dogs display empathy, to saying that they have souls.
They most likely do though. It’s simple logic. Heaven is a good place. Most good places have dogs. Ergo, dogs likely have souls, and go to heaven.
You’re kinda cute without your skin. ;)
Would you agree your beloved animal was created by God, maybe He even had it planed to bring you together? Again most Christians would say yes, God created our pets.
Is God bound by any rules that prevents him from recreating our beloved pet when we get to Heaven? Our little puny human minds could not even comprehend the wonders he has in-store for us. Having our beloved pet waging his tail for us as we enter the Kingdom is not beyond Gods power.
I think that that was the best episode I ever saw.
Of course, I’m a bit biased, because that’s the type of people I grew up around in the East Tennessee mountains.
They’re all but gone now though.
I just wish people would adopt these wonderful creatures instead of buying dogs from breeders, pet stores etc. Just pull in to any vet parking lot and watch the horror as small puppy mill dogs go in and out of the vet, while the unwanted ones tremble as they wait to be put down. It`s a Holocaust!!!
Is that your only benchmark for the existence of morality? Whether or not something eats your corpse? That's a pretty odd one--and there are human cultures where eating the corpse of a loved one is considered a sign of respect. I guess humans lack the capacity for morality, too.
“You haven’t been touched with the full power of the love between animal and human, and you are not alone.”
Yep. That’s me. One of Life’s Losers, LOL! Never feels a thing for her pets or livestock.
*Rolleyes*
> What makes a person think they know better than God the Father?
I don’t know, but my dog might. One moment and I’ll ask her...
What a joy they are! Love my dogsss! As for the ‘nuanced’ moral system; dogs ‘are what they are’ - incredible, loving and loyal creatures. We, however, get to ‘choose’ what kind of creature we may be. . .good/bad/ugly. . .dispositions with varying loyalties. Dogs make the ‘best frieds’; we come in second here/lol. . .
What a joy they are! Love my dogsss! As for the ‘nuanced’ moral system; dogs ‘are what they are’ - incredible, loving and loyal creatures. We, however, get to ‘choose’ what kind of creature we may be. . .good/bad/ugly. . .dispositions with varying loyalties. Dogs make the ‘best frieds’; we come in second here/lol. . .
I've known good dogs and bad dogs, but I've never known a bad cat. But maybe I just missed the latest attack of a toddler by a pit bullcat.
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