The seven-pound infant wasn't even bruised when the stray dog carried her across a busy road and a barbed wire fence. 
Posted on 05/09/2005 8:38:15 AM PDT by Varmint Al
Yes, and often it is rats, such as in abondoned grain bins. I had never seen rats run screaming down the road until I saw 2 minks invade their bin and start the killing.
Yes, I believe I will. Man will kill his own species for no reason other then he just wants to do it and it gives a measure of satisfaction. This takes a cognitive thought process. Animals, cats for instance will hunt birds, mice chipmunks etc because they are hunters by nature and if they do not consume them for food they may bring them home as an "offering" to the leader of the pack (it's owner). Cats will fight and maybe kill other cats because they are defending their territory. Dogs may attack other animals if their territory is violated, they feel threatened or they are protecting their master or they are frightened. AS for Raptors and Orca's you will have to link me to someplace that has info regarding them killing, for sport, their own species or other species for that matter.
Because no other species of animal can experience joy.
Unlike other animals, we have free will, and can choose to do evil.
It's also doubtful that the mother who abandoned the child did it for "the joy of killing."
The seven-pound infant wasn't even bruised when the stray dog carried her across a busy road and a barbed wire fence.
doggie ping
What you are saying refers to the term anthropomorphism, the attributing of human characteristics to animals. It doesn't really make sense to do this because we cannot get into the minds of these creatures. For the taking of a life to be deemed murder there must be premeditation. Perhaps I should have clarified my original statement to use this term instead of the term "kill"
Since their (animals) primary motivating force is instinct, it is probably safe to say they are driven to acts of violence by reasons other then sheer pleasure. I don't believe there is an element of premeditation in what they do
You would be wrong. Animals kill for many of the same reasons humans do, jealousy, for sport, establishing dominance, for sexual favors, for food, even just bullying, killing off the weak or inept. Humans have expanded on the number of reasons to kill but we are not different from animals except in our increased sophistication.
You are missing the point. I said animals don't kill, as man does in many cases, strictly for the pleasure of killing. I never said they only killed for food as you seem to believe. Sure they kill for dominence and to dispose of the weak and lame. Killing the weak and lame is natures way of cleansing the gene pool. In any case these actions are instinctual, not premeditated.
Thats absurd. You have never seen puppies or otters playing or colts frolicking on a sunny day?
Animals operate on instinct. They don't have will. Animal play is part of their instinctive behavior, and a sign of animal health or "contentment."
This differs radically from human joy:
joy ( P ) Pronunciation Key (joi) n.1) Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness. The expression or manifestation of such feeling.
2)A source or an object of pleasure or satisfaction: their only child, their pride and joy.
I think we tend to anthropomorphize animals. I know, I used to have a couple of dogs.
St. Thomas nowhere treats in detail of animal instinct, but his position on the subject is rendered none the less clear from a great many passages in the "Summa Theologica". He is in full agreement with the best modern authorities in laying chief emphasis on the absence of consciousness of the end as the essential characteristic of instinct. He says (op. cit., I-II, Q. xi, a. 2, C.): "Although beings devoid of consciousness (coqnitio) attain their end, nevertheless they do not attain a fruition of their end, as beings do who are endowed with consciousness. Consciousness of one's end, however, is of two kinds, perfect and imperfect. Perfect consciousness is that by which one is conscious not only of the end, and that it is good, but also of the general nature of purpose and goodness. This kind of consciousness is peculiar to rational natures. Imperfect consciousness is that by which a being knows the purpose and goodness in particular, and this kind of consciousness is found in brute animals, which are not governed by free will but are moved by natural instinct towards those things which they apprehend. Thus the rational creature attains complete enjoyment (fruitio); the brute attains imperfect enjoyment, and other creatures do not attain enjoyment at all."
"...the root cause of the problem."
Excellent! Someone who understands root cause analysis.
Cats suck the breath out of babies!
JUST KIDDING!
Mama Dog didn't kill it before bringing it to be with the puppies, so I would not expect that she regarded it as food.
Tell that to my cats.
I would never argue with a cat.
No, but I wouldn't compare them to animals either.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.