Losing Paradise
.:Ourselves:.
Despite ancient tenets of the world's great religions and modern ethical principles, we treat both domesticated and wild animals with almost unimaginable cruelty to “increase profits,” and for “sport” and “fashion.” Can we take our own ethics and religions seriously enough to stop a cycle which begins with cruelty to animals and ends with vilence against people?
Every day, the pressures of development, agriculture, and population growth lead to the destruction of natural habitat. Habitat destruction, in turn reduces populations of plants and animals, leading to extinctions in the worst cases, and to lowered efficiency among ecosystems. If, as many scientists believe, these systems are tightly interelated and interdependent, are we poisoning our own well?
The same practices supporting the cruel treatment of animals and the destruction of the environment are known to be the direct cause of diseases, formerly rare or unknown, which now kill thousands and cause suffering among millions. Can we survive without far-reaching changes in our “conventional practices?
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Losing Paradise
The Growing Threat to Humanity Paul Irwin, a deeply spiritual man, is concerned not only with the survival of humankind (although this is a major concern), but also with the spiritual health of human society. How would one expect a society which regards pain and suffering among animals to treat other people. The saddening answer is precisely the way we see man treating fellow man in today's world.
Behavioral studies indicate that when we allow children to abuse animals, they grow into adults who utilize violence against others, not as a last resort, but as a first option. The disregard of suffering among animals is a frightening indicator of the type of society which will emerge in an increasingly crowded world.
Dr. Irwin calls us to decide what kind of society will best assure the survival of humankind, and to move boldly and quickly to create that society. The urgency is not baseless. If we fail to act soon enough, we may, as a practical matter, destroy the world in a matter of decades - within our own lifespan. He offers some possible ways forward, and leads us to think of where we ought to be heading.