>In a message dated 2/27/99 5:18:11 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>[log in to unmask] writes:
>
><< Oh, I dunno... just that everyone kills.    Everyone.
>  >>

Sandy:
>Lovely life-eh?

Yeah, I think it is! ;) I wouldn't trade it for all the nectar in heaven.
Life is absolutely grand and wonderous and full of delightful contrasts and
tug-o-wars, and kindnesses, and...EVERYTHING!

I think some of the problem with some of the human reaction to killing may
be a bit nuerotic in nature.

For starters, most every animal wants not to be killed, which is a part of
their survival instinct. Some animals kill a lot for food (the "pure"
carnivores); same animals kill sometimes for food; others kill only rarely.

With the evolution of the mammalian brain (and probably to some degree the
avian brain but I don't know about that) came the maternal instinct. Now an
animal would not only protect itself but it's offspring. This maternal
instinct can be generalized to a degree, but only a minority of humans seem
to take it to the extreme of "all life should never be killed by me" and
then further generalize that to "all life should never be killed by anyone"
and further to "I am more advanced because I would never kill". Or is it,
"I wouldn't want to be killed so I would never kill something else."

The trouble is, at least for humans, is that we are sculpted by evolution
to be omnivores and, in general, suffer without animal foods. The
"cold-blooded hunter instinct" is very useful in a successful hunter. A
lion who is thinking of its prey like its cuddly offspring is not likely to
be too effective. ;)

Further, humans probably have evolved a degree of sex specialization (male
hunter; female gatherer--certainly not a strict thing but as a
generalization it is probably true enough). With food sharing, it becomes
even more complicated. Females eat animal foods but need not hunt them.
Further, females probably have a heavier dose of maternal instinct than men
(in general).

And even further, the human brain can abstract in any direction. So that,
maternal feelings can be codified into rules of conduct which apply to--not
only one's own offspring and those of one's "tribe"--all mammals, or even
all life including insects and plants (walla! eat only fruit! don't kill
anything! ;)). On the other end of the scale, a small minority of humans
takes the "hunter instinct" and generalizes it to most every area of
life--ie those who see the world almost militaristically and psychotics who
see no value in any life.

So omnivorous and carnivorous mammals have competing neural curcuitry which
makes them protect their young with their own life, and, alternately, kill
the other animal (even its young) without flinching. And for humans: Add to
that the sex difference, and a huge brain which likes to symbolize, AND
(forest should appreciate this) our tendency to raise our offspring in
decidedly in un-mammalian ways--all of which makes it not to surprising to
me that some folks could symbolize/project their own unmet needs from
childhood as the ideations of PETA, or religious sects, or the various
flavors of "killing is bad" fundamentalism. (Though any ideation that makes
one feel superior and powerful--whether obsession with morality or
obsession with, say, racism--can ease the pain of a powerless early
childhood.) Generalizing the maternal instinct to include all life may just
be a cover for one's sorrow at being short-sheeted on the receiving end of
their own parent's maternal instinct. It's also a good place to throw some
extra guilt, no?

Killing is what happens in a successful hunt. Love is what happens in the
family--including sharing the kill!

Saying we shouldn't kill for food, is to my mind, just as perverted as
saying we _should_ kill our kids. Both are extreme distortions of our
nature IMO. Calling either a process of refining or perfecting evolution,
or an experiment in high morality and spirituality just makes it more
perverted IMO.

There will always be those who respond with the "but wouldn't it be nice if
we could see all of life as our family?" The question makes about as much
sense to me as "but wouldn't it be nice if we could kill every living thing
on the planet?"

Cheers,
Kirt

Secola  /\  Nieft
[log in to unmask]