Hi Cindy,

             There are people who believe all life forms on planet have the
equal right to existence. That all life is sacred and deserves to be treated
with dignity and respect PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals,
is one such group. Under biological classifications we are  a subdivision of
the Animal Kingdom under the Phyla Mammalia. If you look careful - you can
see the only difference between us and "animal" life are the developed
portions of our brain. Our so called intelligence - which we are only now
giving some other species credit for having a little of.  That and our
intelligence tests are geared to measure human knowledge and as far as I
know they haven't opened the schools to animals yet( beyond obediance to
humans). Place a cat on an operating table - all  4 limbs pinned down and it
looks amazingly human. Take it's fur coat off and it looks much like a baby.
I know this I dissected one in 10th grade.

And as always here is site that has other sites to visit on the issue:
http://www.animalchannel.net/programs/research/animals_education.html

            We are condition thru belief systems that hold sway over 50% of
the world's population to place man above animals, and place them under his
dominion to rule. Not to long ago - the same view was held for people with
different colored skins or people of the female gender. And the disabled are
now fighting the same battle - to be seen as people of worth and value.
Slowly and painfully - we are educating people to value of life - all life.
The decision to place yourself above something - places it below you and
allows for inhumane treatment because it is of less value. And allows one to
arrogantly dismiss alternative view points, and condescending only see one's
own view as the right one, as opposed to one many.

        The Earth is an Eco-System and all parts work together and are
interdependent. Do away with the wolf and the deer take over. The only
species that earth would be better off without is humans. With our rise to
"super" intelligence we have been able to destroy the habitat rather than
co-exist with it. YEP, sure makes us superior in my book!! NOT!!

         There are belief systems that walk as one with nature and have
reverence for  life. We have also been dominated and nearly destroyed by the
Man is Superior contingent. Today we are making a come back - ridiculed as
New Age - we are never-the-less, slowing teaching - respect for life and
trying to save the planet. We are also ridiculed and held as less beings
because we don't hold the same beliefs and are to be quiet because people
don't want to here anything but themselves patting themselves on their backs
for how wonderful they are. Sound a bit the - what the disabled community is
suppose to do? Dictators function in this way - they kill anyone who opposes
them and generally look down on "damaged goods" I.e. - less than perfect
humans. If you want equal rights for your child or the disabled community
and you want to be heard then grant others the same respect and tolerance.

        In my view we do not anthropomorphize  animals when we show them
with feelings - to not do so is to denigrate them as creatures of value.
They were created just as us - their skeletons look the same, their organs
look the same - their brains look the same - to say they cannot feel pain,
to say they do not love, do say they do not grieve - is say you have special
insight into crystal ball and know what going on inside their heads. We
can't even do this for another human. And not to long ago - people felt that
newborns didn't really feel pain and did surgical things on them without
anesthesia  - when they would knock an adult out. They said that child can't
really love the are just animals dependent on their parents. Do you feel
this way about your child? There are those who believe people are inherently
greedy and mean. I believe such an attitude must be taught. In pack
animals - altho the leaders eat first - they share. The need to share is a
survival instinct - if your young or mate do not survive neither will your
species. When we study animals - the reports are written biased with the
persons belief system.  We have a piddly understanding about humans - when
one learns one builds on the existing knowledge. When you read something do
it a with a grain salt and apply some thinking. Just because someone has
written something and has alphabet soup behind their name doesn't mean they
are necessarily correct. Always keep in mind the world is flat people held
sway over others for hundreds of years and still weren't correct, and know
that a fact is only good until someone comes along to either add to it or
disprove it. And the originator is not going to like it and fight it. Change
requires growth and folks fight change becasue it is not familiar.

   I believe that until day - humans are shown that they are only a part of
the equation and not the end sum - we will not learn to live in peace and
respect with nature or each other. I believe on the day - a superior life
form arrives to show us - we are a part of the universe and not the universe
itself - we will persist in the denigration of other life forms. On the day
we preceive we are a  lesser life form and someone can ruthlessly wipe us
out and choses not to because they respect life - perhaps them we become
humble enough as to see ourselves a part of the whole picture and follow
their good example.

        As a Human I am fairly simple. I can not write as well as Betty,
Kyle, Bobby or Steve. I can't spell well enough to dazzle folks with big
words. My logic doesn't come from a single book telling me how to live. I am
a survivor - to survive the very bad - I have always looked for the good. As
a society we are focused on the bad, the horrific, it is only in times of
true trouble after we sensationalize the horror due we see and do we honor
the good - the hero's. Never-the-less good happens everyday in in the
absence of horror. It just isn't good reading, nor does validate the people
are born bad contingency - which rules.

            I received two complaints this week - about pushing Paganism,
and proletizing. My beliefs are much part of me as the air I breathe. I am
ordained Minister and a High Priestess - and just as you would expect a
Christian Minister to speak of Christians and his God - so do I speak of
Pagans and earthcentered beliefs. I do not seek to convert anyone. I do
however educate, just as you educate about disabilities - I educate about
disabilities and Paganism - I want a world that accepts my daughter as a
worthwhile being - as a female, as disabled person, as a spiritual being. I
do not like her teased meanly for either her CP or her beliefs - and yes -
some wonderful child has threatened to burn her at the stake when they grow
up becasue Witches are evil. Kinda like the logic - that Amber has brain
damage therefore she must be retarded and yes, some well meaning adult said
this to me. So I say - if you want someone to accept you with your
differences then hold forth your hand to accept theirs.  Otherwise you are a
major hippocrate. ie I demand to be accepted dispite my differences but I
will damned if I have to accept yours or even want to hear about them. No
matter how complex the issue - it comes down to the simple idea of respect
for the other individual.

                         Blessed Be
                             Trisha -
'With harm to none, for the good of all, So Mote It Be.'

 If you want to read more on Pagan/Christian issue here is the URL for the
Pagan Culture Center - http://www.paganculture.com/christianity.htm