> How sad for the dogs and bears. Spearing a bear is a very cruel and slow way > for it to die. How do you think bears normally die in Nature? Many are killed as cubs by other bears. Many more are injured by their prey and in their weakened state are killed by wolves. This process can take days or even weeks. Many simply starve following the population cycles of their prey species. Cruel deaths are the norm in Nature. Very few wild animals ever live to old age because of the actions of pathogens, parasites and predators. Without perdition to kill of the infected, contagious pathogens and parasites would rapidly spread, decreasing the prey species survival rate. Pigs don't know that without bacon far fewer pigs would live and those that do live (in the wild) would have much shorter average lifespans and die much crueler deaths. They only know that if they are good pigs and conform to their confinement as well as possible they will get to go on the big trucks to a far better place. This was the religion taught to the pig Babe in the opening scenes of his movie. Domestication was seen as giving up total freedom to express your DNA to achieve your reward in the afterlife. When Man first entered into a domestic relationship with dogs, new rules had to be followed to take full advantage of the new opportunities afforded. The first religions appeared at this time, preserving these new rules in totemic rituals that both honored the prey and taught how to kill him effectively. New domestic relations with other animals and plants resulted in new rules and rituals. Many of these form the basis of current human cultures. When people ask me about my religion I answer Falconry. Ray Audette Author "NeanderThin" http://www.neanderthin.com