Food

[Preston]

That reminds me of Halloween high school menus.

We have a similar experience then. Once you brought that up, it now reminds me of high school bake sales. The thought of high school again is terrifying to me, lol.

[Quijote]

Yesterday I tried out a new (Jamie Oliver) recipe : Bloody Mary Mussels! Absolutely delicious! I love shellfish.

[Quijote]

Well, it is the eating of dog that bothers me the worst. Insects I step on, a lot. Dogs, on the other hand, are - something, of humans best friend. The reason being their undeniable lifelong loyalty, companionship, love, friendship, support, etc.

Phooey! Dog meat is a meat like any other. Horses (and cows) too are loyal, friendly and jolly good companions, and great for riding on. And delicious to eat. I do kind of half understand the argument that one shouldn't eat sentient animals, so I won't eat you, Preston, even though you are tempting.

[Preston]

Even though we all do it, I think the bottom line is eating meat is wrong, because we are killing living, breathing, etc. beings. We are predators, longing for the taste of flesh.

On a side note:
A fascinating thing I have come to see is that while the human species considers themselves at the top, of not just the food chain but of many things, I think we are more towards the bottom.

I think other species of Earth are far smarter than humans. I believe this wholly. We consider ourselves to be the smartest but we are one of the dumbest, imo. If not the dumbest.

[Chris]

Even though we all do it, I think the bottom line is eating meat is wrong, because we are killing living, breathing, etc. beings. We are predators, longing for the taste of flesh.

Animal life (including humans) only survive by eating other life. Whether it's other animals, plants, or fungus, that's how it works. It's a jungle out there...

A fascinating thing I have come to see is that while the human species considers themselves at the top, of not just the food chain but of many things, I think we are more towards the bottom.

I think other species of Earth are far smarter than humans. I believe this wholly. We consider ourselves to be the smartest but we are one of the dumbest, imo. If not the dumbest.

That's quite a claim when no other species has flown to the moon, written a a symphony, or organized a system of justice. It is a modern tendency to put ourselves down as much as possible and feel guilty about greatness, but in any measurable sense, human beings are by far the most intelligent species on earth.

[Preston]

Animal life (including humans) only survive by eating other life. Whether it's other animals, plants, or fungus, that's how it works. It's a jungle out there...

Plant life live for earth and water. And there are animals that only eat plant life and are not predators.

That's quite a claim when no other species has flown to the moon, written a a symphony, or organized a system of justice. It is a modern tendency to put ourselves down as much as possible and feel guilty about greatness, but in any measurable sense, human beings are by far the most intelligent species on earth.

It is quite a claim, though I believe it wholly. I do not consider those things great. Right now, I consider the bird great. Great is to live with the natural world - not battle against it, not destroy it, etc. Human beings, we think we know so much, when in fact we know so little. I think we are pretty much idiots, squawking over the same things. Again, to my mind we are anything and so far from the most intelligent species on earth - quite the opposite. We only think we are.

I wish I could be clearer but I have severe problems explaining things - I just can't get them written clearly.

[Chris]

And there are animals that only eat plant life and are not predators.

True, but eating plants is still killing and consuming living things.

Human beings, we think we know so much, when in fact we know so little. I think we are pretty much idiots, squawking over the same things. Again, to my mind we are anything and so far from the most intelligent species on earth - quite the opposite. We only think we are.

We may know little compared to all there is to know, but we still know much more than any other animal. Consider - there is no other animal even capable of pondering the question of how much it knows. Most animals aren't even intelligent enough not to fall for the same simple tricks over and over again, like a lure on a fishing line.

[Sorrano]

Is it wrong for a carnivore or even an omnivore to eat meat? Maybe we should go out and hang all the lions; they seem pretty cruel on how they kill their prey.

[Preston]

Two questions come to my mind.

1. What species would need to be gone for the earth to survive?

2. What would the earth be like if there was no conscious life?

The problem is that because of things like math, science, etc. (knowledge) we think, among other reasons, we are smarter than other species. Though, I think we have fooled ourselves. As a whole we think we are right, and are damned sure we are, though we are anything but. Imo, human beings are not spiritual, we like to think we are, we consider ourselves to be, etc. but in truth we are not. I believe we are the anti-spiritual, to some degree.

There are far greater truths than knowledge such as feeling, imo. Knowledge does not make one smart or right in the "eyes" of the higher powers, imo.

[Chris]

1. What species would need to be gone for the earth to survive?

I don't think the presence or absence of any current or past species has any bearing whatsoever on the survival of the earth as a whole.

2. What would the earth be like if there was no conscious life?

I would say: it doesn't matter, because there would be no one around to know it.

The problem is that because of things like math, science, etc. (knowledge) we think, among other reasons, we are smarter than other species. Though, I think we have fooled ourselves. As a whole we think we are right, and are damned sure we are, though we are anything but.

What is the criteria for intelligence? Pattern matching? Reasoning? Critical thinking? Creativity? No other species can match human beings in any of these things. It's not because of math and science, but I would say that math and science (and especially philosophy) are the result of our intelligence, and proof that we are the most intelligent species.

Imo, human beings are not spiritual, we like to think we are, we consider ourselves to be, etc. but in truth we are not. I believe we are the anti-spiritual, to some degree.

I would argue that human beings are spiritual by nature, unlike any other form of life on earth. Whether we choose to embrace or ignore that, well, that varies by individual.

There are far greater truths than knowledge such as feeling, imo. Knowledge does not make one smart or right in the "eyes" of the higher powers, imo.

That may be true, but I think feeling is less spiritual than knowledge, and thus less great, because feelings are of the body. In fact, I would argue feeling is not any kind of truth; feelings cannot be true or false - they simply are what they are.

[Preston]

Chris, the way I see it as there is no point in debating about it - you believe what you believe and I believe what I believe.

I mean I am convinced we are one of the most spiritually disgraceful species on the planet because our feelings are filthy (though we do not think so), imo.


Though, I do want to say that feelings are far more than what you give them credit for, imo. Feelings, imo, are the essence of all, so to say. For instance, if a beings feelings were completely pure feelings then the being would be omnipotent. The sentence I just wrote is far more complex in practice than it is read.

My point is feelings, in the higher sense of the word, are what we are. We are a combination of thought and feeling.

To touch on this again, to live in a state of wholly pure feeling is the highest state of being attainable. Whether such a thing exist or not is what I don't know.

[Chris]

To touch on this again, to live in a state of wholly pure feeling is the highest state of being attainable. Whether such a thing exist or not is what I don't know.

I think it is purity of thought that is the highest state. A feeling is involuntary, but any significant thought is not. I think putting too much focus on feelings is problematic, because it diminishes the importance of greater things, such as thought, justice, mercy, and ethics.

[Preston]

I think it is purity of thought that is the highest state. A feeling is involuntary, but any significant thought is not. I think putting too much focus on feelings is problematic, because it diminishes the importance of greater things, such as thought, justice, mercy, and ethics.

It's an interesting point Chris because, I imagine, if ones thoughts are not pure ones feelings are not - and vice versa.

It is a complex subject to my mind?

Though questions that would not only need to be asked but answered are:

What is pure?
What is good?
What is evil?
Do good and evil exist?
What is sin?
How deep can feelings go?
What are pure feelings?
How far can thought go?
Etc.

Those are complex questions because of what they are questioning. For instance, only omnipotence would know the answers in complete.

[Sorrano]

To categorize the entire human species as degenerate, non spiritual, harmful, etc. is a dangerous thing. There are varying degrees within the species wherein there is much good and much evil (to use those terms loosely). If we choose to look at one extreme that is well, but to categorize the entire species as embracing that extreme is something else and is simply not true.

[Quijote]

Whilst I digest the philosophical conundrums above, may I just say that I cooked a superb Rogan Josh curry today (but with chicken, not the more traditional lamb). Credit where credit is due, this was a Jamie Oliver recipe.