Ted Kirkpatrick and Animal Cruelty

[pancreasman]

I've been listening to a lot of Ted Kirkpatrick recently, Christian drummer for Tourniquet and avowed animal rights advocate. He seems like a sweet Christian and a cool person to hang with. He's like a non-annoying Morrissey. But is it irrational to get the choked up over animal suffering and loss?

http://imgur.com/gallery/UERWdIN

Teleologically, do we know why animal suffering--whether natural (like the above) or human caused (like factory meat production)--makes human beings sad? Maybe it's just a cultural construct or an anthropomorphic projection.

Hmm. I don't think it is. I think it's part of broader, inclusive principe of reciprocity and defensible from that perspective. The closer an animal is to a a state of consciousness similar to mine, the more I abhor its suffering.

[whag]

I've been listening to a lot of Ted Kirkpatrick recently, Christian drummer for Tourniquet and avowed animal rights advocate. He seems like a sweet Christian and a cool person to hang with. He's like a non-annoying Morrissey. But is it irrational to get choked up over animal suffering and loss?

http://imgur.com/gallery/UERWdIN

Teleologically, do we know why animal suffering--whether natural (like the above) or human caused (like factory meat production)--makes human beings sad? Maybe it's just a cultural construct or an anthropomorphic projection.