Animal Rights... And Wrongs | The Institute for Creation Research

 
Animal Rights... And Wrongs

The lines continue to blur between you and your dog with the philosophy of evolutionism proposing that they be erased altogether.

As man continues to be denigrated as “a virus infecting Earth” by some environmental groups, his pets and non-domestic creatures are enjoying a new-found esteem. This is thanks in part to bizarre activist groups such as In Defense of Animals (IDA) and “animal-rights” law courses being taught at institutions like the prestigious Rutgers School of Law. Indeed, the San Francisco IDA would like to see the word “guardian” used in reference to pets rather than “oppressive terms such as ‘owner’ or ‘master.’” One litigator and animal rights law professor went a step further calling for a granting of personhood to bonobos and chimpanzees! Philosopher Pete Singer maintains orangutans, gorillas, and chimps should have legal equality with man.

Another interesting story involves a legal organization representing prisoners. This “civil libertarian” group is currently engaged in a fight regarding the alleged harmful effects of chaining inmates together during work hours because it makes the convicts feel like animals. Why the fuss? Have not these malefactors and other members of society been constantly taught in public school that they are animals? We read in the taxpayer-funded 1994 textbook, Biology: Visualizing Life, that “you are an animal and share a common heritage with earthworms.” In 1998 Bruce Alberts, President of the National Academy of Sciences stated: “In the last 10 years we’ve come to realize humans are more like worms that we ever imagined.” How can being chained together with other people be any more demeaning than being told outright that we have worms as ancestors?

On one hand we see serious legal efforts to have people treat their animals virtually as equals, and grant chimps personhood, while on the other hand special interest groups are outraged because men are treated like animals. This quandary sounds similar to the child’s dilemma: you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Cite this article: Frank Sherwin, D.Sc. (Hon.). 2000. Animal Rights... And Wrongs. Acts & Facts. 29 (6).

The Latest
NEWS
May 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans...

NEWS
Acoustic Communication in Animals
We are all familiar with vocalizations in the animal world. For example, dogs bark, birds sing, frogs croak, and whales send forth their own distinct...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: Crystals!
by Michael Stamp and Susan Windsor* You're never too young to be a creation scientist and explore our Creator's world. Kids, discover...

APOLOGETICS
Playing Chess with Little Furry Critters
God’s multifarious and marvelous designs for basic creature needs are so innovatively clever and providentially purposeful that Christ’s...

ACTS & FACTS
Credit Only Our Creator
History was my favorite subject as a young kid. But it always puzzled me when my teachers said, “We study history so that we don’t repeat...

ACTS & FACTS
Genomic Tandem Repeats: Where Repetition Is Purposely Adaptive
Tandem repeats (TRs) are short sequences of DNA repeated over and over again like the DNA letter sequence TACTACTAC, which is a repetition of TAC three...

ACTS & FACTS
Dinosaur National Monument: Fossil Graveyard of the Flood
Straddling the border of Utah and Colorado, Dinosaur National Monument (DNM) is one of the richest exposures of dinosaur fossils in the world.1...

ACTS & FACTS
The Transforming Influence of Genesis: Worker Dignity and Safety
When Pharisees questioned the Lord Jesus about marriage, He answered by quoting Genesis 1:27: “But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made...

NEWS
Giant ''Meg'' Shark: Longer and Leaner?
Fossil remains of the giant shark Otodus megalodon have been found in Miocene1 and Pliocene2 rock layers, which ICR scientists...

CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Searching for Truth Across the Globe | Creation.Live Podcast:...
How can we bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of creation to others outside our small spheres of influence?   Host...