Pranams,

Recently on another forum I opened this discussion with some western atheist who usually attach themselves to science. I have no problem with Atheism, in fact there is a good amount of integrity, but when ones world view is only based on science or empirical study then I feel the heart is in danger of becoming to hard with so much logic and trivial facts.

I opened the question to see what the general opinion of atheists was on animal testing. Sadly I did not get any and I mean no empathy or compassion but was ridiculed as being a backward Theist, which I found odd because I did not bring religion into the equation.

I said that animal testing is now very closely related to industry, so where profit is involved then it looses the ethic of science. I was told that science has no ethics. I was also told that in science animals are not considered sentient, I find this shocking. I was also ridiculed because I asked if there was any scientific research into we as humans as the superior species who has a natural right to exploit our environment, they say such a science is not existent because the very thought of that is a joke, it perplexes me. Science in many ways seems to be detaching us from nature, as if we are a separate entity.

I am not anti science or anti research, but still there is a conscious ethic that the sadhaka has that perhaps the scientist is overlooking.

Even though hurting any sentient being is akarma, negative action, perhaps some experimentation on animals serves a greater purpose, I am open but there does need to be a line which is not crossed and i feel that line has been crossed.

Any thoughts or comments would be helpful.

Ys

md