My Theory of Relative Existence Cont'd

The third level is the Sphere of Animal Interaction. This sphere contains the questions that I raised in the beginning about why we hold some animals in higher positions. For a lot of people, the question of whether an animal "feels" in the same way we feel is the criteria that they use to determine their relationship. When it comes to bugs, you will be hard pressed to find a handful of people who care for these critters compared to people who love dogs or cats. So do animals feel love, compassion, trust and sadness like we do? I would think the answer to be yes (mostly). These emotions are not just limited to the human race, and are actually found across a whole spectrum of our biosphere. This then begs the question "should animals be treated on an equal footing with humans?" There are some who think so (PETA) and some who don't (carnivores plus me). I do believe that the vast majority of zoos need to be closed down though. Zoos were great 100 years ago when a kid from some city (say New York) could go see a rhino or a camel with no hope of seeing one outside of paintings. But now with the internet, vibrant pictures and videos of pretty much every animal are available to the public. Zoos can serve a purpose as a breeding ground for endangered species, but if they do not appropriately mimic an animal's natural habitat (ie: large areas to roam) then they are only doing a disservice to the animals. In experiencing this sphere, a unique sense of empathy is obtained which may hold the answers to building a proper relationship with the animal world.

Next, we go onto the Sphere of the Environment. Sustainability is the key issue here. It is no secret that we are part of a biosphere that is based on give and take, and it is also not a secret that we have done a terrible job of finding our place in it. With overpopulation problems on our doorstep and the threat of climate change (whether or not it's human induced) looming, we must figure out what to do soon. This isn't one of those "oops, I'll just clean it up" issues. This is something that will take a lot of collaboration between countries and education in these matters will need to be a top priority. While many countries have declared wildlife refuges and protected areas, the need for regulating our emissions and energy consumption is paramount. Good and bad are identified in this realm in terms of necessity and survival. While we do need energy and food to survive, we do not need it at the current rate of consumption. Planet hopping in our universe is not an option at this time.

The fifth and final level is the Sphere of the Universe. This sphere takes a little longer to understand and appreciate. In this sphere, human life is insignificant. When someone dies, the universe does not even bat an eye. Life is just another phenomenon that happens. It is no more important (nor less) than geologic or Newtonian processes. It is a harsh way to put things, but this sphere is essential in understanding our place in the universe. It forces us to confront ideas like gods and intelligent design. I do not claim to know with 100% certainty that there is no god. I can only offer a "probably not" and leave the rest up to you.  As human life is insignificant in this sphere, technically murder is permissible. But, like I said, we live in all 5 spheres and a combination of them all is necessary in making decisions and living our lives responsibly. Let me be clear, I do not condone killing people. My experience in the second sphere has led me to appreciate all those who come into my life and I would never consider taking the life of someone else. Furthermore, anything we do cannot be classified as good or bad in this sphere, as such a classification does not exist in the universe. However, since the universe is made up of "stuff", the continued existence of this "stuff" may be constituted as good. You could argue that the universe exists without all this "stuff" (like a house can exist without a kitchen), but that is not for me to say.

So now our game of "why" has ended and you are aware (if you were not already) of the Five Spheres of Existence. I hope that you use their existence wisely and that you are aware that everyone is at different levels within each of these spheres. The key to this game is to know that everyone is right (in the same way that everyone is wrong) and that your lives should be lived with this knowledge. I hope my explanation of these spheres was adequate and if it was not, feel free to leave a comment.

To end, I would like to share something the comic George Carlin once said:

"Personally, when it comes to rights, I think one of two things is true. It think either we have unlimited rights, or we have no rights at all. Personally I lean towards the unlimited rights, I feel for instance I have the right to do anything I please, BUT! If I do something you don't like I think you have the right to kill me. So where are you gonna find a fairer fucking deal than that? So the next time some asshole says to you "I have the right to my opinion." You say, "oh yeah? Well I have the right to my opinion and my opinion is you have no right to your opinion!" then shoot the fuck and walk away!"

Direct, but to the point.

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