Episode 36: The Circle of Life? Rethinking the Lion King

Do you remember the cute little lion cubs in The Lion King? Well, the male lion -- The King -- practices infanticide every chance he gets so the females will be receptive to mating. He kills the cubs for the pleasure of ten seconds of mating. So, occasionally, do crystal meth dealers.  Are these the parts of life you would rather not explain to your children? You aren't alone. Everyone avoids explaining them and most of us even avoid thinking about them. Would you rescue the lion cubs and interrupt the natural circle of life if you could do it without getting killed? Of course, you would. But why would you? It is simply mother nature operating at her most elemental level. Would you rescue the adorable lamb who had been separated from her mother and is being stalked by wolves? Yes, you would. You would hold her in your lap on the way back to the farm and stroke her. But you wouldn't think twice about ordering lamb shishkabob at that trendy new Lebanese restaurant in The Village.  Same lamb, different carnivore. Can you explain that one to your children? I don't think you can. If you really believe that there is nothing wrong with eating animals can you articulate why you would never have the courage to kill one yourself and you would never even think about letting your child go on a field trip to a Tyson's slaughterhouse? If you really believe that there is nothing morally wrong going on, why are you repulsed by the thought of participating in or viewing the slaughter?  In this podcast, I examine the moral precept that I have come to accept as a cornerstone of humane living: The infliction or support and participation in the infliction of unnecessary suffering on innocent sentient living things is wrong.  I invite you to listen and tell me where I may have gone wrong.