Animal Sacrifice Ritual (not what you think)
I know that I am going out on a limb here and I am braced for a little blow back here. I am hoping that my assessment of this forum as an open mind place is warranted. I would ask that this post is read with some understanding. I am going to give a little background and some justification first them I will
I am a neuroscience researcher. My research involves the pathology of neuro-trauma and potential interventions and treatment. The studies I am doing involve the use of animal models, rats, guinea pigs and sometimes mice. When an animal experiment is complete the animal is sacrificed to recover tissues for further analysis. Sacrificed is considered and This is the proper term among scientists that take the time to think about these things. Euthanasia is not an appropriate because this implies that the death of the animal is in its own best interest. We use the term sacrificed because this conveys that the death of the animal serves a greater purpose, science and in this case the understanding of a complex medical condition for which there is currently not effective treatments or interventions. We put a lot of effort housing and caring for the animals and ending their life as humanely as possible.
I take the use of animals in research very seriously and only use them when the research can not be effectively carried by other mean (usually cell or tissue culture). I have refused to be involved in projects using animals that I felt were unjustified or were un-properly supported by previous science. I feel that the science I am doing is important and has real potential to help not only humans but also animals. Some of the treatment that have come out of our lab are used in injured dogs.
I fall somewhere on a agnostic-secular humanist - animist - panetheist continuum (that probably makes no more sense to either of us) so a ritual to a particular god would not be appropriate. My current practice is to silently thank the animal, and apologize as I am administering the sedative, and euthanasia drugs. On the one hand I feel that I want to do something more, and on the other hand the lab is not really the place for a full on ritual. Clearly
The fiction of Ursula K Leguin is large influence on me and she mentions in passing that the Hanish perform a ritual when animals are used in scientific research.
Please excuse the long post, but can be a sensitive and complex issue. I am very interested in how you all feel about this topic and if you have any suggestions or resources I might pursue.
Andrew
I know that I am going out on a limb here and I am braced for a little blow back here. I am hoping that my assessment of this forum as an open mind place is warranted. I would ask that this post is read with some understanding. I am going to give a little background and some justification first them I will
I am a neuroscience researcher. My research involves the pathology of neuro-trauma and potential interventions and treatment. The studies I am doing involve the use of animal models, rats, guinea pigs and sometimes mice. When an animal experiment is complete the animal is sacrificed to recover tissues for further analysis. Sacrificed is considered and This is the proper term among scientists that take the time to think about these things. Euthanasia is not an appropriate because this implies that the death of the animal is in its own best interest. We use the term sacrificed because this conveys that the death of the animal serves a greater purpose, science and in this case the understanding of a complex medical condition for which there is currently not effective treatments or interventions. We put a lot of effort housing and caring for the animals and ending their life as humanely as possible.
I take the use of animals in research very seriously and only use them when the research can not be effectively carried by other mean (usually cell or tissue culture). I have refused to be involved in projects using animals that I felt were unjustified or were un-properly supported by previous science. I feel that the science I am doing is important and has real potential to help not only humans but also animals. Some of the treatment that have come out of our lab are used in injured dogs.
I fall somewhere on a agnostic-secular humanist - animist - panetheist continuum (that probably makes no more sense to either of us) so a ritual to a particular god would not be appropriate. My current practice is to silently thank the animal, and apologize as I am administering the sedative, and euthanasia drugs. On the one hand I feel that I want to do something more, and on the other hand the lab is not really the place for a full on ritual. Clearly
The fiction of Ursula K Leguin is large influence on me and she mentions in passing that the Hanish perform a ritual when animals are used in scientific research.
Please excuse the long post, but can be a sensitive and complex issue. I am very interested in how you all feel about this topic and if you have any suggestions or resources I might pursue.
Andrew
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