The Thou of Nature: Religious Naturalism and Reverence for Sentient Life

Humans share the Earth with non-human animals who are also capable of conscious experience and awareness. Arguing that humans should develop an I-thou, not an I-it, relationship with other sentient beings, Donald A. Crosby adds a new perspective to the current debates on human/animal relations and animal rights–that of religious naturalism. Religious naturalism holds that the natural world is the only world and that there is no supernatural animus or law behind it. From this vantage point, fellow thous are entitled to more than merely moral treatment: protection and enhancement of their continuing well-being deserves to be a central focus of religious reverence, care, and commitment as well. A set of presumptive natural rights for non-human animals is proposed and conflicts in applying these rights are acknowledged and considered. A wide range of situations involving humans and non-human animals are discussed, including hunting and fishing; eating and wearing; circuses, rodeos, zoos, and aquariums; scientific experimentation; and the threats of human technology and population growth.