The point was made the other day by several of us in class that religion alone was not a compelling argument for animal ethics because not everyone follows the same religion and some people don't follow religion at all. Yet I've noticed that many different religions still teach the same basic principles, and from the readings we have done plus knowledge I've gathered on my own, compassion towards others and towards animals seems to be a key theme (though I do acknowledge that some of it depends on your interpretation of certain texts).
Compassion is something that just about anyone could understand. In its bare sense, I take it to mean to be kind to others and treat them with respect. A lot of humans don't necessarily think about treating animals this way, and that is where a lot of problems surrounding the treatment of animals and the debates in animal ethics come in.
My question now is: Would it be possible to spread animal ethics to those who do not follow religion based on compassion, or is this idea still limited by religion?
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