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This episode is our monthly news roundup for January. In this episode, we’re talking about whether people tend to show more empathy for animals than for other people, euthanasia for those with a “completed life,” and a Satanist’s “prayer” at a county commissioners’ meeting.
STORY #1 – Do Humans Really Have More Empathy for Animals Than They Do for Other People?
“Who are people more likely to empathize with, an innocent animal or another human being? Although you might think people tend to gravitate towards lovable animals, researchers from Penn State say context matters when multiple things are pulling at our heartstrings.
“One experiment found that when people have to choose between empathizing with a stranger or an animal (a koala bear), they’re actually more likely to empathize with the human. However, a second experiment asked people to participate in two separate tasks. During the first task, participants could choose whether or not to empathize with a person, while the second task asked them if they wanted to empathize with an animal. This time around, people were much more likely to show empathy towards animals over other humans.” (StudyFinds)
Related material:
- Monthly News Roundup (December 2022) – third story about people finding purpose in their pets
- Monthly News Roundup (August 2022) – second story about people idolizing pets
- Monthly News Roundup (January 2022) – second story about choosing pets over babies
STORY #2 – Poll Shows Dutch Support Euthanasia for “Completed Life”
“A recent poll has indicated that 80% of Dutch voters believe that euthanasia should be available for those who consider their lives complete…with only 10% of respondents disagreeing. The remaining 10% of voters reported that they had no opinion on the subject.” (Right to Life News)
Related material:
- Monthly News Roundup (June 2021) – second story about assisted suicide in Canada
- The Foundation for a Godly Society – notice particularly the point about euthanasia under the section, VI: Do Not Murder
STORY #3 – Satanist Opens County Meeting with Invocation Hailing Satan
“A Nevada county commissioners group allowed a Satanist to open its meeting with a religious ceremony earlier this week.
“Jason Miller, founder of Reno Satanic, delivered an invocation before the Washoe County Commission Tuesday that began with praising ‘the name of the eternal rebel against tyrannical authority,’ and ending with ‘Hail, Satan.’
“One commissioner, Clara Andriola, stormed out of the meeting in protest of the invocation.” (CBN)
Related material:
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