I want to have bird friends
Reflecting on a Run and Breakfast
After running my first 15km in a single workout, I stopped at Tim Hortons for a rewarding breakfast and an ice cap to boost my energy. I took my breakfast sandwiches and walked around campus until I found a spot to sit and eat. As I was enjoying my meal, a big black bird approached me and started staring from a close distance. It was clearly asking for food. I tried looking away to discourage it, but it was persistent, simply staying there and staring, quite adorably.
I enjoy the idea of animals being equally worthy of enjoyment and fulfillment as humans. When I observe them, I perceive a soul emanating from them, and I believe that one day I might have the chance to meet that soul and communicate. Until then, I aim to treat all animals with as much respect as I treat humans. But don't ask me about my diet.
The Paradox of Diet and Beliefs
I would blame my diet on the way I was raised, and although that's true, I have developed a sensitivity to perceiving animals as more than objects. However, I don’t link the food on my table to the suffering I want animals to avoid. I am aware of the hypocrisy. I can’t fully explain it. Perhaps, to be more coherent, I should adopt a vegan lifestyle, although I wonder.
Many things make me wonder. Religious or not, the notion that humans are entitled to feed on other species is deeply rooted. But I wonder: why, when I look into an animal's eyes, do I feel a soul? And why should I then have the power or entitlement to decide when this vessel stops experiencing life on earth?
Thoughts on Spirituality and Free Will
I should address that I was raised Catholic and have complete faith in the presence of a higher consciousness and an entity that influences reality's plasticity. I personally believe this entity could have sent souls to earth with different missions, attempting to prophesize and teach humans ways to maintain sanity while pursuing the full use of free will—the free will we so willingly took but now eternally run away from.
I do not believe that any mainstream religion is inherently wrong, at least not as far as my interpretation goes. I believe that, like languages, cultures, and species, interpretations of the world around us—possibly including the words of prophets and coping mechanisms for the despair that comes with free will—have evolved differently across the globe due to spatial separation and isolation.
Religion, Community, and Critical Thinking
I don’t believe in enforcing any belief system. Religions tend to be used as tools of control by corrupt individuals or groups. However, I do believe in promoting the community-building aspect of religion—bringing together people with common interests, values, and a shared mission of being good.
Everyone should be encouraged to listen and think critically. By doing so, each person can learn to train their free will and intellect through infinite sources.