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Well, that's an unusual and interesting first thread! I'm glad that you take animals and their welfare to heart.
I would agree with much of what you have written, but not all of it. I will just cite a few points where perhaps you need to refine your thinking about such matters. But that doesn't diminish my respect and admiration for you and what you have written in the post above.
"Plants do not have brain or nerve, so they never have any consciousness or feeling at all." This is a common assertion, and one with which I as a vegetarian would be comfortable. The truth is, however, that scientific research is increasingly showing that plants do have sophisticated neural systems. This makes vegetarians and vegans uncomfortable - including myself - but we have to live with that. The research started with the work of Cleve Backster as far back the 1960s, although some scientists queried his results at the time. For a simple account, see: http://www.redicecreations.com/speci...cbackster.html But the research has moved on a lot since then, with more hard-headed scientists agreeing that plants do possess neural systems, sometimes even sophisticated ones. Here are two examples: https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...niel-chamovitz and https://www.pri.org/stories/2014-01-...k-about-plants
"However, most invertebrates, such as insects, only have a very simple nervous system, which means that their feeling and consciousness are very weak." You may well be right, but how weak is weak? Where do you draw the line? Does only medium to severe pain count? Is slight pain or awareness not of concern? It is a complex moral issue.
"Similarly, animals should not be condemned for killing others, because animals have low intelligence and cannot understand that their behaviors bring suffering to other individuals. In fact, many animals have the same intelligence level as a child." Some animals, for example members of the cat family (wild and domestic), are what is called "obligate carnivores". In other words, they need meat in order to survive. Dogs, wolves, and other canines are mostly carnivore for the same reason, although they can and do need a small proportion of plant matter as well for a balanced diet. So it is a question of necessity in many cases, rather than of intelligence. You state that "animals have low intelligence.....the same intelligence level as a child." The latest research shows that some animals are actually far more intelligent than we previously thought. I will not give a long list of links here, but if you are interested you can go to this page: https://do-animals-have-souls.info/further-reading.html There is a list of articles about animal intelligence there. Animal intelligence is not to be compared to a child, as we are talking about different species and therefore different ways of thinking.
"The suffering and misery faced by animals are far more severe than people's hardship. At least the people are not being murdered or tortured." The welfare of animals is a topic very close to my heart, but I fear that your statement is too sweeping. People are being murdered and tortured every day. It is a sad fact, which reading any newspaper or news website shows. Let me stress that I share, very strongly, your concern for animal welfare. But any suffering and cruelty is to be opposed - regardless whether it against animals or humans. We cannot make distinctions.
"Moreover, humans can be good or evil, but animals are all innocent and lovable, just like children." Well, I would say that all humans are a mix of good and bad qualities, but in greatly varying proportions; some have much more good than bad, others the other way round. But no-one is 100% good (that would be Divine) or 100% bad. As for animals, yes their souls have an innocent quality, I would agree; they don't cause world wars, massive pollution, create weapons which can destroy the world, etc. But personally I wouldn't compare them with children. Different species of beings have different qualities, both with regard to intelligence and spiritual awareness, so to say that one type of intelligence or spirituality is "superior" or "inferior", "like a child" or like an adult human, is missing the point about parallel but different lines of development.
I would not normally reply to a first thread at such length. Please take it as a compliment that I have done so! The world needs more people like you! Thank you for starting this thread and I send you my warmest best wishes. You are welcome to contact me via PM or my website if you feel the need.
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