P1: Agape

First of all, I think it’s relevant for me to say that I’m agnostic. I believe that in theory, organized religion is a great idea (as is communism). I vibe to many of the Catholic tenets, but I just don’t think it’s reasonable to say we really do or don’t know who is out there creating the world. With that being said, I hold certain doctrine (i.e. love) close to my heart because to me, it makes sense. Humans should “love thy neighbor as thyself”[1] , and here, neighbors should be viewed as humans and animals alike. Treating everyone as you would want them to treat you is one of the most archaic Catholic traditions: The Golden Rule. In fact, it is so elementary that we are first exposed to it as children, as the image below suggests.

(one of the first things I learned)[2]

One of the reasons I may have learned this so early in my childhood is because of the type of education I received. Up until the time I came to UT, I attended private schools my entire life. Since I can remember, these Catholic tenets have been ingrained into my mind. One of the Seven Virtues of Catholicism is brotherly love, which didn’t really hit home until high school when I enrolled at Jesuit College Prep in Dallas. The first time I ever stepped foot into that wonderful high school, a senior at greeted me and walked me through the Hall of Honors, a corridor covered in pictures of graduating classes. Each class had the words “Men for Others” inscribed across the top, a saying that would stick with me for the rest of my life. As I would soon learn, this was the Jesuit mission: to become a community based on love for others. Because Jesuit was an all-male school, our mission was often the brunt of our competitors’ jokes, but to us it was much more than just a saying, it was truly a way of life. It’s such a vital part of the Jesuit tradition that it can be seen all over the school’s website, like the following image.

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Naturally, when I was reading through the options for this project, emotive ethics jumped right off the page and into my blog. “Charity, love, and agape” are all very familiar words that I have come to make a part of my everyday life and thoughts through the saying “Men for Others”. Just like the Golden Rule, this saying is not prohibited to humans, rather, “Men for Others” is relevant to humans and their relationships with animals too.

At Jesuit, we went on these day-long, sometimes week-long retreats, and the most memorable one was my senior year when we went on what they called “Senior Days.” Luckily for me, the theme of the retreat was agape. To expound, our saying “Men for Others” and the Greek word agape go hand-in-hand. Agape, as we were taught, is a unique type of love in which we try to love like the love of Christ. Father Spitzer, S.J. states it best: “In brief, it is the habit of the heart giving rise to forgiveness and compassion which leads to unity, peace and joy within the human community.” [4] From the moment I left that retreat, I’ve tried to live the idea of agape in my everyday life and thoughts. St. Ignatius Loyola, who founded the Jesuits, stressed the importance of building a strong and loving community. In line with this, I have tried to build the same relationship with all my fellow beings through this unconditional love.

The meaning of agape[5]

Though I’ve always appreciated, cared for, and treated pets very well, I never took a second to think about other animals that are such an integral part of my everyday life. When I saw Earthlings for the first time in class, I was absolutely appalled at how little I knew about the torture animals undergo for our consumption. It was so easy for me to never really think about where my burger, my shoes, or even my basketball came from. I mean, of course I knew where they came from, but it was just so easy to not think specifically about what has to be sacrificed for all these simple commodities in life. Since seeing the movie, I have taken steps towards living like a vegetarian. Especially with the idea of love in mind, I find it extremely difficult to live life oblivious to the masses of animals killed for everyday life. Unfortunately, it is also extremely difficult to give up meat, especially with the difficulty faced in society for doing so. It’s unbelievable how reliant I was on different kinds of meat! I think a big part of the reason is because society has made it too easy to consume so much without thinking that it has become routine. A good example is the image of a t-shirt below.

Harsh words [6]

These steps I’ve taken towards becoming a vegetarian have proven to be very small, baby steps, but it is a start nonetheless. I have tried to eliminate some protein from my diet, but with my love for steak and all kinds of pork, I often find myself torn between what is ethical and what is delicious, convenient and cheap. In the same light, I have been more successful when I keep the idea of agape in mind. This love is much different than other types of love we are used to (i.e. platonic or sexual love); instead, it is much deeper than that. This love requires a level of sacrifice and compassion that is similar to the love Christ exhibited like when Christ died for our sins. Looking at it like this, I certainly have come to understand that agape requires a level of sacrifice for the greater good and that begins with my own sacrifices. The fact that I’ve become so dependent on certain proteins that it’s hard to quit cold turkey, should NOT translate into me being discouraged in becoming a vegetarian. Instead, it gives me an even greater and more fulfilling opportunity to do what is right. Especially growing up in a Filipino culture where turning down food is like slapping someone in the face, I have now had opportunities to teach others about practicing agape for animals. At any rate, I’ve upset a few aunts and uncles back home when I opt to do my part in preserving animal life through love and compassion.

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I know it’s corny, but there’s a song that comes to mind every time I think about loving animals as myself. Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” is constantly playing in my head when I pass on a double cheeseburger for a salad. I think it’s particularly relevant because of her stressing that “the children are our future.” [8] Had I been educated on the ways to not be so reliant on proteins when I was younger, it would definitely be easier today to give it up. Part of the reason I want to teach high school is to practice agape with the youth. I feel like love is exhibited at its finest and strongest when shown to people that have no direct relationship to the lover. Similarly, I feel like helping those animals that have no relationship to me is a better display of agape than helping those I already love. In the Catholic tradition, this display of helping strangers is recurrent: “I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.”[9] As of late, when I see homeless people begging on street corners, I’ve tried to be particularly kind and helpful, especially when they have pets. Being a pet owner, I know how expensive and important it is to get proper veterinary care for them, and whenever I see these animals on the street, I know they probably are not getting sufficient care. Though it is only a drop in the bucket, I try to provide enough food and money to help both of the marginalized beings. I also convinced a friend to consider rescuing a dog from the streets instead of waiting on a wait list from a breeder, who was likely to sell all her dogs anyways. He adopted Daisy a year ago and has never regretted his decision once.

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On an everyday basis, it is hard to act through love in regards to animals without actively spending a lot of time and energy on finding and helping animals in need. The biggest contribution I have made thus far is attempting to eliminate animals from my diet. Sure, I walk my roommate’s dog and play with him when he’s been caged all day, but is this really a display of true agape? I leave food outside of my apartment complex for strays and try not to kill common pests like cockroaches, but can I say that I truly understand how to love these animals? Of course not. Though acting upon an unconditional love for others proves difficult, I think that it is the mindset here that is important. Always thinking of ways to help through love and seizing those opportunities when they arise is the most I can do without completely changing my lifestyle. Hopefully after I graduate, I’ll have more time and energy to focus on really understanding what it means to love without bounds for another being. Maybe I’ll be able to do some work with animal rights groups or rescuing services. The more tangible ethical and leadership goals I will have access to involve educating the youth on ways they can help. Just like I did through my Catholic school education and my thoughts on religion, I think knowledge is the first step to making rational decisions. If I can provide enough information to the youth for them to make their own decisions, then hopefully they’ll do the ethical thing and help change the way we think about what we eat. Maybe even then, we can learn the meaning of agape and make some real progress.

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Word Count: 1,645
Word count without quotes: 1,583

1. Bible, Leviticus 19: 17-18.
2. http://charleshamel.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/goldenrule1.jpg
3. www.jesuitcp.org/alumni
4. Spitzer, Robert, S.J., "Educating in the Jesuit Tradition", http://www.catholiceducation.org
/articles/education/ed0108.html
5. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.agapemissionsinc.com
/AGAPE_LOGO_2.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.agapemissionsinc.com
/&usg=__4TFD8yq6yPPzi46ov-_CgFYgZps=&h=1875&w=2303&sz=27&hl=en&start=5&
tbnid=PvZgoRaAOaRwcM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=150&
prev=/images%3Fq%3Dagape%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-
a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG
6. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ryanbyrd.net/images
/vegetarian.jpg&imgrefurl=http://docgreen.blogspot.com
/&usg=__1RFSiE1JoVNkCfBJ7rWu9TFHy
7. http://img2.travelblog.org/Photos/4698/16157/f/71386-Lechon-Baboy-0.jpg
8. Houston, Whitney, "Greatest Love of All"
9. Bible, Matthew 25: 36.
10. http://www.petsofhomeless.org/images/Homeless%20cuddling%20dog%20by%
11. http://pro.corbis.com/images/AY008949.jpg?size=67&uid={DCB8A954-A2F1-44B8-
BEAA-E8141A43E12B}