Are You Worth More Than a Tree? Dennis Prager Response

[@obliviousicarus]

Prager: "Are you more valuable than a dog?" Me: *checks bank account* "no"

[@HazVegan]

"You know why dogs have no money? No pockets." Jerry Seinfeld

[@davidwilliams9386]

😂😂😂

[@arcadiagreen150]

This about sums it up for me

[@Swift-mr5zi]

The like to dislike ratio of this video must be the single best piece of evidence we have for failing education systems around the world. Alright, I'm not religious and I'm a vegetarian and in the process of going Vegan before uni while also believing that PragerU is not at all a credible source of information. However, in this video, you made some painfully obvious mistakes it forces me to ponder the idea that you are allowing emotion to distort your thinking. 1. Value When talking about the worth of different animals you have simply forgotten that to someone who believes in Judaism or Christianity believes that animals have been created with the intention of serving human being, take the following. Genesis 9:2-3 "The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything." Therefore according to the believers of these religions an animal is only valuable in so far as it can be used to satisfy a human want, therefore we a religious person can value one animal above that of another given it has an increased ability to satisfy the desires of that human. The type of satisfactions simply does not matter (unless prohibited in the bible) what matters when talking about animal value to a religious person is how it can be used to satisfy a want. You are doing a theology and philosophy degree at Oxford and you didn't know that? As stated, I'm not religious, however you must repent for making such an argument. And before someone responds saying that "But Cosmic skeptic was just showing that animals also just matter and therefore wouldn't have value either". But this argument would only make sense assuming he wasn't religious, think about it. 2. The holocaust First of all, they do like 5-minute video's you saying "bUT oThEr PeOPLe DIeD OTheR ThAN jEws" it just plainly a pathetic attempt of you to try and make yourself look smart and by extension him stupid by bringing up other people died, yes you are right but what kinda contribution does this make to your argument? The answer is.......it doesn't and your petty point scoring doesn't make you look good in the eyes of anyone who has a triple digits IQ. not to mention how you present it in such an emotional way as if you have detected a perception to deceive by Mr Prager or feel as if he has completely misrepresented the content of the video.....which he has, because the video isn't about the holocaust is it, the ethnicity of the people who died exists completely separately from the primary point he is making. Have you forged such an emotional reaction? Do you do as such to seem more credible? Or are you just plain stupid? I can do a similar thing to you right now look. "OMG you mentioned that slavery was justified under Christian nations but why didn't you mention the oppression of gay people and women during this time period rather than just Africans, I would expect someone so ostensibly and sensitive about the impact of religion on the world to respect the memory of everyone who suffered under the moral principles of Christian nations not just slaves!" You see the idiocy you fool But fuck me you only continue to transform into more of a little weasel as you go along. You then go onto do two things, both ridiculous. You say "They are making a comparison, not an equation", distinguishing between to things completely equal and two things similar. But this point doesn't mean anything like the very fact that people would compare that two shows by deductive reasoning that they must have enough if common and therefore Mr Prager responds to this, he never said they were equal he said other people proclaim it to be so and worse....which you admit yourself. Next, you somehow manage to ascend to newfound levels of stupidity. You say that animal slaughtered is technically correct according to the definition which is true but you completely miss the point. When those activists say "Holocaust" they know exactly what people are going to think of and they know exactly the comparison they are making, don't play word games. You remind me of my friends saying "You can't murder an animal because murder is the killing of a human" yeah you're correct but it's not at all the point is it. Then you use this proper definition of a holocaust against a different definition Mr Prager is using and then use this as a "got you moment" as you seem as he has deductively shown he is against killing animals on an industrial level even though the two definitions are clearly the deciding factor, be that of Human death and Animal death, and we are back at square one again then aren't we. Oh and now I'm later into the video I've discovered that Mr Prager does make it clear that people other than Jews were killed, good job their pal wrong andddddd wrong again. 3. Animal testing Mr Prager was specifically talking about people who believe that animal testing is wrong no matter the outcome. This is addressing people who believe that one of the animal's rights is not to be tested on no matter the outcome, the principle must be upheld to these people, just animal rights Kantians. 3. Singers quote Oh yet another stupid point, I guess this time I can only call you stupid for putting it in the video and not coming up with it though. The quote "Either the animal is not like us in which case there is no reasoning for performing the experiment; or else the animal is like us, in which case we ought not to perform on the animals what would be considered to be outrageous if performed on us" This is where the real exposing happens, this quote completely undermines everything that you said at another point in the video. In the quote Mr Singer clearly conflates the matter of the being in question and the moral worth of the being in question, somehow showing that if the matter of the animals was compatible with humans this would give them equal moral worth, now this is contradictory to what you said earlier in the video when you made it clear that matter does not determine morality. You have decided to present any piece of evidence suits you in that specific sub-section of the argument with no concern for long run philosophically consistency. You're a philosopher, you must be consistent. plus point; Hitler linked himself to religion through the philosophical perception of German idealism, specifically put forward by Friedrich Schleiermacher. Stop being so smug, stick to the main points and cut the video by at least 10 minutes. You are just as bad as Mr Prager to me, go educate yourself and "don't make another video until you have done so" if only for the sake of the pain in my head.

[@blindtruth4614]

Jerry Seinfield had obviously never met Gunther IV who supposedly has a net worth of between $375-$400m lol I so want that dog to bite me so I can sue him

[@TiagoSalemaG]

"The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog." - Mark Twain

[@necessary-ambition]

That was hitler

[@jonathancortez7145]

Hahahaha. Nice 🙂

[@Johnson-br2lw]

@John-Paul Hunt bruh

[@opala2209]

Just don't ask Lovecraft's cat though

[@Johnson-br2lw]

@@opala2209 Lovecrafts cat? Ohhh you mean the *21st century schizoid man*

[@JMUDoc]

"... how you value things... depends... on your value system." And Plato wept bitter tears, for never would he ascend to this zenith of reasoning.

[@Quandale76]

Hahaha underrated comment 😂

[@uselesshero.official]

I don't know what's wrong with the argument can anybody be kind enough to enlighten me?

[@masternerd64]

@@uselesshero.official it's circular reasoning

[@shinyarceus997]

@@uselesshero.official It's like saying this floor is made of floor, truly flawless and unparalleled logic, with its only caveat being completely pointless.

[@dexboat1733]

@Meister Incognito Well obviously, since we exist due to the evolutionary process.

[@emodante1084]

"If there are no dogs in heaven, I want to go where they went." - Will Rogers

[@Chopped_Liver]

Like seriously i myself don't want to live in a world or reality even heaven if there are no non human animals , i simply can not live without watching these birds , these squirrels without petting the street dog which every time wage it's tail seeing me just for a belly rub , without the magisty of these lions , the sence of fear tigers evoke, the stupidity of sea horses , the Rhinos My planet, our planet the Earth is indeed a cruel place but this is our planet and i don't care if by trying to save my lovely planet in this vast enveloping cosmic arena i am disappointing any supernatural dictator

[@ayyy2603]

@@Chopped_LiverI think some christians think that the world will be perfect after armageddon

[@lister2147]

Man, I've been watching your videos since the wacky drawer was a thing, and we're the same age. Seeing you getting older makes me feel older as well. Going to a university now to study chemistry, and hopefully I will get to further research and knowledge for all of us! Thanks for being a part of my life through your videos. Love you

[@franzkissel1369]

I miss those drawers...

[@franzkissel1369]

@thisbitch 123 By now he should be 19 or 20.

[@Doivid_]

I remember the drawers! Lol

[@neoan]

I just looked outside and there it was: a tree I value higher than Dennis Prager

[@elrored]

That *actually* made me laugh out loud 😂👏

[@MaanIsMe]

Wow! What a coincidence, same here, but in my case is it was a cockroach.

[@MaanIsMe]

Ohh sh!t maybe I do value humans less

[@joachimschoder]

The tree didn't lie his ass off and instead provided value to every breathing being on the planet.

[@shadowbonbon3]

Same but for me it was a mosquito at least you can argue they are just messed up population control

[@bobmudge4836]

I bet that “humans are infinitely valuable” speech goes over really well on death row.

[@sportsfails4998]

Prageru: humans are infinitely valuable Also prageru: The Case For The Death Penalty

[@overthecounterbeanie]

Valuing human life doesn't mean valuing criminality.

[@overthecounterbeanie]

@Sam Bacon It is neither a requirement, neither is it antithetical to it. It is one of the tools that can be used to deter crime and uphold the rule of law.

[@overthecounterbeanie]

Sorry, I don't take opinion pieces as the gospel truth. And the death penalty is absolutely appropriate for the most heinous violent crimes.

[@overthecounterbeanie]

@Sam Bacon The papers you cite in no way prove that capital punishment is not effective. They only prove that capital punish is at least as effective a method of punishment as other forms, if not more effective.

[@charisday3846]

If I hear “Judeo-Christian Values” from that man’s mouth one more time, I think I will actually go brain dead

[@spitfire184]

That's the idea, he's recruiting.

[@hankboog462]

It's just abrahamic for people who don't want to include muslims

[@Genesis12verse2]

@@hankboog462 Its not really the exact same, there are differences.

[@hankboog462]

@Don genuinely how? I'm not being facetious, how is "judeo christian" not the same as abrahamic just without Muslims if Abrahamic means Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

[@Genesis12verse2]

@@hankboog462 Because "judeo christian" referes to elements shared by early bibical ideas while abrahamic refers only to general elements that are shared in all of the abrahamic religions, regardless of the historic time or area. But yes they are similar.

[@sablemae8853]

I think Prager values his strawman as the highest form of moral worth

[@greg77389]

Explain how Dennis could be making a strawman when he's not arguing against any one person or argument. By definition you can't make a strawman if you aren't addressing a specific person or argument. Cosmic Skeptic on the other had is very guilty of making a strawman, as he's arguing directly against Dennis and is misinterpreting his argument.

[@greg77389]

@Hail Abraxas Again, he did not make a strawman. He's simply stating the fact that secularism does not allow for objective moral worth or value. That's not to say a secular person cannot believe in these things, just that they can't do so while being logically consistent.

[@jean-pierredesmet7248]

Prager cant even make good arguments against his strawman version of secularism

[@mykehog6646]

@@greg77389 the exact definition of a strawman argument is constructing a false or misleading representation of the others argument..you are incorrect

[@greg77389]

@@mykehog6646 Exactly my point. "constructing a false or misleading representation of the others ARGUMENT." Dennis is not doing that.

[@antediluvianatheist5262]

"Are you worth more than a dog?" not to the dog.

[@SennaHawx]

Well...Maybe a poor animal for that question :p

[@toni4729]

Not to me either.

[@user-yr1tb3rl6v]

Antediluvian Atheist “Are you worth more than another human?” not to the other human.

[@mayganphynix8267]

D yep. it goes both ways.

[@antediluvianatheist5262]

@@user-yr1tb3rl6v Yep. The point is 'worth' is based on a point of view. 'To whom?' is the measure of worth.

[@ShotgunLlama]

"Secular humanism devalues humans" Say that again, but slowly

[@theosib]

OH! I thought humanism was a dietary choice!

[@Ghost.Spectrum]

Right? Humanism is a movement that literally emphasizes the worth of humans over all else. If there is anything in this world that devalues human worth it's religions like Christianity.

[@Ghost.Spectrum]

@Maldrannon "authoritarian" is not a word I imagine would denote a better civilization. Quite the opposite actually. Just look at North Korea.

[@Ghost.Spectrum]

@Maldrannon Sure bud. And when your "benevolent authoritarian" gets tired of being nice and decides to take his place a god emperor, I am sure you will feel differently. Ever heard of the phrase "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"? There is no such thing as a benevolent authoritarian government for long. Sooner or later it will turn into a crapshoot and you will be little more than a source of free income.

[@intricatic]

@@Ghost.Spectrum Why would humanism imply the abusive vices of an individual? All governments are authoritarian. It's just a matter of which class that authority serves. In some cases, that class may devolve into a single person and we would call that monarchy or dictatorship, but parliamentary government is meant to spread it across a wider body to prevent most abuse. It is still authoritarian, no matter what form it takes, but the authority is collectivized to some degree. If we're talking political humanism, that would seem to imply a government for the interests of the class we call human, which is a much wider disbursement than parliamentary systems typically cover. How would individual vices factor into a system like that?

[@crowhaveninc.2103]

How can Prager be wrong? He has these amazing animations and sound effects. He HAS to right!

[@Aman-qr6wi]

Yeah, lol.

[@davidabdollahi7906]

HAS to be*

[@stillnesssolutions]

The animations are shit too lol

[@adentravis]

In every video his hair gets progressively more messy lol

[@occasionalfan-content4771]

Aden Travis I don’t even know which one you mean lol

[@lm5429]

Aden Travis It’s funny seeing the evolution of his hair over videos.

[@andrewmurray6646]

He’s slowly losing his sanity from having to watch PragerU

[@christianrobinson5857]

Oh no Boris Johnson must have instated a new bed head policy...

[@danieldubinsky95]

Shhh, the rugged look suits him

[@arcadiagreen150]

"Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work, worthy of the interposition of a deity" -Carl Sagan

[@junacebedo888]

Example of that man is Carl Himself

[@arcadiagreen150]

@@junacebedo888 how so?

[@HobokenSquatCobbler]

Sagan was an atheist. He denied it, but that is because he was defining atheists as those who claim to KNOW there is no god.

[@singh.jayesh1866]

Damn this was brutal, keep it up..I m gonna quote this one to some deeply religious sh*thead

[@deductivereasoning4257]

Secular values are now entirely dictated by science, namely psychology...

[@DCWilsonwriter]

Give Prager some credit. Those strawmen he beat down will never get up again.

[@keanus6873]

i want to like your comment but you have 69 likes and i dont want to destroy it

[@eriksmith3089]

@@keanus6873 it is likeable now

[@lancethrustworthy]

Oh, they will, when Prager raises them up again for his benefit.

[@get9320]

But the wisdom behind Prager University will prevail.

[@kakerake6018]

@@lancethrustworthy I don't think we'll be able to recognize that pile of hay and scrap by the time he's done beating them.

[@danieldeburgh8437]

Just got my BA in strawmen arguments from prager university. The massive amount of debt I'm in now is worth it for sure!

[@fylo2007]

I thought it was a BS degree

[@hitesh8383]

You can get Ma.D. and Fo.O.L degrees from Prager U (Also from Trump University)

[@cornopeanus]

The Humanist manifesto says, "We are committed to treating each person as having inherent worth and dignity..." If this worth is inherent, then CosmicSkeptic's video is not cogent. He bases the worth of human persons on the complexity of their arrangement. Humans are just complex arrangements of matter. But then the worth of a human is not inherent; it is something they have by reason of their complexity. So humans that are not so well arranged like paraplegics and such, are of less moral worth. But the statement above says that every human is of equal worth and value.

[@zidneya]

Trees make oxygen. Prager U makes lame apologetics.... Geez I wonder what's more important.

[@srprsemthrfckr2103]

Under-appreciated comment right here 👆

[@andystokes8702]

If you look at it in those terms the tree is far more valuable than Prager. At least the tree's existence does cause some benefit for the rest of the planet and it's inhabitants - not something you can claim for Prager.

[@jodinha4225]

va m from the planets perspective it don’t matter, the planet is just a rock

[@mischarowe]

LMAO. So true.

[@RageTyrannosaurus]

@va m Might be better to say "biosphere" as opposed to planet, the plants are definitely valuable to our biosphere given that they help keep the rest of it alive.

[@kurtkrienke2956]

"I'm Dennis Prager, and the fact that the world keeps spinning as I get older scares me. These kids today."

[@MRGUSTAVOCHICKENFRING]

"I'm Dennis Prager, and I get paid 10 million dollars a year by the Wilkes brothers to say stupid shit on youtube, hooray for money!! I mean conservative values"

[@MRGUSTAVOCHICKENFRING]

@Bob Smith come back when you're sober

[@euphoricatheist6694]

And he's literally Hitler! Alex Jones! DRUMPF! We got 'em good!

[@MRGUSTAVOCHICKENFRING]

@Bob Smith yeah whatever, apology accepted crazy guy 😉

[@kurtkrienke2956]

@Bob Smith well Bob, you're making a strong case. I for one am convinced. Please proceed to tell me what you convinced me of 😉

[@jeremygregorio7472]

Ridiculous. A tree is far more valuable than Dennis Prager.

[@metalhead0274]

A tree leaf is more valuable.. he wasted oxygen that a single leaf makes..

[@SaggersAlt]

Lol the tree benefits me more than him. 😂

[@mischarowe]

I was 'like' #100. I think I'll burn my victory cigar on the tree that is more valuable than Dennis Prager. ;)

[@heribertosarmiento1265]

I would take billions of trees before I even mention that conman name

[@spiritbx1337]

One produces the valuable oxygen we need to live, while the other one is just a pathetic waste of it...

[@kameelfarag1981]

I am a Christian, and values your argument very much. Keep the honest discussion going.

[@asix9178]

_"Secular HUMANISM devalues HUMANS."_ Uuuuum, no. Just the opposite, Dennis.

[@nicolasandre9886]

I'd be tempted to say he couldn't make any sillier argument than this one, but that's a challenge he may very well win in a very near future.

[@l156a21]

Ah mental gymnastics, a conservative favorite

[@TheHikariLP]

@Skeptic Psychologist He also believes in the eternal punishment of hell created by a just god so no surprise there.

[@shriggs55]

@Skeptic Psychologist His God wants to torture people for an eternity(infinity?)because he infinitely values human beings? But Jews don;t believe in Hell-so let's just say that Dennis's racist God "chose" his people and as they traveled in the Exodus they destroyed brutally anybody that wasn't an Israelite.I guess God cared infinitely for those non-Hebrews so he decided to put them out of their misery.How absurd and ridiculous is this nonsense? And how absurd are the people that believe it.

[@astralsentient8259]

There is an eternal hell because God loves us!

[@zeronova1484]

"Secular humanism devalues human life." - Prager Oh the irony.

[@cornopeanus]

I agree that many secular humanists value human life highly.....I just wonder about the basis for this. Why would a secular humanist value human life? I don't see any reason to think more highly of humans on secular principles. Cosmicskeptic values humans more because they are more complex arrangements of matter. Doesn't that seem like a rather flimsy reason to value humans more than animals, who are also highly complex arrangements of matter?

[@cornopeanus]

I agree that many secular humanists value human life highly.....I just wonder about the basis for this. Why would a secular humanist value human life? I don't see any reason to think more highly of humans on secular principles. Cosmicskeptic values humans more because they are more complex arrangements of matter. Doesn't that seem like a rather flimsy reason to value humans more than animals, who are also highly complex arrangements of matter?

[@waywardwinchester]

Alex always destroying fallacious arguments with logic and reason, keep up the good work bro.

[@eddienajera5762]

Wayward Winchester funny

[@LouisGedo]

*Facts And Logic Destroy Carnist Nonsense Every Time* ;)

[@stannisthemannis6994]

But will Alex be the one to land the final blow against God in the SPN finale?

[@waywardwinchester]

@Louis Gedo you damn straight LOL

[@waywardwinchester]

@Stannis the Mannis haha if anyone can, yep.

[@tonytins]

23:07 Um, wow. The whole point of the environmental movement is to save human life. We - including Prager - need trees and water to survive.

[@randomthings1293]

Exactly!

[@oceanic16]

If you care about trees, you would want more carbon emissions. Photosynthesis baby!

[@theovanrossum8652]

@@oceanic16 I disagree. How does carbon create more trees? Answer: it doesn't. You need to plant them. We need trees to get rid of carbon pollution but too much carbon is too much for trees to handle. And photosynthesis is created by sunlight.

[@amadeosendiulo2137]

But some chriastans maybe thinks that praying is enough....

[@oceanic16]

@@theovanrossum8652 crack open a biology book and learn.

[@bennytolkienfreund7182]

I still love the fact that you were like: "What are the arguments of vegans? Oh well, sounds reasonable. Now Im going to be a vegan" It's so beatifully straight forward :D

[@PinupSarah]

Yep! Intellectual and moral consistency is rare. Huge respect for him

[@ericscaillet2232]

You'll start to see the light as the blood of animals leave your body.

[@garethbaus5471]

@@ericscaillet2232 this statement doesn't make sense.

[@55Quirll]

@@garethbaus5471 You're an animal.

[@davidr1431]

It will be interesting to hear his justification of eating meat if his health begins to suffer under veganism. If he prospers, or even if he puts up some negatives, good luck to him. It isnt universal. As Hitchens said, I’ve set my watch.

[@Murdrocks]

Man, I've missed these videos. Keep em' coming!

[@Cel-xq6pp]

PragerU should just rename themselves to StrawmanU

[@yakojjy]

The U stand for Urinal.

[@ghoulish6125]

NoU

[@alyssahansen1400]

PropagandaU would be more accurate.

[@Geo69-o1j]

Propaganda Urinal

[@Ascend777]

CherryPickersU

[@alexandrakeyser4550]

Love how people who say "humans are infinitely valuable" also argue that the economy is worth a million lives. That their civil liberties are more important than people's life and limb.

[@alexrogers777]

@Humanity Galatica Uh no. Wrong. We create those things, the economy is simply an inanimate manifestation of the variety of trade between individuals.

[@ryanc1045]

As a conservative (in most ways) I must say that I agree with your assertion. We should stay indoors till this blows over. It’s too bad the adults in my life fail to see thing my way.

[@dexboat1733]

@@alexrogers777 I highly doubt he is arguing the economy is an object outside of human interaction. That seems to be a strawman argument.

[@alexrogers777]

@@ryanc1045 According to a lot of people then you wouldn't be a conservative.

[@alexrogers777]

@@tex8788 Destroys angry *neoconservative. But thank you

[@olinke2]

“Oh come *on* ” released quite a few endorphins in my brain.

[@gandawful]

"PETA [...] teaches that there is no difference between the barbecuing of chickens in America and the burning of Jews in the Holocaust." Me and Alex in the video simultaneously: "Oh, come on!"

[@HiThere-zh6sf]

@@gandawful Er... I think they forget that things are valued by emotional complexity...

[@gregcampwriter]

My cat is a better person than a lot of humans I've met.

[@gregcampwriter]

@Sam Bacon As I said...

[@PercivalBlakeney]

@Greg Camp "It is difficult to obtain the friendship of a cat. They are philosophical creatures... they do not place their affections thoughtlessly." Theophile Gautier 😊

[@gregcampwriter]

@@PercivalBlakeney Exactly. We have to earn a cat's love.

[@jaredmartin7040]

Nice

[@HarryNicNicholas]

yep, cat's generally don't try to brow beat you into believing in bastet.

[@TuesdaysArt]

I call my rabbit my "baby" dozens of times a day...he might not be equal in moral agency and rational thought as a human, but he's still absolutely priceless. The line society draws between what animals are and aren't acceptable to eat is arbitrary. Some people eat rabbits and dogs while others choose not to eat cows or pigs for spiritual reasons. It'd feel logically inconsistent to choose not to eat a dog while eating a product made from a being of equal intelligence.

[@sportsfails4998]

Tuesday's Creations “worth” isn’t determined by “rational thought” But rather by the ability to suffer. I think almost all vertebrates and most cephalopods are sentient and can therefore suffer, so we shouldn’t harm them even if they were dumber than a plant, because regardless of intelligence they can still suffer. Sort of like a human baby or a human with a neurological disease that makes them less intelligent. They aren’t as intelligent as normal human, but they can still suffer, and therefore it’s wrong to harm them. Within the animal kingdom all animals can suffer to varying degrees, but it’s almost certain that all vertebrates and cephalopods a sentient and can feel physical pain (as for insects, we can’t prove or disprove that they can feel pain, and therefore it’s wrong to harm them either) What varies more is phsycological pain. In this aspect humans probably have the most ability to suffer, but all vertebrates probably experience mental distress to varying degrees, for example a fish when kept in a tiny crowded ammonia filled tank is visibly freaked out and in physocological turmoil, same as chicken cramped in a factory farm.

[@DistantVision85]

I had a pet hairless rat that I had somewhat rescued from an awful state of neglect. For about a year I spent time every day tending to her needs, and she was always up with me before I went to work at 6am.. I would feed her crackers, and she would always run away and hide them in such a cute fashion. She liked to eat in bed, so she would haul food into her little nest. She went from being a little rack of bones to a pudgy little snicker doodle. She developed a tumor in her lower jaw, and she was inevitably doomed to starve to death, and live her last days in extreme suffering. There was nothing I could do, so I had to take her in and have her put down. Most people would never consider paying to have a vet kill such a rodent.. But I cried like a baby. She was my pet, and my responsibility. She had personality, and she communicated her happiness.. I wouldn't prioritize her life over a human, but I still respect her life.

[@dan4lau]

@@sportsfails4998 I believe myself... and this may not be entirely rational, but I believe that everything... everything that is alive has the capacity to suffer in some way. I also believe that to suffer is to suffer... that is we can't talk about one living thing suffering less than another. It's why I get annoyed when people say, "Look at so-n-so, they're having a harder time than you." What's hard for you is hard for you. No matter what anyone else is suffering. To know that someone else is suffering something that most would regard as worse does not make your problem any better. It's OK for someone to think that way about their own problems, "It could be worse, there's plenty with worse problems than me," but it's totally wrong to apply that philosophy to someone else... that is to try to push that view on another.

[@55Quirll]

@@DistantVision85 You have my deepest condolences. Whether a pet is a large 4 footed animal, small 4 animal or 2 footed with feathers, they all have worth to us. May you stay safe, happy and healthy during these times.

[@knarf_on_a_bike]

The kitty who shares our house (we do not "own" her) is worth more to my partner and me than most humans. Think about it: we feed her, pay a large chunk of rent so she has a roof over her head and will pay thousands for her medical bills. We love her - and she loves us back. She is a part of our family. We do not do those things for most of the 7.5 billion people on the earth, most of whom, quite frankly, are in dire need of the above.

[@alexfyffe3457]

“When I carefully consider the curious habits of dogs I am compelled to conclude That man is the superior animal. When I consider the curious habits of man I confess, my friend, I am puzzled” -Ezra Pound, "Meditatio"

[@saltoftheegg]

These people seem to think there’s a finite amount of compassion in the world, and I think that’s really telling.

[@Changeling9au]

Damned good observation!

[@ARedMagicMarker]

That's what their whole foundation is based on it seems. You really narrowed it down perfectly. If you pay attention, you really do catch onto which personality types are typically attracted to certain parties, clubs, faiths and other organizations. As a general rule, these folks are without a doubt, prime candidates for showing legit confusion at basic human/animal emotions and possible suffering,. They are some of the most callous, shamelessly selfish, nosy, controlling, uncaring, neglectful, hateful, self righteousness, short sighted, boorish people you will ever meet. Oh, and cold. I'm talking ice fuckin' brick, south-pole-moon-crater COLD..... with a smile on their face. It's like they simply cannot exist without someone or something being crushed under their heels that they can look down upon, or discriminate against on site. They seem to truly relish in bullying people who are harmlessly different or cannot/won't stand up for themselves, and then make fun of them for being "victims", or call them "triggered" for speaking up, or calling others "white knights" after witnessing the atrocities going on, and try to make peace. They will cry "persecution" and "end of days" when people have enough of their shenanigans, and their favorite targets seem to be people who are in dire straights and destitute. That being said, I can't say that I'm always the most sentimental, warm, cuddly, sugar sweet, non cynical, lovey lovey, sappy human out there, but these fuckers just take the biscuit.

[@badger1296]

Emily, Awesome comment! I am not sure where I picked it up, but I remember hearing something akin to 'the more love you give away, the more love you have.'

[@JohnDoe-jq4re]

I have a finite amount of compassion for DP

[@aquilo1714]

Emily Griese Well, there is. Do you think everyone is born compassionate? What about psychopaths? Or people who are of a more ferocious and competitive bent? Do you think that compassion is every bit as utilitarian as being devoid of compassion? What about all of the world-conquerors across history who have been rewarded for being discompassionate? Have you ever been cruel or unfair, in your life, to anyone? If the answer is no, then you are an angel, and if the answer is yes, then even your compassion is not infinite, and therefore, compassion itself is not infinite. Furthermore, it is not even obvious that human beings are biologically programmed for infinite compassion or infinite mercy. If a person is extremely ugly or extremely weak, for example, is it more utilitarian, from an evolutionary perspective, to be merciful towards that person or to be cruel to him? And if you are born extremely ugly or extremely weak or extremely sick, trust me, you are definitely not going to accede very easily to the claim that our world is a vale of infinite compassion.

[@machintelligence]

I would value any of my cats higher than Dennis Prager.

[@SennaHawx]

I would also value any of your cats higher than Dennis Prager

[@coena9377]

I would value my neighbors cat that bit me more than Dennis Prager, and I don't even like that cat.

[@danielholland2694]

@@SennaHawx I value your comment about his cats higher than Dennis Prager.

[@kainewman6076]

Big oof

[@loki6626]

I don't know your cats but I would wager, based on my previous experience with cats, that they're far more useful to society than Mr Prager. And they definitely don't talk as much crap as him. 🐈

[@norelfarjun3554]

"Value" is not something that exists in reality like gravity "Value" is a human concept We give "value" to objects and ideas according to our personal desires and opinions. An animal has exactly the value we decide it has. humans (of different "kinds") have exactly the value we decide they have And everyone can give different "value" to different things. It is so easy to understand, yet religious people regard it as a deep philosophical enigma

[@libertyfirst9280]

Norel farjun Norel farjun the fact that you are able to discuss it means that it exists, at least as a concept. Value could be considered the way or method in which humans make decisions. It thus has an effect upon reality. It’s real, but in a different way.

[@LouisGedo]

Agreed, Norel

[@firstaidsack]

Yes, I agree, there is no such thing as "intrinsic value".

[@ewstaeger]

concepts cannot exist independent of a mind @@libertyfirst9280

[@flipgsp]

So if meat eaters continue to decide to give animals the same value they do now, what gives vegans the right to claim moral superiority? It's their decision.

[@dianedonohue9855]

You are absolutely brilliant. I just cannot believe you're so young and can be this thought provoking. Brilliant is the only word I can ascribe to you.

[@cornopeanus]

I don't think this is very brilliant at all. Do you agree that the moral worth of humans is based on how complex an arrangement of matter they are? That's what he is saying in this video. Even the humanist manifesto says that human worth is inherent. I quote: "We are committed to treating each person as having inherent worth and dignity, and to making informed choices in a context of freedom consonant with responsibility." Humanist Manifesto III

[@MBBurchette]

“It’s not a question of whether a being can reason, but a question of whether a being can suffer.”

[@zacharykenniston748]

Trees and plants do suffer

[@stevepayne5965]

@@zacharykenniston748 Explain how.

[@zacharykenniston748]

They are burned alive by the hundreds of trillions. The roots of a plant or tree act as a brain. Essentially they are like an upside down human or animal.

[@stevepayne5965]

@@zacharykenniston748 So roots are sentient, are they?

[@zacharykenniston748]

From what I have heard and studied yes.

[@connernickerson5509]

In most cases, I have found that no, most humans are not more valuable than trees.

[@phuck8627]

agreed

[@caramel7050]

dennis definitely isn't lol

[@lukericker8325]

Conner Nickerson Yep. Thanks for debunking cosmic skeptic here. You don’t value humans.

[@lukericker8325]

no narc No, you may not. Fuck head. And less value than a tree may as well be no value at all. But you are right, I shouldn’t have suggested that. “You barely value humans”, or “you don’t value humans enough” would have been more accurate. But in any case you just added to Dennis’s point.

[@lukericker8325]

no narc “quite a leap” It is literally a very tiny leap. A non-sentient tree being worth more than a person. Is not a huge leap to not valuing people.

[@nathanthomson1237]

Environmentalism is placing value on future humans

[@mayganphynix8267]

Nathan Thomson yes! exactly! ❤🌎🐾

[@toni4729]

And what about the animals?

[@falcongamer58]

Say that to my roaring V10 engine

[@TheAlyssa2469]

And the health and stability of ecosystems also please. We are not alone in this world.

[@toni4729]

@@TheAlyssa2469 CHEERS!!!

[@Linkman95]

Here is a situation that is neither hypothetical or extreme: Even *IF* it *CURED CANCER* Hey Denny boy? That is actually BOTH hypothetical and extreme.

[@nicosteffen364]

Value based on religion: God Men Cattle, women! Oh yeah very moral!

[@darkpixel1128]

hey now, some would tell you that at least cattle don't talk back?

[@lukericker8325]

Nico Steffen Judeo-Christianity does not value women with cattle. Straw manning is retarded. Stop.

[@paulelkin3531]

@@lukericker8325 The argument being made was that religion values men over women, with women being comparable to cattle. But pretending "Judeo-Christianity," is a thing; now there's a strawman.

[@lukericker8325]

Paul Elkin yes, and saying that it values women with cattle is a moronic and false straw man. Idiot. And how is Judeo-christian not a thing? Seriously.

[@lukericker8325]

Paul Elkin And it’s not like they even have a moral leg to stand on to be upset about that proposition. They don’t even believe morality exists.

[@dustind4694]

"The beauty of a living thing is not the atoms that go into it, but the way those atoms are put together." - Carl Sagan Children in the 70s knew better than this, Prager, come on.

[@get9320]

If we are stardust, who cares for innocent victims of crime, and who cares for murderers on death row? We will join the stardust in infinite space. As a child of the sixties, society has been going downhill ever sense. And how is it that children of the seventies know better than this? Know better than what?

[@dustind4694]

@@get9320 You know I'd never thought of it that way before, but you're right. I'll have to stop volunteering, put my rescue cats out on the street, kick out my veteran roommate and leave my representatives alone. Obviously, honesty precludes morality. Man, my bad!

[@98danielray]

@@get9320 why does it matter if we are stardust, moral highgrounded 60s person?

[@get9320]

@@98danielray you are right, neither ideas or beliefs matter. Why should Cosmic Skeptic mind if PragerU makes videos?

[@98danielray]

@@get9320 how did you take that out of my comment?

[@karambadodox]

"Religion values" are not values, they are arbitrary rules. Following religious values does not make you virtuous, it makes you obedient.

[@waspoppin4784]

karambadodox this is true

[@waspoppin4784]

Mark Donald this is also true

[@purpleeuphoric8917]

@Mark Donald but wouldnt you say that alot of these so called Religious people are Hypocrites they are very Hypocritical they do alot of terrible things they preach to everybody else about sin but they are the biggest sinners

[@purpleeuphoric8917]

@Mark Donald also they claim to believe in God but they sure dont like hearing about jesus even though theor supposed to be christians its more like they are creating their own religion its more like they are Idol worshippers pagan worshippers than they are chrsitians becuase they act like going to chruch is more like being in a play or movie instead of it being real its more like god exist inside the church but once they are out of the church god doesnt exist meaning they have to worship god inside of it but when they are outisde of it they turn athiest than when they are inside the church they are born agian christians they switch religions they are a reborn christian in church but once church is over they are a Reborn Athiest so thats very confusing i mean if youre going to be something why fake your own religion for ? i would rather walk the walk then try to talk the talk meaning practice what you preach dont be a Hypocrite

[@purpleeuphoric8917]

@Mark Donald these so called religious people they really are Hypocrites i came across a person they talked about being so holy and stuff but they would pray for people one minute but the next minute they would say their is no god the next and also they would get angry at others for believieng in god and rant at them the next minute and then the next minute they would believe sounds very hypocritcal sounds like they are a sinner .

[@amaatrashod]

I'm not vegan but I do take this video seriously. I'm open to expanding my ethics for animals and non-organisms.

[@lowkey_entertaining9723]

This is what we need more of in people

[@MM-vs2et]

You don't have to be vegan to be conscious about the ethics of animal slaughter. Because the issue is not human nature. You could start with the viability of lab grown meat to be no different than slaughtered meat.

[@ziconghuang7139]

Prager: Judeo-Christianism believes that human lives are infinitely valuable. God: Hey Abe, kill your son to prove your loyalty to me! Abraham: Sure thing boss! Son: wait what? WTF dad?

[@55Quirll]

God: Hey Isaac, kill your wife to prove your love to me Isaac: Hey God, why don't you go and shove Lucifer's Pitch Fork up your Ass? God: Well I never! Then you don't love me Isaac? Isaac: Nope, never did, and now, never will.

[@grimshawr]

Monk: Hey she-bear, kill that group of young men who insulted my bald head. She-bear: lolz okay

[@mickberry164]

That was funny. Thanks.

[@hrevo6490]

Satan: Hey that one dude would probably not love you if his family and animals died lol God: Lol why don’t you kill them then Satan: ok *kills everyone but the man* Man: still loves God God lolz see told you *sips beer*

[@hrevo6490]

Fighter For Christ bruh what the fuck

[@Fanny-Fanny]

Hey Alex. Next time I'm in the Oxford area, I'll keep an eye out for you. And if I see you and it looks appropriate, I'd be delighted to buy you and your friends a round of drinks, as a thanks for all you have done for me and for the cause of reason, decency and of honesty. You are wise beyond your years and simply state the fearless, unvarnished best-approximation-according-to-the-current-data. Keep on doing what you are doing and you will be a beacon for generations to come. I can see you blazing onward, helping lead us all out of our infancy as a species and into the future that awaits us all, if we only can start to live with less fear (of death, of the unknown and of saying 'I don't know'). Thanks again, Alex. Kudos to you, along with wishes of all the things the future you are working for might give you. I salute you, sir, and wish you the future you wish for us all. Beers on me if I ever see you! Yours, moistly and glisteningly, always. Ms Fanny Fanny, esq.

[@dontignorewatchme5851]

Cosmic Skeptic finally calls himself a vegan. Officially my favorite vegan KZbinr!

[@jodinha4225]

Mike Blaid why are you ranking based on food choice...

[@mischarowe]

@@jodinha4225 Some things are just too fun to not do.

[@Trainwheel_Time]

Because they get to rank based on the feeling that they (vegans) are somehow morally superior. Reminds me of another institution......

[@eisteepunk1317]

@@Trainwheel_Time you and the first guy didn't get it :D. He basically said he likes this channel a lot and now he is vegan it's his favorite vegan channel. That doesn't imply that he likes the channel any better than before. there is probably another channel he likes more that isn't vegan. Doesn't mean he likes that less because it isn't vegan

[@MrMking1991]

@didrik mortensen "I'm not saying taking a stance on one issue automatically requires you to be a virgin saint on all matters" after literally implying that it does. If someone was protesting in the street against racism, I imagine you wouldn't counter argue their beliefs by pointing out they might buy clothes from exploited child workers in other countries. Why bring it up when people make valid arguments that supporting animal exploitation and abuse is unethical? Presumably you would have an issue with someone causing unnecessary harm to an animal such as a dog simply for the pleasure of harming the dog. So why then does it become moral when the same act leads to an alternate sensory pleasure?

[@icouldntthinkofagooduserna6658]

“Are you more valuable than a dog” No, I treat my dog better than I do myself soooooo

[@daviddeida]

The fact you treat your dog better than you shows you are more valuable.

[@icouldntthinkofagooduserna6658]

@@daviddeida my dog is sweeter and kinder than I can ever be so no I’ll consider my dog more valuable than myself

[@daviddeida]

@@icouldntthinkofagooduserna6658 You value being sweet and kindness.Your does not.You have a notion of value far bedong a dog.That notion of value is very valuable.

[@leastbloodthirstyneocon2776]

@@icouldntthinkofagooduserna6658 thats your personal opinion of value, and i dont think its wrong. But from the outside view, and from a general view, since your smarter, more intelligent, and sentient, and contribute to society, you will be significantly more valuable than the dog.

[@zincschlong9514]

Ur Just an dumbass No worries

[@_sethm]

Oh god, I remember being forced to sit through prager U videos in my Jewish high school... as funny as his arguments are, I genuinely worry for our future when people still think these things.

[@Bmanritchie]

Seth Petel - CORRECTION: be worried that people are being paid to PROJECT a skewed vision of reality to millions of those that don’t even question the rhetoric from their videos.

[@_sethm]

Bmanritchie oh absolutely. It’s terrifying that ignorance is becoming a commodity to some.

[@persiancarpet5234]

Why PragerU then? Jews probably have better thinkers among them

[@themaster408]

I’ve got some family that love Prager AND are convinced it’s an actual university. Yes they’re all Christian Republicans that voted for trump, why do you ask?

[@_sethm]

themaster408 some people put their stock in thinkers that have the same political views. I trust that prager (and those in his wheelhouse) are staunchly conservative....

[@keaco73]

If I had to choose between a dishonest ahole like Prager or a cat, I’d save the cat every time.

[@loki6626]

That's a horrible thing to say. A human life is always.... wait... Prager? Sorry Keith, you're right. Save the cat.

[@bdf2718]

I'd have a hard job deciding between my cat and a human I liked. Prager has no fucking chance.

[@vestafreyja]

@@bdf2718 I'm a dog person and I would save the cat over Mr. Prager.

[@rembrandt972ify]

I would save even a worthless piece of garbage like Dennis before I would save a hundred dogs or cats.

[@keaco73]

Rembrandt972 and you have every right to be immoral.

[@Misa.misato]

Aye! Had no idea you finally went vegan. So glad to hear. Respect! ✌️

[@mayganphynix8267]

Misamisato I know. I'm so happy. I hope more people in the Athiest Community Follow! ❤🌎🐾

[@LouisGedo]

Yay........ *Create a Better World by......GOING VEGAN*

[@genzeuronymous7787]

question for vegetarians: if you’re trying to help animals why are you eating their food?

[@taekwondodude8]

Livingston HAHAHAHA !! SO FUNNY... TELL CAROL AND THE BOYS PAPAP SAID HELLO !! !! MUCH LOVE... XOXO

[@martiddy]

@@genzeuronymous7787 With that logic, then why are you consuming resources that another human being needs if you value human lives so much?, because everyday we live in this world we are taking resources from another living being. There's no way around. The best way to avoid this would be by stop living, but I don't think anyone are willing to die for a silly reason like that.

[@itsakingproduction727]

Honestly, some Dogs have more intelligence, loyalty, and kindness than many humans.

[@maarten1115]

@JONAS AUSTIN Okey Jonas.

[@joshuastrobel6826]

If I were at the lake and had to choose between saving Dennis Prager or my beer, I would probably save my beer because it’s my beer.

[@AllanFolm]

I would save your beer too.

[@Jwhdhjenkdkje]

Its five o'clock somewhere

[@Shylade]

The beer will give you more positive experiences. Just don’t try to save a drowning dog while you have that beer. Proceed at your own risk.

[@mikeoxsmal8022]

I would save prager so he can buy me more beer. Boom Stonk

[@braindeadpikachu7061]

I would save your beer four.

[@kenofjustice212]

It looks like SOMEONE has never watched Fullmetal Alchemist.

[@mayganphynix8267]

Nicely Done, Alex. being Vegan myself I appreciate this video for many reasons. ❤🌎🐾

[@discorabbit]

Imagine aliens talking about us the way we talk about pigs 😅. “I won’t kill and eat them, but they’re not as valuable as us”

[@neyte7313]

Well, that's fair. We would be an alien species to them, so they should value themselves more

[@avalus6]

Yeah I wouldn't expect anything more. Why wouldn't they value their own species and civilization over an alien one?

[@firetarrasque4667]

@@avalus6 I mean, because it's the right thing to do. Like, it seems obvious that the moral value of a thing shouldn't be determined by how similar the thing is to "Us". Also, because any spaceborne alien race would have a fucking trippy philosphy so honestly I can't say shit

[@avalus6]

@@firetarrasque4667 what decides the right thing to do?

[@firetarrasque4667]

@@avalus6 I understand that I can't objectively prove morality, but at the same time I'd say that it's pretty obvious that we shouldn't function on a moral system that equates "Good" with "Like Us"

[@lizzylang9941]

So Mr. Prager says secularism leads to us thinking humans and animals have the same value and then says it leads to us thinking one race is better than the other.....😒

[@brightbruce3957]

@jfsfrnd the story most know about and fewer believe and fewer have read.

[@zenozeno8655]

@RenDi Supertramp Really? I would say that his view and not only his view is more like, belief start where reason can't go forward. Scientific means testable, repeatable and falsifiable. And I do "believe" that is the correct way to reason! But is science totally out of the realm of "belief" ? Think about it! Can you taste the black matter, black energy? Can you repeat the Big Bang? What about repeating the random popping in to existence of a first single cell? What about the entire Darwin's theory? Can someone repeat the so called process of evolution in order to be tested? How can you falsify the maths? Or the Logic? Can someone taste the inflation theory? Science doesn't have unequivocal answers, testable and fasifiable, to all of these issues and many others. Many of the answers are kind of : "I wish this was true", "we believe that this is the answer", "we can't tested but there are some clues that suggest..." . That's ok! I have no problem with this. But don't tell me that science is all about pure reasoning and provable facts.

[@zenozeno8655]

@RenDi Supertramp My friend, if you permit me to call you like this, I'm sorry to tell you but I think you probably missed the recipient or you didn't read my post! I've never said we should stop looking for answers using the science as a tool of reason. I'm not against science. I think I stated very well in my post. What other definitions of science should I look for? Those scientifical methods are not invented by me. So what's wrong with them? One of the leaders involved in Human Genom Project is Christian. The collider didn't test the theory of Big Bang less the theory of inflation. There are some other theories that can be tested with it, for instance how can the particles (AFTER Big Bang) got mass. Fossil records is just a story (another religion, this time with Random Selection as a God). Check what David Berlinski said about this. And yes...he is not a believer! So, are we talking about evidence or potential "stuff"? If everything is testable and falsifiable how come nobody can say what is dark matter or dark energy? How can you say that is testable? With all technology and knowledge they can't "produce" a single cell made from chemicals. They can't! They will never be able! That's it!

[@tariq_sharif]

All lectures from PragerU make my blood boil; the abuse and misuse of logic and reason is depressing. CosmicSkeptic, you area a hero for being able to watch these lecture to the end and have the patience to respond.

[@filmtape5247]

what really boils my blood is the misrepresentation of arguments to push pragers agenda. i despise strawmanning with a seething passion.

[@CrummyVCR]

A lot of the lectures from Prager-U are very common-sense philo' basic from how I see it. That being said though, a few (Yes there is a few) that spin a bit too clockwise even for me. Moreover I should say though, that Humanism is a false god if there ever was one. All your theory, philo', logos, and ethos, are attempts to harang meaning into a days numbered count down of chaotic neutral that we all call life.

[@filmtape5247]

Scott VonSwestenhousen yeah, but there's no such thing as a "false god" because that would mean there's a "true god" Humanism is about well being of all, that in of itself is morally righteous in my eyes; henceforth i am a humanist. Sure, i admit life has no meaning, and there's no god to give us morally virtuous values, but that doesn't mean we cannot take life and mankind by its horns and wrestle it into a meaningful, sentient existence with purpose. Morality is subjective, and that's not a bad thing, hell, all of life is subjective in the sense of interpreting things. So in a sense, you are completely right, but i think the way you're looking at it is wrong. We _should_ be humanist if we want our pointless world to be a better place.

[@CrummyVCR]

@@filmtape5247 I never said there was no God, I said Humanism is a false one. Its our egos trying to "make it better then how it is" and yes I have a problem with some of that. Life has meaning, that is quite clear.. its to live. I'm not trying to bicker here btw. I'm just sick and tired of science being a religion and the gall it takes for some to say we need to be the "better" in this place when on closer view , I kindly doubt anybody really has the "answer" and if one is found its right back to ego (or super ego for that matter) disguising itself as a moral fortitude. But as you said "I think" and its just that.. I thought.

[@filmtape5247]

Scott VonSwestenhousen science is a method of figuring out what's true or not, hence the "scientific method" science is not an ideology; therefore it could never be a religion. I'm personally tired of people calling science a religion, where is the doctrine, worshippers, and churches of science? My point was if the universe is godless, it means there is no point to life. since it wasn't given a point by a creator, the only way to get a point to life is if you give it your own point. Whilst your tired of a scientific "religion." i'm tired of angry theist who cannot prove the existence of their oh so apparent god that totally exist. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, not personal experience. Do you believe the people who claim to be abducted by aliens? No, because their claims are here say, with no valid supporting evidence. I don't believe people who claim god is real, because there claims are here say with no valid supporting evidence.

[@naomigelila9048]

Woah I’m too early for this but damn, you somehow look really good with messy hair lol. That’s awesome

[@MaxPower641]

Yeah definitely

[@Sarahizahhsum]

So glad I'm the 69th like because hot damn he's looking smexy today.

[@MaxPower641]

@@Sarahizahhsum Well ask him out

[@Sarahizahhsum]

@@MaxPower641 I second this. I need a guy like him in my life.

[@MaxPower641]

@@Sarahizahhsum Idk whether or not he's single but give it a shot. He could use a gf

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

7:10 Meanwhile us Pagans are just gonna keep the Animism train going. Those rocks, trees, cats, and people all have souls. Christianity is probably the most egotistical religion worshipping one of the most egotistical and selfish figures I have ever heard about. I don't know how someone can assume a perfect understanding of the universe can fit within a short series of books, and that we were designed to look like the most powerful being in the universe so therefore we are more important and valuable than anything other than said being.

[@lwmaynard5180]

When those rocks turn to sand are they baby souls or a shattered soul...

[@amadeosendiulo2137]

@@lwmaynard5180 xD

[@kylehankins1177]

humans are more valuable than trees because trees have no intrinsic value, without a limbic system trees have no emotional content and without a brian they cant perceive the world around them.

[@JohnDoe-jq4re]

10/10 would save my dog and watch Prager drown

[@Lux7355]

I heartily concur! Man, what a disingenuous POS, something about that guy (apart from the obvious), just grates on me.

[@nobody8328]

I, too, would save your dog and watch Prager drown.

[@Navii-05]

This just shows how wicked humans heart are

[@JohnDoe-jq4re]

Mark Donald he put his name on one of the most dishonest and insidious KZbin channels with over 2 million subs

[@shaungould6391]

No I'd save Prager, but I'd feel real bad about it

[@savenetneutralityanti-repu7029]

"Are you worth more than a tree?" "I dunno. Ask the tree." LOL.

[@alyssaparsons8364]

I was listening to this while my mom was dying my hair. She had never seen this video before, and she called it bullshit before you explained.

[@junglized]

Absolutely brilliant content! Thank you!

[@masisam]

Absolutely brilliant response video Alex! Seemingly effortless and beautifully articulated, as always - l imagine a lot of hours went into it. Thanks!

[@Jadinandrews]

Come to think of it, why did God drown the planet but save the animals if they were infinitely less valuable?

[@JustMe-do9lz]

Thats a good point

[@redjack2629]

He killed all the animals too, remember? They were only saved by Noah's Incest Boat.

[@anthonynorman7545]

+

[@js66613]

Because he couldn't be bothered creating new ones to feed the humans. Always knew he was a lazy a**.

[@GlobusTheGreat]

U right, that anime makes no sense

[@lubie_ogorky]

Yes! I was sure you'd be quick to respond to that video, thank you so much for this ❤

[@j.obrien4990]

My dog's life is clearly more valuable than Dennis Pragar's.

[@Pyriphlegeton]

1:14 "As a vegan" I am proud of you, Alex.

[@johnny.V03]

I love myself a good rack of BBQ ribs

[@falcongamer58]

I wonder why most beings whom eat meat are generally smarter than animals whom eat only plants

[@ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz]

Your avatar looks like my parents fighting. ;)

[@Cheesewiz247]

@@falcongamer58 Because meat was very advantageous for the development of a brain before we had modern agriculture. Now that we have modern agriculture, the advantage has been minimized. People can eat plants and be just as well-off.

[@falcongamer58]

@@Cheesewiz247 so having farms made it easier to get food but instead of channelling all of it to feed the livestock, we consume some of it too, so does that mean that our evolution has been slowed down and diluted by plants or are we still evolving just as fast as our nomad ancestors?

[@gavsmith1980]

Prager U Not a university, the U stands for unqualified.

[@aussieginger1960]

I'm Australian, but I always wonder how a perspective employer would react to a resume with a degree from Prager U.

[@TobiasBalk]

Prager: Are you mo- Cosmic: I'm about to end this man's entire career

[@kathryngeeslin9509]

Lovely thought.

[@The_Story_Of_Us]

“Are you more valuable than a dog or a tree?” I’m starting to think that you aren’t, Prager...

[@mswen1983]

Your mistake is treating this as if he's trying to make an argument in good faith. This is propaganda confirming everything his audience wants to believe.

[@NegativeAccelerate]

True but perhaps he is convincing some audience members. I once tried to watch PragerU in order to make sure I was understanding all arguments an tried to keep an open mind. I ended up getting convinced by some of their stuff and I had to watch some PragerU reviews to see the other side again.

[@connorgray2896]

Exactly right, but still helpful to refute him.

[@StephanGelenscher]

What is something you think they believe, What you found to be not true?

[@seankennedy4284]

_"This is propaganda confirming everything his audience wants to believe."_ It's one thing to point out the fallacies in Prager's argument, quite another to presume to know his motives, and to know the wishes of his proposed audience.

[@whitegoose2017]

Man, I'd rather save a dog I don't know than Dennis Prager..

[@killmat1c]

Lol af

[@Cabesandia]

This but unironically.

[@chrishansen8119]

@@Cabesandia What makes you think this was ironic

[@Cabesandia]

@@chrishansen8119 tru

[@ReleaseMyKrakken]

I'd find an insect to save..... And if there were none.... I'd grab air and say.... There are important bacterium here!!!!!

[@monica3954]

I don't know. I value my cat over quite a few people :p

[@pontiuspilot5887]

Agreed. and not only - think porpoises, whales, elephants and primates.

[@monica3954]

@@pontiuspilot5887 Yeeh. Snakes are pretty cute to :3

[@mayaenglish5424]

For people asking why I care about the environment and pollution, I like to paraphrase Guardians of the Galaxy: "Why do you want to save the environment?" "Cause I'm one of the Idiots who lives in it!"

[@o0Avalon0o]

You're really pulling off the tousled-hair & stubble look. Wowie

[@ericsbuds]

that's Yuno's haircut from Black Clover, among others xD

[@Anglomachian]

I want Prager to prove to me that before the 1800s, people didn't choose their beloved pets over the lives of their serfs and peasants. Go on.

[@33mojod]

Even a dead tree has more value than Dennis prager.

[@stylis666]

Most of every tree is dead actually. Only the bark, roots and leaves are alive.

[@jrichards4742]

We need more people like you to take on Dennis Prager / PragerU and his videos which he very much means to share with the world. Hard to believe we have to waste so much time debunking People like Prager and people like him whom we have fought for decades, but sadly have become more influential because we ignored them for too long.

[@DH-kl3ob]

When I was a practicing Jew, I thought the world of Dennis Prager and Ben Shapiro...now I just do this 🤦🏻‍♂️. The idiocy of Prager’s rhetoric is such nonsense.

[@georgekostaras]

D H it must be crazy to wake up from that nightmare

[@karambadodox]

Just because the man is wrong on religion topics, does not mean he is wrong about anything. There are zero humans in the world who will agree with you or me on everything.

[@Liloldliz]

@@karambadodox prager and shapiro are full of shit on many topics, but they probably believe the world is round, and that's a good start

[@definitiveentertainment1658]

karambadodox You’re right. JUST because he’s wrong about god, doesn’t mean he will be wrong about anything else. If I may make an assumption here. I believe the OP meant the opposite: BECAUSE he agreed with Prager about matters of cosmic importance, he was willing to swallow his horrible rhetoric and nonsensical propaganda.

[@endofscene]

What made you change your mind re: Judaism?

[@Kulei666]

I love it! I love how intelectually honest and challenging you are for Mr. Prager

[@coltmagnus6572]

Hahaha, this little punk would get out classed and out witted by Dennis Prager in a debate. He's going after a 5 minute generalized video. So many fucking idiots commenting in here.

[@paulelkin3531]

@@coltmagnus6572 Its always nice when y'all can admit you care about debate rather than evidence or logical argument.

[@coltmagnus6572]

@@paulelkin3531 I don't give a fuck about this conversation, hey. My evidence is in a comment at the top. Bye

[@MrWhit30]

Dog, cat, gecko, or tree. All more valuable than Prager.

[@konroh2]

You've just proved Prager's point.

[@jaredmartin7040]

Prager is an idiot

[@fromeveryting29]

Lmao! "Human slavery was abolished only in the judeo-christian society" In other words: "judeo-christian societies had slavery for a considerable ammount of time, and justified it based on the very same religion"

[@AlfiePrettyman]

I saw on Instagram a bit ago a picture of you and Earthling Ed. Am wondering if a discussion between you two will be posted? p.s. great vid as always, many thanks for your words

[@stuartschiffman2581]

The first thing I thought in response to the title question was, “To whom?”

[@daviddeida]

Yourself.

[@awkwardukulele6077]

17:20 anyone else notice the animated the fireman slapping the woman? I’m not exactly sure how to word how slimy that is, but putting into simple terms: if a person has beloved pets, and is worried for their safety as her home is up in flames, and she exclaims, “please save them!” The living creatures, and maybe the only part of her old life that could be saved from the flames. The firemen come out with the last remaining bit of her old life, and the fireman hits her because she yelled something out during a traumatic situation. Is Prager even capable of keeping up the mask of caring about people before he lets slip how little he cares about other’s suffering?

[@patrickhenry4874]

It's because the fireman thought he was risking his life to save a childs life but because of the miscommunication he ended up risking his life going into a burning house to save a few cats sure they were Important to the woman but it's not worth as much as a human child and he could have died trying to take a few cats out of a house fire

[@awkwardukulele6077]

Patrick Henry agreed, but they decided to make the character hit the woman in frustration, as if a real firemen would as well. I’m sure the fireman would be upset, and they have every right to be, but it seems like PragerU just isn’t bothering to act like they care that much.

[@patrickhenry4874]

Ye alright it was an odd choice to have him hit her but for the purposes of a short animation to go along with what they were saying it was a simple way to show that he was upset

[@awkwardukulele6077]

Patrick Henry My only real problem with this is that they could have just animated the fireman face palming or shaking his head or even making him shout at her. Hitting her was what they chose though, and it was, like you said, iffy.

[@Skooby13]

@@patrickhenry4874 If the woman is alone and has no family, her cats ARE her family, her "babies". Many a pet-owner would fall into a deep depression if the beings they loved as family were ripped away from life. I've seen firefighters rescue animals AND perform CPR on them if necessary. Also, no firefighter would go into a burning structure and not get clarification on WHO they were looking for and WHERE they might be found. Therefore, it would be the cats he went in after in the first place.

[@randomthings1293]

Excellent video! Truly!

[@silg7262]

IDK. My cat is pretty damn valuable. I love my sweet kittens. More than a lot of people. Edit: also how the hell does secular humanism devalue humans. It's literally about the well-being of humans

[@joelvonthrum8658]

Sil G because it makes Human worth an opinion - not a fact. Human worth is simply based in mans own opinion of himself - nothing more. Secular humanist gifts have shown that when worth is derived from community opinion, it is removed just as easily.

[@diobrando6716]

joel von Thrum value in general is an opinion and simply stating it isn’t won’t change that, nor will acknowledging it lead down some ridiculous slippery slope. Human worth doesn’t need to be a fact case in point what objective value does money have? The answer is none, but I still bet you value it.

[@joelvonthrum8658]

jason littleton an opinion can be ignored or opted out from. It can also be assigned different weight. Money is like that- it means more or less to different people. A big problem with money at present is that it’s objective value is being eroded since the gold standard was abandoned.

[@diobrando6716]

joel von Thrum you just proved my point as how money is still valued despite it not being objective. Opinions can be ignored yes they can. What was your point? Also facts can ignored as well Dennis does it all the time.

[@joelvonthrum8658]

jason littleton simply that you accept that the value of humans is arbitrary and subject to being ignored or treated differently by different people as they deem fit with no ability to make moral objections.

[@LoveAllAnimals101]

A dog and a cat are more valuable than Dennis Prager

[@nolanboles8492]

Cats are smarter too--the cats in Prager's example would have been fine, they would have escaped on their own unless physically prevented from doing so. Dogs, too, probably.

[@LoveAllAnimals101]

@Kevin Tewey 100% Agreed!

[@nolanboles8492]

@Jacob Masten You shouldn't hate anyone. That's totally different from having a negative view of someone's value relative to the rest of the sentient world. Oh, and for the record, I regard all sentient life as having equal value from a moral standpoint. Whether you're a human animal, one of the lesser varieties of animals, or a plant, we're all equal in God's eyes. That the bible is written from an almost exclusively human-centric perspective simply reflects the egotism if its authorship. But we are required to be good stewards of nature, and that means taking care of it in the same way we're expected to care for ourselves.

[@Nicolai_Apeiros]

I've never seen him so genuinely pissed off. I like it.

[@seankennedy4284]

Fantastic arguments. Top notch. Very clarifying, thank you.

[@sophiecanadesheher1927]

'Swooning over this smart, vegan atheist.

[@amberalicea4623]

I love that you are vegan! I use your arguement for veganism video all the time. 💚🌱

[@toni4729]

Why don't you just stay on the subject, or is it just too boring for you....

[@amberalicea4623]

@@toni4729 did I trigger you somehow? 🤣🤣

[@YoutubeHandle98]

You are aware that Amber IS on subject. Veganism cares for other beings, and PragerU slanders anyone who cares for things other than humanity (even in the event of caring about other living beings for the sake of humanity) therefore, they are completely on topic.

[@toni4729]

@@amberalicea4623 See you got the message, well did you understand the subject at-hand?

[@amberalicea4623]

@@toni4729 I did in fact, I enjoyed this video very much. Why dont you go pick on the person who left a comment about his hair changing throughout the video. That seemed a bit of topic don't you think?

[@googlebarbaralernerspectre2581]

CosmicSkeptic, thanks for saying Christianity and catholism is a Jewish religion. Ancient native Europeans believed in ancient gods and goddesses.

[@kyleperlman]

TheMarker2015 L.S The proper term would be Abrahamic or Semitic. Not Jewish.

[@googlebarbaralernerspectre2581]

Christianity and catholism is Jewish DLC. They just don't realise it's a money making scam.

[@maxsimes]

@@googlebarbaralernerspectre2581 oh wow someones pushing his agenda of irrational thoughts. Who exactly doesnt realise that its a money making scam? And who makes the money?

[@jonsnor4313]

Its a jewish detomination but not jewish. The term would be abrahamic, which also has muslime who believe jeusus is a prophet too and the old testaments somewhat..

[@Gringo7213]

@@neilt1352 Judaism is what is called an ethno-religion, which is different from Christianity. That is due to the fact that conversion to Judaism is incredibly difficult and that the children of Jewish mothers are considered Jewish, even if they are not religious in any way...an that holds down the maternal line. So long as the mother is a descendant of a Jew, the kids are considered Jews. In addition, there are a large number of Jews who find the culture around being Jewish to be important, and so while they do not believe in a God, they will continue to go to services, follow the holidays, be kosher etc.

[@prolaxbro4474]

A guy like me is really persuaded by JBP and PragerU ideas so it’s good that your channel exists cause u can get me closer to the center

[@tvremote9394]

I really don't see what's so controversial in thinking a dog or a cat or a tree is equal in value to a human? The entire religious and humanist point of view on this is humans getting together and saying "yeah, we agree. We are more valuable than these other things." And that is absurd. It's our feelings. We want to think that we are worth more than dogs and cats and trees, but nature doesn't care. The world doesn't care. We're a bunch of cells that are animate, just like those other things. No difference. Any difference that anyone can think of is subjective feelings. Given that, I'd go do far as to say that the meat industry killing billions of animals for them to be eaten is several magnitudes worse than the Holocaust. There's no difference between boiling a human and boiling a chicken, you're doing a terrible thing to an organism that feels the exact same amount of pain from the act.

[@ColinTherac117]

You started off right, but then I would go the opposite direction. Pain is irrelevant as existence is pain and the pleasure system in the brain is wired to have diminishing returns as you can be happy in a mud hut and sad while pampered in Versailles. It is the eternal battle in this biosphere to consume the energy from the sun in this or that temporary collection of matter. Morality itself is merely semi-organized preferences backed by the threat of social and/or physical violence via ridicule to harm the psyche of a social animal or up to death. You can say that you would prefer that Hitler not have started WW2. You could act to stop those whose preferences align with his. You could say that Hitler failed in his desired goals and made "wrong" choices that led to that failure. Or that he failed to live up to your desired outcomes, like him not starting a world war. But to claim that "Hitler did something wrong" is silly as it assumes some truly non-existent shared universal morality. Whether you boil a human or a chicken or a rock is all the same. The only thing that matters is whether the thing that happens is in alignment to your preferences and goals. This is what morality is. And to be clear, I would prefer that humans not be boiled. And chickens should be grilled or fried.

[@123lowp]

Morality is behavior instinct in social species. Humans evolved empathy for other humans and especially other human babies. Experiencing that empathy for animals is misplaced. Vegans are people that experience excessive empathy for animals. That empathy evolved for humans and human babies. Vegans use logic/reason to justify their social instincts in a backwards way.

[@DGtrustmelikereligion]

Keep up the good work Alex

[@kerbdogrule]

"animal testing doesn't lead to such medical breakthroughs". How about chemotherapy (for many, quite literally a cure for cancer), antibiotics, recent agents against HIV and hepatitis C viruses, vaccines, asthma inhalers, organ transplant rejection drugs etc. etc. etc.

[@hooplehead1019]

Yeah, that an Singer´s quote were weak arguments. Well, nobody is perfect. :)

[@m.c.v.a.8586]

@@hooplehead1019 maybe because he's biased against animal suffering? He can't deny all the medical breakthroughs made thanks to animal testing

[@kathryngeeslin9509]

It was in trying to find a cure for Feline Leukemia that we found some cancers are caused by viruses (now have vaccine, no cure). But now there is little benefit (beyond getting grant money) for testing on animals for other animals' illnesses as we have better means in cultured cells. We need more stem cell research.

[@hooplehead1019]

@@kathryngeeslin9509 Youre talking about research on animals for researching animal diseases. Thats not the topic. The topic is animal research for human diseases and applications.

[@kathryngeeslin9509]

@@hooplehead1019 No, I'm talking about both. Not quite the "same thing", but close. FeLV was the first identified virus that causes cancers (not just leukemia), there are more. But we are basically beyond testing on one species for information on another, with all our biochemical similarities the differences are striking. General information on cancer, allergy/immune, digestive, whatever can be gained, but most medical research now needs cells grown in dishes. Human cells or other. In instances where animal testing may be helpful the animals need to be bred for it and carefully documented. Medical science has moved on.

[@Jacob-jz1pc]

Every argument was spot on and coherent