"what you do seem to understand, is that if you grant the greater and more distinct properties of humanity, it might lead to implications of his being made in Gods image."

I certainly don't think that at all, and I don't recognise the "greater and more distinct properties of humanity" as being exclusive to humans; it's a conceit borne of arrogance and misunderstanding. As for being made in god's image, it can never happen as there is no god, nor evidence for one, and as for Adam being a conservationist, I'll leave the theological claptrap to you Pete, it really has zero relevance as once more, it is a fairytale.


"and on what basis do you ascertain and pronounce something as evil?
...on your own subjective morality, I presume."

All our moralities are subjective, it's how we arrive at them and practice them that is the issue. In my case, my morality is built on a profound respect for all life, because we are made of star stuff and we are the universe made conscious. All life is interconnected, all life is precious and we are part of something far bigger than ourselves, a fact which expresses itself as religion in some cases, albeit with a load of todge about walking on water and fish butties thrown in by desert storytellers. My morality is based on solid science, and I don't subscribe to dogma or superstition.

The idea man has dominion over the natural world has led us to the appalling state of affairs we are in now. Two thousand years of seepage from the Abrahamic religions into the collective cultural consciousness has given this nasty and profoundly ignorant meme huge weight, with the consequence we are trashing the planet at a greater rate with each passing year. From anthropogenic climate change to the last, gasping, bloody breath of the now poached-to-extinction Western Black Rhino and fuck knows how many atrocities on a daily basis, the idea that the natural world is our to exploit whatever the cost is one of the most backward, hateful and evil concepts ever. End of.